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What's Washington without Elon Musk? That's a question many Republicans are hoping to answer in the weeks ahead after President Donald Trump told allies that Musk's time in the White House is soon coming to an end. But getting the world's richest man and designated small-government crusader to move on will be complicated, even if Musk does have a slumping business empire to run. On POLITICO Tech, host Steven Overly is joined by POLITICO Capitol Bureau Chief Rachael Bade and POLITICO contributor Issie Lapowsky to break down the political and business pressure Musk is under, and why he'll stick around as a political power player long after leaving D.C. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
With President Biden out of the presidential race and support gathering behind Vice President Kamala Harris to take his place as the Democratic nominee, Silicon Valley's influence on the candidates is more obvious than ever.Back when Harris ran for California District Attorney, she received donations from tech investors and venture capitalists including Sheryl Sandberg and Reid Hoffman, both of whom have already endorsed her for president. On the Republican side, JD Vance worked for prominent VCs and even started his own, with money from Peter Thiel, Marc Andreessen, and Eric Schmidt. So it's not surprising that the past couple weeks have brought a flurry of endorsements and massive donations from the biggest names in tech. ‘Fast Company' contributing writer Issie Lapowsky joins the show to break down what's influencing tech billionaires in their endorsements, and what that reveals about the industry's political interests.Also, world-renowned chef René Redzepi, the creative force behind Noma, the three-Michelin-star restaurant in Copenhagen, discusses his new role as host of Apple TV+'s docuseries, ‘Omnivore.' He also digs into the joys and pains of foraging and his plans to rework his restaurant business after Noma closes at the end of this year.
From April 1, 2021: This week on Arbiters of Truth, the Lawfare Podcast's miniseries on our online information ecosystem, Evelyn Douek and Quinta Jurecic spoke with Issie Lapowsky, a senior reporter at the tech journalism publication Protocol. They discussed last week's hearing before the House Energy and Commerce Committee with the CEOs of Facebook, Google and Twitter—the first time the companies had been called to testify on the Hill after the Capitol riot, which focused public attention on the content moderation policies of tech platforms when it comes to domestic extremism. The hearing produced some interesting takeaways, but also a lot of moments when the CEOs were awkwardly forced to answer complicated questions with a simple "yes" or "no" answer.They also discussed Issie's reporting on how tech companies have struggled to figure out how to address far-right extremism in the United States as opposed to Islamist extremism. And they talked about Section 230 reform and what it's like reporting on the tech space.To receive ad-free podcasts, become a Lawfare Material Supporter at www.patreon.com/lawfare. You can also support Lawfare by making a one-time donation at https://givebutter.com/c/trumptrials.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/lawfare. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
A number of recent court cases are using a new tactic to take on tech platforms, including Snap, Meta, and TikTok. ‘Fast Company' contributing writer Issie Lapowsky walked us through the complicated legalese behind these cases. Basically, they're using a novel legal workaround to Section 230 called a ‘product liability claim.' Rather than faulting these platforms for other people's posts—the kind of claims Section 230 protects them from—these cases accuse the companies of essentially building faulty products, which is an area of law that Section 230 doesn't cover. Also, we sat down with a group of fitness-industry innovators in a fun roundtable discussion about staying fit and nimble during the peak of the pandemic. As a pioneer in the industry, Tracy Anderson created the Tracy Anderson Method more than 20 years ago, as well as offering DVDs, online videos, and exercise studios. Barry's CEO Joey Gonzalez went from client to instructor to eventually become the company's top executive, and Y7 Studio founder and CEO Sarah Larson Levey created a unique way to practice yoga by candlelight to the beat of a customized soundtrack. We also asked what the trick is to get motivated to work out. Answer: you need to find your own motivation. For more MIC behind the scenes, check out Yaz at @yazzyg on Instagram and Josh @joshuagchris on TikTok!
A number of recent court cases are using a new tactic to take on tech platforms, including Snap, Meta, and TikTok. ‘Fast Company' contributing writer Issie Lapowsky walked us through the complicated legalese behind these cases. Basically, they're using a novel legal workaround to Section 230 called a ‘product liability claim.' Rather than faulting these platforms for other people's posts—the kind of claims Section 230 protects them from—these cases accuse the companies of essentially building faulty products, which is an area of law that Section 230 doesn't cover. Also, we sat down with a group of fitness-industry innovators in a fun roundtable discussion about staying fit and nimble during the peak of the pandemic. As a pioneer in the industry, Tracy Anderson created the Tracy Anderson Method more than 20 years ago, as well as offering DVDs, online videos, and exercise studios. Barry's CEO Joey Gonzalez went from client to instructor to eventually become the company's top executive, and Y7 Studio founder and CEO Sarah Larson Levey created a unique way to practice yoga by candlelight to the beat of a customized soundtrack. We also asked what the trick is to get motivated to work out. Answer: you need to find your own motivation. For more MIC behind the scenes, check out Yaz at @yazzyg on Instagram and Josh @joshuagchris on TikTok!
A number of recent court cases are using a new tactic to take on tech platforms, including Snap, Meta, and TikTok. ‘Fast Company' contributing writer Issie Lapowsky walked us through the complicated legalese behind these cases. Basically, they're using a novel legal workaround to Section 230 called a ‘product liability claim.' Rather than faulting these platforms for other people's posts—the kind of claims Section 230 protects them from—these cases accuse the companies of essentially building faulty products, which is an area of law that Section 230 doesn't cover. Also, we sat down with a group of fitness-industry innovators in a fun roundtable discussion about staying fit and nimble during the peak of the pandemic. As a pioneer in the industry, Tracy Anderson created the Tracy Anderson Method more than 20 years ago, as well as offering DVDs, online videos, and exercise studios. Barry's CEO Joey Gonzalez went from client to instructor to eventually become the company's top executive, and Y7 Studio founder and CEO Sarah Larson Levey created a unique way to practice yoga by candlelight to the beat of a customized soundtrack. We also asked what the trick is to get motivated to work out. Answer: you need to find your own motivation. For more MIC behind the scenes, check out Yaz at @yazzyg on Instagram and Josh @joshuagchris on TikTok!
Tech trends to watch out for in 2024 – the good and the bad We're predicting the tech trends we may see in 2024. It's a big year with national elections in the US, South Africa and Bangladesh to name just a few - how will technology impact the outcomes? Misinformation is likely to be a big part of the story, and potentially could be a part of the result. The tech companies have been culling their online safety teams, and there have been court battles in the US over the First Amendment and the legality of removing false information. Climate tech start-ups in Africa Climate technology seems to be on the up too, with a recent report predicting that it will be the big investment area for tech start-ups across Africa. It may even overtake fintech as priorities change across the continent. The dangers of surveillance tracking tech And will 2024 be a good year for murderous regimes who don't like critics, wherever they are? Ever-improving surveillance and tracking tech suggests that it might be. You might be in exile in the UK or the US, but that doesn't necessarily make you safe. The programme is presented by Gareth Mitchell and the studio experts are Wairimu Gitahi, Peter Guest and Issie Lapowsky. Find a Story + Make it News = Change the World For new episodes, subscribe wherever you get your audio. If you like Somewhere on Earth rate and review it. More on this week's stories: Misinformation research is under attack. So what's the plan for 2024?https://www.fastcompany.com/90984912/election-integrity-work-is-under-attack-so-whats-the-plan-for-2024 Investing in climate tech innovation in Africahttps://www.thecatalystfund.com/insights/investing-in-climate-tech-innovation-in-africa On British soil, foreign autocrats target their critics with impunityhttps://www.codastory.com/authoritarian-tech/on-british-soil-foreign-autocrats-target-their-critics-with-impunity/ The Team Audio is by Callum Swingler and Jon Cronin Production Manager is Liz Tuohy Editor: Ania LichtarowiczRecording and sound editing by: Lansons | Team Farner For new episodes, subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. If you like Somewhere on Earth, please rate and review it.Contact us by email: hello@somewhereonearth.coSend us a voice note: via WhatsApp: +44 7486 329 484
AI could consume as much energy as a small country (Netherlands) by 2027 The rise of AI powered tech has been phenomenal over the past year, but with the explosion in its popularity the energy costs needed to support these services have also risen rapidly. AI uses much more power than more traditional tech and a new study in the journal Joule suggests that AI tech could use as much energy as a small country, like the Netherlands or Sweden, by 2027. The accuracy of the prediction needs to be questioned as tech firms don't disclose enough data for a conclusive assessment, but as more firms embrace AI solutions, energy consumption will increase. We speak to the author of the study, Alex de Vries. Data Unions Reporter Shiroma Silva investigates the growing power of data unions or co-operatives. These are groups run by trusted moderators who gather members' data and sell it to carefully chosen buyers. The group member can benefit financially as well as wield some control over their data. Without the union, the data that we generate is often sold to third parties without our knowledge or consent. Shiroma looks at how people around the world are taking back some control over their data. The programme is presented by Gareth Mitchell and the studio expert is Issie Lapowsky. Find a Story + Make it News = Change the World. For new episodes, subscribe wherever you get your audio. If you like Somewhere On Earth rate and review it. More on this week's stories: The growing energy footprint of artificial intelligencehttps://www.cell.com/joule/pdf/S2542-4351(23)00365-3.pdfSwash apphttps://swashapp.io/Unbanx https://www.linkedin.com/in/alanmcdonald1/ Shiroma Silvahttps://www.linkedin.com/in/shiromasilva/?originalSubdomain=uk The Team Audio by Keziah Wenham-Kenyon and Stevie Arnoldi at Lansons Team Farner. Production Manager is Liz Tuohy. Editor: Ania LichtarowiczRecorded and sound editing by: Lansons | Team Farner For new episodes, subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. If you like Somewhere on Earth, please rate and review it.
Ukraine deepfake videos undermine trust The first ever study of deep fake videos on Twitter/X from the war on Ukraine shows that some users lost trust in any footage coming from the conflict – even when it was real. They also found that online conspiracy theories are using deepfakes to support their claims. Lead author John Twomey from University College Cork is on the show. The EU's crackdown on Gaza misinformation online Mislabelled videos, doctored images and many other false claims have been circling online since just after the attack on Israel by Hamas. The EU Commission responded quickly and issued stern warnings to major tech companies, reminding them to comply with the Digital Services Act – new legislation imposing content moderation obligations on social media platforms in the EU. But this very action is seen by some as the censorship that the DSA Act is designed to avoid. Our studio expert, tech journalist Issie Lapowsky, has been reporting on the story online and explains its complexities. How the war in Ukraine is changing drone tech More than 200 drone-related tech companies now operate in the Ukraine, building and operating more and more sophisticated drones with improved speed, flight range and payload capacity. As Mike Sapiton, previously of Forbes, explains the war in Ukraine has led to significant developments in drone tech, including AI assisted drones now taking part in the conflict. For new episodes, subscribe wherever you get your audio. If you like Somewhere on Earth rate and review it. More on this week's stories: Do deepfake videos undermine our epistemic trust? https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0291668 Europe's Gaza misinformation crackdown could set a dangerous precedent https://www.fastcompany.com/90968595/europes-gaza-misinformation-crackdown-could-set-a-dangerous-precedent The war in Ukraine is spurring a revolution in drone warfare using AI https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2023/07/26/drones-ai-ukraine-war-innovation/ Editor: Ania LichtarowiczRecorded and sound editing by: Lansons | Team Farner For new episodes, subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. If you like Somewhere on Earth, please rate and review it.
Thousands of Israelis and Palestinians have lost their lives since Hamas gunmen staged their surprise raid on Oct. 7. In the wake of the attack, Israel’s defense forces have called up more than 350,000 reservists, about 4% of its population. The country’s booming tech industry could be affected more than most, given that so many younger Israelis work in the sector. Fast Company contributing writer Issie Lapowsky recently interviewed several of them, including an Israeli tech lawyer named Yitzy Hammer.
Thousands of Israelis and Palestinians have lost their lives since Hamas gunmen staged their surprise raid on Oct. 7. In the wake of the attack, Israel’s defense forces have called up more than 350,000 reservists, about 4% of its population. The country’s booming tech industry could be affected more than most, given that so many younger Israelis work in the sector. Fast Company contributing writer Issie Lapowsky recently interviewed several of them, including an Israeli tech lawyer named Yitzy Hammer.
A Texas law banning social media companies from applying certain content moderation policies was recently upheld by the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. The 2021 law prohibits platforms from banning or restricting content based on the “viewpoints” of users. Now, tech companies will have to appeal to the Supreme Court if they want to avoid legal risk in the state. Marketplace’s Kimberly Adams spoke about this case on the show back in May, when the Supreme Court put the implementation of the law on hold while the case ran its course. Issie Lapowsky, chief correspondent at Protocol, helped Adams back then and joins her again for an update. She says tech companies are in a tough spot.
