The Markup

Watching Big Tech.

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Last Notes

2024-09-20 23:40:35

We asked Uber, Lyft, DoorDash and Instacart how they are enforcing California’s Prop. 22, which promises better benefits for gig workers.
See their answer: https://themarkup.org/working-for-an-algorithm/2024/09/04/california-companies-wrote-their-own-gig-worker-law-now-no-one-is-enforcing-it?utm_source=optout

2024-09-20 17:51:11

Experts say abortion surveillance could be a deterrent to already vulnerable populations. https://themarkup.org/hello-world/2024/09/14/project-2025-targets-californias-abortion-data-privacy-protections

2024-09-20 13:19:48

Virtually every public school filters the web, and blocked websites create a paper trail.
Here's how you can request those records: https://themarkup.org/digital-book-banning/2024/04/13/students-how-you-can-investigate-internet-censorship-in-your-school-district

2024-09-19 20:05:03

School districts all over the country are limiting not only what images students can see but what words they can read.
Is your school among these districts? Find out: https://themarkup.org/digital-book-banning/2024/04/13/does-your-school-block-these-sites

2024-09-18 18:32:33

Gig companies claim workers now make more than $30 per hour.
But one study shows the average earnings after expenses for ride-hailing drivers, not including tips, is about $7.12 per hour. https://themarkup.org/working-for-an-algorithm/2024/09/04/california-companies-wrote-their-own-gig-worker-law-now-no-one-is-enforcing-it?utm_source=optout

2024-09-18 13:59:57

A Republican presidency could require California to monitor abortions and send sensitive data to the CDC. https://themarkup.org/hello-world/2024/09/14/project-2025-targets-californias-abortion-data-privacy-protections

2024-09-17 17:24:39

The Harris campaign is creating “overstimulation,” “ADHD,” or “content sludge” videos designed to appeal to a very online audience with a short attention span.
Via 404 Media: https://www.404media.co/kamala-harris-campaign-experiments-with-ads-for-an-audience-with-brain-rot/

2024-09-17 13:33:57

Students across the country are dealing with their schools overblocking the web.
Here’s what five high schoolers—in California, Michigan, and Texas—have dealt with. https://themarkup.org/digital-book-banning/2024/04/13/five-high-schoolers-explain-how-web-filters-inhibit-their-learning-and-safety

2024-09-16 16:02:33

Project 2025 wants California to track and report abortion data to the federal government or risk losing billions in Medicaid’s reproductive health funding. https://themarkup.org/hello-world/2024/09/14/project-2025-targets-californias-abortion-data-privacy-protections

2024-09-16 14:16:31

Since Prop. 22 went into effect, gig workers have filed nearly 200 wage claims with the state, 54 of them directly related to the law. Of those, at least 32 remain unresolved. https://themarkup.org/working-for-an-algorithm/2024/09/04/california-companies-wrote-their-own-gig-worker-law-now-no-one-is-enforcing-it?utm_source=optout

2024-09-16 13:27:21

Public records are for anyone, not just journalists. You simply have to request them.
Here’s how: https://themarkup.org/digital-book-banning/2024/04/13/students-how-you-can-investigate-internet-censorship-in-your-school-district

2024-09-14 12:24:26

In the presidential debate earlier this week, Vice President Kamala Harris explicitly warned about Project 2025’s plans to monitor “your pregnancies, your miscarriages.” https://themarkup.org/hello-world/2024/09/14/project-2025-targets-californias-abortion-data-privacy-protections

2024-09-13 21:42:19

Taylor Swift said her public support for VP Kamala Harris was spurred by misinformation from the opposing camp.
Via Quartz: https://qz.com/taylor-swift-donald-trump-deepfake-support-kamala-harri-1851645514

2024-09-13 20:51:48

The lack of enforcement leaves in limbo workers who in many cases have already been waiting for months or years for the state to resolve their complaints. https://themarkup.org/working-for-an-algorithm/2024/09/04/california-companies-wrote-their-own-gig-worker-law-now-no-one-is-enforcing-it?utm_source=optout

