Emerson Malone

Copy Editor

Emerson Malone is a copy editor and writer based in Los Angeles. Originally from Northern California, he studied journalism at the University of Oregon. Before The Markup, he worked at BuzzFeed News.

Digital illustration of a security camera attached to Barbie legs, an old-school phone toy with a face attached to it, and a karaoke machine set against a black background of an eye

The BreakdownPrivacy

We Tested Kids’ Smart Toys for Privacy. Here’s How You Can, Too

All you need: your computer or smartphone, some free tools, and your child’s internet- or Bluetooth-connected toy

March 28, 2024 11:01 ET

News

Whistleblowing While Black: How Truth-Telling Changes the Careers of Black Women in Tech

Black women whistleblowers not only jeopardize their professional prospects, experts say, but often face more intense backlash

March 13, 2024 08:00 ET

Illustration of a short-haired person wearing headphones and a hoodie looking at their phone, set against a background of rectangular speech bubbles; half of them are dotted outlines on a dark background, while the other half are filled with various patterns and set on pink and purple gradient

Automated Censorship

What to Do If You Think You’ve Been Shadowbanned on Instagram

How to appeal, check violations, and more

February 25, 2024 08:00 ET

Illustration of the side profiles of four people: a bearded person wearing glasses, a person with curly hair, a person wearing a hijab, and a person with short brown hair; the person wearing a hijab is drawn with a white dotted outline and is transparent, unlike the other three people.

Automated Censorship

Demoted, Deleted, and Denied: There’s More Than Just Shadowbanning on Instagram

An investigation by The Markup found that the platform demoted images of the Israel–Hamas war, deleted captions without warning, and denied users the option to appeal

February 25, 2024 08:00 ET

Monochromatic illustration of the side profiles of four people: a bearded person wearing glasses, a person with curly hair, a person wearing a hijab, and a person with short hair; the person wearing a hijab is drawn with a white dotted outline and is transparent, unlike the other three people.

Show Your WorkAutomated Censorship

How We Investigated Shadowbanning on Instagram

We found that Instagram heavily demoted nongraphic images of war, deleted captions and hid comments without notification, suppressed hashtags, and limited users’ ability to appeal moderation decisions

February 25, 2024 08:00 ET

Portrait photograph of Lee Yaiva, an Indigenous man wearing a blue suit and sporting a braided ponytail; his hands are clasped together

Organ Failure

A Death Sentence: Native Americans Shut Out of the Nation’s Liver Transplant System

Despite being more likely to die of liver disease, Native Americans are far less likely to make the transplant list than White people

February 8, 2024 06:00 ET

Show Your WorkOrgan Failure

How We Investigated Racial Disparities in Liver Transplants

We found Native Americans were listed for a transplant significantly less often than other racial groups compared with their number of deaths from liver disease

February 8, 2024 06:00 ET