A Texas law banning social media companies from applying certain content moderation policies was recently upheld by the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. The 2021 law prohibits platforms from banning or restricting content based on the “viewpoints” of users. Now, tech companies will have to appeal to the Supreme Court if they want to avoid legal risk in the state. Marketplace’s Kimberly Adams spoke about this case on the show back in May, when the Supreme Court put the implementation of the law on hold while the case ran its course. Issie Lapowsky, chief correspondent at Protocol, helped Adams back then and joins her again for an update. She says tech companies are in a tough spot.
Zac Hall, 9to5Mac writer and space enthusiast, talks about NASA launching a rocket to space soon that'll have important cargo, including an... iPad? Issie Lapowsky of Protocol discusses how Pinterest is facing a civil rights investigation in the state of California and the history of alleged discrimination at Pinterest. Max Cherney of Protocol is back again, talking about chips and why YouTube decided to make its own video chip. Mikah shares his stories of the week about Plex telling its users to reset their passwords after a potential data breach and about dogs! Host: Mikah Sargent Guests: Zac Hall, Issie Lapowsky, and Max Cherney Download or subscribe to this show at https://twit.tv/shows/tech-news-weekly. Get episodes ad-free with Club TWiT at https://twit.tv/clubtwit Sponsors: IRL Podcast ClickUp.com use code TNW ZipRecruiter.com/tnw
Zac Hall, 9to5Mac writer and space enthusiast, talks about NASA launching a rocket to space soon that'll have important cargo, including an... iPad? Issie Lapowsky of Protocol discusses how Pinterest is facing a civil rights investigation in the state of California and the history of alleged discrimination at Pinterest. Max Cherney of Protocol is back again, talking about chips and why YouTube decided to make its own video chip. Mikah shares his stories of the week about Plex telling its users to reset their passwords after a potential data breach and about dogs! Host: Mikah Sargent Guests: Zac Hall, Issie Lapowsky, and Max Cherney Download or subscribe to this show at https://twit.tv/shows/tech-news-weekly. Get episodes ad-free with Club TWiT at https://twit.tv/clubtwit Sponsors: IRL Podcast ClickUp.com use code TNW ZipRecruiter.com/tnw
Zac Hall, 9to5Mac writer and space enthusiast, talks about NASA launching a rocket to space soon that'll have important cargo, including an... iPad? Issie Lapowsky of Protocol discusses how Pinterest is facing a civil rights investigation in the state of California and the history of alleged discrimination at Pinterest. Max Cherney of Protocol is back again, talking about chips and why YouTube decided to make its own video chip. Mikah shares his stories of the week about Plex telling its users to reset their passwords after a potential data breach and about dogs! Host: Mikah Sargent Guests: Zac Hall, Issie Lapowsky, and Max Cherney Download or subscribe to this show at https://twit.tv/shows/tech-news-weekly. Get episodes ad-free with Club TWiT at https://twit.tv/clubtwit Sponsors: IRL Podcast ClickUp.com use code TNW ZipRecruiter.com/tnw
Zac Hall, 9to5Mac writer and space enthusiast, talks about NASA launching a rocket to space soon that'll have important cargo, including an... iPad? Issie Lapowsky of Protocol discusses how Pinterest is facing a civil rights investigation in the state of California and the history of alleged discrimination at Pinterest. Max Cherney of Protocol is back again, talking about chips and why YouTube decided to make its own video chip. Mikah shares his stories of the week about Plex telling its users to reset their passwords after a potential data breach and about dogs! Host: Mikah Sargent Guests: Zac Hall, Issie Lapowsky, and Max Cherney Download or subscribe to this show at https://twit.tv/shows/tech-news-weekly. Get episodes ad-free with Club TWiT at https://twit.tv/clubtwit Sponsors: IRL Podcast ClickUp.com use code TNW ZipRecruiter.com/tnw
Zac Hall, 9to5Mac writer and space enthusiast, talks about NASA launching a rocket to space soon that'll have important cargo, including an... iPad? Issie Lapowsky of Protocol discusses how Pinterest is facing a civil rights investigation in the state of California and the history of alleged discrimination at Pinterest. Max Cherney of Protocol is back again, talking about chips and why YouTube decided to make its own video chip. Mikah shares his stories of the week about Plex telling its users to reset their passwords after a potential data breach and about dogs! Host: Mikah Sargent Guests: Zac Hall, Issie Lapowsky, and Max Cherney Download or subscribe to this show at https://twit.tv/shows/tech-news-weekly. Get episodes ad-free with Club TWiT at https://twit.tv/clubtwit Sponsors: IRL Podcast ClickUp.com use code TNW ZipRecruiter.com/tnw
Zac Hall, 9to5Mac writer and space enthusiast, talks about NASA launching a rocket to space soon that'll have important cargo, including an... iPad? Issie Lapowsky of Protocol discusses how Pinterest is facing a civil rights investigation in the state of California and the history of alleged discrimination at Pinterest. Max Cherney of Protocol is back again, talking about chips and why YouTube decided to make its own video chip. Mikah shares his stories of the week about Plex telling its users to reset their passwords after a potential data breach and about dogs! Host: Mikah Sargent Guests: Zac Hall, Issie Lapowsky, and Max Cherney Download or subscribe to this show at https://twit.tv/shows/tech-news-weekly. Get episodes ad-free with Club TWiT at https://twit.tv/clubtwit Sponsors: IRL Podcast ClickUp.com use code TNW ZipRecruiter.com/tnw
Zac Hall, 9to5Mac writer and space enthusiast, talks about NASA launching a rocket to space soon that'll have important cargo, including an... iPad? Issie Lapowsky of Protocol discusses how Pinterest is facing a civil rights investigation in the state of California and the history of alleged discrimination at Pinterest. Max Cherney of Protocol is back again, talking about chips and why YouTube decided to make its own video chip. Mikah shares his stories of the week about Plex telling its users to reset their passwords after a potential data breach and about dogs! Host: Mikah Sargent Guests: Zac Hall, Issie Lapowsky, and Max Cherney Download or subscribe to this show at https://twit.tv/shows/tech-news-weekly. Get episodes ad-free with Club TWiT at https://twit.tv/clubtwit Sponsors: IRL Podcast ClickUp.com use code TNW ZipRecruiter.com/tnw
Zac Hall, 9to5Mac writer and space enthusiast, talks about NASA launching a rocket to space soon that'll have important cargo, including an... iPad? Issie Lapowsky of Protocol discusses how Pinterest is facing a civil rights investigation in the state of California and the history of alleged discrimination at Pinterest. Max Cherney of Protocol is back again, talking about chips and why YouTube decided to make its own video chip. Mikah shares his stories of the week about Plex telling its users to reset their passwords after a potential data breach and about dogs! Host: Mikah Sargent Guests: Zac Hall, Issie Lapowsky, and Max Cherney Download or subscribe to this show at https://twit.tv/shows/tech-news-weekly. Get episodes ad-free with Club TWiT at https://twit.tv/clubtwit Sponsors: IRL Podcast ClickUp.com use code TNW ZipRecruiter.com/tnw
Esta semana en La Descarga: Spotify sirve bebidas alcohólicas erróneamente, las redes grandes continúan adquiriendo casas productoras y RSS.com co mparte cómo vencer el spam de podcast. La semana pasada, Spotify cometió la madre de todos los errores de seguridad de la marca. Por ahora, les ha costado los ingresos publicitarios de un importante distribuidor de licores. Como informó originalmente Tanner Cambell en Dispatches from the Booth, en algún momento del sábado, Spotify comenzó a publicar un anuncio publicitario para la destilería de bourbon Wild Turkey en el perfil de cada podcast. Esto resultó en numerosas capturas de pantalla que demuestran la pena que viene con una falla de este tipo. Los anuncios de patrocinio se publicaron en el entretenimiento para niños y los podcasts que hablan sobre la sobriedad. El martes, Wild Turkey hizo una declaración oficial. “Estamos decepcionados de que la implementación de la campaña por parte de Spotify fuera inconsistente con nuestro código de publicidad y hemos detenido todos los anuncios a la espera de la investigación de Spotify. Somos miembros y socios de DISCUS y Responsibility.org y apoyamos inequívocamente una agenda de marketing responsable”. Ha habido numerosas historias sobre nuevas tecnologías diseñadas para garantizar la seguridad de la marca cuando se trata de anfitriones de podcast problemáticos o contenido sospechoso, pero este error muestra que la seguridad de la marca no se detiene en el contenido del podcast en sí mismo. Lo que lleva a una decisión que podría generar más problemas en un futuro muy cercano. Este lunes, Issie Lapowsky publicó un artículo para Protocol destacando que Spotify levantó su prohibición de dos años de anuncios políticos. Citando el artículo: “En un correo electrónico que la compañía envió a socios potenciales esta semana, Spotify dijo que aparecerán anuncios políticos “en miles de podcasts dentro y fuera de Spotify”. Una presentación promete a los anunciantes políticos la capacidad de dirigirse a audiencias de nicho y aprovechar la "orientación contextual" impulsada por IA, que permite a los anunciantes colocar anuncios en podcasts cuando están discutiendo temas relevantes para sus audiencias deseadas." Lapowsky destaca la dificil lucha que Spotify tiene por delante. Mientras que competidores como Meta y Google se han esforzado por abrirse a los anuncios políticos manteniendo grandes archivos públicos, Spotify está comenzando desde cero. El error sobre Wild Turkey no es suficiente para generar alarmas sobre la capacidad de Spotify para publicar anuncios de manera ética. Los errores suceden. Dicho esto, destaca que tan impactante puede ser un error cuando lo comete un protagonista mayor en la industria. Un protagonista que ahora está entrando en un área de publicidad infame por su capacidad para propagar desinformación. Ha sido una semana de grandes adquisiciones de talento. El gran podcast de entrevistas llamado WTF with Marc Maron se contrató con Acast, según un artículo de Brad Hill publicado el martes. “'Formar una asociación con el gigante de los podcasts Marc Maron es una gran victoria para Acast y para el mundo abierto de los podcasts, ya que este acuerdo garantiza que todos, en todas partes y en su plataforma de escucha preferida, puedan seguir escuchando el podcast'. dijo Ross Adams, CEO de Acast. WTF, que anteriormente operaba como una producción independiente con un catálogo de pago disponible por una tarifa, ahora cambiará para ofrecer episodios más antiguos a los suscriptores de Acast+. Para la audiencia, poco cambiará, pero Acast acaba de heredar uno de los nombres más importantes en el podcasting fuera del jardín amurallado de Spotify y se encargará de las ventas de anuncios. Para establecer la tendencia de esta semana, este lunes salió un comunicado de prensa de SiriusXM anunciando la adquisición de Team Coco, más notablemente incorporando el podcast Conan O'Brien Needs a Friend. Al igual que la compra de Maron, Sirius compró toda la casa de producción, incluido un contrato de talento de cinco años con O'Brien. Los fanáticos del comediante entenderán la seriedad detrás de convencer a O'Brien de un acuerdo de exclusividad después de su escandalosa ruptura con NBC. Completando el trío de anuncios, RedCircle anunció, este lunes, que adquirirán los derechos del próximo podcast Roots of Humanity del influencer de viaje Drew Binsky. Binsky está haciendo una jugada popular de cómo personas influyentes al iniciar un podcast pueden atraer a una audiencia integrada de sus audiencias existentes, con 3,3 millones de suscriptores de YouTube. “Roots of Humanity celebra la belleza y la diversidad del mundo, lo cual está a conforme con la visión de RedCircle de ayudar a los podcasters de todos los tamaños y formas en todo el mundo a ser recompensados por su trabajo. RedCircle está emocionado de ser parte del viaje de Drew Binsky y ayudarlo a lograr sus objetivos con la moderna tecnología de alojamiento y monetización de podcasts”. Se ve que la tendencia continúa con las redes de podcasts que van más allá de los simples derechos de exclusividad de un podcast individual para centrarse en adquirir casas de productoras y marcas existentes que pueden actuar como motores de contenido más allá de la vida del popular podcast. Los paquetes completos de creadores y talentos están de moda y no hay señales de que se vayan a disminuir de popularidad. Hace unos días, se publicaron varios podcasts de spam en las plataformas principales, todos con un audio no relacionado con el objetivo de utilizar el arte del show y los detalles del episodio para promocionar los servicios de acompañantes sexuales en varios lugares de los Emiratos Árabes Unidos. Llevaban la legitimidad de los mensajes de spam que uno recibe a las dos de la madrugada, pero fueron producidos y propagados como un fuego incontrolado. El lunes, el cofundador y director gerente de RSS.com, Alberto Betella, publicó un artículo en Podnews que detalla cómo el servicio de alojamiento resolvió su nuevo problema de spam. Citando el artículo: “Teníamos dos opciones: a. delegar humanos al problema, contratar a 1 o 2 personas adicionales para contrarrestar este mal comportamiento (quizás también implementar una cola de moderación para los podcasts recién creados). O b. crear tecnología para resolver y mitigar el problema” Elegimos la opción B porque funciona a gran escala, no necesita alimentos ni bebidas, ¡y también porque es mucho más divertido! Algunas personas en nuestro equipo, de hecho, tienen una sólida experiencia en inteligencia artificial/aprendizaje automático y no sucede muy frecuente para que tengan la oportunidad de aprovechar estas habilidades en el espacio de los podcasts”. Lo importante no es necesariamente el hecho de que RSS.com pudo solucionar rápidamente el problema con el aprendizaje automático ingenioso, sino el hecho de que nosotros, el público, conozcamos el proceso de cómo lo lograron. Citando el artículo: “No podemos compartir nuestro modelo de aprendizaje automático como código abierto porque es parte de la propuesta de valor única de nuestra empresa. Sin embargo, hemos descrito los métodos y brindado recomendaciones prácticas para cualquiera que quiera construir algo similar. ¡Con suerte, esta es nuestra pequeña contribución para mantener los podcasts libres de spam!” Compartir la metodología utilizada para superar problemas que podrían afectar a cualquiera en el mercado es útil, ya que encarna el espíritu de las comunidades de código abierto incluso cuando se trata de creaciones patentadas. Necesitamos más intercambios como este en toda la industria. Este lunes, nuestro Bryan Barletta de Sounds Profitable cubrió el lanzamiento del nuevo proyecto publicitario de Buzzsprout en un hilo en Twitter. En términos simples, la versión beta del producto, Buzzsprout Ads, brinda a los podcasters la capacidad de usar la inserción dinámica de anuncios de Buzzsprout para implementar anuncios de mid-roll de una manera que anteriormente solo estaba disponible para talentos bajo contrato o programas con un equipo que ha trabajado en publicidad. Los productores que ingresan a la versión beta pueden revisar manualmente los anuncios para decidir cuál sería el mejor para su podcast y etiquetarlos para que sean incluidos. La tecnología de Buzzsprout utiliza de forma predeterminada una melodía yendo en crescendo para indicar que se acerca una pausa publicitaria, intentando emular el temporizador de cinco segundos que anuncia las pausas publicitarias en plataformas de alojamiento de videos como YouTube. Los usuarios reciben una sorprendente cantidad de personalización con esta función, se les ofrecen cinco opciones de transiciones, así como la capacidad de los anfitriones de grabar sus propias pausas publicitarias y anuncios de que la publicidad ya terminó También se ha tenido en cuenta la accesibilidad. La plataforma Buzzsprout Ads está diseñada para colocar marcadores a anuncios insertados y cambiar automáticamente el tiempo del archivo SRT para podcasts con transcripciones para acomodar los códigos de tiempo cambiantes del anuncio para cualquier parte de la transcripción que viene después. Bryan brinda un resume: “La monetización de anuncios permite a muchos podcasters convertir su programa en un negocio. Los patrocinios siempre se llevarán la palma, pero las opciones inmediatas para un creador habilidoso sin experiencia en ventas cambian todo. Los mercados de dinámica inserción de publicidad es la forma en que alcanzaremos esos números de IAB”. Artículos recomendados para su lectura de este fin de semana: Streamers are creating companion podcasts for superfans of their shows de Alyssa Meyers Do You Have a Development Deal with Audible Yet? de J. Clara Chan. La Descarga es una producción de Sounds Profitable. El episodio de hoy fue presentado por Manuela Bedoya y Gabriel Soto, y escrito por Gavin Gaddis. Bryan Barletta y Evo Terra son los productores ejecutivos de La Descarga de Sounds Profitable.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The question of who is allowed to use platforms like Twitter or Facebook — and who decides what users can say on those platforms — is increasingly becoming a legal issue. A Texas court decision handed down earlier this month gave the go-ahead to a law that gives users the right to sue social media platforms for removing content based on “viewpoint.” This week, however, another court found parts of a similar social media law in Florida unconstitutional. Issie Lapowsky, Protocol's chief correspondent, joins Marketplace’s Kimberly Adams to discuss the latest. Your donation powers the journalism you rely on. Give today to support “Marketplace Tech.”
