Tech Won't Save Us

Paris Marx is joined by Taylor Welling and Kathryn Friesen to discuss how they formed wall-to-wall unions in the video game industry and their thoughts on broader challenges like layoffs and corporate consolidation. Taylor Welling is a producer and union member at OneBGS and Kathryn Friesen is quest designer and member of the World of Warcraft GameMakers Guild. Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Support the show on Patreon [https://www.patreon.com/techwontsaveus]. The podcast is made in partnership with The Nation. Production is by Eric Wickham. Transcripts are by Brigitte Pawliw-Fry. Also mentioned in this episode: * OneBGS [https://www.gamesindustry.biz/almost-250-bethesda-game-studios-developers-unionise] and the World of Warcraft GameMakers Guild [https://www.theverge.com/2024/7/24/24205366/world-of-warcraft-developers-form-union-blizzard-entertainment] each won their union votes in July 2024. * More video game workers have already been laid off [https://www.polygon.com/24177290/video-game-industry-layoffs-studio-closures-record] in 2024 than did in all of 2023. * Microsoft and the Communication Workers of America signed a labor neutrality agreement [https://www.gamesindustry.biz/microsoft-reiterates-labour-neutrality-agreement-following-abk-acquisition] in 2022, to take effect 60 days after its acquisition of Activision Blizzard closed. In May, that agreement was extended [https://www.engadget.com/microsoft-and-cwa-forge-labor-neutrality-agreement-covering-all-zenimax-workers-212643324.html] to ZeniMax Studios. * Microsoft laid off 1,900 gaming workers [https://www.theverge.com/2024/1/25/24049050/microsoft-activision-blizzard-layoffs] in January and closed four internal studios [https://www.pcgamer.com/gaming-industry/microsoft-announces-4-studio-closuresincluding-arkane-austin-and-tango-gameworks-creators-of-prey-and-hi-fi-rush-respectively/] in May. * Blizzard provides [https://www.wowhead.com/news/new-shield-for-blizzard-employee-service-awards-revealed-321572] swords, shields, and helmets to employees celebrating 5, 10, and 20 years at the company. * The ZeniMax Workers Union struck an agreement [https://www.gamesindustry.biz/zenimax-strikes-tentative-deal-with-union-on-ai] with their employer on the use of AI. * Nicole Carpenter at Polygon put together a list of video game unions [https://www.polygon.com/gaming/23538801/video-game-studio-union-microsoft-activision-blizzard] and an explainer on the rise of video game unions [https://www.polygon.com/23485977/video-game-unions-guide-explainer]. * Communication Workers of America has more information on unionizing as part of their CODE-CWA campaign [https://code-cwa.org]. Support the show [https://patreon.com/techwontsaveus]

Paris Marx is joined by Mohammad Khatami and Gabi Schubiner to discuss the complicity of Google, Amazon, and Microsoft in Israel’s ongoing genocide in Gaza and how tech workers are organizing to stop it. Mohammad Khatami and Gabi Schubiner are former Google software engineers and organizers with No Tech for Apartheid. Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Support the show on Patreon [https://www.patreon.com/techwontsaveus]. The podcast is made in partnership with The Nation. Production is by Eric Wickham. Transcripts are by Brigitte Pawliw-Fry. Also mentioned in this episode: * Find out more about No Tech for Apartheid [https://www.notechforapartheid.com/] from their website. Microsoft workers have also launched No Azure for Apartheid [https://linktr.ee/microsoftnota]. * Yuval Abraham reported [https://www.972mag.com/cloud-israeli-army-gaza-amazon-google-microsoft/] on the Israeli military’s use of Amazon, Google, and Microsoft’s cloud services and AI in Gaza. * Mohammad wrote about being fired by Google [https://www.newarab.com/opinion/google-fired-me-standing-against-tech-complicity-gaza] in The New Arab. * Gabi refers to JWCC [https://www.techtarget.com/searchcloudcomputing/news/252528168/Amazon-Google-Microsoft-Oracle-win-JWCC-cloud-contract], with is a reference to the Department of Defense Joint Warfighting Cloud Capability contract with Amazon, Google, Microsoft, Oracle. * Google fired 50 workers [https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2024/apr/27/google-project-nimbus-israel] earlier this year for organizing over its ties to Israel. * The Information reported on how many Arab Americans in tech are scared to speak out in support of Palestinians [https://www.theinformation.com/articles/for-arabs-in-tech-a-time-of-fear-and-a-culture-of-silence] for fear of retaliation. * In 1970, Polaroid workers under the banner of the Polaroid Revolutionary Workers Movement began the first anti-apartheid boycott of a US company [https://www.dissentmagazine.org/online_articles/when-polaroid-workers-fought-apartheid/] by organizing against their employer’s complicity in South African apartheid. * The IBM Black Workers Alliance was central to the anti-apartheid campaign [https://www.wired.com/story/tech-organizing-labor-ibm-history/] at that company. Support the Show. [https://patreon.com/techwontsaveus]

