Techdirt
U.S. center-left, tech-policy and civil-liberties focused
Background
Mike Masnick started Techdirt in 1997 as part of Floor64, and it later grew into a group blog. Its main subjects are technology law and policy, including copyright and patents, free speech and Section 230, privacy, surveillance, and platform moderation. Masnick has also written about content moderation and the "Streisand effect," a term he coined. Floor64 is privately held and small, and Techdirt relies on advertising and reader and sponsor support rather than outside investors. Masnick also sits on an advisory board at the tech policy group Engine, and Floor64 has run a consulting and community-platform business. Techdirt has long opposed overbroad copyright enforcement, internet censorship laws, and government surveillance, and it has criticized both parties on those issues. It is generally seen as libertarian-leaning on tech and center-left on broader politics. In Trump's second term, its headlines and commentary have been openly critical, using terms such as "bumbling," "incompetent," and "corrupt." Its coverage is opinionated and written from a clear point of view, though it usually links to primary sources and other reporting.
Sources
- About Techdirt
- Techdirt - Wikipedia
- Mike Masnick - Wikipedia
- Techdirt - Bias and Credibility - Media Bias/Fact Check
- Floor64 - Crunchbase
- Trump's Bumbling, Racist Anti-China Protectionism Extends To Data Centers (Techdirt, Aug 17, 2026)
- Inside Trump's Effort To "Take Over" The Midterm Elections (Techdirt, Apr 17, 2026)
Profile compiled 2026-11-02; refreshed when ownership, funding, or the administration changes.