This Week in Startups E1132: News! Jack Dorsey vs. Ted Cruz, Google’s antitrust lawsuit, Expensify email, Amazon deep dive & much more with Acquired’s Ben Gilbert & David Rosenthal
Oct 30, 2020
Ben Gilbert and David Rosenthal, co-hosts of the Acquired FM podcast, dive into the evolving landscape of social media accountability and the implications of content moderation. They discuss the rivalry between Twitter and Facebook, exploring political tensions and corporate activism, notably an email from Expensify's CEO urging political action. The conversation also touches on the gig economy's rise amidst economic challenges, the intricacies of recent antitrust lawsuits against tech giants like Google, and the dynamic between tech partnerships, all infused with sharp humor and insightful analysis.
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Twitter's Shift on Free Speech
- Jason Calacanis recalls Twitter being initially presented as a libertarian, free-speech platform.
- Now, he observes a shift in Twitter's stance towards increased content moderation and control.
Algorithms and Editorial Decisions
- Jack Dorsey suggests that algorithms make editorial decisions, potentially impacting Section 230.
- He proposed the idea of "bring your own algorithm" (BYOA) to offer more user control over content.
BYOA: A Differentiation Strategy?
- "Bring Your Own Algorithm" is technically feasible, but it's unlikely to gain widespread adoption.
- It could be Twitter's strategy to differentiate itself from Facebook, which would never allow such user control.