The Markup

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News

Background checks to curb dating app violence advance in California legislature

Bill addresses an issue investigated by The Markup last year.

April 17, 2026 2:00 p.m. UTC

Privacy

Following Markup investigation, Congress finds data brokers cost consumers tens of billions of dollars

A congressional investigation estimates broker breaches have cost consumers $20 billion in identity theft. Major brokers now promise to make it easier to opt out of their databases.

February 27, 2026 1:15 p.m. UTC

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Artificial Intelligence

Mamdani to kill the NYC AI chatbot we caught telling businesses to break the law

New York mayor says terminating the ‘unusable’ bot will help close a budget gap

January 30, 2026 12:00 p.m. UTC

Illustration of an array of red and white dating profiles showing silhouettes of men

Impact

Dating App Rape Survivors File Lawsuit Accusing Hinge, Tinder of “Accommodating Rapists”

The civil lawsuit filed Tuesday, citing the Dating App Reporting Project, argues that dating apps could kick off serial rapists, but don’t.

December 16, 2025 12:22 p.m. UTC

A lawmaker, with short blonde hair and wearing black blazer with a purple-patterned scarf, sits behind a dais during a legislative meeting. Other people can be seen in the background.

Privacy

Data brokers face new pressure for hiding opt-out pages from Google

After reporters found dozens of firms hiding privacy tools from search results, US senator Maggie Hassan insists the companies explain their practices—and pledge to improve access to privacy controls.

August 18, 2025 9:49 a.m. UTC

Illustration of a hand holding a magnifying glass over a group of opt out web pages labeled with phrases like "Opt Out" or "Delete My Data"; the magnifying glass shows a dashed outline of those web pages, conveying that they are concealed

Privacy

We caught companies making it harder to delete your personal data online

Dozens of companies are hiding how you can delete your personal data, The Markup and CalMatters found. After our reporters reached out for comment, multiple companies have stopped the practice.

August 12, 2025 8:30 a.m. UTC

A person, with short white hair and wearing a blue suit, sits in front of a dais alongside other lawmakers during a hearing. A portion of an American flag can be seen in the background.

Pixel Hunt

House lawmakers demand answers from California health exchange on sending data to LinkedIn

The lawmakers cite a Markup and CalMatters investigation that first revealed Covered California’s data practices in April.

June 23, 2025 2:30 p.m. UTC

Pixel Hunt

We caught 4 more states sharing personal health data with Big Tech

Healthcare exchanges in Nevada, Maine, Massachusetts and Rhode Island shared users’ sensitive health data with companies like Google and LinkedIn

June 17, 2025 8:00 a.m. UTC

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Premium Penalty

House bill targets loopholes that let car insurance companies charge more in Black neighborhoods

Bill reintroduction follows investigation by The Markup and Outlier Media that found insurers target Black neighborhoods for high rates

June 11, 2025 6:00 a.m. UTC

Impact

After Markup investigation, LinkedIn and Google face lawsuit alleging improper access to health data

The suit accuses the companies of receiving personal information through California’s state health insurance exchange.

May 2, 2025 5:35 p.m. UTC