The Scammers and Smut that Sparked the Modern Internet

Over the past few months, our host Brian Reed has been reporting on Section 230 – the law that shields online platforms and websites from lawsuits and has shaped the way we get information today. Now, a bipartisan attack on Section 230 is taking hold in Congress. During a Senate hearing last week, Democratic Senator Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island called Section 230 “a real vessel for evil that needs to come to an end.” He and a group of senators are hoping to move forward a Section 230 repeal bill in time for its 30th anniversary early next year. In previous episodes, we’ve looked at how the law allows misinformation, scams, and deepfakes on today’s internet. Now, Brian goes back to the beginning: the mid-1990s when lawmakers created this law. And we see how a peculiar case in one New York courtroom ended up having massive consequences for the internet we know today. Also: an expert on Section 230 has some beef with Brian’s reporting.  Question Everything is a production of KCRW and Placement Theory. And don’t forget to sign up for our newsletter. Guest:  Jeff Kosseff, law professor and author of “The Twenty-Six Words That Created the Internet”

By December 19th, the Department of Justice is supposed to release all DOJ and FBI files related to Jeffrey Epstein. But through Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests, Bloomberg investigative reporter Jason Leopold has uncovered evidence of a secretive operation on the Epstein files that the FBI called the “Special Redaction Project.” That doesn’t necessarily inspire confidence about how much information will become public, does it?  Jason found that nearly 1,000 FBI agents were trained to review and redact the files, which included thousands of pages of documents, interview summaries, surveillance footage, search warrant photos, and more than 8 terabytes of digital evidence. The Department of Justice can withhold anything it claims is tied to an ongoing investigation – a huge loophole that could keep many of these records from the public.   But all hope is not lost. Jason also reported on a nearly decade-old FOIA lawsuit from a defunct magazine that could ultimately force the government to release more of the Epstein records.  This week, we’re airing an episode of Disclosure, where investigative reporter Jason Leopold and First Amendment attorney Matt Topic walk us through what we can expect when the deadline to release the Epstein files hits next week. Check out more episodes from the premiere season of Disclosure. Question Everything is a production of KCRW and Placement Theory. And don’t forget to sign up for our newsletter. Guests: Jason Leopold, Disclosure co-host and Bloomberg News investigative reporter Matt Topic, Disclosure co-host and First Amendment attorney

When the recent slate of Jeffrey Epstein emails dropped, one line immediately jumped out: “I think you should let him hang himself.” It was part of a 2015 email exchange between journalist Michael Wolff and his source, Jeffrey Epstein, discussing whether they should give Donald Trump a heads-up that Wolff had heard CNN was planning to question Trump about his relationship with Epstein. We dissect this startling exchange by talking with three journalists, who each had a different take on it – and what this sentence means for journalism, access, and the boundaries reporters might cross to get information. Question Everything is a production of KCRW and Placement Theory. And don’t forget to sign up for our newsletter. Guests:  Isaac Saul, Founder and executive editor of Tangle, a nonpartisan politics newsletter Susan Zakin, veteran journalist and Substack writer Tara Palmeri, The Red Letter Substack and host of the Tara Palmeri Show

A nice treat for the holiday – an interview with the guy who runs the country’s funniest fake newspaper.  Ben Collins became CEO of The Onion after a long career working in traditional news, so he's got major thoughts about speaking truth to power. On this episode of fellow KCRW podcast The Sam Sanders Show, Ben lays out the role of satire in our current politics and what journalism is getting wrong about free speech.  Ben also talks about relaunching The Onion’s print newspaper (to great success), his attempts to buy Alex Jones’s extreme right-wing outlet InfoWars out of bankruptcy after the Sandy Hook lawsuits, and why AI will never write a good joke.  This episode originally aired on October 3, 2025. Check out more conversations and takes on The Culture with journalists, critics, and tastemakers on The Sam Sanders Show from KCRW and Sam Sanders Productions.  Guest:  Ben Collins, CEO of The Onion.

Next week, the House is expected to hold a hearing on kids’ online safety. They plan to release several bills to protect kids from harmful content. But one issue is not on the agenda: Section 230, the law that helps shield tech platforms from liability for content posted on their sites.  In an interview with our host, Brian Reed, Congressman Jake Auchincloss (MA-D) says one man has the power to add 230 to the hearing: Committee Chair Brett Guthrie. Auchincloss urges our listeners to call Guthrie at 202-225-3501, and request that Section 230 be added to the agenda – so that the biggest tech companies in our country can be “humbled.” Or you can email Rep. Guthrie at [email protected]. There's more contact info at his website. You can read Rep. Auchincloss’s proposed Section 230 reform bill here. This emergency Section 230 alert is part of an ongoing journalistic experiment where Brian is shedding the traditional cloak of “objectivity” to actually try and change our information ecosystem for the better. Question Everything is a production of KCRW and Placement Theory. Don’t forget to sign up for our newsletter, where we’ll send out Brian’s full video interview with Rep. Auchincloss about how hard it is to hold tech companies accountable. Guests:  Congressman Jake Auchincloss (MA-D)

