Podcast Summary
Alienware deals, FTC crackdown: Alienware offers discounts on advanced laptops with powerful processors, impressive visuals, and extra features, while the FTC cracks down on an anonymous messaging app for violating privacy laws
Alienware is currently offering Black Friday-level deals on select next-gen PCs, including the advanced Alienware M18 laptop with Intel Core i9 processor, impressive visuals, liquid cooling, three-dimensional audio with Dolby Atmos, and overclocking potential. This limited-time offer comes as the Republican Party has adopted a platform friendly towards cryptocurrency and artificial intelligence, looking to roll back regulations on both. Meanwhile, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has cracked down on the anonymous messaging app NGL, with allegations of tricking customers and violating children's privacy laws. The app, which was the most downloaded product on the Apple App Store in 2022, has agreed to a settlement, barring minors from the app. Meta's Threads social media platform, once dubbed the "Twitter Killer," celebrated its one-year anniversary and claims to have amassed 175 million users, but its ability to break through remains uncertain.
Social media companies and data privacy: The FTC is cracking down on social media companies for exaggerating their capabilities to protect young users from harm and employing deceptive tactics to get users to download their apps, amidst increasing regulatory scrutiny over data privacy and monetization of children's data.
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has charged NextGen Legion (NGL), a social media company, with lying about its capabilities to protect young users from harm on its app. The FTC alleges that NGL exaggerated its use of AI technology to prevent cyberbullying and employed deceptive tactics to get users to download the app. The FTC's Chair, Lena Khan, stated that they will continue to crack down on businesses exploiting children for profit. This action comes amidst increasing regulatory scrutiny of tech companies over data privacy and monetization of children's data. Last year, the FTC reached a settlement with Epic Games over similar allegations, and the FTC and FCC have been working to bar Facebook and Instagram from monetizing data of children and teens under 18. This trend suggests that regulators are taking a more active role in protecting minors online in the absence of significant federal legislation.
Tech Policy, Youth Protection: The FTC's ban on TikTok for users under 18 signifies a major step in protecting youth from potential tech harms, while the GOP's tech platform supports cryptocurrency innovation and ethical AI development.
The FTC's ban on TikTok for users under 18 marks a significant milestone in the ongoing tension between big tech and youth protection. Meanwhile, Alienware's Black Friday and July deals offer gamers advanced technology to compete at top levels. On a different note, the "How We Survive" podcast addresses climate change concerns through practical tips and solutions. In tech policy news, the GOP's adoption of Donald Trump's platform includes stances on cryptocurrency and AI. The party supports cryptocurrency as a "revolutionary technology" and calls for regulations that protect consumers while fostering innovation. Additionally, the platform emphasizes the importance of AI in enhancing economic growth and national security, but also advocates for ethical development and transparency.
US Presidential Campaign and Crypto: The US presidential campaign is seeing significant attention from the crypto industry, with both the Democratic and Republican parties accepting crypto donations and the candidates potentially swaying crypto traders and investors' votes
The crypto industry is gaining significant attention from both the Democratic and Republican parties in the ongoing US presidential campaign. The Trump campaign has announced its acceptance of crypto donations, including Bitcoin and Dogecoin, marking a shift from Trump's previous negative stance towards crypto. Trump himself has also invested in crypto and issued his own NFT. Biden, on the other hand, has been critical of crypto during his administration. The adoption of a more public conversation on crypto by both candidates could potentially sway crypto traders and investors, who number around 18 million in the US, towards a decisive vote. The Republican platform also calls for rolling back the Biden administration's executive order on AI. Rolling back the order could mean easing regulations on AI development and implementation, which could have significant implications for the tech industry. The extent of the impact of crypto leaders and investors on the election outcome remains to be seen, but their potential rallying power cannot be ignored.
AI policy shift: Biden prioritizes AI safety and security while Trump's actions indicate a potential shift in AI policy towards fossil fuels, and Meta's Threads app faces the challenge of sustaining and expanding its user base
The development of AI is a priority for the US government, with Biden issuing an executive order in October 2023 to ensure its safety, security, and trustworthiness. Developers are expected to share safety test results and develop standards and tools. While there's been no public pushback from AI founders, Trump's recent actions indicate a potential shift in AI policy, which could include a pivot from renewable energy sources to fossil fuels. Meanwhile, Meta's Threads app, which turned one last week, has over 175 million users but faces the challenge of maintaining and growing that user base. The app saw a large initial user base but sustaining and expanding it is a significant hurdle for many consumer apps.
Threads growth and potential impact: Threads, a new social media platform, has seen growth but daily active user numbers are unclear. It's gaining traction among journalists and executives, and could become one of many apps used for various purposes. The lack of data on user activity and the anticipated showdown between Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg add to the intrigue.
Threads, the new social media platform, has seen significant growth beyond its initial five days, but the number of daily active users remains unclear. The app, which aims to be a kinder, gentler alternative to other platforms, has seen some adoption by journalists and executives, but it's not yet clear how widely used it is among the general public. Despite the lack of concrete data on user activity, some have speculated that Threads could become one of many apps used for various purposes, similar to LinkedIn. However, the long-awaited showdown between Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg on the platform has yet to materialize. The conversation between Natasha Mascarini and the interviewer also touched upon the potential reasons for users leaving other platforms and the potential impact of these shifts on the social media landscape. Overall, the conversation highlighted the ongoing evolution of social media and the continued search for alternatives to existing platforms.
Marketplace Tech team: A talented team of producers, engineers, and a senior producer collaborate under American Public Media to create insightful and engaging technology news content for their audience, led by an executive producer and hosted by Megan McCarty-Korino.
The production of Marketplace Tech is a collaborative effort of a talented team. This team includes Jesus Alvarado, Rosie Hughes, Daniel Shen as producers, Gary O'Keefe and Becca Weinman as engineers, and Daisy Palacios as the senior producer. Overseeing the entire operation is Kelly Silvera, the executive producer. Megan McCarty-Korino hosts the show, and they all work together under the umbrella of American Public Media (APM). This team's collective expertise ensures the creation of insightful and engaging technology news content for their audience.