Meta has agreed for the first time to stop using the personal data of a specific individual for targeted advertising, as part of a negotiated settlement with human rights campaigner Tanya O’Carroll. Launched in November 2022, O’Carroll’s lawsuit alleged the technology conglomerate was ignoring her legal right to object to the processing and continued use of her personal data for targeted advertising on its Facebook service. In the wake of the settlement – which was agreed just days before the claim was due to be heard in the British High Court – Meta must now cease its tracking and profiling of O’Carroll for the purposes of serving microtargeted ads. This marks the first time a person in the UK has secured an agreement with the social media company over the right to opt out of its surveillance-based advertising – potentially setting a precedent that allows millions of UK users to confidently exercise their same right to object. “This settlement represents not just a victory for me, but for everyone who values their fundamental right to privacy,” said O’Carroll. “None of us signed up to be trapped into decades of surveillance advertising, held hostage by the threat of losing the ability to connect with our loved ones online.” O’Carroll created her Facebook account around 20 years ago, but after finding out she was pregnant in 2017, she began to notice the “unnerving” targeted advertising on Facebook. Before telling her family and friends the news, O’Carroll was already being bombarded with ads about babies, pregnancy and motherhood.  Having worked in tech policy and human rights as a former director of Amnesty Tech and People vs Big Tech, O’Carroll was aware that individuals have the right to object to surveillance-based advertising like that used by Meta. O’Carroll specifically argued that Meta breached Article 21 of the UK General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), which gives individuals an unqualified right to object to the processing of their data for direct marketing. While Meta denied that its personalised advertising constituted direct advertising, the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) intervened in the litigation in support of O’Carroll’s case, stating that online targeted advertising should be considered direct marketing. In a statement on the case, an ICO spokesperson said: “Organisations must respect people’s choices about how their data is used. This means giving users a clear way to opt out of their data being used in this way. If people believe that an organisation is not complying with their request to stop processing their data, they can file a complaint to us. We will continue to engage with Meta on this issue.” Alexander Lawrence-Archer – one of the solicitors in the legal team at AWO who represented O’Carroll – said: “Whilst the legal issues in the case were not adjudicated by the court due to the last-minute settlement, the ICO made a rare intervention. The ICO has publicised the thrust of that intervention, which is consistent with what Tanya argued in the case: that the GDPR right to object applies to Meta’s processing for targeting advertisements to its users.” While the settlement means the court has not made a formal decision on the matter, O’Carroll and AWO believe the situation could set a precedent for future legal cases against surveillance advertising online, and push a potential change in company policy in the UK. Speaking with Computer Weekly, AWO added: “The ICO even went further, indicating that if other people were to use the right, the regulator would back them up. So, whilst the case didn’t go to court, the regulator’s intervention met Tanya’s second objective: people should now feel confident that they too can use the right to object in the GDPR to get more control over their data.” The case also demonstrates that human rights and privacy online are fundamentally linked. “We should not have to trade away our privacy to access essential online services,” said Jim Killock, executive director of Open Rights Group. “The real solution is to break down the monopoly of walled gardens.” In partnership with legal experts at AWO, the Good Law Project has created a tool to send automated requests to Meta’s data protection officer, which people can use to demand it stops using their personal data for targeted advertising. O’Carroll believes her victory could lead to greater accountability from Big Tech and help win back our right to digital privacy: “When one company controls how we connect, communicate and get our news, we’re left with no real choice. Meta acts like a public square but manages to dodge public accountability. It’s time for a fairer internet – where privacy is a right, not a price we’re forced to pay.” Meta said that despite the