The Markup

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Challenging technology to serve the public good. Send tips: http://mrkup.org/tips. Subscribe: http://mrkup.org/klaxon. Support: http://mrkup.org/donate.

An illustration shows a person using a laptop in front of a blurred California privacy website, with yellow pixel-like blocks scattered across the image to suggest digital data. The stylized artwork uses a limited color palette and visual elements that evoke online privacy and information security.
An illustrated composite image shows two people in conversation, one taking notes while the other appears distressed. Audio waveforms, a microphone icon and the word “REC” are layered over the scene, suggesting a recorded or transcribed discussion. Illustration by Roxsy Lin, American Community Media
Illustration of Alice from Alice in Wonderland, dressed in a patient gown, falling down a rabbit hole surrounded by buttons that say “I accept” and privacy policies
Hassan speaks before the Senate Committee at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., on Feb. 19, 2025. Photo by Joshua Sukoff, Medill News Service via Reuters
Microsoft, Google and Meta are among the tech companies a research firm says is frequently ignoring California's legally mandated privacy controls. People reflected on a Microsoft store in New York City on March 31, 2026. Photo by Zamek, VIEWpress via Getty Images
Graphic of a screenshot of The Markup's story "Dating App Cover-Up: How Tinder, Hinge, and Their Corporate Owner Keep Rape Under Wraps" next to the text "WINNER," the headline of the story, and the Society for Advancing Business Editing and Writing’s Logo
An automated license plate reader sits along Old Highway 80 near Boulevard in the Jacumba Hot Springs area of San Diego on Feb. 7, 2026. Zoë Meyers for CalMatters
California is requiring browsers to offer a signal that the user does not want their personal data sold or shared. Experts say this has national implications. A person uses their phone in Escondido on April 20, 2023. Photo by Lauren Justice for CalMatters
People, school districts and states suing tech companies say their platform designs and marketing hooked kids on social media. A child takes photos and videos to upload to Instagram during a community event in San Francisco on Feb. 22, 2024. Photo by Laure Andrillon for CalMatters.
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani speaks at a press conference at Gracie Mansion in New York City, on Jan. 12, 2026. Photo by Michael M. Santiago, Getty Images
Videos generated using, clockwise from top-left, OpenAI’s Sora 2, Google’s Veo 3.1, Kuaishou’s Kling 2.5 and MiniMax’s Hailou 2.3. Hed: How we tested and evaluated AI-generated dance videos
Horton-style dance videos generated using, clockwise from top-left, OpenAI’s Sora 2, Google’s Veo 3.1, Kuaishou’s Kling 2.5 and MiniMax’s Hailou 2.3. Hed: Our video tests prove generative AI still sucks at dancing. See for yourself
“Rapists know each Match Group platform offers a catalog of available victims.” From the complaint against Match Group, the company that owns Tinder and Hinge.
President Donald Trump issued an executive order cracking down on state AI regulations. The order would likely hit California hardest of all states. Trump speaks on election night in West Palm Beach, Fla. in November 2024 Photo by Chip Somodevilla, Getty Images
A bar chart showing that the majority of Black Americans surveyed say they are registered organ donors.
Alt text: Micah Clayborne, 15, a heart transplant recipient, at Lions Park in Ennis, Texas, on Oct. 4, 2025. Photo by Desiree Rios for Word In Black Hed: Ten answers that could save a life: Organ donation explained
Quote: “We want teenagers to think independently, voice their opinions, learn to think critically… But if we give them a tool that allows them to not develop those skills, I’m not sure we’re actually helping them.” Source: William Heuisler, a high school ethnic studies teacher in Los Angeles. He decided to ditch technology altogether in his classroom and return to the basics: pencil and paper.
Hed: How this could go national Text: Since it would likely be burdensome for companies to carve out a way to only allow the signal to be used by Californians, according to experts, the tool will likely be available across the country. How, exactly, that will look still remains to be seen. The legislation doesn’t require browser makers to use a specific standard. (Spokespeople for Google and Microsoft declined to comment on the companies’ plans.)
Hed: What the new law does Text: It requires companies that make web browsers to offer users an opt-out “signal” that automatically tells websites not to share or sell their personal information as they browse. Browsers like Google’s Chrome and Microsoft’s Edge will have until the beginning of 2027 to create a way for consumers to select the signal.
“A lot of these tools were done as a well-intentioned progressive effort to do well by Black patients, in the spirit of personalized medicine… This was seen as a progressive pro-race justice thing to do. What people didn’t do carefully enough was to see how these tools actually operated.” David Jones, a trained psychiatrist and the A. Bernard Ackerman, professor of the Culture of Medicine at Harvard University.
Bar chart titled "States with the most agencies participating in ICE's immigration enforcement program." It shows the number of law enforcement agencies with a 287(g) program in the top participating states. Florida leads with 218 agencies, followed by Texas with 78, Georgia with 27, Virginia with 24, North Carolina with 22, South Carolina with 11, Oklahoma with 15, Wisconsin with 14, Pennsylvania with 13, and New Hampshire, Tennessee, Kentucky, and Alabama each with 11. The chart was last updated on June 16, 2025.
An image of a pile of books as the background. A black-to-transparent gradient coming from the bottom. A logo that says "The Markup" at the bottom right corner. Text says: Are AI Models Advanced Enough to Translate Literature? The Debate Is Roiling Publishing.
Bar chart titled "States with the most agencies participating in ICE's immigration enforcement program." It shows the number of law enforcement agencies with a 287(g) program in the top participating states. Florida leads with 145 agencies, followed by Texas with 58, North Carolina with 19, Georgia with 17, South Carolina and Wisconsin each with 11, Oklahoma with 9, New Hampshire and Maryland each with 7, Kansas with 6, and Arizona, Kentucky, and Minnesota each with 5. The chart was last updated on April 16, 2025.
The image has a three-line sentence on a white background. The text reads, "Lie about your birthday," with emojis scattered around, including a monkey covering its mouth, a smiling face doing the same, a party popper, and a cake with candles.
An AI-generated image of the Hollywood Sign being on fire. Text says: "This image is AI-generated. No, the Hollywood Sign is not on fire. Source: Deadline."
A gradient from yellow to white background with a pixelated red lock illustration in the center. Text reads: 'Can you access Wikipedia through your school’s internet? How about YouTube, LinkedIn, or The Trevor Project?'
Things you can do to keep yourself safe Set up a new email using a unique, random password Get a temporary Google Voice number or a burner phone Talk about your plans in person Limit the number of people you share your plans with
New Guide: The dos and don’ts of protecting your privacy when seeking an abortion
Gifts on pink background. Text says: Holiday gift idea for second-gen Americans: A list of trustworthy news outlets to follow; A subscription to local news orgs.
Hands holding a phone in a blue-toned background. Text reads: How do I know if a social media post is sharing accurate information?