Todd Feathers
@toddfeathers.bsky.social
Freelance investigative data journalist. Writing about technology, education, and privacy.
toddfeathers.com
toddfeathers.com
Reposted by Todd Feathers
Loved writing this piece for TIME on why horror is my salve for anxiety. Any other dark copers out there?
time.com/7326119/horr...
#Halloween2025 #horror #HorrorMovies #HorrorNews #SpookySeason
time.com/7326119/horr...
#Halloween2025 #horror #HorrorMovies #HorrorNews #SpookySeason
Why Horror Movies and Scaring Yourself Can Make You Feel Less Anxious
Seeking out scares for sport is linked to a number of health benefits.
time.com
October 30, 2025 at 5:59 PM
Loved writing this piece for TIME on why horror is my salve for anxiety. Any other dark copers out there?
time.com/7326119/horr...
#Halloween2025 #horror #HorrorMovies #HorrorNews #SpookySeason
time.com/7326119/horr...
#Halloween2025 #horror #HorrorMovies #HorrorNews #SpookySeason
On one wall: A constantly updating dashboard with students' lesson completion rates and other metrics
On the other: A shop of toys (at 6x markup) they can buy with Alpha bucks, earned by hitting learning quotas
In the middle: 6 yos tapping silently away at laptops
www.wired.com/story/ai-tea...
On the other: A shop of toys (at 6x markup) they can buy with Alpha bucks, earned by hitting learning quotas
In the middle: 6 yos tapping silently away at laptops
www.wired.com/story/ai-tea...
Parents Fell in Love With Alpha School’s Promise. Then They Wanted Out
In Brownsville, Texas, some families found a buzzy new school’s methods—surveillance of kids, software in lieu of teachers—to be an education in and of itself.
www.wired.com
October 27, 2025 at 2:03 PM
On one wall: A constantly updating dashboard with students' lesson completion rates and other metrics
On the other: A shop of toys (at 6x markup) they can buy with Alpha bucks, earned by hitting learning quotas
In the middle: 6 yos tapping silently away at laptops
www.wired.com/story/ai-tea...
On the other: A shop of toys (at 6x markup) they can buy with Alpha bucks, earned by hitting learning quotas
In the middle: 6 yos tapping silently away at laptops
www.wired.com/story/ai-tea...
Reposted by Todd Feathers
3) Living in subsidized housing shouldn’t mean you’re more surveilled. @gizmodo.com @toddfeathers.bsky.social
gizmodo.com/clearly-disc...
gizmodo.com/clearly-disc...
‘Clearly Discrimination’: How a City Uses Fusus to Spy on Its Poorest Residents
Fusus’s technology allows police to tap into live feeds from public and privately owned surveillance cameras. In Toledo, Ohio, cops use the power to watch one particular type of location.
gizmodo.com
February 14, 2025 at 4:58 PM
3) Living in subsidized housing shouldn’t mean you’re more surveilled. @gizmodo.com @toddfeathers.bsky.social
gizmodo.com/clearly-disc...
gizmodo.com/clearly-disc...
Reposted by Todd Feathers
Horrifying story from @gizmodo.com about how Fusus police tech enables wildly disproportionate surveillance of public housing residents in Toledo, Ohio.
@toddfeathers.bsky.social
@toddfeathers.bsky.social
‘Clearly Discrimination’: How a City Uses Fusus to Spy on Its Poorest Residents
Fusus’s technology allows police to tap into live feeds from public and privately owned surveillance cameras. In Toledo, Ohio, cops use the power to watch one particular type of location.
gizmodo.com
February 12, 2025 at 1:50 PM
Horrifying story from @gizmodo.com about how Fusus police tech enables wildly disproportionate surveillance of public housing residents in Toledo, Ohio.
@toddfeathers.bsky.social
@toddfeathers.bsky.social
👀
The CEO of Axon, which owns Fusus, the company profiled in the incredibly important coverage below, is the lead witness for a House hearing on “reining in the administrative state” today. @toddfeathers.bsky.social
bsky.app/profile/gizm...
bsky.app/profile/gizm...
‘Clearly Discrimination’: How a City Uses Fusus to Spy on Its Poorest Residents https://gizmodo.com/clearly-discrimination-how-a-city-uses-fusus-to-spy-on-its-poorest-residents-2000561795
February 11, 2025 at 3:45 PM
👀
When Toledo police rolled out their Fusus system, allowing officers to tap into the live feeds of privately owned cameras, they promised to only use the power in emergency situations.
We obtained data that tells a very different story about when, and who, TPD watches.
gizmodo.com/clearly-disc...
We obtained data that tells a very different story about when, and who, TPD watches.
gizmodo.com/clearly-disc...
