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Decoder with Nilay Patel

Recode Decode: “The Great Hack” director Karim Amer

Decoder with Nilay Patel

Vox Media Podcast Network

Technology, Business

4.33.2K Ratings

🗓️ 31 July 2019

⏱️ 67 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

In this live interview, Recode's Kara Swisher talks with former Cambridge Analytica COO Julian Wheatland, early Facebook investor Roger McNamee, and the director and writer of the new Netflix documentary The Great Hack — Karim Amer and Pedro Kos. Then, later in the show, Recode’s Jason Del Rey explores the origins of Amazon Prime, why it’s so effective at keeping us locked into their ecosystem, and how it became the source of the company’s power. In this episode: How Wheatland looks back on the Cambridge Analytica scandal and what went wrong; how Amer and Kos approached the subject to turn it into a documentary; Facebook’s evasion of responsibility; what the filmmakers want to happen as a result of their work; why Wheatland decided to be in the documentary; the “fix it” mentality vs. assigning blame; the fragility of western democracy; Brittany Kaiser, the key character of The Great Hack; how Facebook and Google are like chemical companies in the 1950s; and what's next for the people involved in the film. More information about Land of the Giants: Land of the Giants is a new podcast from Recode and the Vox Media Podcast Network about the five major technology companies (Facebook, Apple, Amazon, Netflix, and Google – or “FAANG”) that have reshaped our world. Each season focuses on one of the giants and explores the ways that it’s changed our lives – for better and for worse. The first season is about The Rise of Amazon and is hosted by Recode’s Jason Del Rey. Enjoy this special preview of the first episode, Why You’ll Never Quit Amazon Prime, and subscribe to Land of the Giants for free in your favorite podcast app to hear the rest of the episode and to get new episodes automatically. Vote for us: Recode Decode has been nominated for best technology podcast in this year’s People’s Choice Podcast Awards! Cast your vote for Recode Decode at https://www.podcastawards.com/app/signup before July 31st. One vote per category. Follow us Kara Swisher (@karaswisher), host Karim Amer (@Karim_Amer33), guest Julian Wheatland (@JulianWheatland), guest Roger McNamee (@Moonalice), guest Erica Anderson (@EricaAmerica), executive producer Eric Johnson (@HeyHeyESJ), producer More to explore If you haven't already, subscribe to Recode Decode Subscribe to Recode's other podcasts: Recode Media, Pivot, and Land of the Giants Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0

Sabotage hired goons and a landfill in Utah.

0:05.0

How Steve Jobs' revolutionary catastrophe of a computer, the Apple Lisa, earned a brief

0:10.7

second life and then was buried for good.

0:14.8

Watch the Verges documentary Lisa's final act now on YouTube.

0:19.0

Hi, it's Kara.

0:23.0

Quick note before today's show, stick around after the main interview for a special preview

0:27.1

of Jason Del Rey's new podcast, Land of the Giants.

0:32.1

Hi, I'm Kara Swisher, Editor-Large of Recode.

0:34.4

You may know me as someone who never uses Facebook.

0:36.6

Definitely has used me, but in my spare time I talk tech and you're listening to Recode

0:40.7

Decode from the Vox Media Podcast Network.

0:43.1

Today, we're going to play a panel discussion from the San Francisco premiere of The Great

0:47.0

Hack, a new Netflix documentary about the Cambridge Analytical Scandal.

0:51.6

I talk to the movie's director, Karim Amir, its producer Pedro Cose, the former COO of

0:56.9

Cambridge Analytica, Julian Wheatland, and venture capitalist Roger McNamey.

1:02.3

The Great Hack is now available on Netflix.

1:04.8

The discussion was recorded live after we watched the movie at the Letterman Theatre in

1:08.5

the Presidio of San Francisco.

1:10.4

So let's go there now to hear my conversation with the creators of The Great Hack.

1:14.7

Well, that was a laugh, right?

1:18.7

That was great.

1:21.4

Last night I got to interview Megan Rapinoe.

...

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