2024-09-13 18:52:06

Originally intended to block obscene or harmful content, the filters schools use prevent students from learning.
Here’s why students are frustrated, in their own words: https://themarkup.org/digital-book-banning/2024/04/13/five-high-schoolers-explain-how-web-filters-inhibit-their-learning-and-safety

2024-09-13 13:23:40

We know that when natural disasters are coming, emergency alerts can save lives.
We created a guide to help you turn on alerts: https://themarkup.org/the-breakdown/2024/08/30/local-emergency-alerts-sign-up

2024-09-11 17:05:10

Who is peeking over your shoulder while you are online? Enter the address of any website and see what you can find: https://themarkup.org/blacklight

2024-09-11 14:18:44

Did you know: Some school districts are blocking websites that are supportive of LGBTQ+ teens while leaving anti-LGBTQ+ sites accessible. https://themarkup.org/digital-book-banning/2024/04/13/schools-were-just-supposed-to-block-porn-instead-they-sabotaged-homework-and-censored-suicide-prevention-sites

2024-09-10 13:29:56

Before you publish that “first day of school” post, find out if your school district is blocking the following sites: https://themarkup.org/digital-book-banning/2024/04/13/does-your-school-block-these-sites

2024-09-09 14:45:00

The blocks raise questions about whether schools are running afoul of constitutional law and federal guidance. https://themarkup.org/digital-book-banning/2024/04/13/schools-were-just-supposed-to-block-porn-instead-they-sabotaged-homework-and-censored-suicide-prevention-sites

2024-09-07 12:54:09

How can journalists use AI ethically? For Tomas, it’s all about running the tools locally and verifying the findings.
See how he’s using AI: https://themarkup.org/hello-world/2024/09/07/how-im-trying-to-use-generative-ai-as-a-journalism-engineer-ethically

2024-09-06 20:10:31

Internet-connected cars allow abusers to track domestic violence survivors after they leave. https://themarkup.org/privacy/2024/04/30/car-tracking-can-enable-domestic-abuse-turning-it-off-is-easier-said-than-done

2024-09-06 17:57:48

Californians want better wages and health benefits for gig workers. Four years later, we found that now no one is actually ensuring these benefits are provided. https://themarkup.org/working-for-an-algorithm/2024/09/04/california-companies-wrote-their-own-gig-worker-law-now-no-one-is-enforcing-it?utm_source=optout

2024-09-05 20:47:02

“This is dramatically worse than what Australia and Canada got … I don’t know of any journalist that asked for this,” said Matt Pearce, president of the Media Guild of the West. https://themarkup.org/news/2024/08/22/california-tried-to-make-google-pay-news-outlets-the-company-cut-a-deal-that-includes-funding-ai

2024-09-05 13:45:25

Are you signed up for emergency alerts? If not, you probably should be.
Here’s how to do it: https://themarkup.org/the-breakdown/2024/08/30/local-emergency-alerts-sign-up

2024-09-04 19:34:33

Following South Korea’s lead, Singapore intends to ban deepfakes ahead of upcoming elections, despite concerns of curbing freedom of speech. Via Rest of World: https://restofworld.org/2024/singapore-deepfake-ban-elections-free-speech/

2024-09-04 18:36:14

Prop. 22 promised improved pay and benefits for California gig workers. But when companies fail to deliver, the state isn’t doing much to help push back. https://themarkup.org/working-for-an-algorithm/2024/09/04/california-companies-wrote-their-own-gig-worker-law-now-no-one-is-enforcing-it?utm_source=optout

2024-09-03 20:23:09

Schools have the power to decide what’s inappropriate for kids. The result:
The Trevor Project ➡️ Blocked
Planned Parenthood ➡️ Blocked
NASA ➡️ Blocked
How that happened: https://themarkup.org/digital-book-banning/2024/04/13/schools-were-just-supposed-to-block-porn-instead-they-sabotaged-homework-and-censored-suicide-prevention-sites

2024-09-03 17:35:51

If you are a K-12 student, or have one at home, help extend our internet censorship investigation by connecting to your school’s Wi-Fi and testing whether you can access these popular websites: https://themarkup.org/digital-book-banning/2024/04/13/does-your-school-block-these-sites

