Welcome to the Techdirt podcast! Each week (-ish, no promises), we'll post an episode here on Techdirt, or you can subscribe via Soundcloud, RSS or iTunes. Each episode begins with an essay, followed by a discussion, covering topic areas that are less news driven and instead more about larger ideas/concepts that we think are worth discussing. Enjoy!

Techdirt Podcast Episode 67: The Great Encryption Debate: Should There Be Back Doors?

(Mis)Uses of Technology

from the guess-which-side-we're-on dept

Tue, Mar 29th 2016 12:45pm — Leigh Beadon

Anyone who reads Techdirt knows our opinion on encryption: stronger is better, and giving the government (or anyone else) a back door is a dangerous idea. We've decried a lot of the stupid arguments that we've heard in favor of back doors — usually coming from technologically clueless politicians and law enforcement officers — but that doesn't mean we aren't open to considering some smart ones. This week, we've invited Albert Wenger (who you may recall from a discussion about basic income way back in Episode 16) to share his pro-backdoor position and engage in some friendly debate.

Follow the Techdirt Podcast on Soundcloud, subscribe via iTunes, or grab the RSS feed. You can also keep up with all the latest episodes right here on Techdirt.

Filed Under: albert wenger, encryption, podcast, privacy

22 Comments

Techdirt Podcast Episode 66: Why Are There So Many Messaging Companies?

Say That Again

from the the-medium-of-the-message dept

Tue, Mar 22nd 2016 12:45pm — Leigh Beadon

If you want to send someone a message online today, you've got a hell of a lot of options. Far from the erstwhile IM dominance of ICQ, today there are messaging platforms of every shape and size, a blurring of the lines between messaging and social media, and messaging components incorporated into almost everything. This week, we ask a simple question: why so many, and what are they all for?

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Filed Under: messaging, podcast, social media

Techdirt Podcast Episode 65: Net Neutrality, Zero Rating & The Games Internet Providers Play

Broadband

from the chaotic-neutral dept

Tue, Mar 15th 2016 12:45pm — Leigh Beadon

The battle for net neutrality seemed like it was over — but the regulations left a loophole open. Unsurprisingly, ISPs quickly started exploiting it, offering "zero rating" services to do an end-run around true net neutrality. Last week's guest Marvin Ammori joins us again this week, to discuss the true and imperfect state of net neutrality, and the many games internet providers play.

Follow the Techdirt Podcast on Soundcloud, subscribe via iTunes, or grab the RSS feed. You can also keep up with all the latest episodes right here on Techdirt.

Filed Under: net neutrality, zero rating

1 Comment

Techdirt Podcast Episode 64: Apple, The FBI & You

Legal Issues

from the encryption-on-the-line dept

Tue, Mar 8th 2016 12:45pm — Leigh Beadon

I don't think I need to reiterate how important the battle over the future of encryption is. It's not new, but rather the latest clash in a fight that has been raging for years, and the high-profile example of the San Bernardino attacker's iPhone has cast a spotlight on it. This week, we're joined by longtime Techdirt friend Marvin Ammori to dig into the details of this issue, its potential consequences, and its context in the history of encryption.

Follow the Techdirt Podcast on Soundcloud, subscribe via iTunes, or grab the RSS feed. You can also keep up with all the latest episodes right here on Techdirt.

Filed Under: apple, encryption, fbi, marvin ammori, podcast, privacy

Techdirt Podcast Episode 62: The Best/Worst Time To Be A Content Creator

Culture

from the a-tale-of-two-narratives dept

Tue, Feb 23rd 2016 12:45pm — Leigh Beadon

There's something notable and odd about the conversation around content creation in the digital age: a stark divide between the camp that believes the sky is falling, and the camp that believes things are better than they've ever been. This week, we discuss the question of which narrative is correct... or is it neither? Or both?

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Filed Under: content creation, podcast

3 Comments

Techdirt Podcast Episode 61: Barry Eisler On Publishing, Keanu Reeves And More (Part Two)

Culture

from the the-interview-continues dept

Tue, Feb 16th 2016 12:45pm — Leigh Beadon

Last week, we shared the first half of Mike's interview with Barry Eisler at the Commonwealth Club of California. This week, we've got the second half of that discussion, which pivots from national security and the surveillance state to Barry's novels, his experiences with publishing, and the time he met Keanu Reeves.

Follow the Techdirt Podcast on Soundcloud, subscribe via iTunes, or grab the RSS feed. You can also keep up with all the latest episodes right here on Techdirt.

Filed Under: barry eisler, keanu reeves, podcast, publishing

1 Comment

Techdirt Podcast Episode 60: Barry Eisler On Truth, Fiction And The Surveillance State (Part One)

Say That Again

from the which-one-is-stranger dept

Tue, Feb 9th 2016 12:45pm — Leigh Beadon

Those of you who've heard our previous episodes with Barry Eisler know that he has a unique insight into many of the topics we discuss here at Techdirt, stemming from the wide variety of perspectives he's had in his past: as an operative for the CIA, as a tech industry lawyer, and now as a bestselling author (his new book, The God's Eye View, explores a plausible future inspired by the Snowden revelations). Recently, Mike conducted an interview with Barry at the Commonwealth Club of California, and on this week's podcast we've got the first half of that interview, with a fascinating discussion about the truth (and fiction) of the modern surveillance state.

