#1396 The Platforms of Our Discontent (Social Media, Social Destruction) (Repost)
Best of the Left - Leftist Perspectives on Progressive Politics, News, Culture, Economics and Democracy
Jay Tomlinson
4.5 • 3.4K Ratings
🗓️ 15 February 2022
⏱️ 70 minutes
🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS
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Summary
Original Air Date 2/5/2021
Today we take a look at the role that social media plays in the radicalization of discontented communities and engage in the debate over content moderation and de-platforming of individuals.
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SHOW NOTES
Ch. 1: Why everyone hates Big Tech, with The Verge's Nilay Patel - The Weeds - Air Date 7-19-19
Verge editor-in-chief and Vergecast host Nilay Patel joins Matt in this special crossover episode to explain what Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, which allows platforms to circumnavigate liability for user content, really means.
Ch. 2: Let’s Break Up Facebook, Google, Amazon - Newsbroke - Air Date 1-30-21
Trump has been removed from the nation’s capital and the nation’s social media feeds. And while it was fun to watch him and other far-right accounts “getting owned” by Twitter, Facebook, Google and other platforms, it does pose an important question
Ch. 3: Solving the Facebook Problem at Home and Abroad - On The Media - Air Date 5-22-19
When former Facebook co-founder Chris Hughes penned a New York Times op-ed calling for the breakup of the platform, he was lauded by anti-corporate politicians and the press. Then came a series of hard questions
Ch. 4: Zephyr Teachout on "Break 'Em Up" - Off-Kilter - Air Date 8-4-20
Rebecca talks to Zephyr Teachout about her new book "Break 'Em Up: Recovering our Freedom from Big Tech, Big Ag, and Big Money" and why we need an antitrust movement for our time.
Sacha Baron Cohen is the well-deserved recipient of ADL’s International Leadership Award, which goes to exceptional individuals who combine professional success with a profound personal commitment to community involvement and to crossing borders
Ch. 6: Joan Donovan on how platforms enabled the capital hill riot Part 1 - Big Tech - Air Date 1-21-21
Joan Donovan studies social movements and their use of media and technology to spread their message.
Recode’s Peter Kafka speaks with New York Times’s Tech columnist Kevin Roose about big tech’s power and responsibility - and whether it is going to have accountability.
Former Facebook Chief Security Officer Alex Stamos joins Mehdi Hasan to explain how Facebook is tackling radicalization on its platform, and where the company is still falling short.
Ch. 9: Joan Donovan on how platforms enabled the capital hill riot Part 2 - Big Tech - Air Date 1-21-21
Joan Donovan studies social movements and their use of media and technology to spread their message.
MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S)
Ch. 10: Your Nation's Attention for the Price of a Used Car - Your Undivided Attention - Air Date 10-6-20
Today’s extremists don’t need highly produced videos like ISIS. They don’t need deep pockets like Russia. With the right message, a fringe organization can reach the majority of a nation’s Facebook users for the price of a used car.
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 11: Final comments on Social Media Externalities
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):
- Opening Theme: Loving Acoustic Instrumental by John Douglas Orr
- Voicemail Music: Low Key Lost Feeling Electro by Alex Stinnent
- Activism Music: This Fickle World by Theo Bard
- Closing Music: Upbeat Laid Back Indie Rock by Alex Stinnent
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson
Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Hey everyone, you're about to hear one of our excellent episodes handpicked from the archives. |
| 0:05.1 | Why? Because we believe in vacation time, and so do our members. |
| 0:09.2 | After more than 10 years of perpetually verging on burnout, |
| 0:13.9 | members voted to give me a French amount of time off each year. |
| 0:18.0 | So I thank them for that, and use this as an opportunity to urge you |
| 0:22.9 | to agitate for better working conditions for yourself and across the board. |
| 0:27.5 | Now, enjoy the fruits of our labor. |
| 0:34.2 | Welcome to this episode of the award-winning Best of Left podcast, |
| 0:37.5 | in which we shall learn about the role that social media plays in the radicalization |
| 0:42.0 | of discontented communities and engage in the debate over content, moderation, |
| 0:47.0 | and de-platforming of individuals. |
| 0:49.8 | These clips today are from the weeds, news broke from AJ+. On the media, off-kilter, |
| 0:57.7 | a piece of a speech from Sasha Baron Cohen, big tech, |
| 1:01.6 | vox conversations, the metihesson show, and your undivided attention. |
| 1:13.4 | I think one thing everyone will agree on, just universally, |
| 1:17.3 | is that these companies are not necessarily well-run. |
| 1:20.0 | Sure. |
| 1:21.8 | And even if they were perfectly run, the nature of writing and enforcing speech regulation |
| 1:31.5 | is such that you're still going to do a bad job. |
| 1:35.2 | The United States has been trying to develop a free speech policy in our courts |
| 1:38.9 | for 220 plus years, and we're pretty bad at it. |
| 1:42.8 | But like four guys at Facebook aren't going to do a good job in 20 years. |
... |
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