Meredith Whittaker is the president of Signal, the popular messaging app that offers encrypted communication. You might recognize Meredith’s name from 2018 when she was an AI researcher at Google and one of the organizers of the Google walkout. Now she’s at Signal, which is a little different than the usual tech company: it’s operated by a nonprofit foundation and prides itself on collecting as little data as possible.But messaging apps are a complicated business. Governments around the world really dislike encrypted messaging and often push companies to put in backdoors for surveillance and law enforcement because criminals use encrypted messaging for all sorts of deeply evil things. But there’s no half step to breaking encryption, so companies like Signal often find themselves in the difficult position of refusing to help governments. You might recall that Apple has often refused to help the government break into iPhones, for example. I wanted to know how that tradeoff plays out at Signal’s much smaller and more idealistic scale.This is a good one, with lots of Decoder themes in the mix. We have to start doing checklists or something. Okay, Meredith Whittaker, president of Signal. Here we go.Links:The battle inside SignalYes, even Signal is doing stories nowHere’s why Apple’s new child safety features are so controversialSignal is ‘starting to phase out SMS support’ from its Android appA very brief history of every Google messaging appRCS: What it is and why you might want itLet’s chat about RCSWhatsApp is now entirely end-to-end encryptedMoxie Marlinspike has stepped down as CEO of SignalMeredith Whittaker TweetTranscript:https://www.theverge.com/e/23173757Credits:Decoder is a production of The Verge, and part of the Vox Media Podcast Network.Today’s episode was produced by Creighton DeSimone and Jackie McDermott and it was edited by Jackson Bierfeldt.The Decoder music is by Breakmaster Cylinder. Our Sr Audio Director is Andrew Marino and our Executive Producer is Eleanor Donovan.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Featuring Meredith Whittaker, Edward Ongweso Jr., and Sarah Myers West on the mundane dystopia concealed beneath the AI hype machine. Support The Dig at Patreon.com/TheDig Subscribe to New Left Review newleftreview.org Register for the Socialism 2023 Conference socialismconference.org

Today we're sharing an episode of Decoder with Nilay Patel featuring an interview with Meredith Whittaker, president of Signal.Signal is the popular messaging app that offers encrypted communication. You might recognize Meredith’s name from 2018 when she was an AI researcher at Google and one of the organizers of the Google walkout. Now she’s at Signal, which is a little different than the usual tech company: it’s operated by a nonprofit foundation and prides itself on collecting as little data as possible.Listen to more of Decoder with Nilay Patel anywhere you get your podcasts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Meredith Whittaker, president of the Signal Foundation and a key figure in digital privacy, discusses the current landscape of messaging apps, specifically Signal's end-to-end encryption. She delves into the threats posed by AI on user privacy and explains the implications of backdoors in communication tools. The conversation touches on the delicate balance between law enforcement and user rights, exploring ethical concerns around hacked encrypted chats. Whittaker highlights the ongoing struggles of maintaining digital privacy in an increasingly surveilled world.

Tech expert Meredith Whittaker discusses the rise of AI, concerns about user privacy, and the need for tech companies to move away from monetizing user surveillance. Topics include the evolution of tech, inefficiencies of surveillance-based ad tech, hidden costs of AI models, and the power play of cloud business.

In this riveting episode, Audrey Tang, Taiwan's Digital Minister, and Meredith Whittaker, President of the Signal Foundation, discuss the limitations of end-to-end encryption in protecting our online privacy. They also explore the open-source world, AI, and their personal connection to the open-source community.

Meredith Whittaker, a historical analyst, discusses the link between Charles Babbage and plantation logics of control in computing. She also explores the political economy of 'open' AI and the concentration of power in the tech industry. The chapter highlights surveillance, the dominance of big tech, challenges in AI development, and the desire to control people's value.

Meredith Whittaker, president of Signal, discusses the concentration of power in the tech industry, data privacy concerns, and the future of AI. They explore the role of encryption, challenges of dismantling tech power, potential consequences of AI on white collar jobs, and the promise and control of AI technology.

Former AI whistleblower Meredith Whittaker discusses the dangers of mass surveillance fueling AI and her role as President of Signal. Topics include ethical concerns at Google, the importance of private communication with Signal, encryption and privacy debates, and the power dynamics of AI.

Meredith Whittaker, Signal's President and chief advisor to the AI Now Institute, discusses the state of Google, the ethics of online advertising, and the state of the Signal messaging app. They also touch on the mysterious nature of Telegram and the challenges faced by smaller companies in the AI field.