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2,000 Data Sets Vanish, Threatening Democracy's Transparency

4/11/2025

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Summary

Story summary

In January, researchers uncovered a troubling trend: around 2,000 data sets vanished from Data.gov, reflecting a pattern of information deletion during President Trump's administration. This loss of historical records poses a significant threat to democratic accountability, while the rise of encrypted apps like Signal intensifies worries about government transparency and the control of vital information.

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Story summary

In January, researchers uncovered a troubling trend: around 2,000 data sets vanished from Data.gov, reflecting a pattern of information deletion during President Trump's administration. This loss of historical records poses a significant threat to democratic accountability, while the rise of encrypted apps like Signal intensifies worries about government transparency and the control of vital information.