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Technology

How One Group Is Monitoring Cyber Trolls Potentially Tied To The Kremlin

NPR's Ari Shapiro talks to Laura Rosenberger about a project of the Alliance for Securing Democracy — part of The German Marshall Fund in Washington. The group created a public dashboard to track websites, trolls and bots it suspects of being linked to the Kremlin.

How One Group Is Monitoring Cyber Trolls Potentially Tied To The Kremlin

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Russian Interference Campaign Was Broader Than First Known, Big Tech Tells Hill

Representatives of Facebook, Google and Twitter are testifying on Capitol Hill on Tuesday about Russia's use of their platforms. Liam James Doyle/NPR hide caption

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Liam James Doyle/NPR

Tech Titans And The Information Complex

Russian Interference Campaign Was Broader Than First Known, Big Tech Tells Hill

Facebook, Twitter and Google are telling members of Congress on Tuesday and Wednesday they've discovered even more use of their platforms by influence-mongers in 2016.

Mark Zuckerberg's Big Blind Spot And The Conflict Within Facebook

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg has said connecting the world means bringing people together. But increasingly the platform is being used by some very powerful elements to sow divisions. Justin Sullivan/Getty Images hide caption

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Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

All Tech Considered

Mark Zuckerberg's Big Blind Spot And The Conflict Within Facebook

In whatever corner of the world Facebook is operating, it has become clear that people are using this powerful platform as a communications tool in ways that founder Mark Zuckerberg never envisioned.

Mark Zuckerberg's Big Blind Spot And The Conflict Within Facebook

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George Papadopoulos Says He's Not 'That' George Papadopoulos

George Papadopoulos is a personal finance adviser — not a Trump foreign policy adviser who admitted to trying to form an alliance with Russian interests. Courtesy of George Papadopoulos hide caption

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Courtesy of George Papadopoulos

The Two-Way

George Papadopoulos Says He's Not 'That' George Papadopoulos

"Frankly, I hope the indicted George just goes away for a while," says George Papadopoulos, a certified public accountant from Michigan who shares a name with the former Trump adviser.

With Huge Fines, German Law Pushes Social Networks To Delete Abusive Posts

Anas Modamani speaks to the media Feb. 6 in Wuerzburg, Germany, after a court session about his lawsuit against Facebook. Modamani's suit, regarding the misuse of a selfie he took of himself with German Chancellor Angela Merkel was rejected, but his lawyer Lawyer Chan-Jo Jun, right, says that under a new law a lawsuit might not even have been necessary. Thomas Lohnes/Getty Images hide caption

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Thomas Lohnes/Getty Images

Parallels

With Huge Fines, German Law Pushes Social Networks To Delete Abusive Posts

Social media companies could be penalized by as much as $58.3 million if they don't remove a malicious post from their platforms soon after it is reported — in some cases within 24 hours.

With Huge Fines, German Law Pushes Social Networks To Delete Abusive Posts

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Law

Lawmaker Who Backed Ore. Cellphone Law Gets Caught Breaking It

Under a new law in Oregon, you're not allowed to hold your phone while driving. State Rep. Julie Parrish supported the bill — and was pulled over for violating the new law. She faces a $265 fine.

Lawmaker Who Backed Ore. Cellphone Law Gets Caught Breaking It

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Fed Up With Uncivil Discourse Online, Lawmakers Block Their Constituents

It has become increasingly common for politicians at all levels of government to block followers, whether it's for uncivil behavior or merely for expressing a different point of view. HStocks/Getty Images hide caption

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HStocks/Getty Images

Politics

Fed Up With Uncivil Discourse Online, Lawmakers Block Their Constituents

KUER 90.1

It's a challenge for officials at all levels of government, including a state lawmaker in Utah who recently had to talk it out with someone he blocked.

Facebook's Advertising Tools Complicate Efforts To Stop Russian Interference

Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., (left) and Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., holds a news conference Oct. 19 to introduce legislation designed to increase the transparency of political ads on Facebook, Twitter and other social media platforms. Drew Angerer/Getty Images hide caption

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Drew Angerer/Getty Images

All Tech Considered

Facebook's Advertising Tools Complicate Efforts To Stop Russian Interference

Facebook says 126 million people may have seen Russian content aimed at influencing Americans. Marketing gurus say Facebook is unlikely to solve the problem because of its ad-based business model.

Facebook's Advertising Tools Complicate Efforts To Stop Russian Interference

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Amid Privacy Concerns, Mattel Shelved Planned Device For Kids

What if the devices in your home got involved in raising your kids? The toy giant Mattel planned to market such a device but pulled the project when parents and pediatricians complained.

Amid Privacy Concerns, Mattel Shelved Planned Device For Kids

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4 Big Stories To Watch This Week, From Taxes To The Russia Investigations To Niger

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., left, President Trump, center, and House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., will have their relationships tested by the a legislative push on a tax overhaul this week. Nicholas Kamm/AFP/Getty Images hide caption

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Nicholas Kamm/AFP/Getty Images

Politics

4 Big Stories To Watch This Week, From Taxes To The Russia Investigations To Niger

The GOP's tax overhaul effort faces a consequential week, more could be learned about Russia's role in trying to influence the election through social media and the ambush in Niger comes into focus.

Russians Targeted U.S. Racial Divisions Long Before 2016 And Black Lives Matter

Civil rights leader Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and his wife Coretta Scott King lead a black voting rights march from Selma, Ala., to the state capital in Montgomery in 1965. William Lovelace/Getty Images hide caption

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National Security

Russians Targeted U.S. Racial Divisions Long Before 2016 And Black Lives Matter

Facebook ads and other types of racial agitation are the latest examples in a long line of information operations aimed at amplifying tensions within the U.S. that dates back to the time of Dr. King.

Alexa, Are You Safe For My Kids?
Michelle Kondrich for NPR

Shots - Health News

Alexa, Are You Safe For My Kids?

Talking to a device that talks back can be entertaining and educational for children. But psychologists say children can develop relationships with these devices that can be different than adults.

Alexa, Are You Safe For My Kids?

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Are Social Media Sites Doing Enough To Combat Rumors And False News?

Sonoma County Sheriff Rob Giordano updates the media on evacuation and search-and-rescue efforts on Oct. 11, as wildfires devastate the county. At a more recent news conference, Giordano struck down wildfire-related rumors circulating on social media. Paul Elias/AP hide caption

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Paul Elias/AP

Tech Titans And The Information Complex

Are Social Media Sites Doing Enough To Combat Rumors And False News?

As they struggle with disasters and other crises, police, fire and other public officials are spending an increasing amount of time and resources knocking down rumors spreading on social media.

Are Social Media Sites Doing Enough To Combat Rumors And False News?

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When Politicians Block Critics On Social Media

KUER 90.1

Free speech advocates are taking more elected officials to task for blocking followers on their social media accounts. Find out what happens when a local politician meets someone they've blocked.

When Politicians Block Critics On Social Media

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