Drew Harwell

@drewharwell
71.3K Followers
870 Following
1.2K Posts
Washington Post tech reporter
posthttps://www.washingtonpost.com/people/drew-harwell/
storieshttps://drewharwell.com/
email[email protected]
Drew HarwellMar 19, 2025
JosephMennMar 19, 2025
"Graphite" software from Paragon, which has sold its high-end phone spyware to the U.S. government and holds itself out as more ethical than peers, has been found in the devices of Italian migrant rescuers close to the Pope, according to Citizen Lab and WhatsApp. Gift link: https://wapo.st/3Y2t8KK
Report details spyware use against Italian activists and journalist

Paragon software was found to have infected WhatsApp accounts of figures critical of the Italian government’s policies toward migrants, a nonprofit said.

The Washington Post
Drew HarwellSep 24, 2024
Paris MarxSep 24, 2024

Elon Musk was on hand to award fascist Italian prime minister Giorgia Meloni an award from the Atlantic Council last night.

He said she was “someone who is even more beautiful on the inside than she is on the outside.”

https://www.politico.eu/article/precious-genius-elon-musk-love-bombs-beautiful-giorgia-meloni-global-citizens-award-un/

#tech #elonmusk #italy #politics

‘Precious genius’ Elon Musk love-bombs ‘beautiful’ Giorgia Meloni at think tank awards

The tech billionaire and the Italian PM exchange pleasantries at glitzy Washington gala dinner, while Atlantic Council staffers fume.

POLITICO
Drew HarwellSep 19, 2024
Mathew IngramSep 19, 2024
The latest entry in The Torment Nexus, a newsletter featuring my analysis and perspective on technology and culture: “The crusade against TikTok is a ridiculous waste of time” https://torment-nexus.mathewingram.com/the-crusade-against-tiktok-is-a-ridiculous-waste-of-time/
The crusade against TikTok is a ridiculous waste of time

Hi everyone! Mathew Ingram here. In case you are a first-time reader, or you forgot that you signed up for this newsletter, this is The Torment Nexus (you can find out more about me and this newsletter — and why I chose to call it that — in my inaugural post.) Since

The Torment Nexus
Drew HarwellSep 19, 2024
Jonathan YuAug 25, 2024

"But as OnlyFans’s pool of influencers has grown, it has also professionalized. Many creators now operate like independent media companies, with support staffs, growth strategies and promotional budgets, and work to apply the cold quantification and data analytics of online marketing to the creation of a fantasy life."

https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/interactive/2023/onlyfans-bryce-adams-top-earners-creator-economy/ by @drewharwell via @washingtonpost

How OnlyFans top earner Bryce Adams makes millions selling a sex fantasy

The fast-growing platform is the creator economy at its most bluntly transactional, where sex is just another unit of content to monetize.

The Washington Post
Drew HarwellSep 13, 2024
JosephMennSep 13, 2024
Scoop: Apple to drop suit vs NSO. https://wapo.st/47uFZsW
Apple seeks to drop its lawsuit against Israeli spyware pioneer NSO

Apple is dropping its lawsuit against spyware pioneer NSO Group, arguing in a filing shared exclusively with The Post that a recent Israeli government raid of the company’s headquarters might have removed key secrets from the reach of the U.S. discovery process.

The Washington Post
Drew HarwellJul 2, 2024
Will OremusJul 2, 2024
SCOTUS' ruling on social media was a bigger deal than it first seemed. Content moderation and ranking algorithms are now First Amendment-protected speech, and that has major implications for the internet. My newsletter today: https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2024/07/02/netchoice-scotus-content-moderation-speech/
Analysis | Supreme Court says content moderation is speech

The NetChoice opinion is a bigger deal than it might seem.

Washington Post
Drew HarwellJul 2, 2024
Bret CarmichaelJul 2, 2024
This is a smart move by @Mastodon. #Twitter / #X journalism is struggling, and #Threads doesn’t want journalism. Mastodon is leaning into it though, “To reinforce and encourage Mastodon as the go-to place for journalism, we’re launching a new feature today.” I think this is a lever for differentiation; making Mastodon more valuable to journalists and users.
https://mastodon.social/@Mastodon/112718231305707672
Drew HarwellMay 16, 2024
Taylor LorenzMay 14, 2024
“At some point — whatever the justification — you’re either advancing a policy that enables the mass starvation of children, or you’re not.”
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/05/13/us/army-officer-resigns-gaza-israel.html
Army Officer Resigns in Protest of ‘Unqualified’ U.S. Support to Israel

While assigned to the Defense Intelligence Agency, Maj. Harrison Mann said he was enabling policies that violated his conscience.

The New York Times
Drew HarwellMay 16, 2024
Graham CluleyMay 15, 2024

Last week, the BreachForums hacking forum was used to sell data stolen from a Europol law enforcement portal.

Today... the FBI has seized control of BreachForums.

#cybersecurity #databreach

Drew HarwellApr 22, 2024
Drew HarwellApr 22, 2024
New: We pulled the data, and Trump on Truth Social is even angrier and more isolated than he was on Twitter in 2016. His audience is diminished, but he's posting more than ever - an extreme, vengeful, vitriolic persona few voters directly see https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/interactive/2024/trump-truth-social-posts/
Trump’s Truth Social posts grew more belligerent since move from Twitter

Here on his company’s social network Trump is offering followers an intimate view of what his second term could look like: isolated, vitriolic and vengeful.

The Washington Post