Article Archive - The Markup

All Articles

Photograph of an Asian student with glasses sitting in a hammock. Behind her, there's a line of young people walking up the stairs on the UCLA campus.

Machine Learning

AI Detection Tools Falsely Accuse International Students of Cheating

Stanford study found AI detectors are biased against non-native English speakers

August 14, 2023 08:00 ET

Photograph of the exterior of Zoom headquarters on February 07, 2023 in San Jose, California. The right and left sides of the photograph are obscured by two dark shadows that aren't in focus.

Hello World

This Is What Happens When People Start Actually Reading Privacy Policies

A recent controversy about Zoom’s ability to train AI on users’ conversations shows the importance of reading the fine print

August 12, 2023 08:00 ET

Digital illustration of two hands wearing gloves. The right hand is holding a magic wand and summoning a rainbow spreadsheet out of a top hat.

Still Loading

Magic Spreadsheets That Equip the Public

Use these tools and techniques to bring “receipts from streets” with little-to-no code

August 11, 2023 08:00 ET

Illustration of a browser window displaying the outline of two houses, with a text window over it. Behind the browser window there is a dark blue background with rough white sketches of various graphics.

LevelUp

How We Create Custom Graphics at The Markup

A lesson in software and sanity maintenance

August 8, 2023 08:00 ET

They follow a predictable structure, meaning you can learn to navigate them, spotting key sections and passages from a safe skimming" done in the style of a Star Wars crawl, set to a starry backdrop.

Hello World

The One Page on Every Website That Tells You the Truth

Behind the scenes of our guide to deciphering privacy policies

August 5, 2023 08:00 ET

Digital illustration of a phone displaying a privacy policy, with various parts of it highlighted and annotated with numbers. Behind the phone are 6 vignettes that are numbered. The first vignette shows a car with a dashed line pointing to a location symbol. The second vignette shows a series of spheres on a conveyer belt passing through a machine; they end up as cubes. The third vignette is a bunch of browser windows with little fuzzballs interspersed among them. The fourth vignette shows two hands about to shake, and dollar signs are behind them. The fifth vignette shows a room, with eyes peering in the back of the room. The sixth vignette shows a black tentacle creature chasing a blue cursor character.

The BreakdownPrivacy

How to Quickly Get to the Important Truth Inside Any Privacy Policy

An investigative data journalist and a former tech lawyer teach you how to spot tricks and hidden disclosures within these interminable documents—and even how to claw back some privacy

August 3, 2023 08:00 ET

Photograph of a closeup of hands typing on a laptop.

Pixel Hunt

Help Us Investigate Surveillance Marketing Using Facebook Data

Surveillance marketers are upping their game. Instead of relying on tracking pixels, companies are now sending tracking data directly to one another

August 2, 2023 08:00 ET

3D illustration of a computer showing a 2D illustration of the FCC broadband map. On the left is a column of addresses with little people icons. On the right are providers showing Internet Service Provider logos. The middle of the map shows America, with a label pointing to Chicago.

The BreakdownStill Loading

How to Search for a Better Deal on Broadband

You might even be able to help improve crucial government broadband data in the process

August 1, 2023 08:00 ET

Collage of art from three stories that won the Online Journalism Awards. The first image is a closeup of a open hand set against a background of code and abstract shapes. The second image is a photograph of a man wearing a Lyft jacket. The third image is an illustration of a cubic house with a dashed line coming out of the top of it.

Inside The Markup

The Markup Nominated for Three ONA Awards

Our newsroom and our investigations into internet disparities and L.A.’s scoring system for subsidized housing are finalists for the awards

July 31, 2023 13:47 ET

Photograph of a protester holds a sign that reads "AI is Soulless" in a crowd of other people with their fists raised and holding signs.

Hello World

The Writers’ Strike Over AI Is Bigger Than Hollywood

Debates on generative technology touch every industry, including ours

July 29, 2023 08:00 ET

Page 23 of 65