settlement, it still “fundamentally” disagreed with O’Carroll’s claims, arguing that “no business can be mandated to give away its services for free”. A spokesperson added: “Facebook and Instagram cost a significant amount of money to build and maintain, and these services are free for British consumers because of personalised advertising. “Our services support British jobs and economic growth by connecting businesses with the people most likely to buy their products, while enabling universal access to online services regardless of income,” they said. “We will continue to defend its value while upholding user choice and privacy.” Read more about targeted advertising Invasive tracking ‘endemic’ on sensitive support websites: Websites set up by police, charities and universities to help people get support for sensitive issues like addiction and sexual harassment are deploying tracking technologies that harvest information without proper consent. High Court: Sky Betting ‘parasitic’ in targeting problem gambler: UK High Court rules that Sky Betting acted unlawfully after breaching a customer’s data protection rights when it obtained his personal data through cookies and used it to profile him for the purposes of direct marketing, despite his ‘impaired’ ability to provide meaningful consent. ICO launches major review of cookies on UK websites: ICO sets out 2025 goals, including a review of cookie compliance across the UK’s top 1,000 websites, as it seeks to achieve its ultimate goal of giving the public meaningful control over how their data is used. Following a similar 2023 ruling in the European Court of Justice, Meta began offering a “pay or consent” subscription service model in the European Union, where users can pay monthly so they do not receive ads on the platform. The Meta spokesperson said the company was “exploring the option” of offering a similar service to UK users and would “share further information in due course”. The settlement also comes amid increased scrutiny of Meta’s surveillance-based business model. In March 2025, a memoir published by former Facebook executive Sarah Wynn-Williams – titled Carless people – alleged that Meta allowed advertisers to target vulnerable people based on them feeling “worthless”, “anxious” or “insecure”. However, the company has denied the claim, saying it has never offered tools to target people based on their emotional state.

Until Valve releases an official version of SteamOS, Bazzite has you covered for gaming on a Linux PC.

Not old-fashioned, just underrated —“grandma hobbies” might just be the remedy your overstimulated ... More and anxious mind has been needing all along.getty In a culture hooked on speed, screens and constant stimulation, there’s a growing desire to slow down and reconnect with simpler and more intentional ways of living. That’s where “grandma hobbies” like knitting, gardening, baking and sewing come in. Activities once seen as old-fashioned are now being embraced for their surprising mental health benefits. Take knitting, for example. A study published in the British Journal of Occupational Therapy found that frequent knitters often report feeling calmer, less stressed and more uplifted. By focusing on one specific activity rather than general leisure, the study revealed how knitting promotes mindfulness, sparks creativity and even encourages social connection — whether through community groups or online forums. In other words, it’s not just something you do to pass the time. It’s a soothing and mentally restorative act. At a time when burnout is rising and hustle culture is being questioned; slow, hands-on activities like these are more than nostalgic pastimes — they’re practical tools for restoring emotional balance and everyday joy. Here are three reasons why indulging in grandma hobbies might just be one of the best investments you make in your well-being. 1. They Reframe What Productivity Looks Like Amid the pressure to constantly hustle and be productive, grandma hobbies offer a refreshing, pressure-free way to achieve fulfillment and well-being. Cal Newport, in his book Slow Productivity, challenges the pervasive culture of busyness, urging us to reject constant multitasking and return to work that is meaningful and rooted in quality. His approach emphasizes the importance of doing fewer things at a natural pace and shifting away from hyper-visible activity that often masquerades as productivity. This philosophy aligns surprisingly well with the practices we often associate with grandma hobbies. Indulging in any sort of grandma hobby — which tends to be centered on craftsmanship and mindfulness — helps you inherently reject the pressure to hustle. A 2025 study found that participants who engaged in creative practices rooted in