Introduction

It's been another tough week for Facebook, as the world's biggest news brands publish co-ordinated and critical stories, all based on whistle-blower Frances Haugen and her trove of documents. How did Haugen, a former Facebook Product Manager, come to have such strong media and PR support? Facing difficulties in the real-world, Facebook are investing heavily in alternative-reality. But what exactly is the "metaverse" - and how soon before we all live in it?

Guests: Emily Birnbaum, Tech Lobbying Reporter at Politico; Madhumita Murgia, European Tech Correspondent at The Financial Times; Nicola Millard, Principal Innovation Partner at BT; Lauren Goode, Senior Writer at Wired.

Studio engineer: Steve Greenwood

Producer: Hannah Sander

Presenter: Datshiane Navanayagam