

Burning Platforms
Per Capita Australia
Welcome to Burning Platforms: De-Coding the Power and Politics of Big Tech. Join Peter Lewis, Lizzie O’Shea (Digital Rights Watch), Dan Stinton (HealthEngine CEO), and guests, fortnightly for analysis of the politics of technology from some of Australia’s leading digital campaigners and industry experts. Brought to you by the Centre of the Public Square - an initiative of Per Capita.
Episodes
Mentioned books

May 3, 2022 • 50min
Deus Ex Machina
Humans embrace technology with a child-like optimism, but what are the threats Artificial Intelligence poses our society if its impacts are not thought through?
Welcome to Burning Platforms: De-Coding the Power and Politics of Big Tech.
This week, the Burning Platforms panel dives deep into the amorality of AI with a special discussion with Professor Toby Walsh, author of the new book ‘Machines Behaving Badly’.
Burning Platforms is brought to you by the Centre of the Public Square - an initiative of Per Capita.

Apr 15, 2022 • 54min
Are we addicted to tech?
Welcome to Burning Platforms: De-Coding the Power and Politics of Big Tech.
On this week’s episode, Peter Lewis, Lizzie O'Shea, and Dan Stinton dive deep into digital addiction: are we being played? And what can we do to get ourselves off the bad stuff?
Burning Platforms is brought to you by the Centre of the Public Square - an initiative of Per Capita.

Apr 3, 2022 • 51min
Pandemic Tech
After turning to new technology in a public health crisis we now face critical questions in what a new surveillance normal looks like.
Welcome to Burning Platforms: De-Coding the Power and Politics of Big Tech.
On this week's episode Peter Lewis, Lizzie O'Shea, Dan Stinton, and guest Dr Mark Andrejevic (Monash Data Futures Institute) look at the technology of the Pandemic and what new models are likely to emerge.
Burning Platforms is brought to you by the Centre of the Public Square - an initiative of Per Capita.

Mar 20, 2022 • 51min
The Rise of the Splinternet
Welcome to Burning Platforms: De-Coding the Power and Politics of Big Tech.
This week, the Burning Platforms panel (Peter Lewis, Lizzie O'Shea, and Dan Stinton) are joined by former president of ICANN (Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers) Paul Twomey to outline how competing models of state control over online communications are challenging the very essence of the internet.
Burning Platforms is brought to you by the Centre of the Public Square - an initiative of Per Capita.

Mar 6, 2022 • 57min
True Lies: Disinformation in an election year
As the Federal Election approaches amid heightened geo-political tensions, Burning Platforms looks at a ground-breaking attempt to understand how political actors game the social media algorithms to deliver targeted disinformation.
Burning Platforms is brought to you by the Centre of the Public Square - an initiative of Per Capita.

Feb 19, 2022 • 56min
Facebook news takedown anniversary
Welcome to Burning Platforms: De-Coding the Power and Politics of Big Tech.
On this week's episode, Peter Lewis, Lizzie O'Shea, and Dan Stinton mark 12 months from the Facebook news takedown and review the progress of the News Media Bargaining Code with guest Terry Flew (Professor of Digital Communication & Culture, University of Sydney).
Burning Platforms is brought to you by the Centre of the Public Square - an initiative of Per Capita.

Feb 7, 2022 • 59min
Inquiry into Social Media and Online Safety
While Australians spent the summer searching for RATs, a hastily convened federal government inquiry was holding public hearings about online safety, as the Morrison Government amps up its war with the Big Tech companies.
Welcome to Burning Platforms: De-Coding the Power and Politics of Big Tech.
Burning Platforms is back for 2022, as Peter Lewis dissects the Senate Economics References Committee Inquiry into international digital platforms operated by Big Tech companies with deputy chair Tim Watts MP.
Burning Platforms is brought to you by the Centre of the Public Square - an initiative of Per Capita.

Dec 20, 2021 • 53min
The Public Square Project book launch
Western democracy has always been anchored by the idea of a public space where people gather to share ideas, mediate difference and make sense of the world. When Facebook blocked Australian users from viewing or sharing news in 2021, it sounded the alarm worldwide on our growing reliance on global tech companies to fulfil this critical role in a digital world.
The conflict sparked a new sense of urgency around the growing movement to imagine alternative digital spaces that operate in the public interest rather than simply for a commercial bottom line.
The Public Square Project draws together leading tech scholars, industry experts, writers and activists to chart a path towards a public square worthy of the name.
Welcome to Burning Platforms: De-Coding the Power and Politics of Big Tech.
Burning Platforms is brought to you by the Centre of the Public Square - an initiative of Per Capita.

Dec 5, 2021 • 57min
Whatever happened to the free web?
The internet promised new ways to challenge power and privilege, so how has it become a tool to promote division and entrench despots?
Welcome to Burning Platforms: De-Coding the Power and Politics of Big Tech.
Join Peter Lewis, Lizzie O' Shea, and Dan Stinton, with guest, Elaine Pearson (Asia Director at Human Rights Watch), for this week's analysis of the politics of technology from around the world.
Burning Platforms is brought to you by the Centre of the Public Square - an initiative of Per Capita.

Nov 21, 2021 • 56min
What’s the go with DuckDuckGo?
The dominance of Google’s data-hungry search engine is under the spotlight in Australia, with live inquiries on its role in the Ad-tech industry and anti-competitive deals which embed the search engine in smart devices.
But DuckDuckGo has proven that you can build a search engine that's not based on user surveillance.
Welcome to Burning Patforms: De-Coding the Power and Politics of Big Tech.
Join Peter Lewis, Lizzie O'Shea, and Dan Stinton (managing director of Guardian Australia) for this week's analysis of the politics of technology from around the world.
Burning Platforms is brought to you by the Centre of the Public Square - an initiative of Per Capita.