The question of who is allowed to use platforms like Twitter or Facebook — and who decides what users can say on those platforms — is increasingly becoming a legal issue. A Texas court decision handed down earlier this month gave the go-ahead to a law that gives users the right to sue social media platforms for removing content based on “viewpoint.” This week, however, another court found parts of a similar social media law in Florida unconstitutional. Issie Lapowsky, Protocol's chief correspondent, joins Marketplace’s Kimberly Adams to discuss the latest. Your donation powers the journalism you rely on. Give today to support “Marketplace Tech.”
NewsGuard – tracking Russian disinformation and propaganda sites False claims and misinformation about Ukraine and its allies have been rife online for months. Now a new tracking centre, which monitors Russian-Ukraine disinformation, has been set up and has published its first report. 120 websites are currently being monitored, recorded and the misinformation debunked by NewsGuard. Steven Brill, Co-CEO of NewsGuard is live on the show to give us the latest. Archiving the information war in Ukraine For many years Russian misinformation online has simply been removed, but now that Russia has invaded Ukraine, should this be archived and secured as it is evidence of the information war? Protocol's chief correspondent Issie Lapowsky is on the show to explain why keeping a record of this is so important. Wikipedia's Ukraine pages The Wikimedia Foundation has received a Russian government demand to remove content from its Russian site. They have said they have never backed down in the face of government threats to deny people their fundamental human right to access free, open, and verifiable information. We hear from Dr Jess Wade, a Wikipedia Editor known for thousands of entries about women, how the collaboratively authored online encyclopaedia is ensuring their content is accurate. The programme is presented by Gareth Mitchell with expert commentary from Bill Thompson. Studio Manager: Donald MacDonald Producer: Ania Lichtarowicz (Image: Russian fake news button, key on keyboard. 3D rendering. Getty Images)
Issie Lapowsky joins the show to discuss how Meta, Twitter, YouTube and other platforms have responded to the war in Ukraine, and why their response is so much stronger than in the past. Then, Janko Roettgers dives into the rise and fall of RT, and why so many platforms banned the channel. Finally, Nick Statt explains how video games ended up so important to this crisis — along with a brief diversion into Amazon's gaming strategy, which finally seems to be working.For more on the topics in this episode:Issie Lapowsky on TwitterRussia's playing chicken with FacebookTwitter and Meta rush to protect user accounts in UkraineMeta rolls out encrypted Instagram DMs in Russia and UkraineJanko Roettgers on TwitterAccused of spreading propaganda, RT gets deplatformedRT America is closing down following worldwide backlashNick Statt on TwitterTwitch takes aim at anti-vaxxers, Russian propaganda and QAnonAmazon's Luna cloud gaming service opens its doorsEA is scrubbing Russian teams from its FIFA and hockey gamesFor all the links and stories, head to Source Code's homepage.
Issie Lapowsky joins the show to talk about Nick Clegg's new job at Meta, what it means for Mark Zuckerberg and Sheryl Sandberg, and what to do about the term “Metamates.” Then Lizzy Lawrence explains what's next at Peloton, both for the company itself and for the 2,800 people it recently laid off. Finally, Nick Statt explains why metaverse real estate is booming, and what it means for the future of digital spaces.For more on the topics in this episode:Issie Lapowsky on TwitterWhat Nick Clegg's promotion means for Meta, Mark and SherylMeta employees are now its 'metamates'Mark Zuckerberg's metaverse will require computing tech no one knows how to buildLizzy Lawrence on TwitterLife after PelotonNick Statt on TwitterThe virtual real estate boom is turning the metaverse into the Wild West. And it has the true believers on edge.For all the links and stories, head to Source Code's homepage.
First, a quick update on tech's earnings. Then, Issie Lapowsky joins the show to discuss what Spotify can and should do about Joe Rogan, and why platforms keep having the same content issues. Next, Nick Statt explains why Sony bought Bungie, and what it says about the company's vision for the future of gaming. Finally, Anna Kramer explains what's happening with the union fight at Amazon warehouses, and the regulation that might be coming.For more on the topics in this episode:Issie Lapowsky on TwitterSpotify's big Rogan mistakeBlame cheap music for Joe Rogan being on SpotifySpotify CEO defends Joe Rogan deal in tense company town hall — The VergeNick Statt on TwitterWhat Sony sees in Destiny developer BungieAnna Kramer on TwitterThe next Amazon union vote in Bessemer, Alabama, is set for early FebruaryTwo Amazon warehouses in Staten Island are trying to unionizeAmazon warehouses have notorious injury rates. States are finally doing something about it.For all the links and stories, head to Source Code's homepage.
This week on Arbiters of Truth, the Lawfare Podcast's miniseries on our online information ecosystem, Evelyn Douek and Quinta Jurecic spoke with Issie Lapowsky, a senior reporter at the tech journalism publication Protocol. They discussed last week's hearing before the House Energy and Commerce Committee with the CEOs of Facebook, Google and Twitter—the first time the companies had been called to testify on the Hill after the Capitol riot, which focused public attention on the content moderation policies of tech platforms when it comes to domestic extremism. The hearing produced some interesting takeaways, but also a lot of moments when the CEOs were awkwardly forced to answer complicated questions with a simple "yes" or "no" answer.They also discussed Issie's reporting on how tech companies have struggled to figure out how to address far-right extremism in the United States as opposed to Islamist extremism. And they talked about Section 230 reform and what it's like reporting on the tech space. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
Issie Lapowsky from Protocol talks about Google's decision to bail on FLoC in favor of Topics. Is it better for privacy? Tonya Riley from Cyberscoop shares the risks associated with IRS.gov's reliance on ID.me's facial scanning system. Amazon brought its logistics prowess to a course at a High School, but are they being critical enough about their own business practices? Google's expired Pixel 3 update schedule is a missed opportunity to gain positive brand affinity at a time when it really needs it. Hosts: Jason Howell and Mikah Sargent Guests: Issie Lapowsky and Tonya Riley Download or subscribe to this show at https://twit.tv/shows/tech-news-weekly. Get episodes ad-free with Club TWiT at https://twit.tv/clubtwit Sponsors: nureva.com go.acronis.com/twit-3 barracuda.com/tnw
Issie Lapowsky from Protocol talks about Google's decision to bail on FLoC in favor of Topics. Is it better for privacy? Tonya Riley from Cyberscoop shares the risks associated with IRS.gov's reliance on ID.me's facial scanning system. Amazon brought its logistics prowess to a course at a High School, but are they being critical enough about their own business practices? Google's expired Pixel 3 update schedule is a missed opportunity to gain positive brand affinity at a time when it really needs it. Hosts: Jason Howell and Mikah Sargent Guests: Issie Lapowsky and Tonya Riley Download or subscribe to this show at https://twit.tv/shows/tech-news-weekly. Get episodes ad-free with Club TWiT at https://twit.tv/clubtwit Sponsors: nureva.com go.acronis.com/twit-3 barracuda.com/tnw
Issie Lapowsky from Protocol talks about Google's decision to bail on FLoC in favor of Topics. Is it better for privacy? Tonya Riley from Cyberscoop shares the risks associated with IRS.gov's reliance on ID.me's facial scanning system. Amazon brought its logistics prowess to a course at a High School, but are they being critical enough about their own business practices? Google's expired Pixel 3 update schedule is a missed opportunity to gain positive brand affinity at a time when it really needs it. Hosts: Jason Howell and Mikah Sargent Guests: Issie Lapowsky and Tonya Riley Download or subscribe to this show at https://twit.tv/shows/tech-news-weekly. Get episodes ad-free with Club TWiT at https://twit.tv/clubtwit Sponsors: nureva.com go.acronis.com/twit-3 barracuda.com/tnw
Issie Lapowsky from Protocol talks about Google's decision to bail on FLoC in favor of Topics. Is it better for privacy? Tonya Riley from Cyberscoop shares the risks associated with IRS.gov's reliance on ID.me's facial scanning system. Amazon brought its logistics prowess to a course at a High School, but are they being critical enough about their own business practices? Google's expired Pixel 3 update schedule is a missed opportunity to gain positive brand affinity at a time when it really needs it. Hosts: Jason Howell and Mikah Sargent Guests: Issie Lapowsky and Tonya Riley Download or subscribe to this show at https://twit.tv/shows/tech-news-weekly. Get episodes ad-free with Club TWiT at https://twit.tv/clubtwit Sponsors: nureva.com go.acronis.com/twit-3 barracuda.com/tnw
Issie Lapowsky from Protocol talks about Google's decision to bail on FLoC in favor of Topics. Is it better for privacy? Tonya Riley from Cyberscoop shares the risks associated with IRS.gov's reliance on ID.me's facial scanning system. Amazon brought its logistics prowess to a course at a High School, but are they being critical enough about their own business practices? Google's expired Pixel 3 update schedule is a missed opportunity to gain positive brand affinity at a time when it really needs it. Hosts: Jason Howell and Mikah Sargent Guests: Issie Lapowsky and Tonya Riley Download or subscribe to this show at https://twit.tv/shows/tech-news-weekly. Get episodes ad-free with Club TWiT at https://twit.tv/clubtwit Sponsors: nureva.com go.acronis.com/twit-3 barracuda.com/tnw
Nick Statt joins the show to discuss Microsoft's $68.7 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard, and what it means for the tech and game industries. Then, Issie Lapowsky talks about a big week in antitrust reform, and whether real progress is being made in the U.S. Finally, Hirsh Chitkara explains why AT&T, Verizon, the FAA and airlines have been fighting for months about 5G coverage.For more on the topics in this episode:Nick Statt on TwitterMicrosoft's big bet on the future of gamingMicrosoft's Activision Blizzard acquisition will reshape the game industryActivision Blizzard's workplace crisis instigated Microsoft saleWhat the Activision Blizzard deal means for game devs and platforms — PolygonIssie Lapowsky on TwitterThe antitrust boom is comingTim Cook, Ted Cruz and the strange politics of tech antitrustHirsh Chitkara on TwitterThe FAA that cried wolf on 5GAirlines ground 5G deployment for the third timeFor all the links and stories, head to Source Code's homepage.
