Techdirt

Catherine Bracy, author of "World Eaters" and founder of TechEquity, returns to discuss how venture capital's misaligned incentives are harming technology and society. She reveals the community backlash that inspired her to investigate venture capital's role in tech harms. Catherine explains the pitfalls of software-first approaches in labor and housing, and the pressure on startups from the power law. She critiques the cultural indoctrination of accelerators like Y Combinator and highlights the need for alternative funding models that prioritize sustainable growth.

As you know, we talk a lot about decentralization and protocols over platforms. When it comes to decentralized social media in particular, one person who has been working on it since the earliest days is developer Rabble, who was around at the very beginning of what would become Twitter and has worked on many decentralized social media efforts, and recently proposed a new Social Media Bill of Rights in a post here on Techdirt. This week, Rabble joins the podcast to talk all about the history and present state of decentralized social media.

Techdirt recently passed its 28th anniversary as an independent online media outlet. Once, it looked like such outlets might take over, but then most were scooped up by traditional media or grew into more traditional companies themselves. But now we're seeing a new generation emerge, especially via newsletters on platforms like Substack, and one such journalist is Marisa Kabas, creator of The Handbasket. This week, Marisa joins the podcast to talk about the modern rise of independent online journalism.

We've written a lot about how AI can empower users when employed the right way, but how this is difficult when a few giant tech firms control the technology. One company that is trying to move in a different direction is DuckDuckGo with its Duck.ai offering. This week, DuckDuckGo founder and CEO Gabriel Weinberg joins the podcast for a deeper dive into what the company is doing in the AI space.

Last year, Renée DiResta joined us on an episode of the podcast to talk about her book, Invisible Rulers: The People Who Turn Lies Into Reality, all about the people who have crafted a massive fictional narrative about the state of social media and government's involvement in content moderation. Now that Jim Jordan is celebrating Google's recent letter about the Biden administration and spreading all sorts of false claims about what it says, Renée joins us again to talk about maddening irony and overall craziness of this narrative that just won't go away. Last year's episode: https://www.techdirt.com/2024/07/09/techdirt-podcast-episode-397-the-people-who-turn-lies-into-reality/ Renée's book: https://www.reneediresta.com/books/ Our coverage of Google's letter: https://www.techdirt.com/2025/09/25/jim-jordan-celebrates-google-caving-to-his-pressure-in-letter-that-says-caving-to-government-pressure-is-wrong/

Berin Szoka, President of TechFreedom, and Riana Pfefferkorn, a policy fellow at Stanford HAI, dive into the complexities of the FTC's settlement with Aylo, the parent company of Pornhub. They discuss the implications of mandated CSAM scanning and how it could undermine criminal investigations. Szoka highlights concerns over constitutional rights, while Pfefferkorn emphasizes risks of harming victims. The conversation also touches on broader industry impacts, including potential chilling effects on content moderation and free speech.

In what feels like something of a throwback to much earlier days of Techdirt, the Supreme Court is getting into the weeds of the DMCA. Cox v. Sony is a case centered around questions of repeat infringers and intermediary liability, and we've submitted an amicus brief from the Copia Institute, written by Cathy Gellis. This week, Cathy joins the podcast to discuss the Supreme Court's opportunity to fix the first amendment problems with platform copyright liability. Copia Institute brief: https://www.techdirt.com/2025/09/05/something-good-the-supreme-court-could-do-finally-fix-the-first-amendment-problems-with-platform-liability-for-copyright-infringement/

Join Alix Dunn, host of the Computer Says Maybe podcast and a decentralization enthusiast, as she dives into rich discussions about the evolution of the internet. They explore decentralization's impact, the nostalgia for a more open web, and the arrival of innovative platforms like Bluesky. The conversation also addresses ethical advertising strategies and the need for user-friendly digital migration tools, all while emphasizing the importance of empowering users in a rapidly commercialized digital landscape.

The goal of Bluesky and the ATProtocol, and of the push for protocols over platforms in general, has always been to see more people building their own communities in a modular fashion. One of the most interesting projects demonstrating this potential is Blacksky, created by Rudy Fraser, which started as a custom feed within Bluesky but has grown into something much bigger. Today, Rudy joins the podcast for a conversation all about Blacksky and what it teaches us about open social media protocols.

Chris Riley, Executive Director of the Data Transfer Initiative, dives into the critical need for data portability in the age of AI. He emphasizes how user control over personal data is vital to prevent AI from controlling us. The discussion also tackles the challenges of service lock-in and the competitive landscape of AI providers. Furthermore, Riley highlights the shift towards locally hosted AI models driven by trust issues, and the importance of regulations like the DMA and GDPR in fostering a robust data portability ecosystem.