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Bytes: Week in Review - AI regulation ban dies, renewable energy credits hit and Amazon’s millionth robot Jul 04, 2025

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On this week’s “Marketplace Tech Bytes: Week in Review,” Marketplace’s Nova Safo and Paresh Dave, senior writer at WIRED, discuss Amazon releasing its 1 millionth robot at one of its warehouses. Plus, lawmakers contended with provisions dealing with artificial intelligence and renewable energy in that big tax and spending bill, recently passed by Congress, that consumed Washington this week.

How AI "ghost students" are stealing financial aid Jul 03, 2025

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In today’s episode, Marketplace’s Nova Safo speaks with Sharon Lurye, a data reporter at the Associated Press, about her recent investigation into “ghost students” — scammers who use AI to pretend to be college students in order to steal financial aid and loan money.

News on social media is now mainstream Jul 02, 2025

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What once was taboo has now gone mainstream. As television and print audiences have dwindled over recent years, social media is now the No. 1 place for Americans to get their news updates.

Detailed in the reportfrom the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism at the University of Oxford, Americans across the political spectrum are using social media for news consumptions over traditional avenues. However, conservative influencers have seen the largest audiences and most engagement.

Marketplace’s Nova Safo spoke with Nic Newman, a co-author of the report, to talk about the state of news consumption in the U.S.

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“Overview and key findings of the 2025 Digital News Report” — from the Reuters Institute and the University of Oxford

Some states shared private health information with Big Tech Jul 01, 2025

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An investigation from Tomas Apodaca, at CalMatters and The Markup, found several states were accidentally sharing private health information with tech companies. The tech companies receiving the information never even wanted it. Marketplace’s Nova Safo spoke with Apodaca to learn more about the accidental leak.

The case for the FTC to rein in Big Tech for online safety Jun 30, 2025

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Haley Hinkle, policy counsel at the advocacy group Fairplay, recently formulated a case brought to the FTC, saying there are powers afforded to the Commission to impose new children's safety regulations on internet companies. She specifically points to Section 5 of the FTC Act, which prohibits “unfair or deceptive acts or practices in or affecting commerce.”

Bytes: Week in Review - AI's fair use case win, at-home camera surveillance tech, and iPhone's 'F1' ad annoys users Jun 27, 2025

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On this week’s Bytes: Week in Review: Apple irked customers with movie ads, the Mideast conflict reminded us of the lack of security in smart surveillance cameras, and a federal judge handed down a landmark ruling on AI’s use of copyrighted works, citing a legal doctrine known as fair use.

Data centers in space Jun 26, 2025

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Demand for data centers continues to grow everywhere, but their environmental impacts are causing some to consider a different option: build them in space, where there's lots of room, solar power and a cold environment. Marketplace’s Nova Safo spoke with Evan Robinson-Johnson, business reporter at The Information, to learn more.

How commercial satellites are defining modern warfare Jun 25, 2025

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Over the last several days, you may have seen the latest examples of a growing phenomenon: satellite images of a conflict zone. This time, they were of Iranian nuclear sites, before and after American bombs struck. Images like these come from commercial satellite companies, a change from our past reliance on government-provided photographs. The shift toward commercial satellites gained steam amid Russia’s war in Ukraine, according to Mariel Borowitz, an associate professor at the Georgia Institute of Technology who specializes in space policy and the satellite industry.

Iranians are left without internet access amid Middle East conflict Jun 24, 2025

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Iran's government knocked out internet and mobile networks after Israel began bombing the country. That’s left the population with little to no access to critical information. One person who watched this played out is Ahmad Ahmadian, executive director at Holistic Resilience, an organization that helps Iranians circumvent government censorship. He says Iran's government often restricts internet during critical times.

California seeks new guardrails on automated AI systems Jun 23, 2025

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In California, the state Senate has voted in favor of a so-called AI Bill of Rights, which would establish new guardrails around automated decision systems. To learn more about them, Marketplace’s Nova Safo spoke with Kate Brennan, associate director of the think tank AI Now Institute.

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