WIRED Overview: The 5 Key Tech and Political Trends that Defined 2025

Zoë Schiffer: That was yet another executive order issued recently, titled something along the lines of eliminating data silos. At first glance, this concept seems beneficial—data silos are inefficient and seem rather negative. However, there are valid reasons for keeping certain information segregated. You may not want the federal government to combine all that data to monitor you across various platforms, accessing your financial status, health records, and whereabouts.

Brian Barrett: Absolutely. The Trump administration is now keen on vetting five years’ worth of social media posts for individuals entering the country, to review what they’ve said. Additionally, there’s a push to strip more foreign-born Americans of their citizenship, moving towards denaturalization. The outlook for 2026 regarding immigration is quite concerning; it seems to be heading towards more restrictions. For instance, if you’re an engineer from another country considering options in the US, Canada, or even China or Europe, making that choice is significantly more complicated now than it was previously.

Zoë Schiffer: Exactly. I believe we will have some insightful reporting on that by 2026. As we wrap up our recap of 2025, we cannot overlook the saga of Jeffrey Epstein. This story has evolved over many years but seems to have reached a crucial turning point this year politically. Brian, could you recap what transpired this year regarding this issue?

Brian Barrett: I have the simpler task here. Without diving into the extensive details surrounding Jeffrey Epstein, who is of course a disgraced financier and convicted sex offender, as well as the center of numerous conspiracy theories ranging from QAnon to connections in the White House. This year, we witnessed significant movement toward unveiling the infamous Epstein files, which Donald Trump pledged to release if he took office, stating, “Once I’m in, you’ll have access to the Epstein files.” However, when that time came, he opted not to follow through. There were claims about the existence of these files, with some insisting they were a hoax, while others asserted their reality. It has indeed been a chaotic situation.