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What Keeps Facebook Up at Night Mar 14, 2018

Show notes

On this week’s If Then, Slate’s April Glaser and Will Oremus discuss Elon Musk’s plan to… colonize Mars? They explain how sanctuary cities may unwittingly be sharing data with ICE through police surveillance tech. And Facebook VP Adam Mosseri, head of the news feed, joins the show for a wide-ranging interview. He explains how his team thinks about its responsibility to inform the public, and how they tackle complex problems ranging from fake news in the United States to Facebook-fueled hate campaigns in Myanmar.

Podcast production by Max Jacobs.

If Then plugs:

You can get updates about what’s coming up next by following us on Twitter @ifthenpod. You can follow Will @WillOremus and April @Aprilaser. If you have a question or comment, you can email us at ifthen@slate.com.

If Then is presented by Slate and Future Tense, a collaboration among Arizona State University, New America, and Slate. Future Tense explores the ways emerging technologies affect society, policy, and culture. To read more, follow us on Twitter and sign up for our weekly newsletter.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Nietzsche with a 3D Printer Mar 07, 2018

Show notes

On this week’s If Then, Slate’s April Glaser and Will Oremus try to make sense of Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey’s rare honest assessment of his company’s shortfalls, and what new state regulations mean for self-driving cars and trucks. Cody Wilson, the man behind the first 3D printed gun, joins the hosts to talk about his vision of a “Wikileaks for guns” and why he thinks gun control is no longer possible. And, as always, Don’t Close My Tabs: this week Will looks at the “deepfakes” video phenomenon and April discusses former Trump aide Sam Nunberg’s email inbox exhaustion.

Don’t Close My Tabs:

Twitter: Sam Nunberg on CNN with Jake TapperNew York Times: Here Comes the Fake Videos, Too

Podcast production by Max Jacobs.

If Then plugs:

Please fill out the Slate podcast survey at slate.com/podcastsurvey

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“You Have to Be Heard” Feb 28, 2018

Show notes

On this week’s If Then, Slate’s April Glaser and Will Oremus take a look at Vero, the new social network that has people fleeing Instagram and Facebook, how conspiracy theories after the Parkland massacre have bubbled to the top of YouTube’s search results, and the controversy over how Facebook charges for campaign ads, after a Wired report showed that Trump faced much lower rates than Clinton in the 2016 presidential election. FCC Commissioner Mignon Clyburn joins the show to talk about net neutrality, the upcoming Sinclair merger, sky-high prison phone rates and what the FCC is doing to help restore communications post Hurricane Maria.

Don’t Close My Tabs:

Wired: How Trump Conquered Facebook - Without Russian Ads

Uber Driver’s Playlists: @TEEJUS

Podcast production by Max Jacobs.

If Then plugs:

Please fill out the Slate podcast survey at slate.com/podcastsurvey

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How Russian Trolls Went Local Feb 21, 2018

Show notes

On this week’s If Then, Slate’s April Glaser and Will Oremus dig into special prosecutor Robert Mueller’s recent indictment of 13 Russian nationals and 3 Russian companies for their role in tampering with the 2016 election. Jonathan Albright from the Tow Center for Digital Journalism at Columbia join the hosts to talk about his take on the indictments, and the research he’s conducted that show how the big social media companies were manipulated by Russian trolls from the Internet Research Agency at a rate far greater than those companies claimed.

Don’t Close My Tabs:

The Verge: Google Removes ‘View Image’ Button From Search Results

Vulture: The Story of Combat Jack, Hip-Hop’s Flagship Podcaster

Podcast production by Max Jacobs.

If Then plugs:

Please fill out the Slate podcast survey at slate.com/podcastsurvey

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“Like” Is Too Simple an Emotion Feb 14, 2018

Show notes

On this week’s If Then, Slate’s April Glaser and Will Oremus lamentthe anticlimactic end to Waymo and Uber’s court drama, explain why teens are pissed at Snapchat, and examine John Perry Barlow’s contributions to the internet we know today. The hosts are joined by Justin Rosenstein, co-founder of Asana and the former Facebooker behind the like button, to talk about the distraction crisis and whether Silicon Valley can solve a problem it created.

