August 19, 2025

S36 Ep1: Baroness Beeban Kidron - Privacy in the Age of AI and Surveillance

37 minutes

Today, Steve sits down with Baroness Beeban Kidron, a member of the House of Lords in the UK and a global authority on online privacy and tech regulation. They discuss the critical importance of privacy on the internet in the age of surveillance capitalism, why we need to reframe how we talk about AI and new technology, and the problems with the UK government’s current AI policy.

Key Takeaways:

The internet has changed, making privacy online essential.

Regulating the internet and technology is still possible.

The current path the world is on when it comes to AI is highly problematic and should be taken more seriously.

Tune in to hear more about:

Why privacy online matters more than ever (1:22)

How technology is impacting early childhood development (12:08)

Baroness Kidron’s take on the UK’s AI strategy (28:17)

Standout Quotes:

“[The internet] is deliberately designed to keep your attention. Deliberately designed to make you come back, deliberately designed to know the most, to reveal the most. And in that context, actually, privacy becomes an incredible tool of protection for the user, particularly for children who may not understand the negotiation that they're in.” - Baroness Beeban Kidron

“ We have to think about what kind of world we want, what kind of world is good for us, what kind of world benefits most people, and then we build ourselves a pathway to do the most we can in that direction.” - Baroness Beeban Kidron

“ it is hugely important to protect the idea of copyright. It is a moral right because it is an expression of your humanity. What you write, what you draw, what you sing is yours. It is you. It is a manifestation of you. So it comes with, and in fact, in human rights law, it is specifically stated that it is your moral right to determine how that is used.” - Baroness Beeban Kidron

Read the transcript of this episode

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