Justice Through Technology, Trump's Downward Spiral, and More

June 6, 2020

Where would racial progress in policing be without camera phones?

With smart phones, video recording apps, and social media platforms, Black Americans not only have their word about the violence they face, they also have visual proof for all to see. Nicol Turner Lee explains how technology is empowering marginalized populations in the United States and across the world to achieve justice.

We’ve now entered the final phase of the Trump era

After three chaotic years, the worst combination of crises has arrived for President Trump—a global pandemic accompanied with a severe economic downturn and civil unrest due to the brutal murders of Black Americans by police. Thomas Wright explains the president’s downward spiral in the face of these intense challenges.

The next COVID-19 relief bill must include student debt cancellation

Given the severity of COVID-19’s economic impacts, and the dire circumstances for many student loan borrowers, more comprehensive and long-term student debt relief is required. Michael Calhoun and Ashley Harrington break down various student loan relief proposals and highlight pitfalls for policymakers to avoid.

This week on TechStream

Moderating Facebook amid violent unrest. Despite intense criticism from Facebook employees, Mark Zuckerberg stood by his decision not to remove or moderate President Trump's controversial posts on the police brutality protests in America. Chris Meserole explains why online content moderation is so difficult to get right and lays out three important principles for Facebook to keep in mind.

Propaganda targeting by location. Location-based targeting is nothing new in the advertising industry, but it may also play a significant role in the future of propaganda. Samuel Woolley says this use of "political geofencing" has the potential to undermine democratic processes and public trust.

AI, antitrust, and national security. While academia, private research labs, and AI start-ups offer important contributions to AI development, major U.S. technology companies have traditionally led the field. Dakota Foster discusses the implications for America's national security.

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