2024-09-03 13:37:13

Instead of paying news companies, Google now reached a deal with California to fund local newsrooms and explore AI options. https://themarkup.org/news/2024/08/22/california-tried-to-make-google-pay-news-outlets-the-company-cut-a-deal-that-includes-funding-ai

2024-08-29 18:27:00

People are talking more about book bans in libraries and schools, but do you know there’s digital censorship as well?
We investigated it earlier this year, here’s what we found: https://themarkup.org/digital-book-banning/2024/04/13/schools-were-just-supposed-to-block-porn-instead-they-sabotaged-homework-and-censored-suicide-prevention-sites

2024-08-29 14:40:36

The Department of Education is facing a lawsuit for failing to disclose records of its correspondence with Facebook after we found the Meta Pixel collecting sensitive data from students applying for financial aid.
https://themarkup.org/pixel-hunt/2024/07/26/department-of-education-sued-following-markup-investigation-into-fafsa-data-shared-with-facebook

2024-08-27 20:02:43

Publishers who initially pushed for the proposal forcing Google to pay them said the deal was still a win. https://themarkup.org/news/2024/08/22/california-tried-to-make-google-pay-news-outlets-the-company-cut-a-deal-that-includes-funding-ai

2024-08-27 13:48:21

In Michigan, areas with the least expensive car insurance premiums were, on average, 87% White. https://themarkup.org/premium-penalty/2024/07/18/michigans-fair-and-reasonable-reforms-allowed-car-insurers-to-charge-more-in-black-neighborhoods

2024-08-26 18:08:50

AI policy conversations are happening everywhere. You can make a change by simply going to your city council meeting or other smaller gatherings to share your thoughts. https://themarkup.org/hello-world/2024/08/17/rejecting-dogmas-around-ai-user-privacy-and-tech-policy

2024-08-26 13:34:13

“The thing that can be unsettling is that there are so many ways that you are probably being watched. You're aware that you're being watched, but you can't see it with your eyes.” https://themarkup.org/hello-world/2024/08/10/the-unsettling-nearly-normalized-surveillance-tech-monitoring-the-u-s-mexico-border

2024-08-20 16:55:11

Most Black Michiganders’ car insurance premiums were dramatically adjusted upward based on where they lived.
What we found: https://themarkup.org/premium-penalty/2024/07/18/michigans-fair-and-reasonable-reforms-allowed-car-insurers-to-charge-more-in-black-neighborhoods

2024-08-20 14:38:05

“Looking back over the past 18 months, I think LLMs have gotten faster and cheaper, but they haven’t really gotten better,” said AI scientist Jonathan Frankle.
More on what he thinks of AI models and privacy: https://themarkup.org/hello-world/2024/08/17/rejecting-dogmas-around-ai-user-privacy-and-tech-policy

2024-08-19 15:23:48

None of the proposed AI bills attracted more disdain from big tech companies, startup founders, and investors than SB 1047.
By CalMatters: https://calmatters.org/economy/technology/2024/08/ai-regulation-showdown/

2024-08-19 14:24:59

This guide should be taken as a general set of ideas for reducing your insurance prices. But, as they say on the road, your mileage may vary. https://themarkup.org/premium-penalty/2024/07/18/how-to-get-a-discount-on-your-car-insurance

2024-08-19 14:15:49

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@npub137w…7g9r Thank you!

2024-08-17 16:43:09

Our series on internet censorship at schools just won an Online News Association award!
Congrats to Tara Garcia Mathewson and the entire reporting team. 🎉
https://themarkup.org/inside-the-markup/2024/08/17/the-markups-clear-and-beautiful-reporting-wins-online-journalism-award

2024-08-17 12:52:52

Would you share your friends’ emails for free pizza? A bunch of students did.
Regardless of whether it means that people truly care about privacy, AI scientist Jonathan Frankle thinks studies like this allow policymakers to make good decisions. https://mrkup.org/uAATP