Paris Marx is joined by Molly White to discuss why the crypto industry is spending millions on this election cycle and Coinbase’s potential breach of election finance law. Molly White writes the Citation Needed [https://www.citationneeded.news] newsletter. She is the creator of Web3 Is Going Just Great [https://www.web3isgoinggreat.com] and Follow the Crypto [https://www.followthecrypto.org]. Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Support the show on Patreon [https://www.patreon.com/techwontsaveus]. The podcast is made in partnership with The Nation. Production is by Eric Wickham. Transcripts are by Brigitte Pawliw-Fry. Also mentioned in this episode: * Molly wrote about the Coinbase campaign finance violation [https://www.citationneeded.news/coinbase-campaign-finance-violation/] and Donald Trump’s Bitcoin conference speech [https://www.citationneeded.news/issue-63/] in her newsletter. * Paris wrote about some of the concerns about Kamala Harris’ stance on tech [https://disconnect.blog/roundup-how-tech-is-trying-to-shape-the-kamala-harris-agenda/]. * Fairshake spent $10 million [https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/mar/01/crypto-super-pac-katie-porter-attack-ads] on attacks ads against Katie Porter in California. It spent millions more targeting Jamaal Bowman [https://cointelegraph.com/news/super-pac-attack-ad-new-york-democrat] and Cori Bush [https://www.coindesk.com/policy/2024/08/07/crypto-pac-fairshake-claims-another-win-against-elizabeth-warren-ally-with-bush-loss/]. * The crypto industry hates SEC head Gary Gensler [https://www.politico.com/news/2024/05/05/gary-gensler-sec-crypto-00154769], who is leading the regulatory effort against cryptocurrency. Support the Show. [https://patreon.com/techwontsaveus]

Paris Marx is joined by Hussein Kesvani to discuss the far-right attacks that happened after the Southport stabbing in the UK and how larger structural issues in media, politics, and tech laid the groundwork for violence against visible minorities. Hussein Kesvani is a co-host of Trashfuture and Ten Thousand Posts. Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Support the show on Patreon [https://www.patreon.com/techwontsaveus]. The podcast is made in partnership with The Nation. Production is by Eric Wickham. Transcripts are by Brigitte Pawliw-Fry. Also mentioned in this episode: * The stabbing in Southport resulted in the deaths of three children [https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cy68z9dw9e7o] and injuries to eight children and two adults. * After days of far-right attacks, there were large anti-fascist and anti-racist demonstrations [https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/article/2024/aug/07/thousands-of-anti-racism-protesters-take-to-streets-to-counter-far-right-rallies] across the UK. * Some fascists attacked hotels housing asylum seekers, but in places like Bristol, locals started defending the hotels [https://www.huckmag.com/article/we-protected-an-asylum-seeker-hotel-from-the-far-right-heres-what-happened-bristol]. * In 1968, Conservative MP Enoch Powell delivered the “rivers of blood [https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/apr/14/enoch-powell-rivers-blood-legacy-wolverhampton]” speech. * Elon Musk has been sharing a series of incendiary posts and false information [https://www.politico.eu/article/elon-musk-share-fake-news-uk-rioters-detainment-camp/] that have helped fuel these attacks. * The billionaire’s changes to Twitter have helped fuel [https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-features/elon-musk-twitter-misinformation-timeline-1235076786/] right-wing misinformation. Support the Show. [https://patreon.com/techwontsaveus]

Paris Marx is joined by Luke LeBrun and Rachel Gilmore to discuss Shopify's connection to right-wing politics, through its interpersonal connection to a far-right news outlet and its reluctance to enforce its content policy on users selling hateful merchandise through their platform. Luke LeBrun is the editor of PressProgress and Rachel Gilmore is an independent journalist. Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Support the show on Patreon [https://www.patreon.com/techwontsaveus]. The podcast is made in partnership with The Nation. Production is by Eric Wickham. Transcripts are by Brigitte Pawliw-Fry. Also mentioned in this episode: * Luke reported on Shopify COO Kaz Nejatian’s involvement in [https://pressprogress.ca/shopify-executives-right-wing-media-website-rails-against-immigrants-while-defending-a-legally-designated-terrorist-group/] and funding of a right-wing Canadian “news” website called True North. * Rachel reported on Shopify’s decisions not to disable support for stores that sell fraudulent goods [https://globalnews.ca/news/7539325/shopify-online-risk-analysis-fakespot-fraud/] and promote hate [https://globalnews.ca/news/9294721/shopify-criticized-selling-products-alleging-grooming/] that’s in violation of their Acceptable Use Policy. She recently pointed out a series of stores Shopify still supports that sell Nazi memorabilia [https://x.com/atRachelGilmore/status/1806386063625359684]. * Last year, an anonymous former Shopify worker spoke out about the right-wing culture [https://x.com/sh0p1fyj03/status/1681419262118830086] at the company. Rachel confirmed [https://x.com/atRachelGilmore/status/1681743151076081664] the person had worked for Shopify. * In 2022, Tobi Lutke was granted a “founder’s share [https://www.cbc.ca/news/business/shopify-stock-split-vote-1.6480520],” guaranteeing him 40% voting power. 46% of shareholders voted against the proposal. * Shopify found itself in the spotlight in 2021 when employees found a noose emoji [https://www.businessinsider.com/shopify-employees-noose-emoji-slack-ceo-tobi-lutke-silenced-debate-2021-5] had been added to the company’s Slack system. * Shopify President Harley Finkelstein has been publicly opposing [https://x.com/harleyf/status/1803220575483003244] plans to raise taxes on capital gains. Only 0.13% of Canadians [https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/capital-gains-tax-budget-1.7176370] will be paying more tax under the plan. * Some right-wing figures in Canada deny the truth of the residential schools [https://thewalrus.ca/residential-school-denialism/]. Support the Show. [https://patreon.com/techwontsaveus]