their heritage, like traditional crafts, reported feeling less anxious and more emotionally balanced compared to those completing puzzles with a clear end goal. The key difference was that the creative activities were not focused on finishing a task, but rather about being present in the process. These kinds of hobbies gently challenge the idea that time must always be optimized. They remind you that time spent doing something slow, quiet and meaningful is not wasted; rather, it is restorative. It’s a way of choosing presence over pressure and imagination over efficiency. In a world wired for hustle, that choice becomes a radical act of self-respect. The cherry on top is that you end up with something tangible like a scarf, a jar of pickles or maybe a blooming patch of flowers, which you can hold and cherish as a product of your presence and patience that brings you quiet satisfaction. The act of doing something slowly and mindfully becomes your quiet rebellion against a world that insists on constant speed and output. 2. They Nurture Your Mental And Emotional Well Being Engaging in grandma hobbies provides more than just a creative outlet. It nurtures your mental and emotional health. A 2020 study highlighted that home gardening, for instance, gave participants a level of happiness and satisfaction comparable to activities like biking, walking or dining out. In fact, gardening ranked among the top five activities that participants found most meaningful, which speaks to the deep, intrinsic satisfaction such hobbies bring. What’s key here is that these hobbies tend to be slow and rooted in the present moment, allowing you to detach from the constant buzz of modern life. As the study showed, these activities don’t need to be complex or demanding; they just need to be authentic and centered around personal engagement. This aligns with the therapeutic aspects of grandma hobbies, which are not about producing something for the sake of it, but instead about enjoying the process. Whether it’s tending to a garden, making homemade jam or crafting, these hobbies offer a calming and stress-reducing experience that enhances emotional well-being. By slowing down and focusing on the task at hand, you allow your brain to release stress and anxiety, shifting your focus to something grounding and fulfilling. Indulging in such activities is a powerful way to create space for self-care and resilience, boosting both mental clarity and emotional stability. 3. They Boost Your Cognitive Health Incorporating simple, traditional hobbies into your daily routine can have a profound impact on your cognitive health. While these activities may seem outdated or simplistic, they play a critical role in maintaining brain function and cognitive resilience. Research shows that a diverse range of activities is linked to improved brain health, particularly in areas related to memory, learning and spatial navigation. Researchers found that engaging in varied activities can lead to greater hippocampal volume, which is crucial for cognitive functions like memory retention and spatial reasoning. The hippocampus benefits from activities that require sustained focus, learning and creativity — characteristics inherent in many traditional hobbies. Reintroducing traditional hobbies and learning new skills can significantly boost cognitive health. These activities engage the brain in multiple ways, from improving memory and motor skills to enhancing spatial awareness and problem-solving abilities. Manual tasks like knitting and sewing require focus, dexterity and memory, while gardening encourages both physical activity and mental engagement through planning and tracking growth. Similarly, puzzle-solving and brain games can stimulate cognitive functions like attention and processing speed, providing consistent mental exercise. Learning new techniques, whether in crafting, baking or other hobbies, challenges the brain and strengthens neural connections, contributing to overall cognitive resilience. Revisiting these timeless activities can serve as a simple yet powerful way to enrich your cognitive well-being, offering a holistic approach to brain health that blends creativity and mental agility. Embracing The Soft Life The true value of indulging in grandma hobbies lies in embracing the freedom of slowing down and savoring the process. By carving out time for yourself to engage in mindful hobbies, you reconnect with a softer pace of life. Approach these activities without an agenda of achievement. Let your only goal be to enjoy and immerse yourself in the experience. To make this a consistent part of your life, start by dedicating small, non-negotiable time slots each week for your chosen hobby. Whether it’s 15 minutes of knitting or tending to your plants, make it a priority. Remember, these hobbies aren’t meant to impress others or gain validation. Don’t do them for social media, for likes or for others’ approval. The real magic lies in indulging in these activities purely for your own satisfaction, without any expectation of a perfect outcome. In doing so, you’ll experience the creativity and solace that come from doing something simply for the pleasure it gives you. Are your habits helping you stay present or just keeping you busy? Take this science-backed test to find out: Mindful Attention Awareness Scale