2024-08-17 12:52:25

Would you share your friends’ emails for free pizza? A bunch of students did.
Regardless of whether it means that people truly care about privacy, @jefrankle thinks studies like this allow policymakers to make good decisions. https://mrkup.org/uAATP

2024-08-16 20:07:55

Educators are feeling the pressure to adopt some form of AI into their classrooms. Two school districts have already tried (and failed).
What can we learn from them? https://themarkup.org/artificial-intelligence/2024/08/06/californias-two-biggest-school-districts-botched-ai-deals-here-are-lessons-from-their-mistakes

2024-08-16 13:28:40

Car insurance prices vary significantly across Michigan, with Detroit seeing the highest premiums. Neither vehicle crime rates nor population density can explain the difference.
Read our updates: https://themarkup.org/premium-penalty/2024/07/18/michigans-fair-and-reasonable-reforms-allowed-car-insurers-to-charge-more-in-black-neighborhoods

2024-08-15 18:13:33

The bill will make “California one of the world’s least favorable jurisdictions for AI development and deployment,” according to Google.
https://calmatters.org/economy/technology/2024/08/ai-regulation-showdown/

2024-08-15 15:37:04

Lara-García remembers the helicopters overhead when growing up around the border.
Today, the technology surveilling border communities has become much more sophisticated, discreet, and even normalized. https://themarkup.org/hello-world/2024/08/10/the-unsettling-nearly-normalized-surveillance-tech-monitoring-the-u-s-mexico-border

2024-08-15 13:13:54

Our investigation found that the current benchmarks Google and Meta are using to test AI could be meaningless. https://themarkup.org/artificial-intelligence/2024/07/17/everyone-is-judging-ai-by-these-tests-but-experts-say-theyre-close-to-meaningless

2024-08-13 21:04:12

There’s a clear upcharge on car insurance for drivers living in Michigan’s Black neighborhoods.
What we investigated: https://themarkup.org/premium-penalty/2024/07/18/michigans-fair-and-reasonable-reforms-allowed-car-insurers-to-charge-more-in-black-neighborhoods

2024-08-13 17:35:19

“There are moments when you can't not be aware of the intense amount of enforcement and surveillance and activity across the border. But at the same time, it also just becomes a fabric of your life that you don't notice.” https://themarkup.org/hello-world/2024/08/10/the-unsettling-nearly-normalized-surveillance-tech-monitoring-the-u-s-mexico-border

2024-08-13 14:45:38

We’ve got some good news: our newsroom recently won two prestigious awards at the Asian American Journalists Association 2024 convention!
Congratulations to Sisi Wei and Lam Thuy Vo, and all other award-winners. https://themarkup.org/inside-the-markup/2024/08/13/calmatters-the-markup-honored-for-leadership-in-diversity-and-solidarity-community-innovation-by-asian-american-journalists-association

2024-08-12 19:47:41

Step 1: Buy more insurance. Yup, you read that right. https://themarkup.org/premium-penalty/2024/07/18/how-to-get-a-discount-on-your-car-insurance

2024-08-12 17:22:11

Staff shortfalls, techno-optimism, a desire to be on the cutting edge, and a bit of FOMO have all pushed educators to adopt AI.
What we might learn from recent controversies in #California: https://themarkup.org/artificial-intelligence/2024/08/06/californias-two-biggest-school-districts-botched-ai-deals-here-are-lessons-from-their-mistakes

2024-08-12 12:23:15

California is not the only state that has debates on book bans.
In Missouri, kids are having trouble accessing classics such as “The Odyssey” online because schools are blocking digital books and websites. https://themarkup.org/digital-book-banning/2024/04/13/schools-were-just-supposed-to-block-porn-instead-they-sabotaged-homework-and-censored-suicide-prevention-sites

2024-08-10 12:30:03

Surveillance has drastically evolved over the last 40 years—including at the U.S.-Mexico border.
Locals are almost numb to the expansive tech: blimps, towers, license plate readers, and so on. https://themarkup.org/hello-world/2024/08/10/the-unsettling-nearly-normalized-surveillance-tech-monitoring-the-u-s-mexico-border

