Technology
How Big Tech Impacts Our Lives
How a Washington Tax Break for Data Centers Snowballed Into One of the State’s Biggest Corporate Giveaways
Companies have saved $474 million since 2018, with most of the windfall going to Washington-based tech giant Microsoft. Lawmakers repeatedly expanded who qualifies, and they lowered the number of jobs expected in return.
Local Reporting Network
Data Centers Demand a Massive Amount of Energy. Here’s How Some States Are Tackling the Industry’s Impact.
As the draw on the grid from these computer warehouses undergoes explosive growth, states that offer tax exemptions to support the industry are considering whether their approach still makes sense.
Local Reporting Network
The President Ordered a Board to Probe a Massive Russian Cyberattack. It Never Did.
By not investigating the underlying weakness in Microsoft software that was key to the SolarWinds hack, the Cyber Safety Review Board missed an opportunity to prevent future attacks, experts say.
Nine Takeaways From Our Investigation Into Microsoft’s Cybersecurity Failures
What you need to know about how a whistleblower repeatedly tried to get the software giant to fix a security flaw that left millions of Microsoft users exposed.
Featured Reporters
Impact of Our Reporting
DOJ Files Antitrust Suit Against RealPage, Maker of Rent-Setting Algorithm
The lawsuit, which comes in the wake of a ProPublica investigation into the Texas company, accuses RealPage of taking part in an illegal price-fixing scheme to reduce competition among landlords to boost prices — and profits.
Microsoft President Grilled by Congress Over Cybersecurity Failures
The criticism from members of the House Homeland Security Committee came in response to a ProPublica investigation that found Microsoft repeatedly rebuffed an engineer’s warnings that a product flaw had left millions of users vulnerable to attack.
Senator Elizabeth Warren Probes Google’s Quest for Soldiers’ Medical Data
Responding to a ProPublica report, the Massachusetts Democrat has begun investigating Google’s “aggressive” pursuit of a biotechnology archive that could be used to build AI tools. She also faulted the Pentagon for favoring the tech giant.
Series
Series: Power Hungry: Data Centers vs. Green Energy in Washington
Series: Zero Trust: Inside Microsoft’s Cybersecurity Failures
Series: The Extortion Economy: U.S. Companies and Ransomware
Series: Machine Bias: Investigating Algorithmic Injustice
