Techdirt

This week, we've got a cross-post episode of Mike's appearance on Kevin Williamson's How The World Works podcast. Kevin conducted a wide-ranging interview that covers some of the earliest days of Techdirt, the blog's evolution, and many of the important topics we cover today — and you can listen to the whole conversation here on this week's episode.

Ben Collins, CEO of Global Tetrahedron and former journalist known for covering myths and disinformation, delves into the power of mockery in today’s political climate. He discusses how humor serves as a crucial tool against misinformation and censorship. Collins also shares insights from his journey leading The Onion, emphasizing the necessity of human creativity in satire. Additionally, he compares emerging social media platforms like Blue Sky with traditional ones, highlighting their potential for authenticity in communication.

Way, way back during the SOPA/PIPA fight, a very important part of the resistance against the bills was coming from infrastructure operators who explained how they were technically incoherent and dangerous. One prominent group was the Internet Infrastructure Coalition, co-founded by Christian Dawson. Today, with legislative amnesia setting in and new requirements for infrastructure-level site blocking rearing their heads, the Coalition has released a new report: DNS At Risk. This week, he joins us on the podcast to talk about the report and the ongoing dangers of attacks on the internet infrastructure.

Corbin Barthold, host of the Tech Policy Podcast, and Santana Boulton, a legal fellow specializing in tech policy, dive deep into the FTC's investigation of social media censorship. They dissect the evolving landscape of content moderation, especially as it influences free speech, highlighting contradictions in conservative narratives. The duo navigates the complexities of defining hate speech and balancing community values, while also questioning the intersection of content moderation and antitrust issues. Their insights reveal the intricate dance between government influence and online discourse.

In something of a followup to our last episode about Elon Musk's playbook, today we're digging deeper into the comparison between Washington and Silicon Valley and what it tells us about DOGE. Johns Hopkins International Affairs professor Henry Farrell has been looking specifically at the concept of "blitzscaling", and this week he joins us on the podcast to talk about how Elon Musk and DOGE are bringing blitzscaling to government. "Blizscaling for Tyrants" on Substack: https://www.programmablemutter.com/p/blitzscaling-for-tyrants

Ryan Mac and Kate Conger, New York Times journalists and co-authors of 'Character Limit,' delve into Elon Musk's influence over both Twitter and U.S. governance. They analyze Musk's dubious management tactics, drawing unsettling parallels between his Twitter takeover and broader governmental practices. The discussion covers the challenges of misinformation, the evolving power dynamics in tech and politics, and the potential dangers of oversimplifying complex systems using Musk's approach. Their insights probe the implications of AI in governance and the shifting alignments of Silicon Valley with political power.

Mike McCue, founder of Flipboard and a former Twitter board member, discusses the shift towards decentralization in the digital world. He shares insights on his new app, Surf, designed to empower users on the open social web. The conversation dives into the importance of platforms like Blue Sky and Mastodon, the potential of decentralized protocols, and how they can reshape user experiences. McCue also touches on the role of AI in social media, advocating for user control over algorithms to foster authentic interactions.

We probably don't need to tell you that the current tariff situation is causing complete chaos in global supply chains, in large part due to the uncertainty — for all we know, the exact rules will have changed since this episode was recorded just yesterday. But we wanted to get some insight into the impact on small businesses, so this week we're joined by Jesse Vincent, co-founder of Keyboardio (makers of one of Mike's favorite keyboards, who recently wrote an open letter to their US customers), to talk about the challenge of running a business amidst Trump's tariff chaos. The open letter: https://shop.keyboard.io/blogs/news/an-open-letter-to-u-s-customers

Eric Goldman, a law professor specializing in online child safety, discusses the paradoxes of age verification laws. He critiques the 'segregate and suppress' strategy, arguing it overlooks privacy and security concerns. Goldman highlights that age verification often harms youth engagement, pushing users to unsafe alternatives. He stresses the diverse needs of children, advocating for more nuanced policies that prepare them for the realities of the internet. The conversation calls for collaboration among stakeholders to create effective regulations.

Many people don't think of reproductive health and reproductive rights as tech issues, but they very much are — moreso than ever in a post-Dobbs America. The internet is vital to communication and spreading information around reproductive health care, while abortion drugs are changing the very nature of what reproductive rights protect. This week we're joined by Elisa Wells and Amy Merrill, two of the cofounders of Plan C, a nonprofit that aims to make abortion pills available by mail across the US, for a discussion about looking at reproductive health through the lens of disruptive technology.