Issie Lapowsky joins the show to discuss Jack Dorsey's sudden exit from Twitter, the waning cult of the founder, and what's next for the social network. Then Ben Pimentel joins to chat about why Dorsey wanted to focus on Square, why Square is now called Block, and the company's crypto-first future. Finally, Ben Brody chats about the confirmation hearings for Gigi Sohn and Alan Davidson, and what happens next in the Meta/Giphy antitrust saga.For more on the topics in this episode:Issie Lapowsky on TwitterJack Dorsey has stepped down as Twitter CEOJack Dorsey and breaking up the cult of the founderMeet Parag Agrawal, Twitter's new CEOSalesforce promotes Bret Taylor to co-CEOCTO to CEO: The case for putting the tech expert in chargeBen Pimentel on TwitterJack Dorsey's Twitter resignation is really about bitcoinSquare changes its name to Block after Dorsey leaves TwitterDavid Marcus, Meta's crypto boss, is leavingBen Brody on Twitter5 things to know about NTIA nominee Alan DavidsonBiden FCC nominee Sohn is walking a tightrope with RepublicansFacebook has to sell Giphy under an order from the UKFor all the links and stories, head to Source Code's homepage.
All Facebook, all the time! Issie Lapowsky joins the show to talk about what's in the Facebook Papers, and what it's like trying to report on them and understand how Facebook works. Then, Janko Roettgers discusses the company's big rebranding — Facebook out, Meta in — and Mark Zuckerberg's big-picture plans for the metaverse.For more on the topics in this episode:Issie Lapowsky on TwitterIt's Frances Haugen's world. We're all just living in it.Here are all the Facebook Papers storiesThey left Facebook's integrity team. Now they want the world to know how it works.Facebook's hiring crisis: Engineers are turning down offers, internal docs showRobin Caplan on Twitter: Facebook as a radically hierarchical companyJanko Roettgers on TwitterHow Facebook is merging VR with the real worldMark Zuckerberg just announced the end of FacebookThe Metaverse and How We'll Build It Together — Connect 2021For all the links and stories, head to Source Code's homepage.
Issie Lapowsky and Ben Brody join the show to talk about the latest in a string of rough weeks for Facebook, including Frances Haugen's Congressional testimony and Facebook's surprisingly aggressive pushback.For more on the topics discussed in this episode:Ben Brody on TwitterIssie Lapowsky on TwitterEight takeaways from Haugen's testimony on Facebook‘Beyond the pale': Former Facebook staffers react to the company's Haugen spinDeveloper says Facebook banned him over his 'Unfollow Everything' toolZuckerberg says coverage of Facebook painted a 'false picture'Facebook went down: what happened and what happens nextWhat you can learn from Facebook's outageFor all the links and stories, head to Source Code's homepage.
Ben Brody and Issie Lapowsky join to talk about the most recent revelations from the Wall Street Journal's Facebook Files investigation, plus what we learned — or didn't learn — from the most recent Congressional hearing with Facebook executives. Then, Nick Statt joins to talk about EA's huge investment in a mobile future for the gaming industry, and how Epic sees the metaverse evolving.For more on the topics discussed in this episode:Issie Lapowsky on TwitterBen Brody on TwitterHow Congress's parade of tech hearings totally lost the plotA Facebook whistleblower will testify before the Senate next weekThe many faces of FacebookNick Statt on TwitterHow EA got into mobile — and figured out the future of gamingEpic Games believes the Internet is broken. This is their blueprint to fix it.Protocol's tech calendarFor all the links and stories, head to Source Code's homepage.
Issie Lapowsky, Ben Brody and Nick Statt join the show to discuss The Wall Street Journal's five-part series of stories known as The Facebook Files. What have we learned about Facebook? How will Facebook respond? What should lawmakers make of it? What happens next?Issie is ilapowsky@protocol.com, Ben is bbrody@protocol.com, Nick is nstatt@protocol.com, and David is dpierce@protocol.com.For more on the topics discussed in this episode:The Facebook FilesIssie Lapowsky on TwitterBen Brody on TwitterNick Statt on TwitterFacebook: What the Wall Street Journal got wrongWhy Washington can't just fix FacebookFor all the links and stories, head to Source Code's homepage.
Nick Statt joins the show to talk about all the craziness in the gaming world, from the rise in subscription gaming to the scandal unfolding at Activision Blizzard. Then, Issie Lapowsky joins to discuss the 2,700-page infrastructure bill, and what's in it for the tech industry.For more on the topics in this episode:Nick Statt on TwitterThe game industry comes back down to Earth after its pandemic boomThe game industry's Netflix and Spotify momentIssie Lapowsky on TwitterFrom Comcast to crypto: Here's who wins and loses in the Senate infrastructure billFor all the links and stories, head to Source Code's homepage.
Nick Statt joins the show to discuss a big week in gaming news, including Valve's new Steam Deck console and Netflix's push into making video games. Then, Issie Lapowsky takes us inside the World Wide Web Consortium, where there's a high-stakes privacy battle being waged over the future of privacy and the internet. Finally, Biz Carson talks about SoftBank, Tiger Global, and a massive shakeup happening inside the VC industry.(Programming note: We're off next week, back the week following.)For more on the topics in this episode:Nick Statt on TwitterValve announces handheld Steam Deck console for playing PC gamesWhy Netflix is getting serious about video gamesIssie Lapowsky on TwitterConcern trolls and power grabs: Inside Big Tech's angry, geeky, often petty war for your privacyBiz Carson on TwitterTiger Global vs. SoftBank: Inside the investing playbooks that upended Silicon ValleyFor all the links and stories, head to Source Code's homepage.
It’s been a big week for the Federal Trade Commission. A court on Monday threw out the agency’s antitrust complaint against Facebook and told it to come back with a stronger argument. On Thursday, Lina Khan chaired her first meeting as the new head of the Federal Trade Commission and started making changes right out of the gate, expanding the agency’s antitrust powers. Khan is famous for her antitrust arguments against Amazon, but she’s also written on the role privacy concerns could play in attempting to regulate big tech firms like Facebook. Marketplace's Kimberly Aadms speaks with Issie Lapowsky, a senior reporter for Protocol, who dug into this part of Khan’s background, especially a 2019 article she co-authored on the idea of “information fiduciaries.”
It’s been a big week for the Federal Trade Commission. A court on Monday threw out the agency’s antitrust complaint against Facebook and told it to come back with a stronger argument. On Thursday, Lina Khan chaired her first meeting as the new head of the Federal Trade Commission and started making changes right out of the gate, expanding the agency’s antitrust powers. Khan is famous for her antitrust arguments against Amazon, but she’s also written on the role privacy concerns could play in attempting to regulate big tech firms like Facebook. Marketplace's Kimberly Aadms speaks with Issie Lapowsky, a senior reporter for Protocol, who dug into this part of Khan’s background, especially a 2019 article she co-authored on the idea of “information fiduciaries.”
It’s been a big week for the Federal Trade Commission. A court on Monday threw out the agency’s antitrust complaint against Facebook and told it to come back with a stronger argument. On Thursday, Lina Khan chaired her first meeting as the new head of the Federal Trade Commission and started making changes right out of the gate, expanding the agency’s antitrust powers. Khan is famous for her antitrust arguments against Amazon, but she’s also written on the role privacy concerns could play in attempting to regulate big tech firms like Facebook. Marketplace's Kimberly Aadms speaks with Issie Lapowsky, a senior reporter for Protocol, who dug into this part of Khan’s background, especially a 2019 article she co-authored on the idea of “information fiduciaries.”
It’s been a big week for the Federal Trade Commission. A court on Monday threw out the agency’s antitrust complaint against Facebook and told it to come back with a stronger argument. On Thursday, Lina Khan chaired her first meeting as the new head of the Federal Trade Commission and started making changes right out of the gate, expanding the agency’s antitrust powers. Khan is famous for her antitrust arguments against Amazon, but she’s also written on the role privacy concerns could play in attempting to regulate big tech firms like Facebook. Marketplace's Kimberly Aadms speaks with Issie Lapowsky, a senior reporter for Protocol, who dug into this part of Khan’s background, especially a 2019 article she co-authored on the idea of “information fiduciaries.”
Our guest on the show this week is Issie Lapowsky, a senior reporter for Protocol. Issie's coverage centers around the intersectionality of technology, politics, and national affairs. Issie has also been a senior writer for Wired, a contributor at CBS, and a reporter/staff writer for Inc. Magazine. During today's episode, Issie starts by sharing more about the uniqueness of Protocol's coverage as an outlet, who she gets the best stories and ideas from, how many follow ups are acceptable, and more.
Protocol’s Issie Lapowsky joins to talk about the Facebook Oversight Board’s decision (or lack thereof) on what to do with Donald Trump, and then plays us part of her discussion with board director Thomas Hughes. Then, Nick Statt joins the show to talk about what happened in the first week of Epic v. Apple.For more on the topics in this episode:Issie Lapowsky on TwitterFacebook’s Oversight Board upholds Trump ban — but for how long?Inside the Facebook Oversight Board’s Trump decisionNick Statt on TwitterProtocol’s coverage of Epic v. AppleApp Store chief argues the virtues of Apple's walled gardenFor all the links and stories, head to Source Code’s homepage.
The US government has backed a temporary suspension of intellectual property rights for Covid-19 vaccines in a move likely to enrage the pharmaceutical industry, which strongly opposes a so-called waiver. Shares of the major coronavirus vaccine companies were hit by the announcement but is it just an empty gesture? We speak to Jorge Contreras, Chair of the Open Covid Pledge, a group that is lobbying organisations to share their patents and copyrights in relation to vaccine efforts. We also hear from Thomas Cueni, of the International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers & Associations. And there's no status update for Donald Trump anytime soon; Facebook decides to uphold it's ban of the former US president. We speak to Issie Lapowsky, Senior Reporter at tech site Protocol. Also in the programme, college sports in the United States are a big business, but the athletes taking part have typically been compensated through scholarships rather than salaries. But could that change? The BBC's Will Bain reports. Plus, the Swedish furniture retailer Ikea has launched a scheme in the UK to buy unwanted furniture back from its customers, in a bid to save items from going to landfill. Hege Saebjornsen is the company's sustainability manager for the UK and Ireland explains how it works. And we're joined throughout the programme by Tony Nash, chief economist at Complete Intelligence in Texas and the writer, Rachel Cartland in Hong Kong. (Picture: coronavirus vaccine. Picture credit: Getty Images.)
The US government has backed a temporary suspension of intellectual property rights for Covid-19 vaccines in a move likely to enrage the pharmaceutical industry, which strongly opposes a so-called waiver. Shares of the major coronavirus vaccine companies were hit by the announcement but is it just an empty gesture? We speak to Jorge Contreras, Chair of the Open Covid Pledge, a group that is lobbying organisations to share their patents and copyrights in relation to vaccine efforts. And there's no status update for Donald Trump anytime soon; Facebook decides to uphold it's ban of the former US president. But is it up to big tech to decide who's on their platforms? We speak to Issie Lapowsky, Senior Reporter at tech site Protocol.
