Newsletter Archive

How much does Facebook know about you? A lot it turns out. Americans are just waking up to how much personal information tech companies have collected about them. And it’s not just Facebook. Google is collecting details about you, too. What personal information do tech companies like Google and Facebook have, and what do they do with it?

The average American woman has to work three months longer to earn what the average man earns in a year. That’s why there’s nothing to celebrate while marking Equal Pay Day in the US, which is today, April 10. There are many reasons for the pay gap, including the fact that when men start to leave a field and women start to move in, the average pay for that field begins to drop.

VIDEO EXPLAINER: Facebook says as many as 87 million users, most of them in the US, had their personal data collected. The information includes names, work and educational history, as well as Facebook ‘likes.’ The concern from users and US lawmakers alike is what was done with the data.

VIDEO: Even Rembrandt was into selfies. Young people might think they invented the ‘selfie’ but they’re wrong. The tradition of creating images of yourself dates back centuries. The new Selfie Museum in California proves that smartphones are just a modern way to engage in this ancient practice.

Accomplished African artists are struggling to earn respect. In the Congo, one of painter Eddy Kamuanga Ilunga’s pieces can sell for up to $30,000. Despite his extraordinary work, that’s considered just an average price by international standards. He and other African artists say they’re regarded differently on the international art scene and that it’s a challenge for many artists in Africa to get the recognition they deserve.