In 2019, @LaurenGoode canceled her wedding and ended an eight-year relationship. But the painful decisions didn’t end there: As an avid user of technology, she found that it was impossible to escape the digital remnants of the relationship 1/ wired.trib.al/Mr98Ziw
For months afterwards, Goode saw wedding-related ads, anniversary reminders, and photo memories of her ex on all of her devices. Pinterest continued to suggest collages of wedding paraphernalia. Even her Apple Watch would surface painful memories. 2/
Pinterest has an internal name for this: “The miscarriage problem.” Algorithms show people more of the content they’ve searched for, but don’t always take into account when a life event ends—when the wedding is canceled, when the baby isn’t born, or when someone passes away. 3/
Goode spent months talking to technologists, trying to better understand the complicated algorithms of the software services we all use. One takeaway: It's now foolish to think the internet would ever pause just because we do. 4/
Is the answer to just go nuclear—to delete everything? That feels like a path to emotional bankruptcy. Digital footprints likely include joyful memories in addition to miserable ones. 5/
Will the internet ever let us forget? And what does this mean for our memories and our grieving processes?
Two agents involved in the shooting deaths of US citizens in Minneapolis are reportedly part of highly militarized DHS units whose extreme tactics are generally reserved for war zones. wired.com/story/ice-cbp-…
The units include ICE’s two Special Response Teams (SRT), CBP’s one SRT, and the Border Patrol Tactical Unit (BORTAC). wired.com/story/ice-cbp-…
The tactics used by SRT and BORTAC vastly differ from those of local police or sheriffs. They use explosives to breach the doors of homes, and team members are equipped with full tactical gear, assault rifles, and heavy-duty crowd-control weapons. wired.com/story/ice-cbp-…
Since last year, we’ve been reporting on ICE extensively. But every week brings new information, and it’s getting harder to keep track of what’s happening, let alone remember what’s already happened.
So here’s a quick thread to help.
Back in June (we know, it honestly feels like a lifetime ago), WIRED obtained hundreds of emergency calls from ICE detention centers. wired.com/story/ice-dete…
The data showed that at least 60 percent of the centers analyzed had reported serious pregnancy complications, suicide attempts, or sexual assault allegations. wired.com/story/ice-dete…
Criminals posing as US immigration officers have carried out robberies, kidnappings and sexual assaults in several states, warns an FBI bulletin to law enforcement agencies issued last month. wired.com/story/fbi-warn…
Citing five 2025 incidents involving fake immigration officers, the bulletin says criminals are using ICE’s heightened profile to target vulnerable communities, making it harder to distinguish between lawful officers and imposters. wired.com/story/fbi-warn…
Federal rules require immigration officers to identify themselves and state the reason for an arrest “as soon as it is practical and safe to do so.” The standard has not changed since it was codified, yet advocates say it is increasingly ignored. wired.com/story/fbi-warn…
Thirty years ago, an Austrian theologian spoke to Peter Thiel about the theories of Carl Schmitt, the theorist tapped by the Nazis to justify Germany's slip from democracy to dictatorship. Those theories have been a roadmap for the billionaire ever since. wired.com/story/the-real…
Schmitt is remembered for two theories: his incisive Weimar-era critique of liberalism and his decision to join the Nazi party in the run-up to the Second World War.
In 1996, theologian Wolfgang Palaver introduced Thiel to these ideas at a conference. wired.com/story/the-real…
Also, some terms we gotta break down:
Mimetic Rivalry: Violence that results from humans’ fundamental tendency to imitate each other—specifically to mimic each other’s desires. A key concept for Rene Girard, Thiel’s biggest intellectual influence. wired.com/story/the-real…
In an industry once known for cushy perks, some founders are now asking staff to commit to a 72-hour weekly schedule. You’re either in or you’re out. wired.com/story/silicon-…
Would you like to work nearly double the standard 40-hour week? It’s a question that many startups in the US are asking prospective employees—and to get the job, the answer needs to be an unequivocal yes. wired.com/story/silicon-…
These companies are embracing an intense schedule, first popularized in mainland China, known as “996,” or 9 am to 9 pm, six days a week. That’s a 72-hour work week, in case you’re doing the math. wired.com/story/silicon-…
Generative AI has put data centers under the spotlight, and surging electricity needs could increase risk of fires. wired.com/story/x-data-c…
A recent, hours-long fire at a data center used by Elon Musk’s X may have begun after an electrical or mechanical issue in a power system, according to an official fire investigation. wired.com/story/x-data-c…
Data center giant Digital Realty operates the 13-acre site, and multiple people familiar with the matter previously told WIRED that the Musk-run social platform X has servers there. wired.com/story/x-data-c…