Studied archaeology and anthropology, focusing on West African culture and society, and went on to join a number of teaching organisations in the UK. Before joining Tortoise I was a staff writer, and Q&A analyst, alongside work on a social gaming company.
Luke Gbedemah
Data Reporter
“As an anthropology and archaeological studies graduate, and someone with a keen interest in stories – both classic and contemporary – I’m interested in the myths we tell and retell ourselves. Mostly about the process of becoming and belonging. More recently exploring the power of data to tell, and challenge these stories. Tortoise is the perfect place to do this.”
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Thursday 28 January 2021
18:30-19:30 GMT
Pack it in: is it time to ban rugby?
Can more be done to keep rugby safe, or do we need to ban it altogether?
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Wednesday 27 October 2021
Inside Project “Jedi Blue”
Two tech states control more than half of the world’s online advertising market; Google and Facebook
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Wednesday 20 October 2021
The extremes of Facebook’s “Hate Curve”
The more time you spend on Facebook, the more likely you are to see extreme and potentially harmful posts
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Thursday 14 October 2021
The Modern Slavery Act isn’t fit for purpose
Companies are encouraged to make statements against exploitation – but not to end it. Politicians must amend the Act so that it has meaning and force
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Wednesday 13 October 2021
Digital Defence Department
State-sponsored cyber attacks are on the rise, and while there are numerous perpetrators, there’s one which sponsors the attacks more than any other – Russia. Is Microsoft the first, best line of defence?
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Monday 11 October 2021
The punishing price of mental health support
One hour of private therapy costs more than half a household’s daily budget. The government must boost the NHS’ capacity to tackle Britain’s mental health crisis
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Wednesday 6 October 2021
Big tech, big carbon?
Several of the Tech States talk a good game when it comes to climate action. But their lobbying activity and carbon emissions tell a different story
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Wednesday 29 September 2021
The safest place in the world to be online…
The tech states could find themselves on the wrong end of the UK’s Online Safety Bill
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Wednesday 22 September 2021
Water off a Zuck’s back…
How will Zuckerberg’s tech state survive the Facebook Files?
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Wednesday 15 September 2021
The black hole of cybersecurity spending
Cybersecurity is becoming more and more expensive, but the quality of protection isn’t getting any better
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Wednesday 8 September 2021
The Tech States’ “Me Too” moment
How is Big Tech handling its employee revolution?
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Wednesday 1 September 2021
Is China playing with its e-sports future?
China’s young gamers will have to hang up their headsets, as new restrictions block gaming during much of the week. What does this mean for their prospects in the fast growing and extremely lucrative e-sports scene; where most players start young, and play for hours on end?
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Wednesday 25 August 2021
How should big tech treat the Taliban?
When a violent extremist group takes over a country, how should social media platforms respond?
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Wednesday 18 August 2021
China’s techlash explained
China’s tech sector is hemorrhaging share value as the country undergoes its own big techlash. As the power of its internet giants is curbed by aggressive legislation; we take a look inside the crackdown as it’s unfolding, and ask the question on every commentator’s mind: why?
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Wednesday 28 July 2021
Enter the race to the metaverse
Mark Zuckerberg wants to take the internet beyond the confines of mobile devices and create his own life-like digital world. He’s not the only one…
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Wednesday 21 July 2021
Huge spyware leak raises questions for Big Tech
Recent leaked data revealing the widespread use of the NSO Group’s controversial Pegasus spyware raises serious questions for the tech states – and their role in the cyber-surveillance ecosystem
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Wednesday 14 July 2021
Surveillance for sale
Facial recognition technology is becoming a point of contention between tech states in China, and those in the US
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Wednesday 7 July 2021
The rise and rise of data politics
Tension is building between China and technology companies. Increasingly, the source of it is data privacy
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Wednesday 30 June 2021
Language in the age of big tech
Internet abbreviations are nothing new, but recently a greater shift has started to take place online, one that’s more about how new forms of language are going to be interpreted. Could we be witnessing the online democratisation of language?
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Wednesday 23 June 2021
Microsoft, censorship and China
Walking the tightrope between the West and China is becoming increasingly difficult for big tech – just ask Microsoft
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Wednesday 16 June 2021
Does Amazon raise prices?
The e-commerce giant’s days avoiding antitrust regulation may soon be over
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Wednesday 9 June 2021
Facebook’s busy week
As Zuckerberg moves to cement Facebook’s role as a publisher with its new audio and newsletter products, his company has come under pressure, both from foreign regulators, and from its own oversight board
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Wednesday 2 June 2021
Can AI be independent from big tech?
AI technology is becoming increasingly powerful, and, with much of the funding coming from the Tech States, several scientists have raised the alarm about the role corporate interests play in its development. How worried should we be?
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Wednesday 26 May 2021
How to fix the internet (by Nick Clegg)
In an op-ed for CNBC, Facebook’s Sir Nick Clegg has set out the company’s vision for internet reform. But is there more to the former deputy prime minister’s proposals than meets the eye?
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Wednesday 19 May 2021
Is the tech-lash faltering?
Welcome to Tech Nations Sensemaker – a weekly newsletter dedicated exclusively to covering the tech giants
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Tuesday 18 May 2021
10 minute readSensemaker: FTSE silent on disability
What just happened
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Wednesday 12 May 2021
Grocery wars
Welcome to Tech Nations Sensemaker – a weekly newsletter dedicated exclusively to covering the tech giants
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Wednesday 5 May 2021
Big Tech gets bigger
Welcome to Tech Nations Sensemaker – a weekly newsletter dedicated exclusively to covering the tech giants
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Thursday 29 April 2021
Nine FTSE 100 companies stopped reporting on gender pay last year
During the pandemic, the government changed the law so that companies no longer had to publicly disclose the difference between what they pay men and women. The latest update of Tortoise’s Responsibility100 Index reveals how 2020 changed the FTSE 100
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Wednesday 28 April 2021
10 minute read
Introducing the Tech States Sensemaker
Welcome to Tech Nations Sensemaker – a weekly newsletter dedicated exclusively to covering the tech giants
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Friday 5 March 2021
10 minute readSensemaker: Covid in Brazil
What just happened
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Thursday 4 February 2021
10 minute readSensemaker: Dateline Brexit
What just happened
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Thursday 28 January 2021
10 minute readSensemaker: Scottish play
What just happened
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Thursday 21 January 2021
The Trump hangover
Could it happen again?
We investigate not just whether Trump might run again – but how. This is what his 2024 campaign might look like
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Friday 8 January 2021
10 minute readSensemaker: DC: the post-mortem
What just happened
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Wednesday 6 January 2021
10 minute readSensemaker: Democracy update
What just happened
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Wednesday 16 December 2020
10 minute readSensemaker: Brexit latest
What just happened
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Tuesday 1 December 2020
The Prime Minister
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Monday 16 November 2020
Inside the NHS: part one
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Thursday 12 November 2020
Chinese Capitalism
Squashing the Ant
Ant Group, after a meteoric rise to international corporate stardom, has fallen back to earth. Or perhaps even been buried, by new regulations on fintech in China. What is Ant Group, and what was going on in the biggest IPO that never happened?
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Friday 6 November 2020
10 minute read
Sensemaker: Neck and neck
What just happened
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Tuesday 3 November 2020
Trans Rights
JK Rowling and the missing numbers
Data journalist Luke Gbedemah reports on the dearth of reliable data about trans people, which has become a major complication in the fierce row over trans rights
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Wednesday 28 October 2020
10 minute read
Sensemaker, 28 October 2020
What just happened
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Thursday 8 October 2020
10 minute read
Sensemaker, 8 October 2020
What just happened