Julia Angwin / is on Nostr

Investigative Journalist. New York Times opinion writer. Founder of Proof News. Formerly: The Markup, ProPublica, WSJ.

Last Notes

2024-07-27 16:01:05

With Google reneging on its promise to block third party cookies, are we in for even more cookie consent pop-up boxes — and less privacy?
My discussion on @NPR Weekend Edition: https://www.npr.org/2024/07/27/nx-s1-5050862/after-4-years-google-backtracks-on-its-discontinuation-of-third-party-cookies

2024-07-24 16:54:27

How did @npub1qu3…53hw reporter Annie Gilbertson prove that tech giants were using scraped YouTube videos in their AI models?
She breaks it down for me here in a new YouTube series on where we dissect how the news is made: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XZkOcjS5PLM

2024-07-16 13:08:17

We just had our first political assassination attempt of the social media age.
But we don’t know how the narratives are playing out on social media because tech platforms have shut down most of their transparency tools.
My latest for New York Times Opinion (gift link): https://www.nytimes.com/2024/07/16/opinion/trump-shooting-assassination-conspiracy.html?unlocked_article_code=1.7k0.QBI-.kZwAe64PKAqO&smid=nytcore-ios-share&referringSource=articleShare&sgrp=c-cb

2024-07-11 23:08:30

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@npub1euu…zt0g To be fair, I did not try. Have worked in traditional newsrooms for a long time and have internalized the norms (possibly to my own detriment).

2024-07-11 20:40:33

I can’t use the word “enshittification” in NYT, but my latest piece for NYt Opinion is in fact an homage to @npub1hyk…3p33’s concept.
Here is my hat tip to him in my newsletter (also, hi! I have a newsletter - sign up!)
https://buttondown.email/JuliaAngwin/archive/the-enshittification-of-google-maps/

2024-07-10 16:00:25

One of the most impactful and infuriating algorithms in our lives is the routing algorithm on Google Maps. With 80% market share, it offers us very little control over our routes. If we want better, we will need to support competition like OpenStreetMaps.
My latest for NYT Opinion (gift link):
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/07/10/opinion/google-maps-driving-apps-flaws.html?unlocked_article_code=1.6E0.yGok.7gErcSBb7E43&smid=url-share

2024-05-29 16:58:44

The latest from @npub1qu3…53hw: Analyzing the mistakes made by Google's new AI search results reveals:
AI often doesn't understand humor
AI doesn't always summarize complex ideas well
AI is fooled by discredited racial tropes.
https://www.proofnews.org/lessons-from-googles-ai-mistakes/

2024-05-23 15:29:44

Such a treat to talk with the thoughtful @npub1apc…kvpy about the widening gap between AI hype and reality for Today, Explained this week.
Bonus points that this is the only podcast my teenager listens to - and so maybe she will finally think I'm cool.
https://open.spotify.com/episode/2vYpaFhyNxPYxfZHVlFOXA?si=532a319ba7de4e03

2024-05-15 13:46:08

For more than a year, policy makers have been worried about the consequences of AI getting too powerful.
But it’s time to start worrying about the consequences of AI staying as dumb it currently is.
My latest for NYT Opinion (gift link):
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/05/15/opinion/artificial-intelligence-ai-openai-chatgpt-overrated-hype.html?unlocked_article_code=1.sE0.SV0g.r4iVMq0NT6z7&smid=nytcore-ios-share&referringSource=articleShare&sgrp=c-cb

2024-04-16 14:02:55

“Federal privacy law could be monumental if it gets the substance right, but it could also be disastrous if it preempts the states with a weak or unworkable standard.”
The current bill is the latter, says Justin Brookman.
https://www.techpolicy.press/unclear-protections-in-the-american-privacy-rights-act-not-worth-broad-preemption/

2024-04-12 15:14:38

New Yorkers interested in AI *or* just interested in visiting an awesome French “villa” bookstore in NYC - come join this discussion on Monday. https://villa-albertine.org/events/can-journalists-still-be-democracys-gatekeepers-in-the-age-of-ai/

2024-04-09 15:31:00

Latest from @npub1qu3…53hw - Claude AI’s dubious answers denying climate change and recommending bribery and blackmail:
https://www.proofnews.org/email/257dd8df-8ee1-4717-9f3d-6e7c1218b82d/

2024-04-08 22:46:33

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Update: the cookie was delicious and the view spectacular.
I’m no photographer, so all I have is this photo of sky as we neared totality.
https://assets.journa.host/media_attachments/files/112/237/555/613/372/274/original/13e839801b45e766.jpeg

2024-04-08 19:49:26

About to fly through the totality. Very exciting! Appreciate United giving us all glasses and a “solar eclipse cookie.”
https://assets.journa.host/media_attachments/files/112/236/853/356/602/257/original/241569f45cfb5974.jpeg

2024-04-03 18:07:11

Should TikTok be banned? @npub1yz5…gn6a and I debate: https://munkdebates.com/podcasts/tiktok-debate/

2023-12-19 13:44:06

I’m finding it shocking how quickly journalists are racing to Meta’s Threads, when we all know how hostile the company is to news.
For fun, I did a thread on Threads about this. Doubt it will get boosted by the algorithm there:
https://www.threads.net/@julia__angwin/post/C1CPBwlOgO-/?igshid=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ==

2023-04-06 17:29:07

Postmortem on my first ever Mastodon thread: it was really difficult to do. It kept rate-limiting me and it was difficult to tell if my posts had published or not.
Anyone have suggestions on how to do better?