Follow the Techdirt Podcast on Soundcloud, subscribe via iTunes, or grab the RSS feed. You can also keep up with all the latest episodes right here on Techdirt.

Filed Under: barry eisler, edward snowden, podcast, surveillance

3 Comments

Techdirt Podcast Episode 59: Does The Internet Create More 'Winner Take All' Companies?

Innovation

from the and-is-that-a-problem? dept

Tue, Feb 2nd 2016 12:45pm — Leigh Beadon

The digital world is increasingly giving rise to "winner take all" industries, where a market is all but dominated by one company and, sometimes, a single smaller competitor. Since innovation is so often driven by competition and hindered by monopolies, this is a worrying trend — but its true extent, and its implications, are hardly clear. This week, we discuss various winner take all situations and what they mean for the future of innovation.

Follow the Techdirt Podcast on Soundcloud, subscribe via iTunes, or grab the RSS feed. You can also keep up with all the latest episodes right here on Techdirt.

Filed Under: competition, economics, innovation, podcast

5 Comments

Techdirt Podcast Episode 58: Just How Bad Is The TPP?

Techdirt

from the bad-or-worst? dept

Tue, Jan 26th 2016 12:40pm — Leigh Beadon

There are lots of criticisms of free trade agreements, especially the fact that they go far beyond "free trade" — but the Trans-Pacific Partnership truly takes the cake. This week, we're joined by Maira Sutton, the EFF's Global Policy Analyst, to discuss the many problems with the TPP. Tellingly, this episode is nearly twice as long as usual.

Follow the Techdirt Podcast on Soundcloud, subscribe via iTunes, or grab the RSS feed. You can also keep up with all the latest episodes right here on Techdirt.

Filed Under: podcast, techdirt, techdirt podcast, tpp

3 Comments

Techdirt Podcast Episode 57: Can Silicon Valley Help 'Disrupt' ISIS?

Innovation

from the yes/no/maybe dept

Tue, Jan 19th 2016 12:44pm — Leigh Beadon

Lately, there's been a lot of talk about cooperation between the government and the technology industry in the fight against terrorism, radicalization and, specifically, ISIS. A lot of this talk consists of the hugely problematic requests we discuss here regularly, like compromising encryption and cooperating with mass surveillance — but is that all there is to it? This week, we discuss what role Silicon Valley actually could play in combating ISIS.

Follow the Techdirt Podcast on Soundcloud, subscribe via iTunes, or grab the RSS feed. You can also keep up with all the latest episodes right here on Techdirt.

Filed Under: disruption, encryption, government, isis, silicon valley

3 Comments

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12:44	Techdirt Podcast Episode 56: The CES Post-Mortem (1)
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12:40	Techdirt Podcast Episode 32: Are Smart Watches The New Calculator Watches? (10)
12:41	Techdirt Podcast Episode 31: Closing In On Virtual Reality (0)
12:30	Techdirt Podcast Episode 30: Does Distance Matter In The Digital Age? (11)
12:37	Techdirt Podcast Episode 29: Autonomous Vehicles Will Change Everything (19)
12:30	Techdirt Podcast Episode 28: Is Car Ownership On The Way Out? (45)
12:30	Techdirt Podcast Episode 27: The Rise Of The On-Demand Economy (19)

Techdirt Podcast Episode 67: The Great Encryption Debate: Should There Be Back Doors?

from the guess-which-side-we're-on dept

Techdirt Podcast Episode 66: Why Are There So Many Messaging Companies?

from the the-medium-of-the-message dept

Techdirt Podcast Episode 65: Net Neutrality, Zero Rating & The Games Internet Providers Play

from the chaotic-neutral dept

Techdirt Podcast Episode 64: Apple, The FBI & You

from the encryption-on-the-line dept

Techdirt Podcast Episode 62: The Best/Worst Time To Be A Content Creator

from the a-tale-of-two-narratives dept

Techdirt Podcast Episode 61: Barry Eisler On Publishing, Keanu Reeves And More (Part Two)

from the the-interview-continues dept

Techdirt Podcast Episode 60: Barry Eisler On Truth, Fiction And The Surveillance State (Part One)

from the which-one-is-stranger dept

Techdirt Podcast Episode 59: Does The Internet Create More 'Winner Take All' Companies?

from the and-is-that-a-problem? dept

Techdirt Podcast Episode 58: Just How Bad Is The TPP?

from the bad-or-worst? dept

Techdirt Podcast Episode 57: Can Silicon Valley Help 'Disrupt' ISIS?

from the yes/no/maybe dept

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from the the-interview-continues dept

from the which-one-is-stranger dept

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