Cat Zakrzewski

Washington, D.C.

National technology policy reporter

Education: Northwestern University, BS in journalism

Cat Zakrzewski is a national technology policy reporter, tracking global efforts to regulate the tech industry. She focuses on AI policy, as well as the legal and legislative battles over free speech online. Zakrzewski has chronicled Washington's clashes with the tech industry, reporting on social media, privacy and antitrust issues. She previously served as the first anchor of The Technology 202 newsletter, The Washington Post's daily guide to the relationship between the tech industry and regulators. In that role, she covered the central role tech issues played in the pandemic, elections and
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Latest from Cat Zakrzewski

New Mexico sues Snapchat over sexual predation of minors

Snapchat is a “breeding ground” for predators seeking to collect sexually explicit images of children and extort them, the state of New Mexico argues in a lawsuit.

September 5, 2024
Snapchat says its messages and photos disappear, but New Mexico argues that they can be preserved, making the site a uniquely attractive destination for adults seeking sexually explicit images of children.

Big Tech had Harris’s back. Will she return the favor?

Silicon Valley has long backed Kamala Harris’s rise. Now, technology lobbyists hope the presidential nominee will return the industry to its Obama-era halcyon days. Today, what Harris’s connection to Big Tech could mean if she wins the presidency.

September 4, 2024

Silicon Valley had Harris’s back for decades. Will she return the favor?

Some critics of Big Tech worry the Democratic presidential nominee’s deep ties to large tech companies could prompt friendlier treatment.

September 3, 2024

California AI bill passes State Assembly, pushing AI fight to Newsom

The bill, which seeks to make companies liable if their artificial intelligence harms people, is at the center of a debate over how to regulate the technology.

August 28, 2024
The bill, which passed with a vote of 41-9, will now return to the state Senate, where it was first introduced, and is expected to quickly land at the governor's desk. (Nick Otto for The Washington Post)

The movement to diversify Silicon Valley is crumbling amid attacks on DEI

Groups that promote diversity in tech are shutting their doors, laying off staff, and rebranding their efforts to stay afloat amid backlash against DEI.

August 19, 2024
In July, Girls in Tech founder Adriana Gascoigne alerted her 130,000 members that the nonprofit would be closing its doors after 17 years due to lack of funding. (Emily Moses for The Washington Post)

    See why AI detection tools can fail to catch election deepfakes

    As deepfakes flood the web, deepfake detector tools have been marketed as a silver bullet for identifying what’s real. But they can be easily duped.

    August 15, 2024

    Inside the powerful Peter Thiel network that anointed JD Vance

    JD Vance’s rise as a Silicon Valley investor shaped his ideas about tech, an industry that stands to gain if he wins the White House.

    July 28, 2024
    Entrepreneur Peter Thiel speaks during the final day of the 2016 Republican National Convention at Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland on July 21, 2016.

    Trump allies crush misinformation research despite Supreme Court loss

    A GOP legal campaign has eroded the network of academics, nonprofits and tech industry initiatives aimed at addressing the spread of falsehoods online.

    July 24, 2024
    Misinformation researcher Claire Wardle left Brown University's Information Futures Lab last month. Her departure came after a politically charged investigation into her work.

    Senators demand OpenAI detail efforts to make its AI safe

    Senators demand OpenAI turn over data showing it keeps its AI safe and doesn’t muzzle employees.

    July 23, 2024
    OpenAI CEO Sam Altman on Capitol Hill in September.

    Biden tweets instead of talks, as Elon Musk seizes on chaotic election

    Social media reshaped the presidential bully pulpit, becoming the chief news vector for American voters in the most chaotic election cycle of the modern era.

    July 21, 2024
    President Biden used an announcement on X rather than a televised speech to put out the news that he won't be running in the 2024 presidential election.