Will Oremus

@willoremus
16.2K Followers
564 Following
612 Posts
I write about tech and its discontents for the Washington Post.
My storieshttps://www.washingtonpost.com/people/will-oremus/
Will OremusJan 14, 2025
I wrote about the push to "billionaire-proof" social media, including plans for a new nonprofit to oversee Mastodon and a separate plan to launch a nonprofit to build out an ecosystem of apps running on Bluesky's protocol. Gift link to today's Tech Brief: https://wapo.st/40fTk4X
Analysis | The push to ‘billionaire-proof’ social media

Nonprofits are spinning up to oversee the tech behind Bluesky and Mastodon.

Washington Post
Show threadWill OremusNov 14, 2024

Didn't get to include this in the piece unfortunately, but Mastodon has also seen a surge this month, with signups up 27% from October to November so far.

From my convo with Mastodon creator Eugen Rochko (@Gargron):

Will OremusNov 14, 2024
Wrote about why Bluesky has the juice at the moment https://wapo.st/40RwPp7
Liberals are fleeing X again — this time for Bluesky

An upstart social network attracts news junkies and politicos from larger rivals.

The Washington Post
Will OremusNov 13, 2024
One of the wilder developments in the battle over social media censorship is that RFK Jr. is now a top contender to lead the same agency he's also suing for allegedly pressuring tech firms to suppress his antivaxx posts — making him potentially both plaintiff and defendant. https://wapo.st/3CjMbbt
Analysis | Trump’s win turns online censorship case upside-down

Missouri v. Biden “jawboning” case moves forward even as the Biden administration winds down.

Washington Post
Show threadWill OremusOct 8, 2024
Gift link to our story today on how antisemitic conspiracy theories going viral on X are threatening to undermine the Hurricane Helene response and Milton preparations: https://wapo.st/4eQKjFd
Officials face antisemitic attacks over Hurricane Helene response

Report finds Elon Musk’s platform is fueling falsehoods and conspiracy theories that risk undermining rescue efforts — and preparations for Hurricane Milton.

The Washington Post
Will OremusOct 8, 2024
New: Federal, state and local officials leading the Hurricane Helene relief efforts are fearing for their safety amid vicious antisemitic online hate and threats, fueled on Elon Musk's X, where anti-Jewish conspiracy posts are going unmoderated and racking up tens of millions of views. https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2024/10/08/hurricane-helene-antisemitic-misinformation-x/
Officials face antisemitic attacks over Hurricane Helene response

Report finds Elon Musk’s platform is fueling falsehoods and conspiracy theories that risk undermining rescue efforts — and preparations for Hurricane Milton.

The Washington Post
Will OremusOct 3, 2024

Trump supporters aren't imagining it—they really do get their posts taken down and accounts suspended more on social media than liberals, a new analysis published in Nature finds.

But! That doesn't mean content moderation is biased. It turns out the discrepancy is better explained by the fact that they share way more low-quality information. That's true even when "low-quality" is defined by Republicans. My latest on the findings: https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2024/10/03/nature-study-social-media-liberal-bias-censorship/

Analysis | Why conservatives get suspended more than liberals on social media

It doesn’t mean content moderation is biased, study finds

Washington Post
Show threadWill OremusOct 2, 2024
Gift link for my story on Meta integrating Threads with the fediverse: https://wapo.st/4dDtf4I
Analysis | Why Threads is opening up to other social networks

Meta is dipping its toes into an idealistic vision for social media, known as the “fediverse.”

Washington Post
Show threadWill OremusOct 2, 2024
I want to thank Mastodon founder @Gargron for taking the time to comment for my story on Threads' fediverse integration. Here's what he had to say:
Will OremusOct 2, 2024
I wrote about why Meta is integrating Threads with Mastodon and the fediverse -- and why advocates for an open social web are both cautiously intrigued and wary. https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2024/10/02/meta-threads-fediverse-mosseri-mastodon-rochko/
Analysis | Why Threads is opening up to other social networks

Meta is dipping its toes into an idealistic vision for social media, known as the “fediverse.”

Washington Post