Richmond Journal of Law and Technology

On March 31, 2025

The Environmental Crisis: How Social Media is the Turning Point Needed to Drive Change

By: Kaelynn Wallace

Our way of life is deteriorating both our health and the habitability of our planet, yet we remain indifferent.[1] The methods by which our global society produces food, utilizes land and water, travels, consumes energy, and manages a growing population have all contributed to these environmental shifts.[2] Environmental change is alteration of the environment that can be driven by both natural processes and human activities.[3] These changes lead to climate change, pollution, biodiversity loss, and resource depletion.[4] The consequences of these changes can be seen right now.[5] Global temperatures are rising, with the rate of warming accelerating three times as fast as it did in 1982.[6] Nearly the entire global population now lives in areas where the air quality exceeds guidelines, contributing to the premature deaths of 6.7 million people annually.[7] Since 1970, the global wildlife population has declined by an average of 68%, and one million species are currently at risk of extinction.[8] Furthermore, in the past five decades, global resource extraction has tripled.[9]

From Paramount to Prime: The Battle for Theaters in a Streaming Age

On March 21, 2025

From Paramount to Prime: The Battle for Theaters in a Streaming Age

By: Brooke Gerber

At this year’s Academy Awards, Sean Baker’s Anora dominated the evening, winning a total of five Oscars – an impressive feat for the independent film.[1] Now that Hollywood’s biggest night has come to a close, Baker’s acceptance speech for Best Director stands out as one of the highlights of the evening, criticizing streaming services for their monopolistic impact on the film industry.

Taking the stage for the third time that night, Baker made a self-proclaimed “battle cry,” pleading for filmmakers to continue making films for the big screen rather than succumbing to the allure of streaming.[2] Audiences have witnessed the cinema experience decline throughout the past decade, especially following the onset of the pandemic. Baker referred to this phenomenon in his speech, highlighting that upward of 1,000 movie screens have shut down in the United States since 2020 – “right now, the theatre-going experience is under threat,”[3] he exclaimed.

If I own my land, why can’t I build an earthship?

On March 21, 2025

If I own my land, why can’t I build an earthship?

How building codes and zoning laws slow down advancements in sustainable architecture.

By: Emily Downey

If you’re like me, you may have seen some news recently about how engineers, architects, and builders are utilizing new (and old) building techniques to respond to the challenges presented by a changing climate. Be it fire resilient design in California[1], integration of green technology such as solar and water reclamation[2], or the proliferation of tiny homes[3], many are turning to smarter and more energy efficient methods when it comes to building their dream home.

But innovation often comes with legal challenges. One of the most poignant examples has been the difficulty faced by architects in California having to adapt fire resistant designs to existing building codes.[4] While some states are taking measures to attempt to ease the way for green design and face popular support, progress can be slow.[5] This is partially because building codes and zoning laws are highly localized, meaning that broad measures often do not address more granular issues like City ordinances and neighborhood covenants and restrictions.[6] To see how these challenges can be overcome, we can look to lessons learned from an oddly named pioneer of the green home movement: the earthship.

What is an earthship?

Earthships are the invention of New Mexico architect Michael Reynolds, who built the first earthship in the 1970s as a way to solve problems with both rubbish accumulation and affordable housing.[7] He did this by doing something novel and strange—building a house out of garbage.[8] While a garbage home doesn’t initially sound appealing, Reynolds’ design soon amassed a following, especially in areas around Taos, New Mexico.[9] Reynolds pioneered a building technique using earth, tires, and “bricks” made of discarded cans to create hyper-modern edifices that are virtually indestructible and come with a myriad of green perks.[10] The homes allow occupants to live entirely or almost entirely off grid, are super-efficient to heat and cool, and come with novel water reclamation systems in place.[11] The homes can also be affordable, as they emphasize the use of local and often discarded materials and provide for onsite food production[12]

Game Changing Tech and Regulations

On March 16, 2025

Game Changing Technology and Regulations: **How AI is Reshaping Online Sports Betting and What the U.S. May Do About It**

By: Chelsea Mojica

Since its legalization, online sports betting has made its mark on professional sports.[1] Sports betting is an activity that allows gamblers to predict the outcomes of future sporting events in conjunction with monetary wagers.[2] Bookmakers—teams comprised of sports experts, analysts, and statisticians—set the initial betting odds for the public, relying on complex mathematical calculations, statistical models, and historical data.[3] The lower the probability of an event happening, the bigger the potential monetary reward.[4] When the sporting event begins, the odds may fluctuate, similar to the stock market.[5] However, odds can lack uniformity among sportsbooks, allowing bettors to receive more cash rewards through some sportsbooks than others.[6] Consequently, AI has integrated itself into the betting world in an attempt to expedite and protect an arduous odds-making process.[7]

Sweet Deal or Sweet Scam? How Honey is Allegedly Hurting Content Creators’ Commissions

On March 7, 2025

Sweet Deal or Sweet Scam? How Honey is Allegedly Hurting Content Creators’ Commissions

By: Anneliese McInnis

About 17 million consumers have downloaded Honey, PayPal’s free browser extension that finds the “best” deals and coupons to help you save money.^[1] However, under Honey’s sweet facade lies an alleged commission-poaching scheme that has harmed content creators, influencers, and bloggers who earn revenue from online-shoppers using their affiliate links.^[2]

Many content creators earn commission through product promotion and rely on affiliate marketing to generate revenue.^[3] Affiliates earn commission by generating sales from consumers who use the affiliate’s assigned link.^[4] Affiliates get credit for referring customers through tracking technology, which most people know as cookies.^[5] “When a consumer clicks on an affiliate link, a cookie is placed in their browser. If that consumer makes a purchase, the affiliate responsible for the last-clicked link earns a commission.”^[6] This model is called “last-click attribution.”^[7]

Building a Digital Future: Is America Ready for a Federal Digital Bill of Rights?

On March 7, 2025

Building a Digital Future: Is America Ready for a Federal Digital Bill of Rights?

By: Evan Lees

In 2014, the Supreme Court issued a landmark ruling in Riley v. California, mandating that law enforcement obtain a warrant before searching digital information and underscoring the critical need for privacy protections in the digital age.[1]

With the rise of data breaches, expansion of Big Tech companies, and continued advancement of technology designed to steal online information, Americans are now desperate for a modern legal framework to protect their rights online. A study conducted by Ipsos found that “over 80% of Americans were concerned with the safety and privacy of their online data. Another study found that over 70% of Americans support establishing national standards for how companies collect personal data and support treating data privacy for individuals as a national security threat.”[2]

A nationwide digital bill of rights could be the solution.

Why Do Companies Get to Profit Off My Period Cramps?

On February 17, 2025

Why Do Data Companies Get to Profit Off My Period Cramps?

By: Mollie Turczyn

Data autonomy is premised on the ideology of having free control over your own actions, beliefs, and desires.[1] Generally speaking, autonomy provides a safe space for individuals to experiment with a set of choices instead of being confined to a singular result.[2] As such, individuals are able to think freely, form their own opinion, and make the choice that best aligns with their own belief system without fear of punishment.[3] Thus, autonomy is a key cornerstone of a democratic society.[4] Therefore, a democratic society is threatened when the government eliminates the set of choices to the point there is only one outcome to which an individual is confined.[5]

Is Time up on TikTok?

On February 17, 2025