POLITICO Tech

POLITICO

The POLITICO Tech podcast is your download on the disruption that technology is bringing to politics and policy. New episodes on Thursdays.

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1,037 episodes
Updated Dec 18, 2025

Episodes1037

Newest first

Jan 13, 2025 · 14 min
A former fact checker on Meta’s big changes
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg offered a sharp critique of the fact checkers on his social media platforms last week, saying he will no longer use them because they were too politically biased and undermined public trust. That didn’t sit well with Alexios Mantzarlis at Cornell Tech. Mantzarlis is the former founding director of the International Fact-Checking Network, where years ago he helped set up Meta’s fact-checking program. On POLITICO Tech, Mantzarlis joins host Steven Overly to offer a rebutta
Jan 10, 2025 · 19 min
It’s TikTok day at the Supreme Court
TikTok is set to be banned in the U.S. in just nine days. Today, the company will try to convince the Supreme Court to strike the ban down — or at least put it on ice. And President-elect Donald Trump has requested the Supreme Court punt the ban until after he’s taken office and can try to broker some sort of solution. Still, TikTok has some long odds. On POLITICO Tech, host Steven Overly talks with Alan Rozenshtein, a law professor at the University of Minnesota Law School and former lawyer in
Jan 9, 2025 · 18 min
Mark Zuckerberg's big overture to Trump
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced major changes this week to how his company will moderate posts on Facebook and Instagram. Meta’s current fact-checking system resulted in political bias and censorship, Zuckerberg said, so the company is moving to a looser model — just as President-elect Donald Trump takes office. Cato Institute scholar and Meta Oversight Board member John Samples joins host Steven Overly to explain why he thinks the changes are necessary, if imperfect, and why more are likely
Jan 8, 2025 · 15 min
Silicon Valley vs. MAGA: Why immigration is splitting Trump's camp
Tech companies have long struggled to hire enough Americans with technical expertise, and to fill that shortfall, they’ve often hired immigrants with green cards or H-1B visas. Now, Silicon Valley leaders — with Elon Musk at the helm — see an opportunity to recruit even more foreign-born workers. But that doesn’t sit well with the immigration restrictionists in Trump’s camp, which amounts to a political showdown for Republicans, especially as Congress looks to tackle immigration when Trump takes
Jan 7, 2025 · 20 min
How to break up with your smartphone
Policymakers around the world are debating how to regulate our use of technology, from addictive algorithms to harmful content. But often missing from the conversation is the control that everyday people wield over how much technology is let into our lives. On POLITICO Tech, host Steven Overly calls up digital minimalism advocate Jose Briones to talk about breaking up with smartphones and social media, and embracing a low-tech lifestyle.
Jan 6, 2025 · 22 min
The tech tensions you should watch in 2025
The new year may have just begun, but policy divisions have already emerged — with tech leaders at the center. Elon Musk tanked a bipartisan spending agreement in the House, causing Congress to scramble to avoid a government shutdown. And Trump’s Silicon Valley supporters faced off against his longtime MAGA base over visas for highly skilled immigrants. On POLITICO Tech, Digital Future Daily author Derek Robertson joins host Steven Overly to discuss the personalities driving the policy and the t
Dec 23, 2024 · 26 min
Sen. Rounds lays out his 2025 tech agenda
Sen. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) is already an influential voice on artificial intelligence and cybersecurity on Capitol Hill. And his power will only grow in the new year with Republicans taking control of the Senate. On POLITICO Tech, Rounds tells host Steven Overly how he expects Congress to tackle both issues once President-elect Donald Trump returns to the White House.
Dec 20, 2024 · 18 min
Talking gig workers and robot drivers with Lyft’s CEO
Tech companies are laying out their wish lists for President-elect Donald Trump. And the ride-sharing company Lyft has two big asks: nationwide benefits for gig workers and national standards for autonomous vehicles. Lyft CEO David Risher says he’s optimistic about the incoming Trump administration and its deregulation agenda. On POLITICO Tech, Risher tells host Steven Overly why Washington should embrace both the gig economy and robot drivers.
Dec 19, 2024 · 24 min
How Canada’s innovation minister is bracing for a U.S. trade war
President-elect Donald Trump’s return is making waves in Canada. This week, tensions over how Ottawa should fight a looming trade war with the U.S. prompted Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s deputy to resign. But Canada has been responding to Trump’s tariff threats by making the case that the two countries have intertwined economies, especially in key areas like critical minerals, artificial intelligence and energy. On POLITICO Tech, François-Philippe Champagne, Canada’s minister of innovation, sc
Dec 18, 2024 · 17 min
Silicon Valley’s hottest club: Mar-a-Lago
Lately, the guest book at Mar-a-Lago reads like a Silicon Valley roll call — from Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg to Apple CEO Tim Cook — as tech leaders visit President-elect Donald Trump for private dinners and closed-door conversations. Some are also cutting big checks for his inauguration fund. Their goal is clear: win Trump’s favor in hopes his administration will be kind. On POLITICO Tech, Morning Tech author Gabby Miller joins host Steven Overly to break down Big Tech’s charm offensive.
