Jeremy B. Merrill is a data reporter on the technology desk at The Washington Post, gathering and analyzing data to understand how technology, the internet and AI affect business, society and politics.https://www.washingtonpost.comThu, 12 Sep 2024 10:08:19 +00001hourly1https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2024/09/11/anatomy-racist-smear-how-false-claims-pet-eating-immigrants-caught/https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2024/09/11/anatomy-racist-smear-how-false-claims-pet-eating-immigrants-caught/Sarah Ellison, Jeremy MerrillThu, 12 Sep 2024 02:10:47 +0000How an anti-immigrant rumor spread from a random Facebook post to leadership of the Republican Party and the biggest influencers on social media so quickly.https://www.washingtonpost.comhttps://www.washingtonpost.comSarah Ellison, Jeremy MerrillThu, 12 Sep 2024 00:28:40 +0000How an anti-immigrant rumor spread from a random Facebook post to leadership of the Republican Party and the biggest influencers on social media so quickly.https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2024/08/11/musk-x-feed-politics-trump/https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2024/08/11/musk-x-feed-politics-trump/Faiz Siddiqui, Jeremy MerrillMon, 12 Aug 2024 14:43:55 +0000Political tweets made up 17 percent of his feed this year — up from 2 percent in 2021.https://www.washingtonpost.comhttps://www.washingtonpost.comFaiz Siddiqui, Jeremy MerrillMon, 12 Aug 2024 13:57:07 +0000https://www.washingtonpost.comhttps://www.washingtonpost.comFaiz Siddiqui, Jeremy MerrillSun, 11 Aug 2024 23:00:02 +0000https://www.washingtonpost.comhttps://www.washingtonpost.comFaiz Siddiqui, Jeremy MerrillSun, 11 Aug 2024 20:05:20 +0000Political tweets made up 17% percent of his feed this year — up from two percent in 2021https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2024/08/04/chatgpt-use-real-ai-chatbot-conversations/https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2024/08/04/chatgpt-use-real-ai-chatbot-conversations/Jeremy Merrill, Rachel LermanSun, 04 Aug 2024 09:05:19 +0000AI chatbots are taking the world by storm. We analyzed thousands of conversations to see what people are really asking them and what topics are most discussed.https://www.washingtonpost.comhttps://www.washingtonpost.comNaomi Nix, Michael Scherer, Jeremy MerrillMon, 22 Apr 2024 13:00:20 +0000https://www.washingtonpost.comhttps://www.washingtonpost.comNaomi Nix, Michael Scherer, Jeremy MerrillSun, 21 Apr 2024 11:05:00 +0000Waves of layoffs and policy shifts are forcing campaigns to change tactics, potentially transforming the 2024 election.https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2024/04/21/social-media-trump-biden-politics-instagram-facebook/https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2024/04/21/social-media-trump-biden-politics-instagram-facebook/Naomi Nix, Michael Scherer, Jeremy MerrillSun, 21 Apr 2024 10:05:00 +0000Meta’s shift away from politics is forcing campaigns to change their outreach tactics, transforming the 2024 election.https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2023/12/10/tesla-autopilot-crash/https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2023/12/10/tesla-autopilot-crash/Trisha Thadani, Faiz Siddiqui, Rachel Lerman, Jeremy MerrillSun, 10 Dec 2023 11:00:20 +0000A Post analysis reveals that people have died or been gravely injured in crashes where Tesla’s software should not have been enabled in the first place. https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2023/10/27/elon-musk-twitter-x-anniversary/https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2023/10/27/elon-musk-twitter-x-anniversary/Will Oremus, Elizabeth Dwoskin, Sarah Ellison, Jeremy MerrillFri, 27 Oct 2023 15:51:44 +0000The billionaire bought Twitter to revive its business and make it less “woke.” He has achieved only one of those goals.https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2023/08/15/twitter-x-links-delayed/https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2023/08/15/twitter-x-links-delayed/Jeremy Merrill, Drew HarwellWed, 16 Aug 2023 15:53:32 +0000The delayed websites include X’s online rivals Facebook, Instagram, Bluesky and Substack as well as Reuters and the New York Times, all of which Musk previously has singled out for ridicule or attack.https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2023/08/10/san-francisco-robotaxi-approved-waymo-cruise/https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2023/08/10/san-francisco-robotaxi-approved-waymo-cruise/Trisha Thadani, Jeremy MerrillFri, 11 Aug 2023 02:06:46 +0000In a pivotal moment for the autonomous transportation industry, California chose to expand one of the biggest test cases for the technology. https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2023/07/25/gold-ira-conservative-media/https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2023/07/25/gold-ira-conservative-media/Jeremy