Forward-looking: The rising popularity of GLP-1 receptor agonists like Ozempic and Wegovy has transformed obesity treatment and spurred competition among pharmaceutical companies to develop more effective alternatives. One such contender is Syntis Bio, a Boston-based biotech firm working on an oral medication designed to replicate the effects of gastric bypass surgery without the need for invasive procedures. The company recently unveiled promising early data at the European Congress on Obesity and Weight Management in Barcelona, highlighting the potential of its lead candidate, SYNT-101. SYNT-101 offers a novel approach to weight loss by temporarily altering nutrient absorption in the small intestine. Unlike GLP-1 drugs, which are administered via injection and often come with side effects such as nausea and vomiting, SYNT-101 is a once-daily pill that mimics the metabolic effects of gastric bypass surgery. The drug forms a temporary coating in the upper small intestine, redirecting nutrients to the lower intestine where satiety hormones like GLP-1 are naturally activated. This mechanism promotes feelings of fullness and supports sustainable weight loss, all while preserving lean muscle mass – a common concern with current anti-obesity medications. The science behind SYNT-101 is based on research conducted at MIT by gastroenterologist Giovanni Traverso and chemical engineer Robert Langer, who co-founded Syntis Bio with CEO Rahul Dhanda in 2022. SYNT-101 is meant to replicate the effects of gastric bypass surgery The drug's design leverages two key ingredients: dopamine and hydrogen peroxide. When ingested, these compounds interact with an enzyme called catalase in the small intestine to form a biocompatible polymer coating known as polydopamine. This coating lasts for approximately 24 hours before being naturally cleared through the body's mucosal turnover. // Related Stories In preclinical studies with rodents, SYNT-101 demonstrated consistent weight loss of one percent per week over six weeks, while preserving 100 percent of lean muscle mass. These findings were echoed in early human trials, where nine participants reported no adverse effects. Although the pilot study was not intended to measure weight loss, blood tests revealed promising hormonal changes: decreased levels of ghrelin, the "hunger hormone, "and increased levels of leptin, which helps regulate appetite. Tissue samples confirmed that the polymer coating formed as expected and was safely eliminated within a day. GLP-1 receptor agonists have challenges including high costs and the loss of lean muscle mass Syntis Bio's findings come at a pivotal moment in obesity treatment. While GLP-1 drugs have earned widespread acclaim for their effectiveness, they are not without drawbacks. High costs, insurance challenges, and unpleasant side effects have led many patients to discontinue their use. "With SYNT-101, we believe we can deliver sustainable, safe, effective weight loss by reducing fat while preserving lean muscle and stimulating natural production of satiety hormones," Dhanda said during the conference. Experts in the field have taken note of SYNT-101's potential. Dr. Louis Aronne, an obesity medicine specialist at Weill Cornell Medical College and a clinical adviser to Syntis Bio, emphasized the drug's promise as a first-line treatment. "A major pitfall of current GLP-1 drugs is related to gastrointestinal side effects as well as the loss of lean muscle that accompanies weight loss," Aronne noted. "SYNT-101's mechanism of action may avoid these issues entirely." Dr. Vladimir Kushnir, director of bariatric endoscopy at Washington University in St. Louis, praised the early data but cautioned that larger trials are necessary to fully assess the drug's efficacy and safety. "My anticipation is that this is going to have some digestive side effects like bloating and abdominal cramping," Kushnir told Wired. Despite these uncertainties, SYNT-101 could represent a significant advancement in obesity treatment. Syntis Bio plans to submit an Investigational New Drug (IND) application to the US Food and Drug Administration later this year and hopes to begin Phase 1 clinical trials shortly thereafter.

