System Crash
Tech giants like Google and Facebook have conquered — some would say killed — the internet. Elon Musk used his platform to help elect Trump, and Silicon Valley elites want to gut the public sector. OpenAI and Microsoft aim to wipe away millions of jobs. Uber is driving down wages. Apple is impenetrable. Amazon is inescapable. All this high tech, and our quality of life is getting lower. The system has crashed.
So, System Crash: a weekly tech news show willing to tell the hard truths about how tech — and the titans who own and operate it — is really transforming the world. Co-hosts Paris Marx and Brian Merchant dissect the stories that matter, break news of their own, offer expert commentary, and interview journalists, whistleblowers, authors, and tech workers and ordinary people fighting back.
System Crash
Mark Zuckerberg Saves Free Speech
The new year has arrived, and luckily Mark Zuckerberg has started it by saving free speech! Brian and Paris break down the latest announcements from our benevolent social media overseer, what they signal about the tech oligarchy’s embrace of MAGA, and how they’re crushing any attempts to rein in their power. Plus, how Elon Musk is interfering in politics in Europe, ChatGPT Pro isn’t profitable, and more!
Mentioned this week:
- Mark Zuckerberg is ditching fact checkers and Republican operative Joel Kaplan got a promotion to president of global affairs — the same guy who was stifling action against conservatives breaking rules several years ago.
- OpenAI is losing money on its $200 a month ChatGPT Pro subscription.
- Google sent $100 million to the collective representing Canadian news organizations, in response to government legislation.
Theme music is “Dystopia” by YACHT. Production is by Eric Wickham.
