The internet is pretty much the air we all breathe now. It’s where we communicate, shop, find entertainment and discover what’s happening. It’s also where businesses track so much of what we do.
So it behooves us to know how all that works, for good and for ill, and to learn how we can take control of our online lives. That’s the subject of CNET’s new Citizen Now series, which launched this week with stories that examine our massive digital footprints and what we can do to protect our personal data, that explore how to use social media for good and that introduce us to people fighting misinformation. The series also looks into how to be on your best behavior in the metaverse and how Estonia created a nationwide digital identity that could serve as a model for all of us.
Those stories are among the many in-depth features and thought-provoking commentaries that appeared on CNET this week. So here you go. These are the stories you don’t want to miss.
Your Digital Footprint: It’s Bigger Than You Realize
Just about everything about you is online, whether you put it there or not.
Apple’s iMessage Could Be Way More Flexible With WhatsApp’s New Feature
Commentary: WhatsApp offers speedy access across computers and tablets, even when your phone’s switched off.
4 Changes Elon Musk Could Push at Twitter
“Do you want an edit button?” Musk’s frank tweets provide a glimpse into what the tech mogul wants to fix.
Meet the Unsung Force Shining a Light on Misinformation
For these grad students, going down the rabbit hole is required to get a degree.
It’s Time to Treat Your Home Security Cameras as Compromised
Commentary: Wyze has taught us a valuable lesson.
Magic Leap 2 Aims to Bring AR to Businesses, With No BS This Time
CEO Peggy Johnson explains why a focus on the business sector with its new, smaller headset can transform the augmented-reality market.
How TikTok Songs Make the Most Intense Earworms Ever
Commentary: Nearly everyone gets earworms, but is TikTok making them more potent?
Writer Drew Magary at Peace Never Knowing Why His Brain ‘Exploded’
As part of CNET’s series Mysteries of the Brain, the popular author and Defector writer shares how a fall to a concrete floor changed his life forever.
Bitcoin Blackmailers Attempted to Steal $25,000 From My Dad’s E-Trade Account
A cautionary tale about a new type of financial fraud.
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Fake News Real Talk: Your Brain Is Fooling You
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