To conduct a post-mortem investigation on the Amazon warehouse union vote in Bessemer, Alabama, we’re joined by Alex N. Press—staff writer for Jacobin and one of our favorite labor reporters. As Alex wrote recently, “In the United States, every step of the unionization process is stacked against workers. It is a miracle that anyone ever unionizes.” We discuss the militancy of capital, the organizing conditions of labor today, and the battle for building worker power. The deck was stacked. We lost this fight. But the class war wages on. Follow Alex: https://twitter.com/alexnpress Read Alex: https://www.jacobinmag.com/author/alex-press • Amazon Waged a Brutal Anti-Union Campaign. Unsurprisingly, They Won. | Jacobin | Alex N. Press: https://www.jacobinmag.com/2021/04/amazon-bessemer-union-drive-vote-nlrb • Sabotage: The Conscious Withdrawal of the Workers' Industrial Efficiency | Elizabeth Gurley Flynn: https://www.marxists.org/subject/women/authors/flynn/1917/sabotage.htm • How tech workers feel about China, AI and Big Tech’s tremendous power | Protocol | Emily Birnbaum, Issie Lapowsky: https://www.protocol.com/policy/tech-employee-survey/tech-employee-survey-2021 • Amazon's New Algorithm Will Set Workers' Schedules According to Muscle Use | Motherboard | Ed Ongweso: https://www.vice.com/en/article/z3xeba/amazons-new-algorithm-will-set-workers-schedules-according-to-muscle-use Subscribe to hear more analysis and commentary in our premium episodes every week! patreon.com/thismachinekills TMK shirts are now available: bonfire.com/mech-luddite/ Hosted by Jathan Sadowski (twitter.com/jathansadowski) and Edward Ongweso Jr. (twitter.com/bigblackjacobin). Production / Music by Jereme Brown (twitter.com/braunestahl)
Ben Pimentel joins the show to discuss Coinbase’s huge debut on the public market, and where the company goes next. Then, Joe Williams explains why Microsoft bought Nuance, and why it might be about much more than health care. Finally, Issie Lapowsky discusses her story on the lives of Big Tech’s whistleblowers, and their plan to rethink how NDAs work in the industry.For more on the topics in this episode:Ben Pimentel on TwitterCoinbase COO: ‘The ship has sailed in crypto. It's here to stay.’How the crypto industry will ride the Coinbase waveJoe Williams on TwitterWhy did Microsoft spend $19.7 billion to purchase Nuance? The answer may lie beyond health care.Issie Lapowsky on TwitterFor Big Tech whistleblowers, there’s no such thing as 'moving on'For all the links and stories, head to Source Code’s homepage.
This week on Arbiters of Truth, the Lawfare Podcast’s miniseries on our online information ecosystem, Evelyn Douek and Quinta Jurecic spoke with Issie Lapowsky, a senior reporter at the tech journalism publication Protocol. They discussed last week’s hearing before the House Energy and Commerce Committee with the CEOs of Facebook, Google and Twitter—the first time the companies had been called to testify on the Hill after the Capitol riot, which focused public attention on the content moderation policies of tech platforms when it comes to domestic extremism. The hearing produced some interesting takeaways, but also a lot of moments when the CEOs were awkwardly forced to answer complicated questions with a simple "yes" or "no" answer. They also discussed Issie’s reporting on how tech companies have struggled to figure out how to address far-right extremism in the United States as opposed to Islamist extremism. And they talked about Section 230 reform and what it’s like reporting on the tech space.
The heads of Facebook, Google and Twitter have been questioned by US politicians - in the first hearing since the storming of the US Capitol in January. We speak to Issie Lapowsky, senior reporter at protocol.com, about how such platforms might be regulated in future. The Ever Given container ship remains wedged across the Suez Canal despite attempts to pull it free. We ask Angus Blair, professor of practice at the American University of Cairo's Business School, how this will affect Egypt's economy and about the impact on international shipping. Plus, we analyse what President Joe Biden said during his first official press conference. Fergus Nicoll is joined throughout the programme by political reporter Erin Delmore in New York and by Patrick Barta, the Wall Street Journal's Asia Enterprise Editor, in Bangkok. (Picture: Facebook, Twitter and Google logos. Credit: Getty Images)
The Ever Given remains wedged across the canal despite attempts to pull it free. We ask Angus Blair, professor of practice at the American University of Cairo's Business School, how this will affect Egypt, as well as international shipping. Also in the programme, the heads of the three biggest tech giants have been answering politicians' questions at a hearing in the US. We get analysis from Issie Lapowsky, senior reporter at protocol.com. And Cary Leahey of Decision Economics in New York updates us on the US markets.
Issie Lapowsky joins the show to talk about why researchers and social platforms want to work together, and why that’s a lot more complicated than it sounds. Then, Joe Williams explains why the digital signature industry is so hot right now, and where it goes from here.For more on the topics in this episode:Issie Lapowsky on TwitterPlatforms vs. PhDs: How tech giants court and crush the people who study themJoe Williams on TwitterThe e-signature war is going beyond the dotted lineFor all the links and stories, head to Source Code’s homepage.
Issie Lapowsky dissects what's happening between Facebook, Google and the Australian government. Then Anna Kramer joins to explain why Atlanta is the next big US tech hub.For more on the topics in this episode:Issie on TwitterFacebook blocks all news in and from AustraliaAnna on TwitterAirbnb is building a new hub in AtlantaFor all the links and stories, head to Source Code’s homepage.
Shakeel Hashim comes on the show to talk about GameStop’s craziest week ever: what it means that Reddit seems to run the stock market, whether Robinhood can survive the chaos, what regulators might be looking into, and what to about the fact that Elon Musk can tweet anything into existence. Then, Issie Lapowsky joins to talk about the first five decisions made by the Facebook Oversight Board, and what they tell us about the Internet Supreme Court’s plans going forward … and what they might do about Donald Trump.For more on the topics in this episode:A rough timeline of the GameStop sagaWhat really happened to RobinhoodAn interview with u/DeepFuckingValueA good profile of WallStreetBetsIssie on the Oversight Board’s decisionsIssie on the Board’s Trump plansFor all the links and stories, head to Source Code’s homepage.
Emily Birnbaum and Issie Lapowsky join Source Code to talk about social networks’ handling of President Trump after the riots in the Capitol. Then, Tom Krazit comes on to talk about whether having all those unauthorized people in the building created a security risk, and what the government and tech companies are doing about it.For more on the topics in this episode: The other reason Facebook silenced Trump? Republicans just lost their power.Social networks didn’t create a coup. But they helped.Pressure mounts on social media giants to suspend Trump as rioters storm the CapitolDon’t worry about the cybersecurity fallout of the Capitol breachFor all the links and stories, head to Source Code’s homepage.
There’s a lot riding on the 2020 election, and that’s no less true for the tech industry. Criticism has become bipartisan over the past four years. There was wide support for an antitrust lawsuit against Google, for example. But on other issues the parties and candidates differ profoundly, like on their views over how tech platforms should or should not control users’ speech, their legal liabilities and net neutrality. Host Sabri Ben-Achour speaks with Issie Lapowsky, a senior reporter at Protocol.
There’s a lot riding on the 2020 election, and that’s no less true for the tech industry. Criticism has become bipartisan over the past four years. There was wide support for an antitrust lawsuit against Google, for example. But on other issues the parties and candidates differ profoundly, like on their views over how tech platforms should or should not control users’ speech, their legal liabilities and net neutrality. Host Sabri Ben-Achour speaks with Issie Lapowsky, a senior reporter at Protocol.
There’s a lot riding on the 2020 election, and that’s no less true for the tech industry. Criticism has become bipartisan over the past four years. There was wide support for an antitrust lawsuit against Google, for example. But on other issues the parties and candidates differ profoundly, like on their views over how tech platforms should or should not control users’ speech, their legal liabilities and net neutrality. Host Sabri Ben-Achour speaks with Issie Lapowsky, a senior reporter at Protocol.
There’s a lot riding on the 2020 election, and that’s no less true for the tech industry. Criticism has become bipartisan over the past four years. There was wide support for an antitrust lawsuit against Google, for example. But on other issues the parties and candidates differ profoundly, like on their views over how tech platforms should or should not control users’ speech, their legal liabilities and net neutrality. Host Sabri Ben-Achour speaks with Issie Lapowsky, a senior reporter at Protocol.
This newsletter is really a weekly public policy thought-letter. While excellent newsletters on specific themes within public policy already exist, this thought-letter is about frameworks, mental models, and key ideas that will hopefully help you think about any public policy problem in imaginative ways. It seeks to answer just one question: how do I think about a particular public policy problem/solution?PS: If you enjoy listening instead of reading, we have this edition available as an audio narration courtesy the good folks at Ad-Auris. If you have any feedback, please send it to us.India Policy Watch: Thinking About Digital ColonialismInsights on burning policy issues in India— RSJThe unbridled power of large digital platforms is back in focus. Last week Google India announced all apps within Play Store must use its billing system that charges a 30 per cent commission on all transactions. The Indian start-up community that has been angling for raising barriers for global platforms to access domestic market lost no time in pushing back against the ‘Google Tax’. That seems to have worked. Google has postponed this move to April 2022. Google (and Apple) claim this commission is the compensation for their efforts at keeping their stores safe and secure.Meanwhile, the US Congressional investigation into the power of Big Tech (Amazon, Apple, Facebook and Google) concluded last week with a voluminous 450-page report. The report indicts them in no uncertain terms:"These firms have too much power, and that power must be reined in and subject to appropriate oversight and enforcement. Our economy and democracy are at stake.”The recommendations (pg 378 onward) to rein in these companies and restore competition in the digital economy however cover familiar grounds – structural separation of lines of business, curbs on acquisitions, allowing interoperability and open access, checking abuse of bargaining powers and strengthening antitrust laws and enforcement. You could almost use the same recommendations a century ago when looking to control railroad or oil monopolies. Surely, these will be useful (if they eventually translate into laws) to bring a semblance of control over Big Tech. But will they be enough?I don’t think so.The traditional way of looking at monopolies is to understand the factors that lead to their creation and the abuse they inflict or the harm they do to the customers and the society. The sources of monopoly power usually are technology, control of natural resources, access to capital or lack of alternatives in the market. This power is then abused by the monopolist. The most common abuse is that of being a price maker that maximises profits. The usual antitrust laws attack both the source and the abuse of monopoly power.But there’s a problem in regulating Big Tech with these antitrust laws: the source of their monopoly power and the harm they do to societies is orthogonal to how the traditional monopolies operated.Given this, how should we think about regulating them? We can begin by analysing the dominance of these players in the digital economy using the traditional monopoly framework and then going beyond it.I will elaborate on this next.Digital monopolies are unavoidable: There’s no single source of monopoly power for them. Its an alchemy of network effect, bundling of services, a bottomless pit of capital and high exit barriers that create a lock-in for customers. This makes it a winner-takes-all market. Infusing competitive intensity by breaking up these firms on lines of business or creating a ‘local’ alternative won’t work because these Big Tech ‘babies’ will soon turn into a monopoly.Two-sided platforms: Most big tech firms have been successful in creating two-sided platforms of buyers and sellers. Sometimes this is apparent to the end customer (for instance, Uber) but often this isn’t (Google or Facebook). In these two-sided platforms, the tech firms tend to be monopolies (dominant seller) on one side and monopsonies (dominant buyer) on the other. So, Google has a near-monopoly on search that it provides for free. On the other hand, for any company wanting to advertise on digital platforms, Google is the dominant buyer. It actually auctions keywords. This two-sided dominance is different from the monopolies of the past.There’s no ‘one’ business: In the earlier era, the dominance of a monopoly could be easily understood because of the distinct nature of their business. A railroad company was just in that business. So was a telecom company. But it’s difficult to categorise the big tech players into a single type of business. Amazon can position itself as a tech company to investors, an e-commerce platform to sellers and a retailer to regulators. Facebook is a social media platform whose business isn’t easy to define. Maybe it is a publisher or a media company, but it isn’t structured like one. Maybe it’s a community that brings the world closer (ha!). What’s worse the companies themselves don’t know where they will end up in future. Facebook has long wanted to start a digital currency and become a financial services company. Amazon has become the largest cloud service provider plus an on-demand entertainment platform while Google has its moonshots including wanting to be an autonomous car company. Which business of these companies do you regulate?Asymmetry of power and knowledge: In a traditional monopoly situation, the customers sense the harm in the form of exploitative prices or a lack of voice in making their grievances heard. This is almost absent here. On any traditional yardstick of customer satisfaction – loyalty, retention or advocacy – these platforms score high. The pervasive nature of these platforms is such even a few minutes of outage creates widespread anxiety. Most customers have no sense of their exploitation despite the platforms knowing and using almost everything about the customer. This is the definition of absolute asymmetry where one side doesn’t even know there’s asymmetry.Data appropriation: The ‘natural resources’ over which these platforms have a monopoly are our attention and the data that flows from the rhythms of our daily lives. The attention and data are then transmuted into factors of production and monetised in many different ways. All of this is done through our consent. Life is too short to read the terms and conditions while signing up to these platforms. The unanticipated consequences of handing over these ‘natural resources’ are difficult to fathom for most people. From nudging you to buy something you didn’t need, to flooding your timelines with propaganda that’s aimed at you – the algorithms control your behaviour. This monopoly power is difficult to dimension. Even the platforms