Dec 17, 2024 · 18 min
Police raids, fleeing TikTokers and Romania’s cancelled election
A far-right candidate was expected to win Romania’s presidential race and then the election was abruptly cancelled — amid concerns that Russia was paying TikTok influencers to boost his campaign. And would you believe it, things only get crazier from there. POLITICO host Steven Overly dives into the latest in Bucharest with Andrei Popoviciu, a Romanian freelance investigative journalist who has been covering this story for POLITICO.
Dec 16, 2024 · 21 min
‘The FCC has no business threatening to take away broadcast licenses’
President-elect Donald Trump has lashed out at TV broadcasters and tech companies, accusing them of unfair news coverage or censoring conservative speech. And soon, his Federal Communications Commission may try to penalize them. Outgoing FCC Chair Jessica Rosenworcel, a Democrat, fears the agency’s independence could be in jeopardy. On POLITICO Tech, Rosenworcel joins host Steven Overly to discuss her tenure atop the agency and its future in the next administration. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Dec 13, 2024 · 29 min
Meet the American implementing Australia’s social media ban
While U.S. lawmakers debate kids’ online safety legislation, elected officials in Australia have already taken bold action — banning minors under age 16 from social media altogether. Now, Australian officials will spend the next year figuring out how to implement the law. Among them is eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant, an American and former tech executive who oversees online safety regulation in Australia. On POLITICO Tech, Inman Grant tells host Steven Overly about Australia’s new social
Dec 12, 2024 · 17 min
Google’s query: How many inventors use AI?
Patent lawyers at Google had a question: How many of the company’s big, new ideas were developed using artificial intelligence? The patent world has been grappling for years with whether or not AI can be considered an inventor, and Google needed to know how the technology is being used today. On POLITICO Tech, Google’s head of patent policy, Laura Sheridan, joins host Steven Overly to explain the findings and why the company doesn’t think AI counts as an inventor.
Dec 11, 2024 · 22 min
The new laws trying to kill after-work emails
Technology has made it so that we’re always connected. And for many of us, that means the boss can text or email anytime. But several countries are cracking down on after-work communication by enacting so-called “right-to-disconnect" laws. So far, two states in the U.S. have introduced such bills — with more expected to follow. But the Society of Human Resource Management argues the government shouldn’t be dictating work-life balance. On the show today, the association’s head of government affai
Dec 10, 2024 · 16 min
A jolt of life for the kids online safety bill
It was looking like Congress had few plans to take up tech bills before the end of the year. But in Washington, one weekend and a couple of tweets can make a world of difference. Senators struck a deal to pony up money for key tech and telecom programs. And a major kids online safety bill may have gotten a much-needed boost from Elon Musk and Donald Trump Jr. On POLITICO Tech, health tech reporter Ruth Reader joins to discuss whether Trump world support can get that bill over the finish line.
Dec 9, 2024 · 18 min
The legal battle over the TikTok ban, explained
The government’s plan to potentially ban TikTok next month is still on schedule, at least for now. A federal appeals court ruled on Friday that Congress can legally force its parent company, ByteDance, to either sell the app or be shut down because of concerns about its ties to China. On POLITICO Tech, national security attorney Carrie Cordero from the Center for a New American Security joins host Steven Overly to parse through the ruling, and discuss what comes next as TikTok looks to the Supre
Dec 6, 2024 · 15 min
Chinese hackers got Trump’s data in a major breach — and possible yours
Chinese hackers have infiltrated major telecommunications networks, gaining access to the call logs and data of millions of Americans, including President-elect Donald Trump. But while the breach was first detected back in the spring, U.S. officials acknowledged this week that they’ve not yet been able to stop it. On POLITICO Tech, cybersecurity reporter Maggie Miller joins host Steven Overly to explain why the attack has been so hard to contain and how people can protect their information.
Dec 5, 2024 · 15 min
TikTok’s reckoning in Romania
Romanians head to the polls for a final round of voting on Sunday and European tech regulators will be watching. The candidate expected to win is a far-right politician named Călin Georgescu, who catapulted himself to the top in part due to his popularity on TikTok. But some regulators and researchers question whether Georgescu has gotten a boost from fake accounts and paid influencers — allegations that have put TikTok in the hot seat. On POLITICO Tech, reporter Pieter Haeck gives host Steven O
Dec 4, 2024 · 20 min
Marc Andreesen bet on Trump. How it could pay off.
Silicon Valley investor Marc Andreessen made headlines for backing Donald Trump in the 2024 election, and now stands to gain new levels of influence with Trump’s return to the White House. In a recent interview on “The Joe Rogan Experience,” Andreesen outlined his views on the changing political and media landscape, as well as his outlook for artificial intelligence and cryptocurrency. On POLITICO Tech, Digital Future Daily author Derek Robertson joins host Steven Overly to talk through the big