Are social media algorithms actually destroying the internet?

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In this episode of my Section 230 series, I sit down with Eric Goldman, Associate Dean for Research and Professor at Santa Clara Law, and one of the nation's foremost experts on internet law, to debunk the biggest myths surrounding Section 230 and algorithmic amplification.

I hear all the time: platforms should lose their Section 230 protections because they use algorithms. But what actually is an algorithm? Most people don't even understand the basics. Eric and I discuss how even the beloved "reverse chronological order" feed is an algorithm, and why it actually rewards spammers, trolls, and bad actors.

We dive deep into how politicians are using the "techlash" to gain power, why censorship has become a bipartisan value, and how companies like Meta actually want Section 230 gone so they can wipe out their smaller competitors.

From the dangers of age verification laws to the truth about how algorithms protect us from navigating an internet that functions like a giant folder of Google Drive links, we discuss the real existential threats to the open web, and how arguments about "algorithms" miss the real powers at play.

Topics Covered:

• Why reverse chronological feeds encourage bad content

• How algorithms function as basic editorial choices

• Why Meta/Facebook lobbies to remove Section 230 to build competitive moats

• The bipartisan push for internet censorship and government control

• The devastating impacts of age verification laws and losing youth online spaces

The AI industry just had one of its biggest controversies ever.

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A massive conflict between the Pentagon and leading AI companies like Anthropic and OpenAI has triggered a nationwide debate about how artificial intelligence should be used in warfare and surveillance. What started as a $200 million government contract fight quickly spiraled into a Silicon Valley crisis involving autonomous weapons, mass surveillance, and the future of AI regulation.

In this episode of Free Speech Friday, I sit down with The Atlantic's Ross Anderson to uncover the dark truth behind the Pentagon’s push for fully autonomous weapons and mass domestic surveillance. We discuss whether AI models like Claude and ChatGPT should be used for military operations, drone targeting, and intelligence analysis. The controversy intensified when Anthropic reportedly pushed back against certain Pentagon requests while OpenAI later reached a separate agreement with the Department of Defense.

We break down exactly how negotiations between Anthropic and the Department of War broke down over using AI to analyze the commercial data of American citizens. From Pete Hegseth going "nuclear" and labeling Anthropic a "supply chain risk", to OpenAI and Sam Altman swooping in at the last minute to claim the government deal, this is the AI drama that broke tech Twitter. Plus, we discuss why Claude experienced a massive subscriber spike while ChatGPT took the military contract.

Topics covered in this video include:

• The Pentagon AI contract controversy

• OpenAI vs Anthropic drama explained

• Autonomous weapons and AI warfare

• AI surveillance concerns

• Silicon Valley reactions to the deal

• The future of AI in national security

How Jeffrey Epstein Shaped the Modern Internet: From 4chan to Facebook

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Since the release of the Epstein files, we've learned a ton about Epstein's role in the early web. From 4chan to World of Warcraft, to Facebook, and online movements like gamergate and #MeToo, Epstein seems to have played a role in it all.

So how much of our modern internet was shaped by Epstein? I sat down with Ryan Broderick, author of the Garbage Day newsletter and host of the Panic World podcast, to uncover how Jeffrey Epstein quietly warped our modern tech landscape.

From his early days scrubbing his SEO to his mysterious networking with Silicon Valley elites, Epstein's rise was intertwined with modern platforms, from MySpace to crypto.

We discuss:

How Epstein paid thousands of dollars a month for SEO services and "hacked" Wikipedia to hide his criminal record after his 2008 arrest.

A multi-year editor war over whether Epstein should be included in the notable offender widget on Wikipedia.

He actively explored in-game currencies in World of Warcraft and discussed loot boxes.

Epstein met with 4chan founder "Moot" the day before the infamous /pol/ board was created.

Epstein and Steve Bannon attempted to build a cryptocurrency-funded far-right movement.

The political plot motivated by Epstein's extreme fear of the MeToo movement.

How Epstein infiltrated Silicon Valley, meeting with billionaires like Elon Musk, Peter Thiel, and Mark Zuckerberg.

Epstein's role in Palantir and his bizarre eugenics ideology, hoping to breed young women and create a race of super babies.

How Epstein and his elite peers viewed islands and bunkers as a way to outlast climate change without submitting to government regulation.

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https://garbageday.email

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