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Happy Tuesday! Here’s your Tuesday Tech Drop, a weekly roundup of the top stories from the intersection of technology and politics.
Jim Jordan goes to bat for disinformation
Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, last week launched a congressional probe into the popular streaming platform Spotify, in what is the latest Republican-led effort to discourage efforts to stem the spread of misinformation and disinformation online.
In a letter to Spotify, Jordan dredges up years-old allegations of censorship by U.S. and European agencies of conservative programming on its platform, including of MAGA-friendly podcaster Joe Rogan — who recently claimed that two (unnamed) former presidents called the company over his widely denounced Covid conspiracy theories, and of Steve Bannon, who was recently welcomed back to Spotify after a five-year ban for suggesting the beheading of U.S. officials such as infectious disease expert Dr. Anthony Fauci and former FBI Director Christopher Wray.
Republicans have repeatedly tried — and failed — to prove that Big Tech platforms have worked hand in hand with the government to censor conservative voices. This appears to be more of the same. And it’s not the first time Jordan has name-checked Rogan while targeting a private company on behalf of his conservative agenda.
Read Jordan’s letter to Spotify here.
New MAGA mantra online
A new Politico article reports on the origin of the phrase “heritage American,” the absurd term that’s gaining popularity among far-right, white nationalist types online to describe white Americans who feel their ancestry is indispensable to an authentic American identity.
Read more at Politico here.
Apple update unnerves Republicans
A new update to the iPhone's operating system will allow users to filter text messages from unknown numbers automatically into an “unknown senders” folder. And while many Apple users might be eager for a reprieve from unsolicited texts, the National Republican Senatorial Committee is quite worried the change could hamper its fundraising and voter mobilization efforts, according to an unearthed memo.
Read more in Business Insider here.
YouTube’s new AI to enforce age restrictions
The popular video platform YouTube, facing persistent concerns over its impact on children, announced last week that it will use artificial intelligence — including a review of one’s browsing history — to determine users’ ages and enforce the site’s age restrictions.
Read more at Mashable.
Democrats want details on DOGE
Senate Democrats introduced a bill last week to require audits at dozens of federal agencies to determine whether employees, acting on behalf of the Elon Musk-led Department of Government Efficiency, created cybersecurity vulnerabilities through their access to government computer systems.
Read my blog on the bill here.
‘Rise of the Idiot Interviewer’
Egyptian American comedian Bassem Youssef schooled a group of MAGA influencers known as the “Nelk Boys” (who are grown men, despite their name) after the group faced bipartisan backlash for hosting a softball interview (read: propaganda appearance) with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Read my report on the exchange here.
For more on the controversy and the trend of MAGA podcasters embracing authoritarian talking points, check out writer Nathan Robinson’s editorial “The Rise of the Idiot Interviewer” in Current Affairs.
Photos capture devastation of Gaza from above
Rare aerial photos of Gaza, obtained by The Washington Post, reveal disturbing scenes of the widespread destruction caused by Israeli bombardment of the Palestinian enclave.
View the Post’s interactive report here.