Apple is celebrating the 10th anniversary of the Apple Watch by marking April 24 as Global Close Your Rings Day, giving owners an exclusive reward when they close all their Activity rings. The company shared plans for the Apple Watch’s milestone birthday in a press release on Monday, encouraging users to be more active throughout the day and close their move, stand, and exercise rings in order to receive an exclusive reward created especially to celebrate the Activity rings that came with the first batch of the Apple Watch line, as well the Activity app on iPhone. If you close all your rings by doing the exercises you love and move around more during the day, you’ll get a limited-edition badge with gold borders, plus 10 colorful animated stickers for the Messages app. Apple Recommended Videos In addition to giving Apple Watch users a great incentive to exercise more often, Apple gave some scientific insight into how its smartwatch has improved the health and fitness levels. According to its Heart and Movement Study, which examined 140,000 participants, people who regularly close all their activity rings are 48% less likely to experience poor sleep quality, 73% less like to experience elevated resting heart rate levels, and 57% less likely to report elevated stress levels. Related “Apple Watch has changed the way people think about, monitor, and engage with their fitness and health. A decade ago, we introduced Activity rings — and since then, Apple Watch has grown to offer an extensive set of features designed to empower every user,” Jeff Williams, Apple’s chief operating officer, said. “People write to us almost every day sharing how Apple Watch has made a difference in their life, from motivating them to move more throughout the day, to changing the trajectory of their health.” Apple Watch users can start earning the exclusive reward for closing their rings starting on April 24. They can also pick up a special pin at Apple Store locations globally while supplies last. Editors’ Recommendations

MIT economics professor Sendhil Mullainathan says it is in humans’ power to put artificial intelligence on a path to help us rather than replace us.

kissing the ring? Amid Trump tariff chaos, Nvidia launches AI chip production on US soil New announcement seems aimed at appeasing Trump, signals company shift. Benj Edwards – Apr 14, 2025 11:55 am | 2 Credit: Wong Yu Liang Credit: Wong Yu Liang Story text Size Small Standard Large Width * Standard Wide Links Standard Orange * Subscribers only   Learn more Nvidia announced plans today to manufacture AI chips and build complete supercomputers on US soil for the first time, commissioning over one million square feet of manufacturing space across Arizona and Texas. The politically timed move comes amid rising US-China tensions and the Trump administration's push for domestic manufacturing. Nvidia's announcement comes less than two weeks after the Trump administration's chaotic rollout of new tariffs and just two days after the administration's contradictory messages on electronic component exemptions. On Friday night, the US Customs and Border Protection posted a bulletin exempting electronics including smartphones, computers, and semiconductors from Trump's steep reciprocal tariffs. But by Sunday, Trump and his commerce secretary Howard Lutnick contradicted this move, claiming the exemptions were only temporary and that electronics would face new "semiconductor tariffs" in the coming months. Nvidia says it has already begun producing its Blackwell chips at Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co's (TSMC) facilities in Phoenix, Arizona. Until now, the company's AI chips have been manufactured exclusively in Taiwan, presenting geopolitical risks to the supply chain. The company is also setting up supercomputer manufacturing plants in Texas—partnering with Foxconn in Houston and Wistron in Dallas, with mass production expected to ramp up within 12 to 15 months. "The engines of the world's AI infrastructure are being built in the United States for the first time," said Jensen Huang, Nvidia's founder and CEO in a news release. "Adding American manufacturing helps us better meet the incredible and growing demand for AI chips and supercomputers, strengthens our supply chain, and boosts our resiliency." The TSMC facility in Phoenix, Arizona. Credit: The Washington Post via Getty Images For chip packaging and testing operations, Nvidia is collaborating with Amkor and SPIL in Arizona. The supply chain for building the kinds of advanced GPUs that accelerate training and running AI models requires advanced manufacturing, packaging, and testing technologies that each partner works together to provide. The development also comes days after Nvidia reportedly avoided export controls on its H20 chip by striking a domestic manufacturing deal with the Trump administration. The H20 is Nvidia's most powerful AI chip that can still be legally exported