‘Clearly Discrimination’: How a City Uses Fusus to Spy on Its Poorest Residents
Fusus’s technology allows police to tap into live feeds from public and privately owned surveillance cameras. In Toledo, Ohio, cops use the power to watch one particular type of location.
gizmodo.com
February 11, 2025 at 2:27 PM
When Toledo police rolled out their Fusus system, allowing officers to tap into the live feeds of privately owned cameras, they promised to only use the power in emergency situations.
We obtained data that tells a very different story about when, and who, TPD watches.
gizmodo.com/clearly-disc...
We obtained data that tells a very different story about when, and who, TPD watches.
gizmodo.com/clearly-disc...
And facial recognition is notoriously accurate at identifying people's ages based on facial features. So accurate.
Texas argues that you can do age verification without any identification at all.
Texas is now suggesting that facial detection technology is a good way to avoid the identification problem.
[..........................]
Texas is now suggesting that facial detection technology is a good way to avoid the identification problem.
[..........................]
January 15, 2025 at 4:47 PM
And facial recognition is notoriously accurate at identifying people's ages based on facial features. So accurate.
Reposted by Todd Feathers
The insight of a CEO is unmatched fortune.com/2025/01/14/w...
January 15, 2025 at 1:17 PM
The insight of a CEO is unmatched fortune.com/2025/01/14/w...
For at least 25 safety or rights-impacting systems, agencies reported that “no documentation exists regarding maintenance, composition, quality, or intended use of the training and evaluation data.”
gizmodo.com/federal-agen...
gizmodo.com/federal-agen...
Federal Agencies Lack Critical Information About Some of Their Riskiest AI Systems
From facial recognition tools to algorithms that identify diseases, agencies reported that they didn't know enough about what they're acquiring from commercial vendors.
gizmodo.com
January 10, 2025 at 2:57 PM
For at least 25 safety or rights-impacting systems, agencies reported that “no documentation exists regarding maintenance, composition, quality, or intended use of the training and evaluation data.”
gizmodo.com/federal-agen...
gizmodo.com/federal-agen...
Reposted by Todd Feathers
I'm writing a piece for my Spine Tingler newsletter and iso folks with a professional POV on #rabbits and/or their symbolic use in #horror media. Any academics, creatives, trainers, handlers, vets, or misc experts out there up for a brief interview in the next week or two? #journorequest
December 28, 2024 at 6:43 PM
I'm writing a piece for my Spine Tingler newsletter and iso folks with a professional POV on #rabbits and/or their symbolic use in #horror media. Any academics, creatives, trainers, handlers, vets, or misc experts out there up for a brief interview in the next week or two? #journorequest
Reposted by Todd Feathers
Betteridge's law of headlines
The burst of new laws follows a landmark Supreme Court ruling and reflects public frustration with record-high homelessness. But advocates say fines and jail time will only make the problem worse.
100-plus cities in the U.S. banned homeless camping this year. But will it work?
The burst of new laws follows a landmark Supreme Court ruling and reflects public frustration with record-high homelessness. But advocates say fines and jail time will only make the problem worse.
www.npr.org
December 26, 2024 at 7:31 PM
Betteridge's law of headlines
Reposted by Todd Feathers
At the scene of the Amazon strike:
The NYPD has now erected barricades to allow Amazon contractors to enter and leave the distribution center, helping Amazon break the picket line.
The NYPD has now erected barricades to allow Amazon contractors to enter and leave the distribution center, helping Amazon break the picket line.
December 19, 2024 at 4:18 PM
At the scene of the Amazon strike:
The NYPD has now erected barricades to allow Amazon contractors to enter and leave the distribution center, helping Amazon break the picket line.
The NYPD has now erected barricades to allow Amazon contractors to enter and leave the distribution center, helping Amazon break the picket line.
Reposted by Todd Feathers
On the scene of the Amazon strike in Maspeth, the NYPD is trying to break the picket, engaging in arrests of union members and engaging in physical confrontations with workers and their supporters.
December 19, 2024 at 3:43 PM
On the scene of the Amazon strike in Maspeth, the NYPD is trying to break the picket, engaging in arrests of union members and engaging in physical confrontations with workers and their supporters.
Reposted by Todd Feathers
Hell Gate is on the scene at the protest of Amazon union members at the distribution center in Maspeth.
Just moments ago, NYPD officers pulled an Amazon worker out of his car after he stood up out of his seat and attempted to join the strike.
Just moments ago, NYPD officers pulled an Amazon worker out of his car after he stood up out of his seat and attempted to join the strike.
