How the Tech Fix column at the NY Times is changing focus

Brian X. Chen, the lead consumer technology reporter at The New York Times, writes about how he’s shifting his writing in his Tech Fix column.

Chen writes, “Last year’s column about data ownership and iCloud backups started a spirited discussion in the comments section. Some of you recommended further methods to protect data, like keeping an extra copy on a flash drive with a friend or in storage, in the event of a flood or a fire. Others raised questions about whether Apple’s tool was a valid method for combating child sexual abuse imagery. (In response to the backlash, Apple postponed the release of the scanner indefinitely.)

“These types of conversations are crucial. They get us to think deeply about how we use our devices, apps and services, and how we can remain in control of our tech rather than be controlled by it. So going forward, Tech Fix will be taking a different direction: zooming out to grapple with tech’s impact on society and ways we can stay in control.

“On Wednesday, our rebooted column examines popular internet-connected surveillance cameras like Ring and whether they do more harm than good. In the coming weeks, we’ll write about how smartphone ownership has become similar to car ownership — and how our behavior around buying phones can still change for the better. And we’ll explore websites and stores that request our phone numbers and email addresses, and what this means for our privacy.”

Read more here.