to China under current US restrictions; it's designed with reduced specifications to comply with export controls while maintaining compatibility with Nvidia's CUDA platform. According to reporting from TechCrunch and NPR, the H20, which can still be exported to China, was spared after Huang promised to invest capital into components for US-based AI data centers. Half-trillion dollar gamble amid policy chaos Nvidia's new US manufacturing initiative is ambitious in scope—the company aims to produce up to half a trillion dollars of AI infrastructure in the United States over the next four years. The company claims its efforts could create "hundreds of thousands" of jobs and drive "trillions of dollars" in economic activity in the coming decades. However, given the uncertainty surrounding domestic and international trade policy under the current US administration, it's difficult to say whether those plans will actually come to pass exactly as envisioned today. Trump has reportedly pressured TSMC directly, telling the company it would face a tariff of up to 100 percent if it didn't build new chip factories in the US. As TechCrunch notes, retaliatory tariffs on Chinese parts threaten the supply of raw materials to build chips in America, and the US lacks the necessary quantity of skilled manufacturing workers for assembling chips. The Trump administration's moves to undermine the CHIPS Act could further deter investments from semiconductor giants. Significant questions remain about the viability of full production onshoring for Nvidia chips. Reports from December indicated that while front-end processing of Blackwell chips could take place in Arizona, the chips might still need to be shipped to Taiwan for advanced packaging using TSMC's chip-on-wafer-on-substrate (CoWoS) technology, which isn't yet available at the Arizona facilities. While Nvidia highlights potential US job creation in its announcement, the company also plans to use its own technologies in these facilities, including "NVIDIA Omniverse to create digital twins of factories and NVIDIA Isaac GR00T to build robots to automate manufacturing." This suggests the company intends to incorporate significant automation in its US manufacturing operations. Benj Edwards Senior AI Reporter Benj Edwards Senior AI Reporter Benj Edwards is Ars Technica's Senior AI Reporter and founder of the site's dedicated AI beat in 2022. He's also a tech historian with almost two decades of experience. In his free time, he writes and records music, collects vintage computers, and enjoys nature. He lives in Raleigh, NC. 2 Comments

John Edwards, Technology Journalist & AuthorApril 14, 20255 Min ReadScience Photo Library via Alamy Stock PhotoNeuromorphic computing is the term applied to computer elements that emulate the way the human brain and nervous system function. Proponents believe that the approach will take artificial intelligence to new heights while reducing computing platform energy requirements. "Unlike traditional computing, which incorporates separate memory and processors, neuromorphic systems rely on parallel networks of artificial neurons and synapses, similar to biological neural networks," observes Nigel Gibbons, director and senior advisor at consulting firm NCC Group in an online interview. Potential Applications The current neuromorphic computing application landscape is largely research-based, says Doug Saylors, a partner and cybersecurity co-lead with technology research and advisory firm ISG. "It's being used in multiple areas for pattern and anomaly detection, including cybersecurity, healthcare, edge AI, and defense applications," he explains via email. Potential applications will generally fall into the same areas as artificial intelligence or robotics, says Derek Gobin, a researcher in the AI division of Carnegie Mellon University's Software Engineering Institute. "The ideal is you could apply neuromorphic intelligence systems anywhere you would need or want a human brain," he notes in an online interview. Related:"Most current research is focused on edge-computing applications in places where traditional AI systems would be difficult to deploy, Gobin observes. Many neuromorphic techniques also intrinsically incorporate temporal aspects, similar to how the human brain operates in continuous time, as opposed to the discrete input-output cycles that artificial neural networks utilize." He believes that this attribute could eventually lead to the development of time-series-focused applications, such as audio processing and computer vision-based control systems. Current Development As with quantum computing research, there are multiple approaches to both neuromorphic hardware and algorithm development, Saylors says. The best-known platforms, he states, are BrainScaleS and SpiNNaker. Other players include GrAI Matter labs and BrainChip. Neuromorphic strategies are a very active area of research, Gobin says. "There are a lot of