often don’t understand it. The frequent defence that Facebook puts up in various senate hearings attests to this. They don’t know how to control what’s coming up in your timelines. The program knows your ‘persona’ and it does what it has to do.Geographic boundaries: The nature of the digital economy is such that these monopolies don’t have geographic boundaries. The seamless nature of the platform and its monopoly on attention and data as resources ensure they can extend their monopoly anywhere in the world. How do you regulate a global monopoly? Do you take a nationalistic agenda and stop them at your boundaries? That will only mean setting up domestic monopolies. Who do you trust more? A global monopoly that adheres to the best corporate governance norms or a domestic monopoly in countries with weak institutions or that lack democratic accountability?Loss of freedom and the end of thought: The data and attention appropriation done through these platforms constrain our choices: we live in echo chamber of our opinions, we buy things that are suggested to us and we see a version of reality that’s tailor-made for us and that no one else is seeing. Often the term ‘digital colonialism’ is bandied about when talking about Big Tech. This lack of freedom to be oneself, discover things on our own and not be dispossessed of our right to choose is what colonialism is about. That we have done this voluntarily and for convenience and value that’s quite apparent is what makes this difficult to legislate.A new form of capitalism: One way to manage this kind of monopoly is to let things play out. To let evolution take care of this. There will be a period of monopolies reigning across sectors. Soon there will be overlapping of interests and territories among them. It is attention and data that are being monopolised and beyond a point, they are finite too. They will fight among themselves, get bruised and breakup in the process. Also, there will always be newer opportunities that will attract smaller, nimbler firms that will beat these incumbents. This has happened throughout history and there’s no reason to believe this time is unique. A new form of capitalism will evolve after a period of digital colonialism. It won’t be better or worse. It will just be different.What’s resistance then?It is not easy to legislate the resistance to these monopolies. The policymakers are using the tried and tested tools to counter them. They will yield some benefits in the short-term. But they will be largely ineffective for the reasons we have mentioned above. The other options like moral pressure to delete an app or the self-control to stay away from these players can’t scale up. Such measures also don’t consider the huge benefits these platforms deliver to us. The truth is technology will remain a step ahead of us. The idea that we can tame it is also a non-starter.There are proponents of ethical algorithms who believe a societal code or a legislative norm for how algorithms are to be used is the way ahead. There are others who believe handing over control or making users aware of how their data is being used and compensating them for it. This will make it a fair bargain. Maybe it will. These are early days of policymaking in this area. There’s a need for deeper philosophical and sociological work in this space that will enable our thinking in how to legislate this. Until then we think the house report is a good place to get things started.A Framework a Week: What Makes an Asset Strategic?Tools for thinking public policy— Pranay KotasthaneFrom AI to semiconductor chips and from data to rare earth metals, a whole lot of assets are labelled as being strategic by many governments and analysts. And yet, there’s no conceptual clarity as to what the term strategic means.Most often, it is narrowly used to describe assets that are critical for the military. In this definition, only goods that can be used for war or to threaten war qualify as strategic, an obvious example being nuclear technology.By another definition, assets that are critical for the economy or military and have no other easily available substitutes, qualify as strategic. For example, oil becomes a strategic asset for India using this definition.So what really is strategic then? I was lucky to stumble upon a framework which tackles this fundamental question. Jeffery Ding and Alan Dafoe in their paper The Logic of Strategic Assets: From Oil to AI theorise that:Strategic Level of Asset = Importance * Externality * NationalizationThe strategic level of an asset is a product of the following three factors:Importance: an asset’s economic and/or military utility (some sectors, e.g. freight transport, contribute more to economic growth than others, e.g. high-end fashion).Externality: the economic and/or security externalities associated with an asset, such that uncoordinated firms and individual military organizations will not optimally attend to the asset. (e.g. the positive externalities generated by research into foundational technologies, which private actors under-invest in because they do not capture all the gains from spillovers).Nationalization: the degree to which these externalities differentially accrue to the nation and one’s allies, and not to rivals (e.g. fundamental research in medicine has positive externalities, but they may easily diffuse to other rival nations, which limits an asset’s strategic level).What’s interesting here is that the authors apply the economic concept of externality to a question in the national security domain. They contend that some assets and technologies demonstrate the characteristics of an externality-like market failure. This means that uncoordinated firms and individual military organisations underproduce these strategic assets and hence the attention of the State is required.These externalities are distilled into three forms:“Cumulative-strategic logic involves assets and sectors with high barriers to entry linked to cumulative processes, such as first-mover dynamics, incumbency advantages, and economies of scale. These high barriers to entry lead the market to under-invest, and military organizations to require explicit state support to achieve nationally optimal investments. Aircraft engines [1945-present] serve as a representative example, as high research and development costs associated with these complex technical systems make it so that only a handful of firms can compete.Infrastructure-strategic logic involves assets that generate positive spillovers across the national economy or military system, which sub-national actors (e.g. firms or militarybranches) under-invest in because they do not appropriate all the associated gains. These are often central technologies that complement and upgrade the national technological system. A representative example is railroads [1840-1860].Dependency-strategic logic involves assets whose supply is concentrated in a limited number of suppliers. Due to the lack of substitutes, these assets are often vulnerable to supply disruptions… Individual firms do not fully internalize the downside of a cut-off for the nation’s economy or military, for which continued access to these dependency-strategic assets is at risk due to the lack of substitute goods and alternative suppliers. Nitrates [1914-1918] are a representative example, as the British naval blockade prevented Germany from importing nitrates from Chile, the world’s principal supplier.”These three logics are not mutually exclusive. The authors argue that states should pay especially close attention to those technologies and goods that exhibit multiple strategic logics. The figure below illustrates the overlap:(Source: Jeffery Ding and Alan Dafoe, The Logic of Strategic Assets: From Oil to AI)This framework is a really useful tool for prioritising strategic assets. Using this framework, which assets qualify as being strategic for India, you reckon?Poetry In Public Policy: Louise Gluck—RSJLousie Gluck has won the Nobel Prize for Literature (2020) for “her unmistakable poetic voice that with austere beauty makes individual existence universal”.“She writes oneiric, narrative poetry recalling memories and travels, only to hesitate and pause for new insights. The world is disenthralled, only to become magically present once again.”Gluck possesses a direct, natural style that shines a light on our imperfections with a detached clarity. But that doesn’t take away from the beautiful, lyrical compositions that stay with us for long. She is one of the originals.Nostos by Louise GlückThere was an apple tree in the yard --this would have beenforty years ago -- behind,only meadows. Driftsof crocus in the damp grass.I stood at that window:late April. Springflowers in the neighbor's yard.How many times, really, did the treeflower on my birthday,the exact day, notbefore, not after? Substitutionof the immutablefor the shifting, the evolving.Substitution of the imagefor relentless earth. Whatdo I know of this place,the role of the tree for decadestaken by a bonsai, voicesrising from the tennis courts --Fields. Smell of the tall grass, new cut.As one expects of a lyric poet.We look at the world once, in childhood.The rest is memory.Parable of Hostages by Louise GlückThe Greeks are sitting on the beachwondering what to do when the war ends. No onewants to go home, backto that bony island; everyone wants a little moreof what there is in Troy, morelife on the edge, that sense of every day as beingpacked with surprises. But how to explain thisto the ones at home to whomfighting a war is a plausibleexcuse for absence, whereasexploring one’s capacity for diversionis not. Well, this can be facedlater; theseare men of action, ready to leaveinsight to the women and children.Thinking things over in the hot sun, pleasedby a new strength in their forearms, which seemmore golden than they did at home, somebegin to miss their families a little,to miss their wives, to want to seeif the war has aged them. And a few growslightly uneasy: what if waris just a male version of dressing up,a game devised to avoidprofound spiritual questions? Ah,but it wasn’t only the war. The world had beguncalling them, an opera beginning with the war’sloud chords and ending with the floating aria of the sirens.There on the beach, discussing the varioustimetables for getting home, no one believedit could take ten years to get back to Ithaca;no one foresaw that decade of insoluble dilemmas—oh unanswerableaffliction of the human heart: how to dividethe world’s beauty into acceptableand unacceptable loves! On the shores of Troy,how could the Greeks knowthey were hostages already: who oncedelays the journey isalready enthralled; how could they knowthat of their small numbersome would be held forever by the dreams of pleasure,some by sleep, some by music?Matsyanyaaya: Narratives about China’s Pandemic ResponseBig fish eating small fish = Foreign Policy in action— Pranay KotasthaneNarrative 1: The Chinese party-state, which covered up the COVID-19 outbreak in the initial stages, is the world’s number 1 enemy.Narrative 2: After the initial shock, China has been remarkably successful in containing the outbreak, like a phoenix rising from the ashes.Floating around are these two distinct narratives about China's COVID-19 response. On the surface, these two narratives appear to conflict with each other. Scratch the surface and you’ll find that both narratives are actually in harmony with each other.Quite a few opinion pieces perceive these two narratives as being in conflict. Such articles explain, with awe, that even though China bungled up initially, it was able to get back on its feet quickly, curb the rise in infections, and take the lead in vaccine research. How does one explain this apparent contradiction?In my view, both these narratives are in harmony and not in conflict. I say this because the initial failures and the later 'successes', both, can be explained by the same incentive structure that characterises the Chinese authoritarian party-state.In the initial days, government officials in Wuhan were competing against each other in hiding the facts lest the heavy hand of the authoritarian regime fall on them. Local officials claimed there was no person to person transmission, medical professionals who raised alarm were silenced, and state media refused to speak a word about the disease. Even after nine months since the outbreak was first reported, the party-state continues to deflect the blame, claiming success in reporting the outbreak first on one hand, and blaming everyone else in the world for starting the pandemic on the other.These same incentives at least partially explain the later successes as well. First, the authoritarian setup was well-suited to enforce strict lockdowns for long periods at the citizens’ expense. Next, in a desperate urge to project the party in a positive light, many thousands of people were vaccinated without the completion of clinical trials. Despite a history of vaccine safety scandals, the authoritarian regime was ready to risk the lives of citizens in the hope of regaining some lost pride.By taking these dangerous shortcuts, it is quite likely that China’s vaccine candidates will be the first to reach the market. China might even come up with a global vaccine campaign and label it the medical silk road.Despite all this facesaving, if China is the first to get to the market with a vaccine (and that’s a big if), other states’ perceptions are unlikely to make a U-turn. The damage is already done. All projected successes now are like apologising after slapping an unsuspecting person for no reason.The world is increasingly coming to terms with the reality of engaging with China — there are clear short-term gains to be had but the downside risks are way too high. China’s response has shown that these downside risks are not just high but they are always lurking beneath. It will take China more than a few interest-free loans and vaccine diplomacy to make this risk perception disappear.HomeWorkReading and listening recommendations on public policy matters[Article] Emily Birnbaum and Issie Lapowsky in the Protocol on the findings and recommendations from the House antitrust subcommittee’s report on Big Tech[Interview] Nick Couldry and Ulises A. Mejias on The Nuances of Data Colonialism and taking a sociological view on digital monopolies.[Article] David Brooks has a compelling diagnosis of American society over the last two decades. A lot of it applies to India as well. Get on the email list at publicpolicy.substack.com
Welcome to the new, weekly Source Code! In this week’s episode: Issie Lapowsky on H-1B visas, Tom Krazit on everyone’s new favorite programming language, and Oura CEO Harpreet Singh Rai on whether wearables are the future of health care (and the NBA).For more on the topics in this episode: The WSJ on H-1B suspensions The Washington Post on the burden placed on Black employee groups Tom's story on Rust Oura's website Slate's story on Oura's COVID-detection abilities For all the links and stories in today’s episode, head to Source Code’s homepage.Tell us what you think of the new show! Email david@protocol.com with all your thoughts and feelings.
Donald Trump and Twitter are sparring over what users can say on social media. But the fight is one that goes back decades, to the very dawn of the Internet. Gabe talks to Protocol reporter Issie Lapowsky about Section 230, a key provision granting social media companies immunity for posts on their platform. Then, veteran journalist Sanford Ungar places the battle over regulating social media in the broader context of America’s long-running debate about free speech and the First Amendment.
Today, there’s a new debate over facial recognition, Intel-free Macs might be coming soon, and your next office lunch will come in a box.For more on today’s stories:Issie Lapowsky’s story on IBM’s announcementEmily Birnbaum’s story on the Democrat police billBloomberg’s report on Apple chipsSource Code is produced by Sofie Kodner, Shakeel Hashim, Jamie Condliffe, and David Pierce. For all the links and stories in today’s episode, head to Source Code’s homepage.
