Can AI make democracy fairer?
Democracy in ancient Athens looked quite different from democracies today. Instead of elections, most offices—including those in the legislature, governing councils, and magistrates—were filled by citizen volunteers, selected by random lottery. T.....»»
Psychologist explains why spite could destroy liberal democracy
As communism imploded in 1989, the American political scientist Francis Fukuyama asked if liberal democracy was "the end of history," being the form all societies were destined to take. The past decades have suggested not. Illiberal democracies and h.....»»
Researchers call for shorter work week to boost productivity, lower burnout
Do you feel a bit sluggish after weekends? Would taking Friday or Monday off do the trick? Researchers from UK think tank Autonomy and the non-profit Association for Sustainability and Democracy (Alda) tend to agree in their joint report. They claim.....»»
Fairer finance could speed up net zero for Africa by a decade
Leveling up access to finance so that poorer countries can afford the funds needed to switch to renewable energy could see regions like Africa reaching net zero emissions a decade earlier, according to a study led by UCL researchers......»»
Survey: Democratic attitudes can persist in countries with weak governance, even during pandemic
Research by Vanderbilt's Latin American Public Opinion Lab found that in Haiti, the COVID-19 pandemic rallied support for the incumbent administration, even though the public's commitment to it and to democracy itself was weak before the pandemic. Th.....»»
Hong Kong"s Apple Daily To Live On in Blockchain, Free of Censors
Hong Kong cyber activists are backing up articles by pro-democracy tabloid Apple Daily on censorship-proof blockchain platforms after the newspaper was forced to shut down as it became embroiled in a national security law crackdown. From a report: Th.....»»
Ranked Choice Voting Reveals the Weird Math of Elections
The New York City mayoral race could show whether a new way of measuring voter desires can actually be an alternate timeline for democracy......»»
Analysis: Chile"s transition to democracy slow, incomplete, fueled by social movements
A new article analyzes Chile's transition in 1990 from dictatorship to democracy, the nature of democracy between 1990 and 2019, and the appearance of several social movements geared to expanding this democracy. The article, by researchers at Carnegi.....»»
Mitt Romney: It"s unacceptable Microsoft censored Tiananmen Square images in America
Senator Mitt Romney wants answers from Microsoft after the company blocked images and videos around the world of "Tank Man," the unidentified protester during China's brutal crackdown on pro-democracy demonstrations in Beijing's Tiananmen Square on J.....»»
Microsoft removed "Tank Man" images on Tiananmen Square"s anniversary
Microsoft blocked images and videos around the world of "Tank Man," the unidentified protester during China's brutal crackdown on pro-democracy demonstrations in Beijing's Tiananmen Square on June 4, 1989......»»
TikTok called out for lack of ads transparency and for failing to police political payola
TikTok announced a ban on political advertising all the way back in 2019. So you’d be forgiven for thinking the ugly problem of democracy-denting political disinformation doesn’t apply inside its walled garden of dancing Gen Zers. But you.....»»
So, you want to democratize venture capital
A venture capitalist once told me candidly that whenever you see the phrase “democratization” in tech marketing material, think of it as a red flag. Democracy, generally speaking, often comes with an ironic caveat: It disproportionately b.....»»
Flawed data is putting people with disabilities at risk
Our products are long overdue for a new, fairer data framework to ensure that data is managed with people with disabilities in mind. Cat Noone Contributor Share on Twitter Cat N.....»»
Australian Minister"s Phone Hacked as Report Reveals Hong Kong Link
A second senior Australian government minister has revealed his mobile phone was hacked through the Telegram messaging app, with a media report saying the phishing scam was aimed at revealing contact details of pro-democracy activists in Hong Kong. F.....»»
Milk Tea Alliance: Twitter creates emoji for pro-democracy activists
The Milk Tea Alliance unites pro-democracy protesters in Taiwan, Hong Kong, Thailand and Myanmar......»»
Facebook is trying to make AI fairer by paying people to give it data
In an effort to help make AI fairer in a variety of ways, Facebook is rolling out a new data set for AI researchers that includes a diverse group of paid actors who were explicitly asked to provide their own ages and genders......»»
Curbs on press freedom come with a cost, new research reveals
The importance of a free press to a thriving democracy is well-known. But what is its importance to a thriving economy?.....»»
Apple"s Tim Cook Says Voting "Ought To Be Easier Than Ever"
Apple CEO Tim Cook, an Alabama native with a lifelong interest in civil rights, joins condemnations of Georgia's new voting law. From a report: "The right to vote is fundamental in a democracy. American history is the story of expanding the right to.....»»
Stricter Rules for Internet Platforms? What are the Alternatives...
A law professor serving on the EFF's board of directors (and advisory boards for the Electronic Privacy Information Center and the Center for Democracy and Technology) offers this analysis of "the push for stricter rules for internet platforms," revi.....»»
ADL CEO Jonathan Greenblatt dives into tech’s reckoning with online hate
On January 6, America watched in horror as groups that recruited and organized on major social media sites violently attacked the seat of American democracy. Within a matter of hours, tech companies took actions they’d said we’re out of the quest.....»»
Marjan van Aubel creates indoor solar light to usher in "solar democracy"
Dutch designer Marjan van Aubel has developed a self-sufficient solar lamp that is designed to be hung in front of windows so it can generate its own energy. Read more Dutch designer Marjan van Aubel has developed a self-sufficient solar lam.....»»