Merrill, Hanna KozlowskaTue, 25 Jul 2023 11:08:46 +0000Ads for gold coins have become a mainstay on Fox News, Newsmax and other conservative outlets, even as regulators have accused some companies of defrauding elderly clients. https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2023/07/25/invest-gold-advice/https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2023/07/25/invest-gold-advice/Jeremy MerrillTue, 25 Jul 2023 10:34:25 +0000Tips for navigating the gold IRA industry.https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2023/06/10/tesla-autopilot-crashes-elon-musk/https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2023/06/10/tesla-autopilot-crashes-elon-musk/Faiz Siddiqui, Jeremy MerrillSat, 10 Jun 2023 11:00:19 +0000Crashes have surged in the past four years, reflecting the hazards associated with increasing use of Tesla’s futuristic driver-assistance tech.https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2023/04/15/twitter-musk-bid-anniversary/https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2023/04/15/twitter-musk-bid-anniversary/Faiz Siddiqui, Rachel Lerman, Jeremy MerrillSat, 15 Apr 2023 17:32:33 +0000One year after launching a hostile takeover bid, Elon Musk’s Twitter is a shadow of its former self.https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2023/04/13/microsoft-bing-ai-chatbot-error/https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2023/04/13/microsoft-bing-ai-chatbot-error/Geoffrey A. Fowler, Jeremy MerrillThu, 13 Apr 2023 10:00:00 +0000The Post tested the reliability of Microsoft’s Bing AI chatbot by asking it 47 tough questions and then evaluating its sources. https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2023/04/12/fake-chatgpt-preys-facebook-users/https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2023/04/12/fake-chatgpt-preys-facebook-users/Jeremy Merrill, David DiMolfettaWed, 12 Apr 2023 11:06:04 +0000The AI trend is the flavor of the month for scammers.https://www.washingtonpost.comhttps://www.washingtonpost.comJeremy MerrillFri, 31 Mar 2023 17:34:30 +0000https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2023/03/30/elon-musk-twitter-hate-speech/https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2023/03/30/elon-musk-twitter-hate-speech/Faiz Siddiqui, Jeremy MerrillThu, 30 Mar 2023 21:21:42 +0000Twitter’s recommendation algorithm pushes racist and hateful content into the "For You" timelines of users who follow extremist accounts.https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2023/02/16/elon-musk-twitter/https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2023/02/16/elon-musk-twitter/Faiz Siddiqui, Jeremy MerrillThu, 16 Feb 2023 11:00:22 +0000Elon Musk has rolled out major changes at Twitter — many of which have targeted his own experience, but not that of millions of regular users of the site.https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2023/01/19/amazonsmile-charity-closing/https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2023/01/19/amazonsmile-charity-closing/Julian Mark, Jeremy MerrillThu, 19 Jan 2023 16:37:48 +0000Amazon’s charity arm is shutting down next month amid broader job cuts at the company.https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2022/11/28/musk-apple-app-store-twitter/https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2022/11/28/musk-apple-app-store-twitter/Cat Zakrzewski, Faiz Siddiqui, Jeremy MerrillMon, 28 Nov 2022 22:33:43 +0000Removal of Twitter from the App Store would make the social media platform unavailable to new users with Apple devices.https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2022/11/27/musk-followers-bernie-cruz/https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2022/11/27/musk-followers-bernie-cruz/Gerrit De Vynck, Jeremy Merrill, Luis MelgarMon, 28 Nov 2022 16:45:37 +0000Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders have lost tens of thousands of followers, while Republicans such as Sen. Ted Cruz and Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene have seen big increases.https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2022/11/22/twitter-advertiser-exodus-musk/https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2022/11/22/twitter-advertiser-exodus-musk/Naomi Nix, Jeremy MerrillTue, 22 Nov 2022 21:50:02 +0000Dozens of top Twitter advertisers, including 14 of the top 50, have stopped advertising in the few weeks since Elon Musk’s chaotic acquisition of the social media company.https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2022/11/16/musk-twitter-email-ultimatum-termination/https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2022/11/16/musk-twitter-email-ultimatum-termination/Faiz Siddiqui, Jeremy MerrillWed, 16 Nov 2022 19:59:41 +0000It comes as Elon Musk’s first major feature, Twitter's