December 19, 2024 at 2:39 PM
Hell Gate is on the scene at the protest of Amazon union members at the distribution center in Maspeth.
Just moments ago, NYPD officers pulled an Amazon worker out of his car after he stood up out of his seat and attempted to join the strike.
Just moments ago, NYPD officers pulled an Amazon worker out of his car after he stood up out of his seat and attempted to join the strike.
Question for folks who use screen readers/accessibility experts: When do you advise describing a person's appearance in alt text?
For example, I might purposefully choose an image of a Black scientist or a CEO for a story even though the story isn't about race. Should alt text specify that?
For example, I might purposefully choose an image of a Black scientist or a CEO for a story even though the story isn't about race. Should alt text specify that?
December 13, 2024 at 4:25 PM
Question for folks who use screen readers/accessibility experts: When do you advise describing a person's appearance in alt text?
For example, I might purposefully choose an image of a Black scientist or a CEO for a story even though the story isn't about race. Should alt text specify that?
For example, I might purposefully choose an image of a Black scientist or a CEO for a story even though the story isn't about race. Should alt text specify that?
Reposted by Todd Feathers
Issue 4 of Spine Tingler (my 2x monthly, only slightly spooky newsletter for storytellers of all stripes) is out today! It's all about playing in the liminal space between grinning and (not) bearing it.
Read it here: spine-tingler.beehiiv.com/p/let-s-put-...
Read it here: spine-tingler.beehiiv.com/p/let-s-put-...
Let’s put a smile on that face
On shiny happy people
spine-tingler.beehiiv.com
December 12, 2024 at 5:59 PM
Issue 4 of Spine Tingler (my 2x monthly, only slightly spooky newsletter for storytellers of all stripes) is out today! It's all about playing in the liminal space between grinning and (not) bearing it.
Read it here: spine-tingler.beehiiv.com/p/let-s-put-...
Read it here: spine-tingler.beehiiv.com/p/let-s-put-...
Ffs no
Updated paper: A lot of work on the effects of tracking in education, which is a widespread practice globally. We show 1) algorithms can track students far more effectively than test scores 2) test scores discriminate 3) algorithmic placement has infinite MVPF static1.squarespace.com/static/60d0c...
December 10, 2024 at 12:36 AM
Ffs no
Reposted by Todd Feathers
seems like this is a flat violation of the TX shield law, which requires Paxton to exhaust reasonable efforts to get the information elsewhere (ie, from GOOG). not surprising that Ken Paxton is using any shred of an excuse to bully a news org, though.
New: Texas AG Ken Paxton has subpoenaed 404 Media for confidential reporting about an internal Google privacy incident database we published in June. If Paxton wants the database, he can get it directly from Google. Our lawyers have formally objected to the subpoena:
www.404media.co/404-media-ob...
www.404media.co/404-media-ob...
404 Media Objects to Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton's Subpoena to Access Our Reporting
404 Media's reporting on an internal Google privacy violation database has been subpoenaed by the State of Texas. We are fighting it.
www.404media.co
December 9, 2024 at 7:32 PM
seems like this is a flat violation of the TX shield law, which requires Paxton to exhaust reasonable efforts to get the information elsewhere (ie, from GOOG). not surprising that Ken Paxton is using any shred of an excuse to bully a news org, though.
Reposted by Todd Feathers
Reposted by Todd Feathers
God i love @propublica.org so much
I don't know who needs to know this, but Pro Publica has an online thing that will format a letter to your US health insurance company to demand the records behind a claim denial. (which the insurance is then legally required to provide in most cases)
projects.propublica.org/claimfile/
projects.propublica.org/claimfile/
Find Out Why Health Insurance Denied Your Claim
You likely have the right to access records that explain why your insurer denied your claim or prior authorization request. Use ProPublica’s free tool to generate a letter requesting your claim file f...
projects.propublica.org
December 7, 2024 at 2:36 AM
God i love @propublica.org so much
Reposted by Todd Feathers
NEW: The youth-beloved AI chatbot platform CharacterAI is hosting pro-anorexia (or "pro-ana") chatbots that promote disordered eating behaviors, recommend dangerously low-calorie diets, and help users attain unhealthily low body weights.
For @futurism.bsky.social
futurism.com/character-ai...
For @futurism.bsky.social
futurism.com/character-ai...
November 25, 2024 at 4:58 PM
NEW: The youth-beloved AI chatbot platform CharacterAI is hosting pro-anorexia (or "pro-ana") chatbots that promote disordered eating behaviors, recommend dangerously low-calorie diets, and help users attain unhealthily low body weights.
For @futurism.bsky.social
futurism.com/character-ai...
For @futurism.bsky.social
futurism.com/character-ai...