The Interface - Let’s conclude what turned out to be Free Speech Week on The Interface with a look at a case involving the co-chairman of Facebook’s new Oversigh https://www.getrevue.co/profile/caseynewton/archive/254052 FreeSpeechWeekcommunity standardspublished a blog postwere announced last monththe board published a somewhat apologetic note explaining why it couldn’tNick Anderson in the Washington Postanother Stanford professor apologizedProtocolIssie Lapowsky writesHe told employees on Tuesday
The Interface - Let’s conclude what turned out to be Free Speech Week on The Interface with a look at a case involving the co-chairman of Facebook’s new Oversigh https://www.getrevue.co/profile/caseynewton/archive/254052 FreeSpeechWeekcommunity standardspublished a blog postwere announced last monththe board published a somewhat apologetic note explaining why it couldn’tNick Anderson in the Washington Postanother Stanford professor apologizedProtocolIssie Lapowsky writesHe told employees on Tuesday
The Interface - I. Oh boy, there’s an executive order! About social media! And also the entire internet! And the president signed it, reports Chris Megerian at t https://www.getrevue.co/profile/caseynewton/archive/252347 an executive orderChris Megerian at the Los Angeles Timeshad first been proposed last AugustAccording to Issie Lapowsky and Emily Birnbaum at Protocol,independent auditsthan almost any other publisherdefine “bias” ever downwardAdi Robertson reported this week in The Vergesuing internet platforms for banning thema PlayStation Network user suedsecondDemocratic members of Congresswith a good, concise explanation of the reasons in The Vergeprevents the US government from limiting private speechadding content rather than blocking itnoted herenot just social networksa new surge in American authoritarianismtrade groupshe appeared on Fox News”The Daily Briefing”he elaborated on these points in an interview with CNBCexpanded its guidelines in Octoberadopted similar rules this monthposting a confusing Twitter threadWill Oremus has a tick-tock in One Zerointroduced this month as part of an effort to fight misinformation about COVID-19which happened to 52 people during the recent election in Wisconsinthreatening nuclear war comes to mind
The Interface - Today let’s talk about Facebook’s independent Oversight Board, which just announced its co-chairs and initial membership. The board will allow Fa https://www.getrevue.co/profile/caseynewton/archive/246588 just announced its co-chairs and initial membershipa Zuckerberg callI wrote here last yearfloated the ideathe board unveiled its charterset aside $130 million to fund the board’s operationsthey described their philosophy this waygave a speech on the subject last year16 more announced membersbetter luck next time, Kara Swisherhe relished the chance to be a check on Facebook’s powercalled the announced membersFacebook will ignore the board’s opinionsare trained on the wrong placeworries abouttells Issie Lapowsky at Protocolan average of just 15 hours a month on the projectframes the issue this wayhe tweeted
How do we talk about digital disinformation when its systems are opaque? How can populations be ready to defend themselves from memetic and information warfare when it comes from both international as well as domestic agents?Protocol senior report Issie Lapowsky joins Dr. Jamie Cohen for a conversation about what it means to talk about disinformation in an election year, look back at the types of memetic and information warfare that occurred on social media platforms in 2016, what's happened since, and what people can do to defend themselves now.In his opening monologue, Josh Chapdelaine discusses the complexities of how authenticity is measured in the digital media environment and looks at the history of new media technologies leaving content producers in a position to exploit vulnerable audiences.You can read Lapowsky's latest work at Protocol: https://www.protocol.com/u/issielapowsky-----AboutIssie Lapowsky is a senior reporter at Protocol, covering the intersection of technology, politics, and national affairs. Previously, she was a senior writer at Wired, where she covered the 2016 election and the Facebook beat in its aftermath. Prior to that, Issie worked as a staff writer for Inc. magazine, writing about small business and entrepreneurship. She has also worked as an on-air contributor for CBS News and taught a graduate-level course at New York University's Center for Publishing on how tech giants have affected publishing.Dr. Jamie Cohen is the founder of the New Media program at Molloy College. He is a digital media culture expert with specific focus on YouTube, memes, emergent media, and digital media literacy. He hosts and co-produces the Digital Void Salon Series.Josh Chapdelaine is the co-producer of the Digital Void Salon Series. He researches and writes about digital media and political communication.-----Follow Digital VoidTwitter: https://twitter.com/digivoidmediaFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/digivoidmediaInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/digitalvoid.media/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/34894594Use the hashtags #DigitalVoid #DigitalVoidSalon to join the conversation-----CreditsProduced by Dr. Jamie Cohen and Josh ChapdelaineAudio edited and mixed by Josh ChapdelaineOur on-site video manager is Blake KoznesoffOur Community Manager is Kayleigh MarinelliThis episode was taped in front of a live audience at Civic Hall.Civic Hall is a non-profit center for learning, collaboration, and technology for the public good. At Civic Hall, entrepreneurs, nonprofit leaders, government staff, community organizers, philanthropists, software developers, data scientists, and media makers come together to share knowledge and solve pressing public interest problems.-----Digital Void Podcast is a production of Digital Void Media.Contact Digital Void:Email: digivoidmedia@gmail.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Uber filed to go public this week. No big surprise there; everyone in the industry has been waiting months for the ride-hailing giant to hit the accelerator on its IPO. What did raise an eyebrow were the details the company divulged in its filing—from how it views the future of its business to what it considers its primary challenges in the marketplace. This week, we invite WIRED transportation reporter Aarian Marshall back onto the show to break down all of the revelations in Uber’s S1 filing. You can read her news story about the upcoming Uber IPO right here on WIRED. Also on this week’s pod, Mike, Lauren, and Arielle discuss the first photo of a black hole, the latest privacy concerns around Alexa devices, and some upcoming changes to Facebook’s News Feed. Show notes: Read Aarian on Uber. Read Lily Hay Newman on Alexa, Sophia Chen on the black hole pic, and Emily Dreyfuss and Issie Lapowsky on Facebook. Recommendations this week are Jumbo Privacy Assistant, 1bike1world, and the Criterion Channel. Send the Gadget Lab hosts feedback on their personal Twitter feeds. Arielle Pardes can be found at @pardesoteric. Lauren Goode is @laurengoode. Michael Calore can be found at @snackfight. Our guest Aarian Marshall is @aarianmarshall. Bling the main hotline at @GadgetLab. Our theme song is by Solar Keys. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Jessica Powell was the top communications executive at Google when she found herself Googling, in no uncertain search terms, how to quit her job at Google. She tried approximately 837 different tactics before she ended up taking the leap, and now she’s a startup founder, a contributor to Medium and The New York Times, and the author of The Big Disruption, a novel about a giant Silicon Valley tech company. The eventual burnout and dissatisfaction Powell experienced is not unique in Silicon Valley, she tells us on this week’s Gadget Lab podcast. But it can be difficult to acknowledge when you’re working in an industry filled with mission-driven companies and leaders who want to “change the world” (and in some cases–––they do). Powell also talks about the commercialization of International Women’s Day, and speaks candidly about Facebook’s latest manifesto around privacy. “Facebook is in such a bad place that I feel like if they cough, people say, ‘That cough is just a way to get more data!’” Powell tells the Gadget Lab hosts. “There are so many conspiracy theories, and sometimes you just have to realize a cough is just a cough. But, I also don’t think that’s the case with this announcement.” Show notes: You can read WIRED editor-in-chief Nick Thompson’s interview with Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg here, as well as a follow up story from Thompson and Issie Lapowsky. Read Klint Finley’s story about a possible return to Obama-era net neutrality rules here. For some of Powell’s recent writing, check out her Medium page. Recommendations: Jessica Powell recommends putting vegetable puree into buttermilk-free biscuits to trick your kids into eating their greens. She also recommends the book The Radiance of the King, by Camara Laye. Arielle recommends this WIRED guide to TikTok, and also, TikTok. Mike recommends the Beastie Boys Book audiobook, which is narrated by an all-star cast of characters. Lauren recommends Workin’ Moms, the CBC show that’s now on Netflix. If you have feedback for us, please, leave us a review! Or you can send the Gadget Lab hosts feedback on their personal Twitter feeds. Arielle Pardes can be found at @pardesoteric. Lauren Goode is @laurengoode. Michael Calore can be found at @snackfight. Bling the main hotline at @GadgetLab. Our theme song is by Solar Keys. How to Listen You can always listen to this week’s podcast through the audio player on this page, but if you want to subscribe for free to get every episode, here’s how: If you’re on an iPhone or iPad, open the app called Podcasts, or just Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
If you had to sum up the year in tech in one word, what word would you choose? That’s what we at the Gadget Lab asked ourselves as we looked to somehow recap a year’s worth of tech-related drama in approximately 45 minutes. 2018 was the year that we learned about Cambridge Analytica; that social media’s role in the 2016 U.S. election came into sharper focus; that top tech executives were put in the Congressional hot seat; and that tech workers spoke out about everything from brutal work environments to how their firms’ technologies were being used by government agencies. At the same time, 2018 was also a year of remarkable advancements in artificial intelligence, space exploration, and even the future of transport. And at the very least, our increasing awareness of some of the tech industry’s practices could lead us to a place in the new year where we’re making better decisions about what’s good and what’s not-so-good for us tech-consuming mortals. That’s what we’re telling ourselves, anyway. Also on this week’s podcast, Lauren talks to Brynn Putnam, the founder and CEO of Mirror, a new digital health-and-fitness company that live streams workout classes through a mirror in your living room. The future of fitness has arrived, and we are never leaving our homes. Show notes: For a rundown of just some of the Facebook scandals that have happened this year, check out Issie Lapowsky’s story. And here’s Lauren’s story about new interactive fitness systems, including Mirror. Recommendations this week: Arielle recommends reading Charles Duhigg’s story about anger in the latest issue of The Atlantic. Mike recommends a podcast from Malcolm Gladwell called “Broken Record.” Lauren recommends taking advantage of the “screen time” dashboards on your smartphone, getting a sense of how much time you’re spending on non-essential tasks, and then really, truly, seriously guys, putting down your phone more in the new year. Send the Gadget Lab hosts feedback on their personal Twitter feeds. Arielle Pardes can be found at @pardesoteric. Lauren Goode is @laurengoode. Michael Calore can be found at @snackfight. Bling the main hotline at @GadgetLab. Our theme song is by Solar Keys. How to Listen You can always listen to this week’s podcast through the audio player on this page, but if you want to subscribe for free to get every episode, here’s how: If you’re on an iPhone or iPad, open the app called Podcasts, or just tap this link. You can also download an app like Overcast or Pocket Casts, and search for Gadget Lab. And in case you really need it, here’s the RSS feed. If you use Android, you can find us in the Google Play Music app just by tapping here. You can also download an app like Pocket Casts or Radio Public, and search for Gadget Lab. And in case you really need it, here’s the RSS feed. We’re also on Soundcloud, and every episode gets Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Most people, at this point, believe that climate change is a real thing that will harm future generations of humans. And yet, a cognitive dissonance exists around that knowledge and our sense of responsibility: A much smaller percentage of people believe that climate change is impacting them personally, according to Yale’s climate survey program. It is indeed impacting humans right now, with clear and compelling evidence that the global average temperature is much higher than anything modern society has experienced. And that has lead us to a whole host of issues, some of which WIRED writer Adam Rogers discusses with the Gadget Lab team on this week’s podcast. So what can we humans do to fix things – and how much of it can actually be fixed by personal actions, versus widespread policy? How much does our own consumption of tech add to the problem? We ask Adam these questions and more. Show notes: You can find some of Adam’s recent work here and here. Issie Lapowsky covered Google CEO Sundar Pichai’s trip to Washington this week. Brian Barrett has the scoop on Intel’s new chip packaging technology. And what would we do without Elon Musk? Recommendations this week: Adam recommends “Typeset in the Future” by Dave Addey, about the typefaces and UIUX in classic science fiction movies. It’s all about the Eurostile Bold Extended. Mike recommends a game called Goat Simulator. Really, you should try it. Arielle recommends Moleskin’s extremely satisfying to-do app on iOS, called Actions, as well as Adam’s book “Proof: The Science of Booze.” Lauren recommends “Swell,” a book by Liz Clark about her post-college voyage sailing through and around Southern California, Central America, and the Pacific Islands, on a forty-foot sailboat named Swell. Send the Gadget Lab hosts feedback on their personal Twitter feeds. Arielle Pardes can be found at @pardesoteric. Lauren Goode is @laurengoode. Michael Calore can be found at @snackfight. Bling the main hotline at @GadgetLab. Our theme song is by Solar Keys. How to Listen You can always listen to this week’s podcast through the audio player on this page, but if you want to subscribe for free to get every episode, here’s how: If you’re on an iPhone or iPad, open the app called Podcasts, or just tap this link. You can also download an app like Overcast or Pocket Casts, and search Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The show where we discuss things we’re into every other week! In What’s Happening What’s Up we discuss “A Brief Inquiry Into Online Relationships” by The 1975 We then give recommendations for the biweek: Taylor The TV show: “The Final Table” Jacob The movie “Burning” Taylor “HERE’S HOW MUCH BOTS DRIVE CONVERSATION DURING NEWS EVENTS” by Issie Lapowsky https://www.wired.com/story/new-tool-shows-how-bots-drive-conversation-for-news-events/ Check out BotCheck.me and FactCheck.me Jacob “Christmas Song” by Phoebe Bridgers Follow us here: instagram.com/goodtastepod twitter.com/@jacobthewilson twitter.com/@taylorjaywilson Email us: goodtastepod@gmail.com Leave a review and something you want us to check out and we’ll do so! Click here: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/good-taste/id1331981072?mt=2 Our friends: Our intro song is by Koi https://open.spotify.com/artist/6MhwQdck5uQDaUUf0wI1kj?si=vzuRLjPCSBSPoCi6wpPOOA Rival Sports Club https://www.spreaker.com/show/rival-sports-club Taylor’s other show: https://www.spreaker.com/user/10623863 Jacob’s blog: jacobandrewwilson.com/blog
