Article Archive - The Markup

Illustration of several abstract characters standing in a maze of stairs. Location pins and coins are scattered throughout the piece.

Privacy

Help Us Find the Apps That Sell Your Location

Send us screenshots or share your knowledge of the location data industry

October 7, 2021 8:00 a.m. UTC

Illustration of a hand holding a phone with a QR code and checkmark, surrounded by a vaccine card, a syringe, vaccine bottles and a DNA strand.

The BreakdownPrivacy

How Can You Safely Store Your Vaccine Status on Your Phone?

Vaccine cards don’t actually contain very much sensitive information, but you can protect it nonetheless

October 5, 2021 8:00 a.m. UTC

Privacy

There’s a Multibillion-Dollar Market for Your Phone’s Location Data

A huge but little-known industry has cropped up around monetizing people’s movements

September 30, 2021 8:00 a.m. UTC

Illustration of man in construction hat and safety vest working at a utility pole. To the right of him is an internet router with wifi signals around it.

The Breakdown

What's Missing from the Infrastructure Bill's $65 Billion Broadband Plan?

The proposal would represent a “once in a generation” investment in broadband networks. Here’s what it would do, and what it leaves out

September 28, 2021 8:00 a.m. UTC

Citizen Browser

Germany’s Far-Right Political Party, the AfD, Is Dominating Facebook This Election

Ahead of a national vote this month, Citizen Browser data shows that posts promoting the AfD party appeared more than three times as often as rivals'

September 22, 2021 8:00 a.m. UTC

Illustration of jumbled Facebook like icons, blue clouds, squiggles, and junk code. Disparate eyes, ears and magnifying glasses are scattered throughout the art.

Citizen Browser

Facebook Rolls Out News Feed Change That Blocks Watchdogs from Gathering Data

The tweak, which targets the code in accessibility features for visually impaired users, drew ire from researchers and those who monitor the platform

September 21, 2021 8:00 a.m. UTC

The Breakdown

What Does Facebook Mean When It Says It Supports “Internet Regulations”?

Since companies typically try to avoid regulation, Facebook’s support for it is weird. Or is it? There’s more to the company’s proposal than meets the eye

September 16, 2021 8:00 a.m. UTC

A masked woman stands behind a podium with her hand raised. People next to her are holding signs criticizing Amazon.

News

California May Be the First State to Legislate Amazon Warehouse Conditions

A bill headed to the governor’s desk aims to curb injuries in warehouse distribution centers run by a broad spectrum of employers and outlaw punishment for bathroom breaks

September 13, 2021 8:00 a.m. UTC