The Decoded Podcast

There’s been a lot of attention this week on Arturo Béjar, the latest whistleblower to come forward with concerns about how Meta handles online content aimed at children. He testified before the Senate earlier this week, and he’s been cooperating with investigations brought by the Federal Trade Commission and state attorneys general. On Politico Tech today, he talks with Rebecca Kern and Steven Overly about why now was the right time to come forward.

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Sens. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) and Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) face an uphill battle to get their Kids Online Safety Act to the president’s desk. On POLITICO Tech, the lawmakers discuss Tuesday’s testimony from the Meta whistleblower and whether his revelations will put fresh momentum behind their legislation.

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The Senate will hear from a former Meta executive today who says the company is not adequately addressing how social media content harms children. But he’s not the first to come forward. On POLITICO Tech, Meta’s original whistleblower, Frances Haugen, weighs in on the latest accusations against Meta.

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Facing a wave of violent crime in 2022, New Orleans decided to lift a ban on facial recognition technology and allow police to use it to identify certain suspects. But police were required to track how often the technology is used and whether it actually works. On POLITICO Tech, privacy reporter Alfred Ng and host Steven Overly discuss what the data show a year later.

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The fledgling industry for betting on U.S. election outcomes  — through regulated exchanges, not black markets — has been subject to immense regulatory scrutiny. Now, start-up company Kalshi is suing the Commodity Futures Trading Commission for blocking its plan to create one of these political markets. On POLITICO Tech, Kalshi co-founder Tarek Mansour argues these exchanges are not only legal, but good for democracy.

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The U.K. has brought together world leaders for a much-hyped summit on AI safety this week. And just before it got underway, the Biden administration unveiled a sweeping AI executive order, followed by a policy address from Vice President Kamala Harris. On POLITICO Tech, Playbook co-author Eugene Daniels joins host Steven Overly to discuss the political jockeying to be the world’s AI leader.

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Internet access has been significantly disrupted in Gaza since the start of its ongoing war with Israel, including a recent blackout that lasted more than 30 hours. On POLITICO Tech, host Steven Overly speaks with Palestinian community activist Nour Swirki and an internet watchdog  — NetBlocks director Alp Toker — about what it means to be disconnected from friends, family and the world.

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The Biden administration’s much-anticipated executive order aims to send a message that the U.S. will both create and regulate AI. The audience? Washington, Silicon Valley and the world. On POLITICO Tech, host Steven Overly speaks with one of the order’s architects, White House Special Adviser on AI Ben Buchanan.

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Student loan borrowers must soon resume payments for the first time in three years -- and many are flocking to social media for answers about their options. POLITICO education reporter Bianca Quilantan tells host Steven Overly that they are finding questionable advice and misinformation that is drowning out the Biden administration’s own message.

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The Supreme Court will hear a case brought by two Republican attorneys general accusing the Biden administration of coercing social media companies to remove conservative posts. Setting the politics aside, the ruling could have major implications for online speech. On POLITICO Tech, host Steven Overly asks Alex Abdo from the Knight First Amendment Institute to break it down.

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