It seems like Meta just can’t lose. The Facebook parent company won a huge victory in court this week. The federal government was claiming Meta was too massive after acquiring Instagram and WhatsApp, and wanted to force the company to spin off those platforms. But a federal judge disagreed. And that means, Meta will continue to make a ton of money from scam ads on those platforms.  Reuters reporter Jeff Horwitz received leaked documents from inside Meta where employees estimated that last year its platforms served up 15 billion scam ad impressions every day, totalling about $16 billion. That’s ten percent of the company’s total 2024 revenue. It’s a major part of their business. And if you want to sue Meta for serving you ads that lead to your credit card or identity getting stolen, it’s going to be really tough – because of Section 230, the law that prevents companies from getting sued for the content posted on their sites.  Brian talks to Jeff about what he discovered in this latest leak: how these scam ads make Meta billions, one “queasy-making” fix Meta has come up with, and how Section 230 provides not just a shield, but a lack of incentive for the company to change its ways. “Question Everything” is a production of KCRW and Placement Theory. Don’t forget to sign up for our newsletter. And please help support our show by visiting our sponsor, the notetaking and personal assistant device Plaud.ai, and using the offer code QUESTION. Guests: Jeff Horwitz, Reuters reporter and the author of “Broken Code: Inside Facebook and the Fight to Expose Its Harmful Secrets.”

When journalist Julia Mengolini criticized her country’s president, Javier Milei, she didn’t expect to be targeted with one of the more disturbing uses of AI: a pornographic deepfake video designed to humiliate her. What began as trolling by online extremists spiraled into a government-amplified smear campaign, spurred on by senior officials and the president himself. Juila tells reporter/producer Zach St. Louis what happened to her and what she’s doing to fight back against President Milei – an ally of Donald Trump’s and Elon Musk’s.   “Question Everything” is a production of KCRW and Placement Theory. And don’t forget to sign up for our newsletter. Please help support our show by visiting our sponsor, the notetaking and personal assistant device Plaud.ai, and use offer code QUESTION. Guests: Julia Mengolini — Journalist, radio host, and co-founder of Futurock

When NSA contractor Reality Winner leaked proof that Russia had tried to break into the U.S. election system, she thought she was helping her country. Instead, she got the longest federal prison sentence ever for giving information to the press. While prepping for her trial, she found out that the journalist she had trusted with the leaked document, accidentally exposed her. The Intercept, once known for protecting sources like Edward Snowden, bungled their vetting process in a way that led investigators straight to Reality’s front door.  As Reality releases her new memoir, “I Am Not Your Enemy,” This American Life host Ira Glass joins her in a live conversation, where she explains what happened and how the media turned her life into fodder for tabloid TV.  “Question Everything” is a production of KCRW and Placement Theory. And don’t forget to sign up for our newsletter. Guests:  Reality Winner, government whistleblower  Ira Glass, host of This American Life Show Notes: During Reality’s conversation with Ira Glass, she said she thought the world record for holding an abdominal plank position is around 18 hours. According to Guinness World Records, the record is 9 hours 38 minutes 47 seconds.

Veteran foreign correspondent Natalia Antelava has spent 15 years reporting from places where authoritarian regimes have “captured” the media. In other words, they control the dominant messages coming from the press. From Russia to Syria, Natalia has seen what it looks like when a government takes over the media, not overnight, but piece by piece.  Now, she’s moved to the U.S., and is watching that same system work on the American media. The Pentagon has dissolved its independent press pool. Donald Trump’s billionaire buddies are buying up some of the country’s biggest newsrooms and social apps. Public media has been gutted. And the loudest voices online are the ones that serve power best. Natalia sits down with Brian to explain how modern autocrats achieve capture without firing a shot – and how Silicon Valley has become their “perfect accomplice”. “Question Everything” is a production of KCRW and Placement Theory. And don’t forget to sign up for our newsletter. Guests: Natalia Antelava, founder of Coda Story

What happens when TikTokers replace TV hosts and interviewers, and presidential candidates start begging to be on their shows? Brian Reed sits down in a Brooklyn wine shop with four of the internet’s biggest creators: Caleb Simpson, who gets people on the street to take him up to their apartments; Julian Shapiro-Barnum who interviews kids on Recess Therapy; Anania Williams of the LGBTQ quiz show Gaydar; and Jack Coyne, host of the music game show Track Star. Their videos reach more people than many major news outlets. But who gets control over what they run? When is money changing hands? What do they do when politicians like Kamala Harris and RFK Jr. come calling? A frank conversation about the blurry grey area between this new form of entertainment and journalism. Check out our Substack, with more reporting on the war over truth, free speech, and tech’s role in it all.  “Question Everything” is a production of KCRW and Placement Theory. Guests: Julian Shapiro-Barnum, Recess Therapy Caleb Simpson gets millions of views asking people how much they pay for their rent in New York City Jack Coyne, Track Star Anania Williams, Gaydar