Decoded by POLITICO

Technology has made it so that we’re always connected. And for many of us, that means the boss can text or email anytime. But several countries are cracking down on after-work communication by enacting so-called “right-to-disconnect" laws. So far, two states in the U.S. have introduced such bills — with more expected to follow. But the Society of Human Resource Management argues the government shouldn’t be dictating work-life balance. On the show today, the association’s head of government affairs, Emily Dickens, joins host Steven Overly to explain the opposition to right-to-disconnect laws.

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It was looking like Congress had few plans to take up tech bills before the end of the year. But in Washington, one weekend and a couple of tweets can make a world of difference. Senators struck a deal to pony up money for key tech and telecom programs. And a major kids online safety bill may have gotten a much-needed boost from Elon Musk and Donald Trump Jr. On POLITICO Tech, health tech reporter Ruth Reader joins to discuss whether Trump world support can get that bill over the finish line.

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The government’s plan to potentially ban TikTok next month is still on schedule, at least for now. A federal appeals court ruled on Friday that Congress can legally force its parent company, ByteDance, to either sell the app or be shut down because of concerns about its ties to China. On POLITICO Tech, national security attorney Carrie Cordero from the Center for a New American Security joins host Steven Overly to parse through the ruling, and discuss what comes next as TikTok looks to the Supreme Court and President-elect Donald Trump returns to the White House.

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Chinese hackers have infiltrated major telecommunications networks, gaining access to the call logs and data of millions of Americans, including President-elect Donald Trump. But while the breach was first detected back in the spring, U.S. officials acknowledged this week that they’ve not yet been able to stop it. On POLITICO Tech, cybersecurity reporter Maggie Miller joins host Steven Overly to explain why the attack has been so hard to contain and how people can protect their information.

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Romanians head to the polls for a final round of voting on Sunday and European tech regulators will be watching. The candidate expected to win is a far-right politician named Călin Georgescu, who catapulted himself to the top in part due to his popularity on TikTok. But some regulators and researchers question whether Georgescu has gotten a boost from fake accounts and paid influencers — allegations that have put TikTok in the hot seat. On POLITICO Tech, reporter Pieter Haeck gives host Steven Overly the download on the drama unfolding from Bucharest to Brussels.

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Silicon Valley investor Marc Andreessen made headlines for backing Donald Trump in the 2024 election, and now stands to gain new levels of influence with Trump’s return to the White House. In a recent interview on “The Joe Rogan Experience,” Andreesen outlined his views on the changing political and media landscape, as well as his outlook for artificial intelligence and cryptocurrency. On POLITICO Tech, Digital Future Daily author Derek Robertson joins host Steven Overly to talk through the big takeaways and what they reveal about tech’s likely influence in Trump’s Washington.

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Donald Trump’s election victory has liberals torn over whether or not to ditch X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter and owned by Trump’s billionaire benefactor Elon Musk. They say it’s become a hotbed of disinformation and accuse Musk of using it to push a political agenda. POLITICO contributing writer and long-time tech journalist Nancy Scola spoke to a dozen Democratic lawmakers and activists who defended their decision to stay or leave. She joins host Steven Overly to discuss.

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Billionaire Frank McCourt wants to create a more decentralized internet, one where big tech companies don’t hold all the power and individuals control their own data. But McCourt believes people need to see that version of the internet to believe it is possible, so he is leading a coalition trying to purchase TikTok — assuming President-elect Donald Trump will still force it to be sold. On POLITICO Tech, McCourt sat down with host Steven Overly at a recent Project Liberty summit to discuss his vision for the internet’s future.

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Two years on from the release of ChatGPT, OpenAI has been beefing up its efforts to shape the way governments manage artificial intelligence. And earlier this year, the company tapped Democratic political veteran Chris Lehane to oversee global affairs. Now, Lehane is laying out proposals for how the U.S. government should invest in data, energy and chips to stay competitive with China. On POLITICO Tech, Lehane joins host Steven Overly to explain the company’s agenda and expectations for the incoming Trump administration.

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Silicon Valley voted en masse for Vice President Kamala Harris, but Democratic support there did decline, just as it did in many other parts of the country. Host Steven Overly called up Rep. Ro Khanna to talk about how Democrats win back voters -- both in Silicon Valley and the heartland – which he says will require Democrats to embrace tech as a force for rebuilding the country and the economy. Plus, Khanna weighs in on Elon Musk’s plans to cut government spending under the incoming Trump administration.

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