2024-08-09 21:02:17

It only took three months (and about $3 million) for LA’s school district to launch and ditch its AI chatbot.
What we can learn from the district’s mistakes: https://themarkup.org/artificial-intelligence/2024/08/06/californias-two-biggest-school-districts-botched-ai-deals-here-are-lessons-from-their-mistakes

2024-08-09 21:01:49

2024-08-09 18:32:14

Our newsroom’s focus has always been to humanize stories about technology. Good art can do just that. https://themarkup.org/premium-penalty/2024/08/03/using-illustration-to-help-investigations-stay-grounded-and-approachable

2024-08-09 13:36:46

UPDATE: We checked if vehicle crime rates are related to location-based car insurance price gaps in Michigan, and the answer is no. https://themarkup.org/premium-penalty/2024/07/18/michigans-fair-and-reasonable-reforms-allowed-car-insurers-to-charge-more-in-black-neighborhoods

2024-08-08 20:56:02

Safe Kids stands out in a web filtering market where products’ blunt restrictions on the web have barely become more sophisticated over the last 25 years. https://themarkup.org/digital-book-banning/2024/07/24/frustrated-by-school-web-filters-one-teenager-created-his-own

2024-08-08 17:34:10

A group created by Elon Musk is collecting your personal info to give Trump an advantage in his presidential campaign.
Read via CNBC: https://www.cnbc.com/2024/08/02/elon-musk-pac-voter-data-trump-harris.html

2024-08-08 13:44:57

Censorship of kids’ access to knowledge extends beyond books.
We investigated which websites are banned by schools, and found blocks on news, educational information, and resources for sex ed and LGBTQ+ teens: https://themarkup.org/digital-book-banning/2024/04/13/schools-were-just-supposed-to-block-porn-instead-they-sabotaged-homework-and-censored-suicide-prevention-sites

2024-08-06 15:36:21

You might have noticed the fun illustration we did for the recent investigation on car insurance. It’s actually inspired by The Simpsons.
See how it came together as one: https://themarkup.org/premium-penalty/2024/08/03/using-illustration-to-help-investigations-stay-grounded-and-approachable

2024-08-06 14:30:02

Elon Musk’s PAC says it will help people register to vote, but in swing states, it’s collecting voters’ personal info instead.
Learn more at CNBC: https://www.cnbc.com/2024/08/02/elon-musk-pac-voter-data-trump-harris.html

2024-08-06 14:29:29

2024-08-05 18:26:37

In Michigan, areas with the least expensive car insurance premiums were, on average, 87% White.
What we found: https://themarkup.org/premium-penalty/2024/07/18/michigans-fair-and-reasonable-reforms-allowed-car-insurers-to-charge-more-in-black-neighborhoods

2024-08-05 16:46:42

Instead of blocking everything, school filters could teach kids how to safely use the internet and make good decisions.
The solution, proposed by a teen: https://themarkup.org/digital-book-banning/2024/07/24/frustrated-by-school-web-filters-one-teenager-created-his-own

2024-08-03 12:56:43

How it started vs how it’s going (Markup illustration ver.).
A BTS look at how we came up with the art for the car insurance investigation: https://themarkup.org/premium-penalty/2024/08/03/using-illustration-to-help-investigations-stay-grounded-and-approachable
https://cdn.masto.host/mastodonthemarkuporg/media_attachments/files/112/898/197/675/748/205/original/38bd001db9433986.jpg
https://cdn.masto.host/mastodonthemarkuporg/media_attachments/files/112/898/197/862/562/387/original/411464cfe48a99fc.mp4

2024-08-03 12:56:10

2024-08-02 19:17:19

If you are traveling this summer, remember that you can opt out of airport face scans.
Here’s how by Vox: https://www.vox.com/future-perfect/360952/summer-travel-airport-facial-recognition-scan

2024-08-01 14:07:20

Benchmarks Google uses to rank their AI are several years old, often sourced from amateur websites, and, experts worry, lending automated systems a dubious sense of authority. https://themarkup.org/artificial-intelligence/2024/07/17/everyone-is-judging-ai-by-these-tests-but-experts-say-theyre-close-to-meaningless