Don’t Close My Tabs:

The Robot Dog That Can Open a Door Is Even More Impressive Than It Looks

Candy Heart Messages Written by a Neural Network

Podcast production by Max Jacobs.

If Then plugs:

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

FISA and Fury Feb 07, 2018

Show notes

On this week’s If Then, Slate’s April Glaser and Will Oremus talk about a new anti-tech lobbying group formed by ex-employees of Facebook and Google, the big trial that’s happening this week in San Francisco that involves Waymo accusing Uber of stealing trade secrets in a winner-take-all race for self-driving supremacy. The hosts are also joined by Marcy Wheeler, an independent journalist and long time expert on the ins and outs of FISA and mass digital surveillance. And as always, Don’t Close My Tabs, the hosts’ picks for best on the Web this week.

Don’t Close My Tabs:

New York Times: Making a Crypto Utopia in Puerto Rico

New York Times: A Driver’s Suicide Reveals the Dark Side of the Gig Economy

Podcast production by Max Jacobs.

If Then plugs:

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Through The Revolving Door Between Facebook and Democrats Jan 31, 2018

Show notes

On this week’s If Then, Slate’s April Glaser and Will Oremus talk about about a clever effort to restore net neutrality in Montana and New York. They also discuss Facebook’s latest news feed tweaks: this time it’s trying to resuscitate the local news economy by putting more stories from local sources in your feed. The hosts are joined by Dipayan Ghosh, a former privacy and policy advisor to Facebook, the Obama Administration, and Hillary Clinton’s campaign - to talk about his recent report on how digital advertising technologies lend themselves to disinformation campaigns, and what the government can do about it. And as always, Don’t Close My Tabs, their picks for best on the web this week.

Don’t Close My Tabs:

The Guardian: Fitness Tracking App Strava Gives Away Location of Secret US Army Bases

The New York Times: The Follower Factory

Podcast production by Max Jacobs.

If Then plugs:

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dudebros Everyday Jan 24, 2018

Show notes

On this week’s If Then, Slate’s April Glaser and Will Oremus talk about Facebook’s fraught plan to rate the media and the cool yet creepy Amazon store that automatically bills you for your purchases. The hosts are joined by Daily Beast technology and culture reporter Taylor Lorenz to talk about the incredible fame, wealth, and influence of young YouTube stars—and their startling business savvy. And, as always, Don’t Close My Tabs: Netflix’s price hike and an inside scoop on last year’s bizarre blow-up by the CEO of HQ Trivia.

Don’t Close My Tabs:

The Washington Post: Netflix raised its prices, and we kept subscribing anywayThe Daily Beast: CEO of HQ, the Hottest App Going: If You Run This Profile, We’ll Fire Our Host

Podcast production by Max Jacobs.

If Then plugs:

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Problem With Facebook Is Facebook Jan 17, 2018

Show notes

On this week’s If Then, Slate’s April Glaser and Will Oremus talk about the Senate’s stand on net neutrality and why Congress is set to renew a major piece of internet government mass surveillance legislation. The hosts are joined by Siva Vaidhyanathan, a professor of Media Studies at University of Virginia, to talk about Facebook’s big news feed changes and what they might mean for the way we read the news and talk to one another online. And on Don’t Close My Tabs: Google’s gorilla problem and “authentic” Instagram ads.

Don’t Close My Tabs:

The Verge: Google ‘fixed’ its racist algorithm by removing gorillas from its image-labeling tech

The Atlantic: The Strange Brands in Your Instagram Feed

Podcast production by Max Jacobs.

If Then plugs:

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Live from CES: Our Dumb "Smart" Future Jan 10, 2018

Show notes

On this week’s If Then, Slate’s April Glaser and Will Oremus are at CES, the huge trade show put on by the Consumer Technology Association in Las Vegas. They talk about all the weird, wonderful, and unnecessary gadgets and tech they seen so far the convention, like the laundry folding robots that might not be very good at folding laundry, bizarre tech for your pets, drones and self driving cars, smart mirrors, and even a smart couch. The hosts will talk about the cybersecurity concerns surrounding Intel and how they’ve handled the situation so far, and the big battle between Amazon’s Alexa and Google’s new AI assistants.