exciting findings happening every day, and you can see them starting to take shape in various public and commercial projects." He reports that both Intel and IBM are developing neuromorphic hardware for deploying neural models with extreme efficiency. "There are also quite a few startups and government proposals looking at bringing neuromorphic capabilities to the forefront, particularly for extreme environments, such as space, and places where current machine learning techniques have fallen short of expectations, such as autonomous driving." Related:Next Steps Over the short term, neuromorphic computing will likely be focused on adding AI capabilities to specialty edge devices in healthcare and defense applications, Saylors says. "AI-enabled chips for sensory use cases are a leading research area for brain/spinal trauma, remote sensors, and AI enabled platforms in aerospace and defense," he notes. An important next step for neuromorphic computing will be maturing a technology that has already proven successful in academic settings, particularly when it comes to scaling, Gobin says. "As we're beginning to see a plateau in performance from GPUs, there's interest in neuromorphic hardware that can better run artificial intelligence models -- some companies have already begun developing and prototyping chips for this purpose." Another promising use case is event-based camera technology, which shows promise as a practical and effective medium for satellite and other computer vision applications, Gobin says. "However, we have yet to see any of these technologies get wide-scale deployment," he observes. "While research is still very active with exciting developments, the next step for the neuromorphic community is really proving that this tech can live up to the hype and be a real competitor to the traditional hardware and generative AI models that are currently dominating the market." Related:Looking Ahead Given the technology's cost and complexity, coupled with the lack of skilled resources, it's likely to take another seven to 10 years before widespread usage of complex neuromorphic computing occurs, Saylors says. "However, recent research in combining neuromorphic computing with GenAI and emerging quantum computing capabilities could accelerate this by a year or two in biomedical and defense applications." Mainstream adoption hinges on hardware maturity, cost reduction, and robust software, Gibbons says. "We may see initial regular usage within the next five to 10 years in specialized low-power applications," he predicts. "Some of this will be dictated by the maturation of quantum computing." Gibbons believes that neuromorphic computing's next phase will focus on scaling integrated chips, refining and spiking neural network algorithms, and commercializing low-power systems for applications in robotics, edge AI, and real-time decision-making. Gibbons notes that neuromorphic computing may soon play an important role in advancing cybersecurity. The technology promises to offer improved anomaly detection and secure authentication, thanks to event-driven intelligence, he explains. Yet novel hardware vulnerabilities, unknown exploit vectors, and data confidentiality remain critical concerns that may hamper widespread adoption. About the AuthorJohn EdwardsTechnology Journalist & AuthorJohn Edwards is a veteran business technology journalist. His work has appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, and numerous business and technology publications, including Computerworld, CFO Magazine, IBM Data Management Magazine, RFID Journal, and Electronic Design. He has also written columns for The Economist's Business Intelligence Unit and PricewaterhouseCoopers' Communications Direct. John has authored several books on business technology topics. His work began appearing online as early as 1983. Throughout the 1980s and 90s, he wrote daily news and feature articles for both the CompuServe and Prodigy online services. His "Behind the Screens" commentaries made him the world's first known professional blogger.See more from John EdwardsWebinarsMore WebinarsReportsMore ReportsNever Miss a Beat: Get a snapshot of the issues affecting the IT industry straight to your inbox.SIGN-UPYou May Also Like

A light micrograph of a section of a whole mouse brain, with nerve cells colourfully labelledARTHUR CHIEN/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY Electrical synapses that carry messages through the brain have been artificially engineered in mammals for the first time, altering their behaviour. This could have potential for preventing or treating a range of mental health conditions, including obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD). Connections, or synapses, between nerve cells are either electrical or chemical. Chemical ones, which are more common in mammals, involve molecules called neurotransmitters, whereas electrical synapses rely on proteins called connexins.

