Technology & Digital Policy

TikTok is the new Facebook for midterm candidates reaching out to Gen Z voters as the entertainment platform is turning into a forum for political debate. Its success has not only exposed the app to public scrutiny of reported failures to contain misinformation, but it has also raised national security concerns over its Chinese ownership.

Determined to stay in power, Brazil’s incumbent president Jair Bolsonaro borrows from Donald Trump’s playbook and is preparing the ground for a stolen election myth. He rose to power by learning how to mobilize voters from Barack Obama – and by flooding the internet with fake news.

In Brazil, misogynist discourse and attacks against female politicians have rapidly increased since the election of Jair Bolsonaro. Especially those who dare to challenge gender norms have become targets of online vitriol. A new law that criminalizes political gender violence may bring some relief, but may not be enough to turn the tide.

After a round of strong applications, we are excited to announce our selection of Transatlantic Media Fellows for 2022.

A satellite image-based investigation by Vertical52 reveals the extent of child labor in illegal mines in India that produce mica, a critical mineral for the tech industry.

Some have labelled Russia’s war against Ukraine “the world’s first crypto war.” That might be overstating matters, but cryptocurrencies are certainly having an impact on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Eva von Schaper produced two podcast episodes with her Transatlantic Media Fellowship.