The show where we discuss things we're into every other week! In What's Happening What's Up we discuss “A Brief Inquiry Into Online Relationships” by The 1975 We then give recommendations for the biweek: Taylor The TV show: “The Final Table” Jacob The movie “Burning” Taylor “HERE'S HOW MUCH BOTS DRIVE CONVERSATION DURING NEWS EVENTS” by Issie Lapowsky https://www.wired.com/story/new-tool-shows-how-bots-drive-conversation-for-news-events/ Check out BotCheck.me and FactCheck.me Jacob “Christmas Song” by Phoebe Bridgers Follow us here: instagram.com/goodtastepod twitter.com/@jacobthewilson twitter.com/@taylorjaywilson Email us: goodtastepod@gmail.com Leave a review and something you want us to check out and we'll do so! Click here: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/good-taste/id1331981072?mt=2 Our friends: Our intro song is by Koi https://open.spotify.com/artist/6MhwQdck5uQDaUUf0wI1kj?si=vzuRLjPCSBSPoCi6wpPOOA Rival Sports Club https://www.spreaker.com/show/rival-sports-club Taylor's other show: https://www.spreaker.com/user/10623863 Jacob's blog: jacobandrewwilson.com/blog
The show where we discuss things we’re into every other week! In What’s Happening What’s Up we discuss “A Brief Inquiry Into Online Relationships” by The 1975We then give recommendations for the biweek:TaylorThe TV show: “The Final Table”JacobThe movie “Burning”Taylor“HERE’S HOW MUCH BOTS DRIVE CONVERSATION DURING NEWS EVENTS” by Issie Lapowsky https://www.wired.com/story/new-tool-shows-how-bots-drive-conversation-for-news-events/Check out BotCheck.me and FactCheck.me Jacob“Christmas Song” by Phoebe BridgersFollow us here:instagram.com/goodtastepodtwitter.com/@jacobthewilson twitter.com/@taylorjaywilsonEmail us: goodtastepod@gmail.comLeave a review and something you want us to check out and we’ll do so! Click here: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/good-taste/id1331981072?mt=2Our friends:Our intro song is by Koihttps://open.spotify.com/artist/6MhwQdck5uQDaUUf0wI1kj?si=vzuRLjPCSBSPoCi6wpPOOARival Sports Club https://www.spreaker.com/show/rival-sports-clubTaylor’s other show: https://www.spreaker.com/user/10623863Jacob’s blog: jacobandrewwilson.com/blog
The show where we discuss things we’re into every other week! In What’s Happening What’s Up we discuss “A Brief Inquiry Into Online Relationships” by The 1975We then give recommendations for the biweek:TaylorThe TV show: “The Final Table”JacobThe movie “Burning”Taylor“HERE’S HOW MUCH BOTS DRIVE CONVERSATION DURING NEWS EVENTS” by Issie Lapowsky https://www.wired.com/story/new-tool-shows-how-bots-drive-conversation-for-news-events/Check out BotCheck.me and FactCheck.me Jacob“Christmas Song” by Phoebe BridgersFollow us here:instagram.com/goodtastepodtwitter.com/@jacobthewilson twitter.com/@taylorjaywilsonEmail us: goodtastepod@gmail.comLeave a review and something you want us to check out and we’ll do so! Click here: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/good-taste/id1331981072?mt=2Our friends:Our intro song is by Koihttps://open.spotify.com/artist/6MhwQdck5uQDaUUf0wI1kj?si=vzuRLjPCSBSPoCi6wpPOOARival Sports Club https://www.spreaker.com/show/rival-sports-clubTaylor’s other show: https://www.spreaker.com/user/10623863Jacob’s blog: jacobandrewwilson.com/blog
There is a growing trend of people using a feature on the iPhone called AirDrop to send lewd pictures to unsuspecting strangers and its being called “cyber flashing.” It has become such a problem, that a bill was introduced last week by two members of the New York City Council that would punish people who send harassing and explicit photos with up to a year in jail or a $1000 fine. Issie Lapowsky, senior writer for Wired, joins us to discuss the AirDrop problem and how this law would even work. Next, CIA Director Gina Haspel has briefed Senators on their assessment that Saudia Arabia's Crown Prince ordered and monitored the killing of journalist Jamaal Khashoggi, and they were not happy. Sen. Bob Corker said that if the crown prince was in front of a jury, he would be convicted in about 30 minutes. Gregg Hellman, defense reporter for Politico, joins us to discuss how we know the crown prince probably ordered the hit. Finally, microblogging site Tumblr has decided that it will delete all adult content from its platform and it has caused an uproar with the users who flocked to the site for its art positive and sex positive platform. This comes at a time when Tumblr has been removed from the Apple App store for some child pornography found on the service. My producer Miranda joins us for why some are saying this may be the end for Tumblr. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com
In this episode, Ezra and Jane dig into the dismal state of election security, as well as the many, many ways that people’s votes are obstructed, distorted, and prevented. Isn’t democracy grand? References and further reading: Benjamin Wofford’s piece on our hacked election system Jamelle Bouie in the Daily Beast breaks down the motive behind voter ID laws Issie Lapowsky of Wired clarifies that you cannot cast a vote with a text message The Atlantic reports on black civic engagement versus voter turnout during the Trump era A report from the Brennan Center on democracy Ezra’s interview with Carol Anderson Carol Anderson’s timely book on a history of voter suppression Matt’s piece on the hack gap The Daily Kos explains that when more people vote, Republicans lose Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Online Privacy Issues -- An Overview As online privacy issues mount in the U.S., regulators are pulling back. Earlier this year, Congress repealed the privacy rules the FCC passed under former Chairman Tom Wheeler. The rules would have required ISPs to obtain subscribers' permission before using their data for commercial purposes. The ISPs argued that they should be entitled to the same free reign over consumer data that large tech companies enjoy. But, of course, the FCC doesn't have jurisdiction to directly regulate tech companies. Jules Polonetsky discusses online privacy issues and where U.S. privacy law and policy now stand in light of recent data breaches. He also explains what consumers can do to protect their data from hackers. Bio Jules Polonetsky (@JulesPolonetsky) serves as CEO of the Future of Privacy Forum (FPF). FPF is a leading Washington, D.C.-based non-profit organization focused on privacy. The chief privacy officers of more than 130 leading companies support FPF. Further, FPF is supported by several foundations. FPF has an advisory board comprised of the country's leading academics and advocates. FPF's current projects focus on Big Data, Mobile, Location, Apps, the Internet of Things, Wearables, De-Identification, Connected Cars and Student Privacy. Jules' previous roles have included serving as Chief Privacy Officer at AOL and before that at DoubleClick, as Consumer Affairs Commissioner for New York City, as an elected New York State Legislator and as a congressional staffer, and as an attorney.Previously, Jules served as an elected member of the New York State Assembly from 1994 to 1997. From November 1992 through 1993, Jules was a legislative aide to Congressman Charles Schumer. Prior to that, he was also a District Representative for Congressman Steve Solarz.. Jules practiced law in the New York office of Stroock & Stroock & Lavan from 1989 to 1990. Jules has served on the boards of a number of privacy and consumer protection organizations. These include TRUSTe, the International Association of Privacy Professionals, and the Network Advertising Initiative. From 2011-2012, Jules served on the Department of Homeland Security Data Privacy and Integrity Advisory Committee. He is also a member of The George Washington University Law School Privacy and Security Advisory Council. Jules is a regular speaker at privacy and technology events. He has has testified or presented before Congressional committees and the Federal Trade Commission. Jules is a graduate of New York University School of Law and Yeshiva University. He is admitted to the Bars of New York and Washington, D.C. Jules is also a Certified Information Privacy Professional. Resources Future of Privacy Forum Commission on Evidence-Based Policymaking Machine Learning for Absolute Beginners by Oliver Theobald News Roundup Puerto Rico all but destroyed following Hurricane Maria Hurricane Maria left Puerto Rico absolutely devastated last week. Puerto Ricans living in the mainland U.S. remain unable to reach friends and family members. Maria made landfall on Wednesday as a Category 4 storm with 155 MPH winds, the likes of which the island hasn't seen in generations. The storm knocked off Puerto Rico's entire electrical grid leaving millions without power. Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai released a statement saying 95% of Puerto Rico's cell sites are out of service. The island is running out of supplies. Many were thunderstruck over the weekend by President Trump's silence about Puerto Rico. Instead, Trump spent the weekend news cycle railing against NBA and NFL players taking a knee against the national anthem. Tom McKay has the story in Gizmodo. Mother of slain sex trafficking victim testifies before Senate Commerce Committee Yvonne Ambrose, the mother of the 16-year-old girl who was raped and murdered by a 32-year-old Backpage.com user, testified on the Hill. Ambrose appeared before the Senate Commerce Committee in support of the Stop Enabling Sex Traffickers Act (SESA). The bi-partisan bill, introduced by Senator Rob Portman, would hold internet companies more accountable for content on their sites. Currently, the Communications Decency Act shields websites from liability for content posted by third parties. That's what enabled Backpage.com to post ads placed by criminals selling opportunities to sexually abuse children. So the Stop Enabling Sex Traffickers Act would hold web companies more accountable. It would do so by making them liable for knowingly hosting sex trafficking content. Sabrina Eaton reports on cleveland.com. SEC reports hackers breached EDGAR last year So the Securities and Exchange Commission--the nation's top Wall Street regulator--was hacked. Last year. The SEC decided last week that it would finally get around to telling us. In an eight-page statement, SEC Chairman Jay Clayton announced that hackers breached the agency's filing system--EDGAR. That breach may have enabled improper trading to take place. The statement doesn't explain either the reason for the delay in notifying the public or the date on which the breach occurred. Renae Merle reports in the Washington Post. Google signs $1.1 billion "cooperation agreement" with HTC Google invested $1.1 billion in struggling device manufacturer HTC last week and is expected to announce the release of two new devices on October 4th. David Pierce, Jordan McMahon, Issie Lapowsky, Jack Stewart, Eric Niiler, Andy Greenberg, and Michelle Dean report in Wired. Facebook to change ad targeting In response to revelations that it was allowing advertisers to target racists, Facebook announced changes to its ad targeting system. For example, according to the New York Times, advertisers had the ability to target self-described "Jew Haters" Chief Operating Officer Sheryl Sandberg said the company would be adding more human review and oversight. Sapna Maheshwari reports in the New York Times. Facebook turning over thousands of Russia-linked ads to Congress In other Facebook news, Facebook announced last week that it would also be turning over some 3,000 advertisements placed by Russia-linked groups during the 2016 presidential campaign. Ali Breland reports in the Hill. U.S. and EU kick off first Privacy Shield review season EU Justice Commissioner Vera Jourova travelled to Washington last week to meet with U.S. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross. The EU is set to release its first report on the efficacy of the U.S.-EU Privacy Shield on October 4th. The Privacy Shield allows data transfers between the U.S. and EU, which have entirely different standards when it comes to protecting consumer privacy. Privacy Shield replaced a previous framework that the EU overturned last year because it didn't provide enough oversight over U.S. mass surveillance practices. Under the Privacy Shield, the U.S. is supposed to appoint an Ombudsman to review the U.S.'s mass surveillance tactics. However, the U.S. has yet to appoint anyone to the ombudsman role. Jimmy Koo reports for Bloomberg. Equifax breach happened months earlier than initially disclosed Ali Breland and Olivia Beavers report in the Hill that the Equifax breach happened in March rather than July. The breach exposed the personal data of an estimated 143 million Americans.
Majora Carter, an urban revitalization strategy consultant and agent of change, founded StartUp Box, a social enterprise in the South Bronx generating entry level jobs in the tech industry. Kelly Hoey and Majora chat about the massive opportunity behind StartUp Box, how Majora is rolling it out in other cities, and her philosophy about not letting other people’s perception of you stand in the way of your work. Notes It’s Embarrassing How Few Black Female Founders Get Funded by Davey Alba, Wired South Bronx Gets High-End Coffee; Is Gentrification Next? by Jeff Gordinier, New York Times Eat That Frog! by Brian Tracy, iBooks How One Entrepreneur Convinced Beyoncé To Invest In Her Startup by Clare O'Connor, Forbes Additional Reading Tech Diversity: Message vs Messenger by Majora Carter, LinkedIn Majora Carter has a genius idea to get more people into tech jobs by Becky Bracken, SheKnows How social entrepreneurship is making a difference in the world by Bérénice Magistretti, TechCrunch Urban Onshoring: The Movement to Bring Tech Jobs Back to America by Issie Lapowsky, Wired Why diversity matters to your tech company by Joelle Emerson, USA Today 10 Things People Are Getting Wrong About Diversity In Tech by Ariel Lopez, Forbes Guest bios & transcripts are available on www.broadmic.com.