Technology / Tess Townsend

Technology

A sampling of my reporting on issues of interest in the tech industry. To view more examples of my tech reporting, visit the Search page, Cloud - B2B - SaaS, or view my author pages.

Vox • 24th March 2017

YouTube’s ad mess gives advertisers leverage for what they really want: More data

As far as advertisers are concerned, there are really only two ways to place ads online: The “open web” where you can track the ads, and “walled gardens” where you can’t. Google falls into the second bucket.

Vox • 10th January 2017

Silicon Valley’s rank and file prepare to fight Trump

I wrote about a 2017 "secret meeting" of tech employees trying to organize in anticipation of actions by the Trump administration.

Vox • 3rd March 2017

Trump’s possible pick for FTC chair might have to recuse himself in Google or Facebook cases

This piece from 2017 explores complications in a state attorney general's candidacy for FTC chair.

Inc.com • 31st March 2016

Controversy Rages Over 'Pro-Slavery' Tech Speaker Curtis Yarvin

This 2016 piece looks at the controversy surrounding a tech conference's decision to invite an avowed white supremacist to speak.

Inc.com • 9th December 2016

Why Political Ads Are Regulated but Fake News on Facebook Isn't

Facebook has proven to be a zone where campaign finance rules are difficult if not nearly impossible to enforce, at least from outside.

Inc.com • 21st November 2016

The Bizarre Truth Behind the Biggest Pro-Trump Facebook Hoaxes

I tracked down the Romanian creator of one of the most ubiquitous disinformation sites during the 2016 presidential election.

Inc.com • 23rd February 2016

How Yelp Compares to Other Tech Companies on Pay

This 2016 piece questions the assumption that working for a Bay Area tech company means earning a livable wage.

Inc.com • 19th April 2016

How This Startup Is Disrupting Long-Distance Transportation Right Now

A Stanford dropout and serial entrepreneur set out to build a city of remote workers making their living in virtual reality. His far-fetched idea led him to one that's shockingly mundane: A bus between San Francisco and Los Angeles.

Holloway • 5th March 2020

The Guide to Raising Venture Capital — Holloway

A current and comprehensive resource for entrepreneurs who are seeking to raise venture capital. I was a contracted contributing author on this guide for 18 months.

Vox • 14th May 2017

Google has bigger challenges with Home than just recognizing different voices

Google came late to the voice interface game. This piece from 2017 analyzes challenges for the company in catching up.

Vox • 14th March 2017

Google’s Allo app can reveal to your friends what you’ve searched

Google’s mobile messaging app Allo can reveal your Google search history to people you message, which could have big privacy implications. The behavior appears to be a glitch. I noticed the problem in a conversation with a friend, in which I was testing the app. Allo includes Google Assistant, the company’s latest version of its virtual assistant software ...