Skip to Content
Uncategorized

A Blacklist for Renters

Motoko Rich in the New York Times House & Home Section has an article about “a growing problem” for renters — computerized databases of people who have been taken to court by their landlords and successfully defended themselves. These databases,…

Motoko Rich in the New York Times House & Home Section has an article about “a growing problem” for renters — computerized databases of people who have been taken to court by their landlords and successfully defended themselves. These databases, Rich writes, effectively punish renters for exercising their constitutional rights. One of the biggest offenders is the California-based U. D. Registry, but there is also a national company called Registry SafeRent.

It’s a serious problem, and it’s good to see The Times covering it. But its also an old problem: back in 1988, I wrote my Masters’ Thesis on the same topic. And David Burnham wrote about the problem in his 1984 book The Rise of the Computer State. The UD Registry has been around since the early 1970s.

Keep Reading

Most Popular

Geoffrey Hinton tells us why he’s now scared of the tech he helped build

“I have suddenly switched my views on whether these things are going to be more intelligent than us.”

ChatGPT is going to change education, not destroy it

The narrative around cheating students doesn’t tell the whole story. Meet the teachers who think generative AI could actually make learning better.

Meet the people who use Notion to plan their whole lives

The workplace tool’s appeal extends far beyond organizing work projects. Many users find it’s just as useful for managing their free time.

Learning to code isn’t enough

Historically, learn-to-code efforts have provided opportunities for the few, but new efforts are aiming to be inclusive.

Stay connected

Illustration by Rose Wong

Get the latest updates from
MIT Technology Review

Discover special offers, top stories, upcoming events, and more.

Thank you for submitting your email!

Explore more newsletters

It looks like something went wrong.

We’re having trouble saving your preferences. Try refreshing this page and updating them one more time. If you continue to get this message, reach out to us at customer-service@technologyreview.com with a list of newsletters you’d like to receive.