Blue Verified, was halted while the company probes issues that arose from its launch.https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2022/11/16/musk-twtter-blue-halted/https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2022/11/16/musk-twtter-blue-halted/Faiz Siddiqui, Jeremy MerrillWed, 16 Nov 2022 08:37:07 +0000“If you are sure that you want to be part of the new Twitter, please click yes on the link below,” read Elon Musk's email to all staff.https://www.washingtonpost.comhttps://www.washingtonpost.comGregory Morton, Jeremy MerrillThu, 10 Nov 2022 09:58:02 +0000https://www.washingtonpost.comhttps://www.washingtonpost.comCat Zakrzewski, Jeremy MerrillWed, 09 Nov 2022 20:55:36 +0000https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2022/11/09/twitter-birdwatch-factcheck-musk-misinfo/https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2022/11/09/twitter-birdwatch-factcheck-musk-misinfo/Taylor Lorenz, Will Oremus, Jeremy MerrillWed, 09 Nov 2022 09:00:44 +0000In private chats, a cadre of volunteers is shaping a new approach to policing misinformation — one Elon Musk has endorsed as he scales back on professional debunkings. https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2022/11/06/election-misinformation-labels-missing/https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2022/11/06/election-misinformation-labels-missing/Naomi Nix, Jeremy Merrill, Hayden GodfreySun, 06 Nov 2022 12:00:17 +0000A Washington Post review of social media found scores of misleading posts by Republicans candidates who've denied the legitimacy of the 2020 presidential election. But none was flagged as misleading by the social media companies.https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2022/11/05/elon-musk-twitter/https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2022/11/05/elon-musk-twitter/Ben Brasch, Jeremy Merrill, James BikalesSat, 05 Nov 2022 10:00:08 +0000Elon Musk turned his hobby into a career when he purchased Twitter a week ago. Owners of Tesla and SpaceX, Musk has always been extremely engaged online.https://www.washingtonpost.comhttps://www.washingtonpost.comNaomi Nix, Jeremy Merrill, Joseph MennTue, 01 Nov 2022 13:20:19 +0000https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2022/11/01/china-midterms-twitter-networks/https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2022/11/01/china-midterms-twitter-networks/Naomi Nix, Jeremy Merrill, Joseph MennTue, 01 Nov 2022 13:00:00 +0000Twitter disrupted three separate China-based operations that were seeking to influence U.S. politics ahead of the 2022 midterms. https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2022/10/20/musk-twitter-acquisition-staff-cuts/https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2022/10/20/musk-twitter-acquisition-staff-cuts/Elizabeth Dwoskin, Faiz Siddiqui, Gerrit De Vynck, Jeremy MerrillFri, 21 Oct 2022 00:34:22 +0000The impact of such layoffs would likely be felt immediately by millions of users and would put them at risk of hacks and exposure to offensive material such as child pornography, insiders said.https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2022/10/14/crypto-scam-victims-seek-hold-coinbase-responsible-losses/https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2022/10/14/crypto-scam-victims-seek-hold-coinbase-responsible-losses/Jeremy Merrill, Steven ZeitchikFri, 14 Oct 2022 18:04:15 +0000The case could help determine whether existing rules about financial system apply to cryptocurrency companies.https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2022/09/22/health-apps-privacy/https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2022/09/22/health-apps-privacy/Tatum Hunter, Jeremy MerrillThu, 22 Sep 2022 14:26:16 +0000From ‘depression’ to ‘HIV,’ we found popular health apps sharing potential health concerns and user identifiers with dozens of ad companies.https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/interactive/2022/crypto-exchange-bitcoin-history/https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/interactive/2022/crypto-exchange-bitcoin-history/Steven Zeitchik, Tucker Harris, Jeremy MerrillThu, 22 Sep 2022 10:30:45 +0000The wild beginnings, crazy turns, colorful characters and multiple comebacks of the crypto world https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2022/09/20/social-media-influencers-election-fraud/https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2022/09/20/social-media-influencers-election-fraud/Elizabeth Dwoskin, Jeremy MerrillTue, 20 Sep 2022 10:32:50 +0000The campaign to undermine the legitimacy of the 2020 election launched a powerful new generation of online influencers, a Washington Post analysis has found. https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/interactive/2022/elon-musks-tweets/https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/interactive/2022/elon-musks-tweets/Linda