Technology

Columbia Heights City Council to decide on Flock camera removal
MPR News host Clay Masters spoke with Will Owen, communications director at the Surveillance Technology Oversight Project, a nonprofit that advocates for stronger privacy laws, about Flock cameras and their security concerns.
Data centers roil local politics, spark Hermantown residents to reshape government
A plan for a massive data center is roiling local politics in Hermantown. Some residents of the town near Duluth have been fighting the proposed facility for months — and their outrage has some leading an effort to reshape how their local government operates.
Bill addressing social media accounts for minors passes Minnesota Senate
The bill would require parental consent for children under the age of 16 to create social media accounts, and would limit data mining, targeted advertising and addictive features on those accounts. It passed the Senate unanimously Friday.
Electric vehicle sales in Minnesota are losing steam. Could gas prices change that?
Data shows the number of Minnesotans buying electric dropped by 50 percent in the last few months of 2025. Minnesota Automobile Dealers Association President Scott Lambert said high gas prices are unlikely to reverse the trend.
Cyberattack hits Canvas system used by thousands of schools as finals loom
A system used by thousands of schools and universities — including the University of Minnesota — went offline Thursday during a cyberattack, creating chaos as students tried to study for finals and underscoring education’s dependence on technology.
In Farmington, a data center project spurs new bonds between the left and the right
Data center development is under scrutiny across Minnesota and at the state Capitol. In Farmington, a proposed hyperscale data center is generating some unexpected bonds between residents on the left and the right.