2024-07-30 15:56:23

X has automatically activated a setting that allows it to train its AI on users’ posts, and users can only turn it off on the desktop version. How to turn it off, by TechCrunch: https://techcrunch.com/2024/07/26/heres-how-to-disable-x-twitter-from-using-your-data-to-train-its-grok-ai/

2024-07-30 14:11:29

Advocates want answers after we found the Department of Education was sharing student data with Facebook using the Meta Pixel.
But, allegedly the department has yet to comply: https://themarkup.org/pixel-hunt/2024/07/26/department-of-education-sued-following-markup-investigation-into-fafsa-data-shared-with-facebook

2024-07-29 17:49:43

Bars across the US are using tech to verify IDs. And one of those systems does more than just verify identities — it alerts bars to customers who venues say are too risky for admission. https://themarkup.org/2024/07/27/id-scanners-can-change-how-your-local-bar-treats-you-and-whether-it-lets-you-in

2024-07-29 12:58:17

Spoiler: Insurers have built-in discounts that you could be taking advantage of. See what they are: https://themarkup.org/premium-penalty/2024/07/18/how-to-get-a-discount-on-your-car-insurance

2024-07-27 13:06:28

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Heard of Patronscan before? We want to know your experience!
Contact malena@themarkup.org and tell us your story. https://themarkup.org/2024/07/27/id-scanners-can-change-how-your-local-bar-treats-you-and-whether-it-lets-you-in

2024-07-27 13:05:56

Thinking about getting that (me) espresso martini? Your information might be stored in a database that can be used to track how frequently you visited the bar, or deny your entrance for up to five years. https://themarkup.org/2024/07/27/id-scanners-can-change-how-your-local-bar-treats-you-and-whether-it-lets-you-in

2024-07-26 18:20:13

Michigan passed a law to help with the skyrocketing car insurance prices, but the state's Black neighborhoods still paid the highest prices.
https://themarkup.org/premium-penalty/2024/07/18/michigans-fair-and-reasonable-reforms-allowed-car-insurers-to-charge-more-in-black-neighborhoods

2024-07-26 14:15:21

UPDATE: The Department of Education is facing a lawsuit for failing to disclose records of its correspondence with Facebook after we found the Meta Pixel collecting sensitive data from students applying for financial aid.
The lawsuit is scheduled to be filed as soon as today.
https://themarkup.org/pixel-hunt/2024/07/26/department-of-education-sued-following-markup-investigation-into-fafsa-data-shared-with-facebook

2024-07-25 19:05:49

“The yardsticks are, like, pretty fundamentally broken.” Why testing AI could be meaningless: https://themarkup.org/artificial-intelligence/2024/07/17/everyone-is-judging-ai-by-these-tests-but-experts-say-theyre-close-to-meaningless

2024-07-24 15:30:02

A teen and his family raised almost $2 million in venture funding and designed a better web filter for schools. https://themarkup.org/digital-book-banning/2024/07/24/frustrated-by-school-web-filters-one-teenager-created-his-own

2024-07-24 13:06:07

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We reviewed more than 52,000 pages of company reports to figure out how much.
How we conducted the investigation: https://themarkup.org/premium-penalty/2024/07/18/how-we-investigated-car-insurance-loopholes-in-michigan

2024-07-24 13:05:50

Michigan’s reform banned using zip codes to set car insurance rates but allowed using other forms of location.
We found that insurers were still charging people in Black neighborhoods higher rates. All of our findings: https://themarkup.org/hello-world/2024/07/20/car-insurance-cats-and-racial-discrimination

2024-07-23 20:23:40

Feel like your WiFi is slow? It might be because of where you live.
Find out if you are getting the worst internet deals: https://themarkup.org/still-loading/2023/05/11/see-the-neighborhoods-internet-providers-excluded-from-fast-internet

2024-07-23 17:21:14

Car insurance costs are so bad in Detroit that Michigan passed a law to improve the situation.
But drivers in Black neighborhoods are still penalized the most for where they live. https://themarkup.org/premium-penalty/2024/07/18/michigans-fair-and-reasonable-reforms-allowed-car-insurers-to-charge-more-in-black-neighborhoods