Chong, Rachel Lerman, Jeremy MerrillMon, 12 Sep 2022 18:23:33 +0000An examination of Elon Musk's 19,000 tweets shows his complicated relationship with Twitter and the billionaire's changing views of the company he's trying to buy. https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2022/08/24/crypto-sanctions-tether/https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2022/08/24/crypto-sanctions-tether/Tory Newmyer, Jeremy MerrillWed, 24 Aug 2022 10:00:58 +0000The decision by Tether, the issuer of the world’s largest stablecoin, signals broader industry resistance to the Treasury Department’s sanctioning of Tornado Cash.https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2022/06/15/tesla-autopilot-crashes/https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2022/06/15/tesla-autopilot-crashes/Faiz Siddiqui, Rachel Lerman, Jeremy MerrillWed, 15 Jun 2022 20:50:26 +0000Regulators released the first batch of information since mandating that companies such as Tesla report on serious crashes involving their driver-assistance systems.https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2022/05/13/musk-twitter-followers-conservatives/https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2022/05/13/musk-twitter-followers-conservatives/Cat Zakrzewski, Naomi Nix, Jeremy Merrill, Madison DongFri, 13 May 2022 23:53:07 +0000Carlson’s gain is one of several early signs that Musk’s takeover is already shifting the dynamics of one of the most influential social networks in the country. A Washington Post analysis of hundreds of Twitter accounts found that right-leaning accounts, including Republican members of Congress, received a surge in followers since the deal was announced last month, even as their Democratic counterparts’ followings flatline.https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2022/04/23/north-korea-hack-crypto-access/https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2022/04/23/north-korea-hack-crypto-access/Tory Newmyer, Jeremy MerrillSat, 23 Apr 2022 15:02:15 +0000North Korean hackers who last month carried out one of the largest cryptocurrency thefts ever are still laundering their haul more than a week after they were identified as the thieves.https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2022/04/04/crypto-scams-coinbase-liquidity-mining/https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2022/04/04/crypto-scams-coinbase-liquidity-mining/Jeremy Merrill, Steven ZeitchikMon, 04 Apr 2022 20:13:27 +0000A former police officer lost $15,000 overnight as part of a large-scale crypto swindle. It underlines the startling increase in these scams — and their growing power to affect anyone.https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2022/03/16/facebook-youtube-russian-bans/https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2022/03/16/facebook-youtube-russian-bans/Elizabeth Dwoskin, Jeremy Merrill, Gerrit De VynckWed, 16 Mar 2022 19:53:34 +0000A Washington Post analysis finds that traffic to state media sites dropped on YouTube and Facebook following action by the companies.https://www.washingtonpost.comhttps://www.washingtonpost.comElizabeth Dwoskin, Jeremy Merrill, Gerrit De VynckWed, 16 Mar 2022 11:20:12 +0000https://www.washingtonpost.comhttps://www.washingtonpost.comNitasha Tiku, Jeremy MerrillThu, 03 Mar 2022 15:02:33 +0000https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2022/03/03/ukraine-cryptocurrency-donations/https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2022/03/03/ukraine-cryptocurrency-donations/Nitasha Tiku, Jeremy MerrillThu, 03 Mar 2022 14:00:11 +0000Its government has raised more than $48 million in cryptocurrency in less than six days.https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2022/03/01/twitter-birdwatch-ukraine-fact-checking-misinfo/https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2022/03/01/twitter-birdwatch-ukraine-fact-checking-misinfo/Will Oremus, Jeremy MerrillWed, 02 Mar 2022 03:48:25 +0000A year after it launched, a crowdsourced fact-checking platform called Birdwatch is still in pilot mode, invisible to most users.https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2022/02/17/tesla-phantom-braking/https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2022/02/17/tesla-phantom-braking/Faiz Siddiqui, Jeremy MerrillThu, 17 Feb 2022 18:15:09 +0000The Washington Post reported on a surge in complaints of braking events, leading to more than 130 new reports over two days.https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2022/02/02/tesla-phantom-braking/https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2022/02/02/tesla-phantom-braking/Faiz Siddiqui, Jeremy MerrillWed, 02 Feb 2022 12:00:44 +0000Owners say their Teslas are suddenly slamming the brakes at high speeds, nearly causing crashes in many