The Markup - All Articles

Illustration of a patient standing in the middle of a maze which spells out the words “opt out”; there are multiple signs pointing to different directions with written phrases like “call compliance,” “contact medical records,” “visit notary,” and “mail letter”

Privacy

Patients: All my best tips on how to opt out of data sharing

Even when patients are told they can opt out, medical providers often don’t give patients instructions on how. For patients who are interested in opting out, here are my best tips on how to start.

October 15, 2026 4:30 a.m. UTC

Privacy

MyChart and a major hospital said I could opt out of sharing my health data. But they didn’t make it easy

My journey included a notary, a hospital that won’t honor its own policies and employees that gave me wrong information.

October 15, 2026 4:30 a.m. UTC

Privacy

World’s largest health appointment platform dumps its web trackers after Markup investigation

Doctoralia said it was removing trackers that communicated with social media companies out of an abundance of caution

October 14, 2026 8:00 a.m. UTC

Blue-gloved hands sort and review stacks of election ballots on a table. The unfolded ballots display candidate races and ballot measures, while multiple sheets are organized into piles during the vote-counting process.

Hello World

What it takes for voters to be resilient against AI misinformation

A conversation with political scientist Thessalia Merivaki

October 10, 2026 8:00 a.m. UTC

Two purple hands: one holds a phone reading “COVERAGE: REJECTED. HAVE A NICE DAY!,” the other holds a cereal box labeled “CEREAL, PRIZE INSIDE!” with a sticky note reading “BMI 31” circled in red.

Privacy

Data brokers have detailed files on you. Here’s what’s in them — and how it impacts you

Data brokers collect thousands of details about your finances, health and habits. See what’s in your profile, who buys it and how companies use it.

September 16, 2026 8:00 a.m. UTC

An illustration of a cartoon figure with a star-shaped head as they walk throw a row of trees, where unidentified hands hold up post-it notes with personal information about the star-shaped figure.

Privacy

Who’s buying your personal data: Disney, GM, your insurer and bank. Here’s what they get

Consumers asked a major data broker for their files. What they got back shows interest in how fat they are, how much they drink, and how likely they are to get a mammogram, among many other characteristics.

September 16, 2026 8:00 a.m. UTC

An illustration in green, blue and white tones that depicts a medical appointment webpage with fill-out boxes, including a "enviar" button, surrounded by several pixels.

Pixel Hunt

How TikTok and Google ended up with information about doctors’ appointments around the world

Doctoralia sent information about specialists and appointment dates to social media companies.

September 14, 2026 3:00 a.m. UTC

News

Defense tech has unleashed a new weapons boom in Southern California

An analysis of defense contracts charts the rise of defense spending — often in heavily Democratic districts

September 2, 2026 8:00 a.m. UTC

A group of students lying in the grass near a sidewalk, looking at a cellphone while a man runs past them.

Privacy

Brazil gives parents social media controls for their kids. Should the US?

California is leading on kids’ data privacy in the U.S. but still lags internationally.

July 28, 2026 8:00 a.m. UTC

A person wearing a red shirt and a headset sits in front of a desk and types into a keyboard, in a dimly lit room with a window overlooking a residential street.

Artificial Intelligence

Kaiser Permanente nurses say technology is making their jobs — and patient care — worse

Call center nurses at the health giant said workplace surveillance tools and AI prioritize speed and cost savings over quality and safety.

July 9, 2026 8:00 a.m. UTC