Tech buzzwords are clanging through the halls of Washington, DC. The Trump administration has promised to “leverage blockchain technology” to reorganize the US Agency for International Development, and Elon Musk’s DOGE has already unleashed an internal chatbot to automate agency tasks—with bigger plans on the horizon to take over for laid-off employees. The executive order that created DOGE in the first place claims the agency intends to “modernize Federal technology and software.” But jamming hyped-up tech into government workflows isn’t a formula for efficiency. Successful, safe civic tech requires a human-centered approach that understands and respects the needs of citizens. Unfortunately, this administration laid off all the federal workers with the know-how for that—seasoned design and technology professionals, many of whom left careers in the private sector to serve their government and compatriots. What’s going on now is not unconventional swashbuckling—it’s wild incompetence. Musk may have run plenty of tech companies, but building technology for government is an entirely different beast. If this administration doesn’t change its approach soon, American citizens are going to suffer far more than they probably realize. Many may wince remembering the rollout of Healthcare.gov under the Obama administration. Following passage of the Affordable Care Act, Healthcare.gov launched in October of 2013 to facilitate the anticipated wave of insurance signups. But enormous demand famously took down the website two hours after launch. On that first day, only six people were able to complete the registration process. In the wake of the mess, the administration formed the US Digital Service (USDS) and 18F, the digital services office of the General Services Administration. These agencies—the ones now dismantled at the hands of DOGE—pulled experienced technologists from industry to improve critical infrastructure across the federal government, including the Social Security Administration and Veterans Affairs.  Over the last decade, USDS and 18F have worked to build safe, accessible, and secure infrastructure for the people of the United States. DirectFile, the free digital tax filing system that the IRS launched last year, emerged from years of careful research, design, and engineering and a thoughtful, multi-staged release. As a result, 90% of people who used DirectFile and responded to a survey said their experience was excellent or above average, and 86% reported that DirectFile increased their trust in the IRS. Recently, Sam Corcos, a DOGE engineer, told IRS employees he plans to kill the program. When 21 experienced technologists quit their jobs at USDS in January after their colleagues were let go, they weren’t objecting on political grounds. Rather, they preferred to quit rather than “compromise core government services” under DOGE, whose orders are incompatible with USDS’s original mission. As DOGE bulldozes through technological systems, firewalls between government agencies are collapsing and the floodgates are open for data-sharing disasters that will affect everyone. For example, the decision to give Immigration and Customs Enforcement access to IRS data and to databases of unaccompanied minors creates immediate dangers for immigrants, regardless of their legal status. And it threatens everyone else, albeit perhaps less imminently, as every American’s Social Security number, tax returns, benefits, and health-care records are agglomerated into one massive, poorly secured data pool.  That’s not just speculation. We’ve already seen how data breaches at companies like Equifax can expose the sensitive information of hundreds of millions of people. Now imagine those same risks with all your government data, managed by a small crew of DOGE workers without a hint of institutional knowledge between them.  Making data sets speak to each other is one of the most difficult technological challenges out there. Anyone who has ever had to migrate from one CRM system to another knows how easy it is to lose data in the process. Centralization of data is on the administration’s agenda—and will more than likely involve the help of contracting tech companies. Giants like Palantir have built entire business models around integrating government data for surveillance, and they stand to profit enormously from DOGE’s dismantling of privacy protections. This is the playbook: Gut public infrastructure, pay private companies millions to rebuild it, and then grant those companies unprecedented access to our data.  DOGE is also coming for COBOL, a programming language that the entire infrastructure of the Social Security Administration is built on. According to reporting by Wired, DOGE plans to rebuild that system from the ground up in mere months—even though the SSA itself estimated that a project like that would take five years. The difference in those timelines isn’t due to efficiency or ingenuity; it’s the audacity of naïveté and negligence. If something goes wrong, more than 65 million people in the US currently receiving Social Security benefits will feel it where it hurts. Any delay in a Social Security payment can mean the difference between paying rent and facing eviction, affording medication or food and going without.  There are so many alarms to ring about the actions of this administration, but the damage to essential technical infrastructure may be one of the effects with the longest tails. Once these systems are gutted and these firewalls are down, it could take years or even decades to put the pieces back together from a technical standpoint. And since the administration has laid off the in-house experts who did the important and meticulous work of truly modernizing government technology, who will be around to clean up the mess?   Last month, an 83-year-old pastor in hospice care summoned her strength to sue this administration over its gutting of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, and we can follow her example. Former federal tech workers have both the knowledge and the legal standing to challenge these reckless tech initiatives. And everyday Americans who rely on government services, which is all of us, have a stake in this fight. Support the lawyers challenging DOGE’s tech takeover, document and report any failures you encounter in government systems, and demand that your representatives hold hearings on what’s happening to our digital infrastructure. It may soon be too late. Steven Renderos is the executive director of Media Justice. Correction: Due to a CMS error, this article was originally published with an incorrect byline. Steven Renderos is the author.