cases.https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2022/01/20/right-wing-influencers-methodology/https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2022/01/20/right-wing-influencers-methodology/Jeremy MerrillThu, 20 Jan 2022 12:52:51 +0000These are the 47 accounts whose audience numbers The Post analyzed.https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2022/01/20/trump-audience-stalling/https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2022/01/20/trump-audience-stalling/Jeremy Merrill, Drew HarwellThu, 20 Jan 2022 11:00:26 +0000After a short surge following the Jan. 6 riot, their follower counts over the last year have barely grown or even declined, a Washington Post analysis found. Their most reliable audience-building moments came when they voiced outrage over conservatives getting banned by the mainstream sites.https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2022/01/04/facebook-election-misinformation-capitol-riot/https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2022/01/04/facebook-election-misinformation-capitol-riot/Craig Silverman, Craig Timberg, Jeff Kao, Jeremy MerrillTue, 04 Jan 2022 13:21:22 +0000The Washington Post and ProPublica examined millions of posts in Facebook groups to discover the extent of election deligitimatization posts ahead of Jan. 6, 2021. The social media company has downplayed its role in fueling the Jan. 6 violence.https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2022/01/04/facebook-propublica-post-jan6-methodology/https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2022/01/04/facebook-propublica-post-jan6-methodology/Jeremy Merrill, Jeff Kao, Craig Silverman, Craig TimbergTue, 04 Jan 2022 13:00:00 +0000How The Washington Post and ProPublica researched election-related posts in Facebook groups.https://www.washingtonpost.comhttps://www.washingtonpost.comJay Greene, Jeremy MerrillTue, 14 Dec 2021 00:37:10 +0000https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2021/12/11/amazon-anti-vaccine-charity/https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2021/12/11/amazon-anti-vaccine-charity/Jay Greene, Jeremy MerrillSat, 11 Dec 2021 12:00:53 +0000The e-commerce giant helped fund the operations of anti-vaccine advocates and groups opposed to government-mandated vaccination through its AmazonSmile program.https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2021/11/10/elon-musk-tesla-stock/https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2021/11/10/elon-musk-tesla-stock/Jeremy Merrill, Rachel Lerman, Faiz SiddiquiThu, 11 Nov 2021 05:11:40 +0000Tesla CEO Elon Musk sold about $5 billion worth of Tesla stock this week, following a Twitter poll he conducted over the weekend citing taxes.https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2021/10/26/facebook-angry-emoji-algorithm/https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2021/10/26/facebook-angry-emoji-algorithm/Jeremy Merrill, Will OremusTue, 26 Oct 2021 17:04:02 +0000Facebook engineers gave extra value to emoji reactions, including "angry," pushing more emotional and provocative content into users’ news feeds.https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/interactive/2021/how-facebook-algorithm-works/https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/interactive/2021/how-facebook-algorithm-works/Will Oremus, Chris Alcantara, Jeremy Merrill, Artur GalochaTue, 26 Oct 2021 11:00:08 +0000The evolution of what posts get top billing on users’ news feeds, and what gets obscured.https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2021/10/08/cryptocurrency-scam-websites/https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2021/10/08/cryptocurrency-scam-websites/Jeremy MerrillFri, 08 Oct 2021 11:00:47 +0000Typo URLs, which look similar to the real URLs of cryptocurrency websites, have been used for fake versions of those sites that could steal your password -- and your money.https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2021/09/25/epik-hack-fallout/https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2021/09/25/epik-hack-fallout/Drew Harwell, Hannah Allam, Jeremy Merrill, Craig TimbergSat, 25 Sep 2021 20:04:00 +0000The colossal hack of Epik, an Internet-services company popular with the far right, has been called the “mother of all data lodes” for extremism researchers. Some of those named in the data have already lost their jobs.https://www.washingtonpost.comhttps://www.washingtonpost.comJeremy Merrill, Drew HarwellWed, 25 Aug 2021 01:58:55 +0000https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2021/08/24/vaccine-ad-targeting-covid/https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2021/08/24/vaccine-ad-targeting-covid/Jeremy Merrill, Drew HarwellTue, 24 Aug 2021 16:49:53 +0000Long criticized as invasive, discriminatory and divisive, microtargeted advertising has become an important tool in the battle to boost vaccination rates across the United States.