2024-07-22 15:45:55

More than half of the House supports a bill to extend funds. But it can’t get out of committee. https://themarkup.org/still-loading/2024/05/04/the-affordable-connectivity-program-was-a-connectivity-lifeline-for-millions-congress-is-letting-it-die

2024-07-20 12:42:05

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ICYMI, here’s our original investigation, where we outlined how insurers are using loopholes to charge Black neighborhoods more: https://themarkup.org/premium-penalty/2024/07/18/michigans-fair-and-reasonable-reforms-allowed-car-insurers-to-charge-more-in-black-neighborhoods

2024-07-20 12:41:07

If you live in Detroit, you know that Detroiters are paying more for car insurance than the rest of Michigan. What we investigated: https://themarkup.org/hello-world/2024/07/20/car-insurance-cats-and-racial-discrimination

2024-07-19 21:07:12

Car insurance costs are so bad in Detroit that Michigan passed a law to improve the situation. But drivers in Black neighborhoods are still penalized the most for where they live.
https://themarkup.org/premium-penalty/2024/07/18/michigans-fair-and-reasonable-reforms-allowed-car-insurers-to-charge-more-in-black-neighborhoods

2024-07-19 21:07:00

Car insurance costs are so bad in Detroit that Michigan passed a law to improve the situation. But drivers in Black neighborhoods are still penalized the most for where they live.
With @media_outlier: https://themarkup.org/premium-penalty/2024/07/18/michigans-fair-and-reasonable-reforms-allowed-car-insurers-to-charge-more-in-black-neighborhoods

2024-07-19 18:49:35

Misinformation has hindered Indigenous migrants’ access to public health and other services.
The collective coming together to address the problem: https://themarkup.org/languages-of-misinformation/2024/07/11/when-government-bureaucracy-fails-them-a-collective-of-indigenous-migrants-figure-it-out-themselves

2024-07-19 13:22:16

The tests that big techs use to benchmark their AI tools have many issues, and high scores might be misleading.
Here’s why: https://themarkup.org/artificial-intelligence/2024/07/17/everyone-is-judging-ai-by-these-tests-but-experts-say-theyre-close-to-meaningless

2024-07-18 19:09:39

2024-07-18 17:28:04

What are some better ways to reform the insurance rating system? The answer might be: to take race into account when building statistical models.
We explain how, with cats: https://themarkup.org/premium-penalty/2024/07/18/why-stopping-algorithmic-inequality-requires-taking-race-into-account

2024-07-18 12:46:16

We look at potentially better ways to reform the insurance rating system. The answer might be: to take race into account when building statistical models.
We explain how, with cats: https://themarkup.org/premium-penalty/2024/07/18/why-stopping-algorithmic-inequality-requires-taking-race-into-account

2024-07-18 12:43:22

Moving into a predominantly Black Detroit neighborhood could cost you an extra $2,000 a year in car insurance payments. And that’s after Michigan passed a law to improve the situation.
How that happened: https://themarkup.org/premium-penalty/2024/07/18/michigans-fair-and-reasonable-reforms-allowed-car-insurers-to-charge-more-in-black-neighborhoods

2024-07-17 12:37:42

Google and Meta brag about their AI models’ high scores on popular benchmarks. But experts say the tests don’t tell you anything practical about these products. https://themarkup.org/artificial-intelligence/2024/07/17/everyone-is-judging-ai-by-these-tests-but-experts-say-theyre-close-to-meaningless

2024-07-16 21:15:44

We’re officially in the dog days of summer! You know what that means. Check out our summer reading list, then check out some books. https://themarkup.org/hello-world/2024/07/13/our-blended-newsrooms-summer-reading-list

2024-07-16 14:53:56

The maximum internet speed offered by just one provider can vary dramatically from block to block, or even house to house.
Here’s how you can get a better deal: https://themarkup.org/the-breakdown/2023/08/01/how-to-search-for-a-better-deal-on-broadband