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The Markup
@themarkup.org
21K followers 38 following 250 posts
Challenging technology to serve the public good.

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themarkup.org
Keeping up with students’ methods of cheating has always been a cat-and-mouse game for teachers. But some now say that AI tools, particularly Google Lens, have made it impossible to enforce academic integrity in the classroom. themarkup.org/artificial-i...

📸 iStock
Quote: “We want teenagers to think independently, voice their opinions, learn to think critically… But if we give them a tool that allows them to not develop those skills, I’m not sure we’re actually helping them.” Source: William Heuisler, a high school ethnic studies teacher in Los Angeles. He decided to ditch technology altogether in his classroom and return to the basics: pencil and paper.
November 11, 2025 at 12:44 AM
themarkup.org
Since it would likely be burdensome for companies to carve out a way to only allow the signal to be used by Californians, according to experts, the tool will likely be available across the country. See how it could work: themarkup.org/privacy/2025...

📸 iStock
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Hed: How this could go national Text: Since it would likely be burdensome for companies to carve out a way to only allow the signal to be used by Californians, according to experts, the tool will likely be available across the country. How, exactly, that will look still remains to be seen. The legislation doesn’t require browser makers to use a specific standard. (Spokespeople for Google and Microsoft declined to comment on the companies’ plans.)
November 7, 2025 at 10:35 PM
themarkup.org
A new California law could change how all Americans control their data when using the internet, according to experts. Here’s what it does:

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Hed: What the new law does Text: It requires companies that make web browsers to offer users an opt-out “signal” that automatically tells websites not to share or sell their personal information as they browse. Browsers like Google’s Chrome and Microsoft’s Edge will have until the beginning of 2027 to create a way for consumers to select the signal.
November 7, 2025 at 10:35 PM
themarkup.org
In July 2022, the United Network for Organ Sharing prohibited transplant hospitals from using race-based eGFR calculations. But many physicians and hospital systems are fighting to keep race-adjusted algorithms. https://bit.ly/4he6pUC

📝 @wordinblacknews.bsky.social
October 20, 2025 at 12:59 PM
themarkup.org
As of March 2025, there are 42 risk calculators, 15 medications, five medical devices, five lab test results, and one therapy recommendation that still use race and ethnicity to some capacity in medical decision making. https://bit.ly/4he6pUC

📝 @wordinblacknews.bsky.social
“A lot of these tools were done as a well-intentioned progressive effort to do well by Black patients, in the spirit of personalized medicine… This was seen as a progressive pro-race justice thing to do. What people didn’t do carefully enough was to see how these tools actually operated.” David Jones, a trained psychiatrist and the A. Bernard Ackerman, professor of the Culture of Medicine at Harvard University.
October 17, 2025 at 6:30 PM
themarkup.org
The eGFR, or estimated glomerular filtration rate, is an equation that estimates the percentage of kidney function someone has. For Black people, doctors would increase the value by a few points, simply based on race. https://bit.ly/4he6pUC

