Accurate, Focused Research on Law, Technology and Knowledge Discovery With Daily Postings Since 2002
The dataindex.us team is excited to launch the Data Checkup – a comprehensive framework for assessing the health of federal data collections, highlighting key dimensions of risk and presenting a clear status of data well-being. When we started dataindex.us, one of our earliest tools was a URL tracker: a simple way to monitor whether a …
TechCrunch: “The Internet Archive is a nonprofit that — as you might expect — is devoted to archiving the internet and preserving digital context for future generations. This week, the platform announced a new tool designed to expand on that mission by helping the world’s WordPress users keep their articles in peak digital health. The …
The Verge: “When ChatGPT launched, in November of 2022, it started a race that almost immediately consumed the tech industry. OpenAI didn’t invent the concept of AI, but most of the state-of-the-art technology was confined to research labs at companies and institutions around the world. Then, suddenly, it was everywhere. And better than anyone expected. …
“The Cambridge Online Trust & Safety Index (COTSI) tracks the dynamics of the fake SMS-verifications market across different platforms and countries. The Index aims to answer the following questions: How easy (and cheap) is it to engage in online manipulation? Is the situation with fake accounts improving or worsening over time? Which online platforms are …
The Atlantic [no paywall]: Even the administration’s budget proposals read like Truth Social posts. “…No one better exemplifies the clicktatorship than the president himself. Trump routinely makes policy announcements via social media. Consider when, in August, he attempted to fire the Federal Reserve Board member Lisa Cook on Truth Social. When a government lawyer was …
ChatGPT is Eating the World: Elon Musk and Sam Altman are at war. “Musk’s two lawsuits against OpenAI could impair its defense in copyright lawsuits. Elon Musk’s tort lawsuit against Sam Altman, Greg Brockman, and OpenAI for alleged fraud (in soliciting his funds and help in starting a nonprofit only later to convert to a …
PCMag: “The next time you’re standing in a checkout line, imagine the cashier asking, “Would you like me to keep your credit card on file for future purchases?” That would feel odd—maybe even unsettling. Yet online, we agree to the same thing all the time when a browser offers to save our card details or …
Notus: The Trump administration has disrupted data collection on everything from homeland security, maternal mortality, hunger, drug use, education, disaster preparation and the economy. Joy Binion worked for the federal government collecting data on emerging substance abuse trends in emergency rooms across the country. Her work was part of the Drug Abuse Warning Network, which …
BoingBoing: “If you ever find yourself in need of a poem, I’ve got great news for you: Dial-A-Poem is back! These days, the arts of all kinds, including protest music, are providing much-appreciated balms for our collective wounds and voices for our collective outrage, so Dial-A-Poem’s return couldn’t have been better timed. SPIN Magazine explains that Dial-A-Poem was …
MakeUseOf: “Your computer, whether it’s Windows-based or a Mac, is meant to be a well-oiled machine, whether it’s fresh out of the box or has logged hundreds of days of use. When it suddenly freezes, slows, or behaves as if it has a mind of its own, it’s easy to brush it off as wear …
MakeUseOf: “For a while now, we’ve known that streaming was becoming the dominant way people watch TV; in 2025, streaming accounted for almost 45% of streaming, more than broadcast and cable viewership combined, according to Nielsen. And among streaming platforms, the most popular isn’t Netflix or HBO Max: it’s YouTube, the everything-streaming platform that’s been …
The Verge – Key privacy settings and best practices. “With ICE and CBP roaming the streets, united community action is more important than ever right now — from local mutual aid groups to school safety patrols. Known for its privacy features and end-to-end encryption, the Signal messaging app has become a popular platform for organizing …
