Book Talk: “Means of Control” with Byron Tau

In the last episode of the podcast, host Jim Lewis talks to Arun Gupta, a venture capitalist, lecturer, entrepreneur and author of ‘Venture Meets Mission’. They discuss the landscape of venture capital and government collaboration, tech innovation and overcoming a risk-averse culture.

Byron Tau joins the podcast to discuss his new book “Means of Control: How the Hidden Alliance of Tech and Government is Creating a New Surveillance State,” which reveals the shadowy networks of ad-tech startups, data brokers, and government contractors that share or sell sensitive personal information. Tau and Caitlin Chin-Rothmann discuss how private companies and government agencies are analyzing patterns in movement history, financial transactions, and social media communications—and how these actions might implicate privacy and civil liberties in the United States.

In this episode Jim Lewis speaks to former FCC Commissioner Michael O’Rielly about the future of spectrum allocation, the outcomes of the World Radio Conference, and how the U.S. can still strike a balance between innovation and safeguarding national security.

In this episode, Joan O’Hara and Miranda Lutz of the XR Association join host Caitlin Chin-Rothmann to discuss how immersive technologies could transform a range of sectors, including healthcare, defense, education, and gaming. Joan and Miranda explain why the United States needs a national XR strategy to support research and development, promote digital literacy and awareness, and increase regulatory certainty around data privacy.

In this episode, Jim Lewis and Caitlin Chin-Rothmann talk to Mark MacCarthy about his new book “Regulating Digital Industries: How Public Oversight Can Encourage Competition, Protect Privacy, and Ensure Free Speech.” They discuss the need for a new regulatory body for digital platforms, the future business model of the internet, and why 2025 will be the year of tech regulation.

Caitlin Chin-Rothmann sits down with Dr. Courtney C. Radsch, director of the Center for Journalism and Liberty at the Open Markets Institute, to discuss the state of the news media in an evolving technological landscape. Caitlin and Courtney cover recent developments related to Canada’s Online News Act, the California Journalism Preservation Act, and the U.S. Journalism and Competition Preservation Act, as well as responses from Meta and Google. In addition, they consider how the rapid adoption of generative AI could potentially affect journalists and the sustainability of news.

In this episode Jim Lewis talks with Dr. Christian Weedbrook, founder and CEO of Xanadu, a leading Canadian quantum computing company. They discuss the current status and future direction of the quantum industry, the promise of photonics-based quantum computers, and the global competition for quantum-savvy talent.

In this episode, Caitlin Chin-Rothmann and Julia Brock join Megan Shahi, director of technology policy at the Center for American Progress, to discuss how social media companies can prepare for the 2024 global election cycle. They examine how a range of platform policies—including local trusted flagger programs, language support, civic engagement strategies, and generative AI guardrails—can affect how voters view and understand information online. For in-depth recommendations on these topics, check out Megan’s recent report “Protecting Democracy Online in 2024 and Beyond.” https://www.americanprogress.org/article/protecting-democracy-online-in-2024-and-beyond/

In this episode, Caitlin Chin sits with Jason Steinhauer, a public historian and bestselling author of "History, Disrupted: How Social Media and the World Wide Web Have Changed the Past." Caitlin and Jason discuss how policymakers and technology companies can incorporate lessons from history to address modern challenges like artificial intelligence, online disinformation narratives, and more.

In this episode, Jim Lewis talks to Shannon Corless, the Assistant Secretary for the Office of Intelligence and Analysis (OIA) at the Department of Treasury. They discuss the role of OIA in the broader federal government, economic and financial security, financial intelligence, and more.