📝 @wordinblacknews.bsky.social
📸 Rita Harper
October 16, 2025 at 4:00 PM
themarkup.org
As of June 16, Florida dominates participation in the controversial program, with 218 agencies enrolled – far ahead of the next closest state, Texas, with 78 agencies enrolled.
Bar chart titled "States with the most agencies participating in ICE's immigration enforcement program." It shows the number of law enforcement agencies with a 287(g) program in the top participating states. Florida leads with 218 agencies, followed by Texas with 78, Georgia with 27, Virginia with 24, North Carolina with 22, South Carolina with 11, Oklahoma with 15, Wisconsin with 14, Pennsylvania with 13, and New Hampshire, Tennessee, Kentucky, and Alabama each with 11. The chart was last updated on June 16, 2025.
June 16, 2025 at 4:48 PM
themarkup.org
Publishers believe AI translators can bring more literature to the masses. Experts say the solution is simple — just provide better support to human translators. themarkup.org/artificial-i...
An image of a pile of books as the background. A black-to-transparent gradient coming from the bottom. A logo that says "The Markup" at the bottom right corner. Text says: Are AI Models Advanced Enough to Translate Literature? The Debate Is Roiling Publishing.
May 13, 2025 at 6:05 PM
themarkup.org
As of March 15, The Markup’s analysis found Florida dominates participation in the controversial program, with 145 agencies enrolled – far ahead of the next closest state, Texas, with 58 agencies enrolled.
Bar chart titled "States with the most agencies participating in ICE's immigration enforcement program." It shows the number of law enforcement agencies with a 287(g) program in the top participating states. Florida leads with 145 agencies, followed by Texas with 58, North Carolina with 19, Georgia with 17, South Carolina and Wisconsin each with 11, Oklahoma with 9, New Hampshire and Maryland each with 7, Kansas with 6, and Arizona, Kentucky, and Minnesota each with 5. The chart was last updated on April 16, 2025.
April 18, 2025 at 5:29 PM
themarkup.org
Our designer is out of office but here’s your daily privacy reminder 🫶
themarkup.org/gentle-janua...
The image has a three-line sentence on a white background. The text reads, "Lie about your birthday," with emojis scattered around, including a monkey covering its mouth, a smiling face doing the same, a party popper, and a cake with candles.
February 5, 2025 at 8:57 PM
themarkup.org
No, the Hollywood Sign is NOT on fire. If you’ve seen related images and videos recently, they are all AI-generated.

From DEADLINE: deadline.com/2025/01/the-...
An AI-generated image of the Hollywood Sign being on fire. Text says: "This image is AI-generated. No, the Hollywood Sign is not on fire. Source: Deadline."
January 10, 2025 at 8:45 PM
themarkup.org
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://buff.ly/4a4n751
A gradient from yellow to white background with a pixelated red lock illustration in the center. Text reads: 'Can you access Wikipedia through your school’s internet? How about YouTube, LinkedIn, or The Trevor Project?'
January 6, 2025 at 4:39 PM
themarkup.org
How to prevent people from learning about your health care decisions 👇 themarkup.org/the-breakdow...
Things you can do to keep yourself safe Set up a new email using a unique, random password Get a temporary Google Voice number or a burner phone Talk about your plans in person Limit the number of people you share your plans with
December 6, 2024 at 8:08 PM
themarkup.org
TL;DR: Keep your plans private and try not to leave a digital trail.

That could mean making temporary email addresses, using a private browser, and keeping your phone at home when traveling. themarkup.org/the-breakdow...
New Guide: The dos and don’ts of protecting your privacy when seeking an abortion Dos: Use a new email and phone number for research and communication Speak directly with abortion providers to avoid misinfo Fact-check social media posts Know your state’s laws Pay in cash or postal money orders Leave your phone behind while traveling Destroy receipts and delete any messages about your abortion Don'ts Don’t share your plans on social media Don’t tell everyone about your decision, limit who you tell Don’t assume Google’s top search results are correct Don’t use AI chatbots to do research Disable location sharing on your phone while traveling to a clinic Don’t park near the abortion clinic when you arrive
November 26, 2024 at 4:14 PM
themarkup.org
Still thinking about what gifts to get for the holiday?

We’ve got some ideas for those looking for ways to help their loved ones cope with misinfo out there. themarkup.org/languages-of...
Gifts on pink background. Text says: Holiday gift idea for second-gen Americans: A list of trustworthy news outlets to follow; A subscription to local news orgs.
November 20, 2024 at 7:29 PM
themarkup.org
Say a TikTok account just shared a detailed walk-through of ordering abortion pills online. Can you trust those tips?

How we'd vet a TikTok account 👇 themarkup.org/the-breakdow...
Hands holding a phone in a blue-toned background. Text reads: How do I know if a social media post is sharing accurate information? Text reads: Here’s how we verify a TikTok account at The Markup: 1. Do a quick online search about this account. Is it featured by any credible source? (In news stories, as a profile, etc.) 2. Check out who the account reposts and collaborates with. Look through those accounts’ timelines. 3. If this person claims to be a medical professional, you can look them up in relevant state license databases. Text reads: If you can’t validate an account by association, confirm the information they’re sharing instead. Can the account be corroborated by a reliable source? This means that the same information is available from an established news outlet or an established health or advocacy organization.
November 19, 2024 at 4:17 PM