Authoritarian forces around the world are reshaping digital technologies into tools of control. This week, Imara dives into the growing threat of digital authoritarianism in the United States with writer and scholar Katherine Alejandra Cross. Katherine unpacks why social media has become such a radicalizing force in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic and development of individualizing algorithms. She and Imara also dig into the techno-authoritarian beliefs behind the "California ideology,” the way that Web 2.0 undermines collective action, and why Elon Musk’s power grab is a sign of desperation within Silicon Valley elite.

Subscribe to The Mess: Imara’s Guide to Our Political Hellscape on Apple Podcasts.

Send your trans joy recommendations to translash_podcast @ translash [dot] org

Follow TransLash Media @translashmedia on TikTok, Instagram, Threads, Bluesky, X, and Facebook.

Follow Imara Jones on Instagram (@Imara_jones_), Threads (@imara_jones_), Bluesky (@imarajones.bsky.social), X (@ImaraJones)

Follow our guest on social media!

Katherine Alejandra Cross: Bluesky (@quinnae.com)

TransLash Podcast is produced by TransLash Media.

Translash Team: Imara Jones, Oliver-Ash Kleine, Aubrey Calaway.

Xander Adams is our senior sound engineer and a contributing producer.

Morgan Astbury is our social media coordinator.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.