Are Facebook (and Google) public utilities?
The Anti-Dystopians #9 with Josh Simons
The Anti-Dystopians are back, and with a new spring look! (If you like our new cover and logo, be sure to give us a rating on Apple Podcasts or Spotify so we can let our stylist know đ)
For this weekâs episode, I talked to Josh Simons, a PhD candidate in Government at Harvard University and a Labour candidate for local office in the UK (whoâs defending his dissertation next week!!). We discussed Joshâs research â what is machine learning and why is it (always) political? As our information infrastructure, should Google and Facebook be regulated as public or democratic utilities? And do we need a whole new understanding of corporationsâ role in society if weâre going to tackle the tech industry?Â
As always, you can listen to it here or subscribe here (Spotify) or here (Apple Podcasts).
Mentioned in This Weekâs Podcast
Josh Simons (co-authored with Dipayan Ghosh) on Brookings Institute â Utilities for democracy: Why and how the algorithmic infrastructure of Facebook and Google must be regulated
Virginia Eubanksâs seminal work on Automating Inequality: How High-Tech Tools Profile, Police and Punish the Poor. Plus a review on the LSEâs blog
Cory Doctorow on How to Destroy Surveillance Capitalism
More on the UKâs Competition and Markets Authority and Digital Markets Unit
Meme of the Week

What Iâve Been Writing
On the Minderoo Centreâs Blog Power-Switch, âClubhouse in China shows that even âharmlessâ apps may put individuals in harmâs way.â
What Iâve Been ReadingÂ
Privacy International has been doing a series of really excellent long reads about the UKâs DWP (Department for Work and Pensions) use of surveillance and algorithms on benefits claimants
The Anti-Dystopiansâ very own Kyra Jasper on CSIS about privacy issues with Singaporeâs contract tracing app
Two great articles from Ryan Mac and Craig Silverman (who just won a well-deserved George Polk award for their excellent reporting on Facebook and the tech industry!). On Mark Zuckerbergâs personal involvement in Facebookâs âcontent moderationâ policies Mark Changed The Rules: How Facebook Went Easy On Alex Jones And Other Right-Wing Figures. And, also, Facebook Is Considering Facial Recognition For Its Upcoming Smart Glasses (the word youâre looking for is, âARGH, NO!!!â)
If youâre wondering if the gig economy is still the worst, it is. Every single gig economy company that backed Californiaâs Prop 22 has raised prices and also doesnât provide healthcare, benefits or livable wages to workers
And the continuousness that is Amazon trying to stop workers from unionizing: Amazon Sends âVote NOâ Instructions to Unionizing Employees, Tells Them to Use New Mailbox. (Follow Lauren Gurley for great reporting on tech labor news)
Remember how we had Mallika from No Tech for Tyrants on to talk about Palantir and the NHS a few weeks ago? Well, openDemocracy is suing over the NHS contract after the Bureau of Investigative Journalism released a trove of internal UK government documents about the contract . . . we donât want to give any spoilers, but watermelon cocktails feature
For more humorous content, someone has created an eerie impression of AI Ethics conferences and Saudi Arabiaâs Crown Prince MBS has announced the creation of his city of the future (a line) with the energy of a tech bro announcing an underground tunnel
We Want to Hear From You!
If you have any recommendations or ideas for topics we should cover or folks we should interview, please get in touch to let us know.