big tech

A black and white photo illustration with a woman's face and internet icons

January/February 2022 / Society

The Dirty Work of Cleaning Online Reputations

January 4, 2022January 10, 2022 - by Paul Gallant

For a fee, companies will tackle damaging search results. But is the new economy of digital makeovers making things worse?

Illustration of robots, witches and video game characters waiting in line to board an ark.

Technology

All Aboard the Metaverse: Is the New Digital Frontier Unstoppable?

December 8, 2021April 22, 2022 - by Jon Evans

It may not exist yet, but no one in tech can risk ignoring Mark Zuckerberg’s next big thing

Illustration of a cluster of crumpled newspapers, out of which protrudes a person's arm and two legs. The background is blue and yellow checkers.

Memoir / September/October 2020

How Algorithms Are Changing What We Read Online

September 8, 2020January 4, 2021 - by Russell Smith

The AI of the internet determines what’s relevant. One day, it decided my work wasn’t

An animated illustration of a stick figure sitting at a table on a laptop. As the person types frantically, the laptop moves across the table. To continue working, the person's arms extend, and they eventually flip over the table––kicking the light fixture on the way over––in order to continue working.

Society

Are We Ever Offline Anymore?

June 15, 2020March 18, 2022 - by Blair Elliott

Thanks to the convenience of technology, work is taking over our lives—yet we keep logging on

Illustration of a ghostly figure walking off a white grid and into darkness. Behind the person is a ghostly collage of all the data they've left behind––photos, passwords, location pins, emails, and text messages. The background is midnight blue.

May 2020 / Technology

The Digital Afterlife

April 8, 2020April 11, 2020 - by Brian J. Barth

The ongoing legal battle to decide who owns our data after we die

The head of Jeff Bezos, a bald white man, smiles toward the screen while surrounded by shiny piles of gold.

Business / Technology

The Billionaire Who Took Over the Internet

February 20, 2020November 8, 2021 - by Rob Larson

Tax exemptions, labour practices, and explosive growth: how Jeff Bezos made Amazon one of the world’s biggest companies

Business / March 2020

Why Grocery Shopping Is on Its Way Out

February 20, 2020April 18, 2024 - by Corey Mintz

Digital convenience is beating out daily chores like running to the store—but leaving us lonelier in the process

Technology

The Decade in Science and Technology

December 26, 2019February 21, 2020 - by The Walrus Staff

From surveillance capitalism to Russian hacking, these are the science and tech conversations that helped define Canada

Man peering inside bedroom as electronics resonate

May 2019 / Society / Technology

Are You Afraid of Google? BlackBerry Co-founder Jim Balsillie Says You Should Be

April 10, 2019November 8, 2021 - by Brian J. Barth

The entrepreneur who made billions putting BlackBerrys into pockets is now sounding the alarm about Big Tech’s creep toward surveillance capitalism

Illustration of Man Running Towards a Large Technological Eye

April 2018 / Justice

Busted by Big Data

March 29, 2018March 9, 2021 - by John Lorinc

Algorithms could make cities safer—but they can’t protect us from policing’s worst instincts

Sections

Explore

Support

Follow

The Dirty Work of Cleaning Online Reputations

How Algorithms Are Changing What We Read Online

Are We Ever Offline Anymore?

The Digital Afterlife

The Billionaire Who Took Over the Internet

Why Grocery Shopping Is on Its Way Out

The Decade in Science and Technology

Are You Afraid of Google? BlackBerry Co-founder Jim Balsillie Says You Should Be

Busted by Big Data

Fund the journalism that helps you make informed decisions. Fund The Walrus.

Fund the journalism that helps you make informed decisions. Fund The Walrus.

Fund the journalism that helps you make informed decisions. Fund The Walrus.

Fund the journalism that helps you make informed decisions. Fund The Walrus.