"Don't Be Evil": How the Mega-Rich Hijacked the American Dream

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The internet was originally seen as a tool of progress and innovation, but the reality has turned out to be economically, politically, and morally fraught. The question isn’t whether technology is good or bad. It’s who it serves, who it harms, and who profits. Our dependence hasn’t just created better gadgets, it’s created a new economic ruling class. Companies that don’t just dominate the market; they are the market. Platforms that don’t just reflect culture; they steer it. This week, Stacey is joined by former Special Assistant to the President for Technology and Competition Policy, law professor, and author of The Age of Extraction, Tim Wu to break down how these dominant platforms manipulate attention, extract wealth, and deepen inequality. CHECK OUT THESE DEALS FROM OUR SPONSORS REMI: http://www.shopremi.com/ASSEMBLY promo code: ASSEMBLY ONESKIN: https://www.oneskin.co/assembly promo code: ASSEMBLY WILD ALASKAN COMPANY: http://www.wildalaskan.com/ASSEMBLY Learn & Do More Be Curious: If you enjoyed Stacey’s conversation with Tim Wu check out his book, “The Age of Extraction” Solve Problems: Right now, Congress is again considering legislation that would prevent states from passing their own AI regulations, and Trump has floated an executive order that would override state laws. In contrast, Senator Richard Blumenthal has proposed a minimum set of federal regulations while also allowing states to add their own. Call your member of Congress and ask them to oppose any legislation that would block AI regulation. In addition, urge your state legislature and local leaders like your school board to pass legislation for policies that protect data and privacy. Urge them to do it now, before Congress takes action. Organizations like the Electronic Frontier Foundation, the ACLU, and the Center for Humane Technology can be resources for understanding good local tech policy. You also have power as a consumer. Look to alternative platforms for search like Duck Duck Go, and NPR has an excellent resource for ethical shopping options. Do Good: Take a tech mini-break. Go do something that exists off-screen. See a friend in person, take a workout class, sit in a park, go for a walk. If you’re game, try and set some real limits for yourself. CHAPTERS 0:00 - Is Big Tech Creating a Dystopia? 6:51 - How Did Tech Go Wrong? 9:17 - Net Neutrality and The Internet as a Utility 15:42 - How Tech is Weaponizing Inconvenience 18:09 - Ad Break 1 21:58 - How Tech is Enabling Authoritarianism 27:06 - The Enshittification of Facebook, Google, and Amazon 35:18 - The Corruption of the Trump Administration 42:32 - Ad Break 2 44:21 - The Intersection of AI and DEI 52:56 - Stacey’s Toolkit Subscribe to our channel! Photos courtesy of AP Photo Archive Crooked believes that we need a better conversation about politics, culture, and the world around us—one that doesn’t just focus on what’s broken, but what we can do to fix it. At a time when it’s increasingly easy to feel cynical or hopeless, former Obama staffers Jon Favreau, Jon Lovett, and Tommy Vietor have created a place where people can have sane conversations that inform, entertain, and inspire action. In 2017 they started Crooked with Pod Save America—a no-bullshit conversation about politics. Since then, we continue to add shows, voices, and opportunities for activism, because it’s up to all of us to do our part to build a better world. That’s it. End of mission. Want some pep talks, the most important things to do/know, and the occasional dog pic? Shoot us a text at (323) 405-9944 Written content at http://www.crooked.com Follow Crooked on Twitter https://twitter.com/crookedmedia Follow Crooked on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/CrookedMedia/ Follow Crooked on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/crookedmedia/