Jason Thacker's Blog, page 13

Toward a public theology for a technological age

This past week a couple of news stories caught my attention surrounding the way that technology companies interact around the world, often wielding significant power over issues traditionally under the purview of local governments and jurisdictions. First, Facebook made the decision to ban news from being seen or shared in Australia over a controversial new piece of legislation that would require Facebook to pay news publishers for content on their platform. There is significant complexity to th...

How social media has aided the disintegration of our public discourse

In the midst of a crisis, such as the attempted coup at the United States Capitol on Wednesday, we naturally long for answers. If you are anything like me, you likely doomscrolled most of the day and night, hoping to grasp what just took place and what it means for our future as a nation. In the moments following the mob violence and rioting, many turned to blame one side or another for the rising dissension and breakdown of our public discourse. Some blame big tech for not doing enough early on...

What is a Christian’s Responsibility in a Technological Age?

When we experience a new technology or innovation, we often believe the ethical challenges we encounter are brand new and may even require a novel way of doing ethics. While the certain challenges posed by these technologies may be new and at times can be overwhelming, the Christian ethic is more than adequate to address the core issues at stake and provide a path forward through the confusion. Dr. Brian Brock writes Christian Ethics in a Technological Age to remind Christians that our ethic is ...

Understanding Twitter suspensions and the need for consistent policies

with Josh Wester

On Friday evening, January 8, Twitter officially suspended the 45th President of the United States, Donald Trump, from its platform for violating its stated community policies related to inciting violence and spreading false information. This suspension comes after the heinous attack on the United States Capitol on Wednesday, inspired by the president and his key supporters, following a rally on the National Mall. The protest, which culminated in both violence and rioting, wa...

Is content moderation stifling public discourse?

Content moderation is difficult work for any social media company. Every day millions of posts and messages are shared on these platforms, most are benign in nature but as with anything there will be abusive, hateful, and sometimes violent content shared or promoted by certain individuals and organizations. Most social media companies expect their users to engage on these platforms within a certain set of rules or community standards. These content policies are often decided upon with careful an...

3 ethical issues in technology to watch for in 2021

2020 was a year that not only challenged the fortitude of our families but also the fabric of our nation. Last year we saw many complex ethical issues arise from our use of technology in society and as individuals. From the debates over the proper use of social media in society to the adoption of invasive technologies like facial recognition that pushed the bounds of our concepts of personal privacy, many of the ethical challenges exposed in 2020 will flow into 2021 as our society debates how to...

The Purpose of Privacy

Each year on January 28, organizations and governments from around the world come together to highlight Data Privacy Day and raise awareness of the immense challenges to personal privacy in our technologically driven society. Data Privacy Day was originally started by the Council of Europe in 2007 and then two years later, the United States Congress passed two resolutions recognizing January 28 as National Data Privacy Day in the U.S. as well. Increasingly throughout our society, there is a grow...

A conversation with Dr. Carl Trueman on the modern self and the sexual revolution

This is a transcription of the WeeklyTech Podcast interview with Dr. Carl Trueman. Subscribe in your favorite podcast app to get new episodes each Monday morning or listen online.

JASON THACKER: Dr. Trueman, thank you so much for joining us here on WeeklyTech. As we get started, can you tell us a little bit about your background and why you decided to write this book, The Rise and Triumph of the Modern Self as a church historian?

DR. TRUEMAN: I was a classicist as an undergraduate at t...

Explainer: What is Parler, and why does it matter?

In recent months, a new social media platform gained growing popularity in light of controversies over content moderation and fact-checking on traditional social media sites like Twitter and Facebook. Parler was launched in August of 2018 by John Matze, Jared Thomson, and Rebekah Mercer. While it still has a smaller user base than most social platforms at just over 2.8 million people, the app saw a surge in downloads following the November 2020 presidential election and has become extremely popu...

Pursuing Justice Ethically in a Technological Age

In the aftermath of a tragic event like what took place at the United States Capitol on January 6th, we naturally turn from doomscrolling and longing for answers to a focused quest on pursuing justice for the wrongs committed. Humanity has an innate sense of justice, not solely based on what we believe is right or wrong but more importantly on how God has created us in his image and wired us as his creatures to reflect him. The Bible is clear that injustice is a deep affront to God and his chara...