Marketplace Tech

This week alone in our changed climate: More than two dozen people have died in wildfires in Western states and more are missing. Forecasters predict life-threatening flooding from Hurricane Sally in the Gulf. And the foundations of two major Antarctic glaciers are crumbling, threatening dramatic sea level rise. Bill Gates is founder of the billion-dollar Breakthrough Energy Ventures investment fund. He tells Molly Wood that American innovation is still necessary if we’re going to meet U.N. goals of becoming carbon neutral by 2050.

This week alone in our changed climate: More than two dozen people have died in wildfires in Western states and more are missing. Forecasters predict life-threatening flooding from Hurricane Sally in the Gulf. And the foundations of two major Antarctic glaciers are crumbling, threatening dramatic sea level rise. Bill Gates is founder of the billion-dollar Breakthrough Energy Ventures investment fund. He tells Molly Wood that American innovation is still necessary if we’re going to meet U.N. goals of becoming carbon neutral by 2050.

Discovering, manufacturing and distributing a vaccine will likely be the only way out of the pandemic, which has devastated the world’s economy. The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has been part of the effort to underwrite that work, including playing matchmaker between several pharma companies to manufacture billions of doses, even if they aren’t the eventual inventor. Molly Wood speaks with co-chair Bill Gates about his work on vaccine development.

Discovering, manufacturing and distributing a vaccine will likely be the only way out of the pandemic, which has devastated the world’s economy. The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has been part of the effort to underwrite that work, including playing matchmaker between several pharma companies to manufacture billions of doses, even if they aren’t the eventual inventor. Molly Wood speaks with co-chair Bill Gates about his work on vaccine development.

If your kids are going to school online, then one thing you’re probably concerned about is the data that’s being collected about them, and how it’s being stored and used. Well, there are some rules — actually, lots of them. You’ve probably heard of COPPA, the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act, and perhaps FERPA, the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act. Those are both federal laws governing data collection and kids. And, in the last six years, states have passed dozens more student privacy laws. But the problem is not everyone knows about them. Molly talks about it with Amelia Vance of the nonprofit Future of Privacy Forum.

If your kids are going to school online, then one thing you’re probably concerned about is the data that’s being collected about them, and how it’s being stored and used. Well, there are some rules — actually, lots of them. You’ve probably heard of COPPA, the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act, and perhaps FERPA, the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act. Those are both federal laws governing data collection and kids. And, in the last six years, states have passed dozens more student privacy laws. But the problem is not everyone knows about them. Molly talks about it with Amelia Vance of the nonprofit Future of Privacy Forum.

We’ve been covering President Donald Trump’s proposed ban on the Chinese-owned TikTok. But the president is also proposing to ban the Chinese app WeChat. The administration says the apps expose American user data to China’s government, a possible national security threat. With WeChat, there is real concern about surveillance and censorship. But the app is indispensable for communication between people outside China and those inside the country. And it is equally essential for American businesses who want to reach Chinese customers. Molly Wood speaks with Marketplace’s China correspondent Jennifer Pak, who says the ban would be like cutting off access to Facebook, Twitter, Amazon, Venmo, Zoom and Google. All at once.

We’ve been covering President Donald Trump’s proposed ban on the Chinese-owned TikTok. But the president is also proposing to ban the Chinese app WeChat. The administration says the apps expose American user data to China’s government, a possible national security threat. With WeChat, there is real concern about surveillance and censorship. But the app is indispensable for communication between people outside China and those inside the country. And it is equally essential for American businesses who want to reach Chinese customers. Molly Wood speaks with Marketplace’s China correspondent Jennifer Pak, who says the ban would be like cutting off access to Facebook, Twitter, Amazon, Venmo, Zoom and Google. All at once.

At this point, consumers, tech employees, even the CEOs of some big tech companies say there should be more regulation around online privacy, advertising and even disinformation. But what might that regulation look like? The German Marshall Fund think tank is pushing for an initiative called the Digital New Deal. It contains a bunch of policy proposals and would ideally create more transparency into how tech companies operate and question the incentives that push disinformation. Molly Wood discusses it with Karen Kornbluh, director of the Digital Innovation and Democracy Initiative at the German Marshall Fund.

At this point, consumers, tech employees, even the CEOs of some big tech companies say there should be more regulation around online privacy, advertising and even disinformation. But what might that regulation look like? The German Marshall Fund think tank is pushing for an initiative called the Digital New Deal. It contains a bunch of policy proposals and would ideally create more transparency into how tech companies operate and question the incentives that push disinformation. Molly Wood discusses it with Karen Kornbluh, director of the Digital Innovation and Democracy Initiative at the German Marshall Fund.