Tech Won't Save Us

How Effective is Australia’s Social Media Age Limit? w/ Cam Wilson

Paris Marx is joined by Cam Wilson to discuss the new social media age limit in Australia, including how successful the rollout has been so far and the missed opportunities of taking a more nuanced regulatory approach. Cam Wilson is an associate editor at Crikey [https://www.crikey.com.au/author/cam-wilson/] and writes The Sizzle [https://thesizzle.com.au] newsletter. He’s a co-author of Conspiracy Nation [https://publishing.hardiegrant.com/en-au/books/conspiracy-nation-by-cam-wilson/9781761153570]: Exposing the Dangerous World of Australian Conspiracy Theories. 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 Kyla Hewson. Also mentioned in this episode: * Cam wrote about his experience reporting on the social media age limit debate [https://www.crikey.com.au/2025/12/10/cam-wilson-teen-social-media-ban/] and the removal of the exemption framework [https://www.crikey.com.au/2025/07/24/teen-social-media-ban-change-secret-deal/]. * Paris wrote about his thoughts on social media age limits and the need for much more comprehensive regulations [https://disconnect.blog/social-media-causes-more-harm-than-good/] on social media. * 64% of US teens are using chatbots [https://gizmodo.com/64-of-teens-say-they-use-ai-chatbots-as-mental-health-concerns-mount-2000697981] daily. * Submit questions to Paris for an upcoming mailbag episode at mailbag@techwontsave.us [mailbag@techwontsave.us] * Patreon supporters can join the year-end livestream this Friday, Dec 19 at 6PM ET

Europe’s Subservience to the United States w/ Ben Wray

Paris Marx is joined by Ben Wray to discuss the Europe’s capitulation to pressure from the United States on Nexperia, as well as on digital protections and labor rights that could have big implications for the future of work. Ben Wray is a researcher specializing in the platform economy. He writes the Gig Economy Project newsletter [https://braveneweurope.com/gig-economy-project] and his most recent report for the ETUC is called Uberisation [https://www.etuc.org/sites/default/files/publication/file/2025-12/Strategic%20Foresight_Uberisation%20-%20Trade%20Union%20Manual_ETUC.pdf]. 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 Kyla Hewson. Today’s sponsors are ExpressVPN and ⁠Aura Frames. Get four months free by visiting ExpressVPN.com/TWSU [https://expressvpn.com/twsu]. Exclusive $35 off Carver Mat at ⁠https://on.auraframes.com/PARIS⁠ [https://on.auraframes.com/PARIS]. Promo Code PARIS Also mentioned in this episode: * Ben wrote about the brief attempt by the Dutch to nationalize Nexperia [https://jacobin.com/2025/11/netherlands-china-nexperia-us-trade]. * In leaked documents [https://www.politico.com/news/2022/07/10/uber-investigation-global-expansion-00044914] from 2012-2017 Uber executives recognize their own illegal activity and refer to themselves as ‘pirates’. * Spain recently ordered Meta [https://www.siliconrepublic.com/business/meta-spain-ami-news-advertising-gdpr-eu-data] to pay €479m fine for breaching EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)

Europe is Gutting Its Tech Regulations w/ Aline Blankertz

Paris Marx is joined by Aline Blankertz to discuss how right-wing governments and international corporations in the European Union are pushing to gut tech regulations with the goal of boosting AI development in hope of improving economic growth and geopolitical standing. Aline Blankertz is a cofounder of Structural Integrity [https://www.structural-integrity.eu]. 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 Kyla Hewson. Today’s sponsor is ⁠Aura Frames. Exclusive $35 off Carver Mat at https://on.auraframes.com/PARIS [https://on.auraframes.com/PARIS]. Promo Code PARIS Also mentioned in this episode: * Aline wrote about how the sovereignty discussion was progressing at a recent summit in Europe [https://www.techpolicy.press/at-the-sovereignty-summit-europe-put-startups-on-stage-and-kept-big-tech-in-control/]. * Aline mentioned an upcoming conference tying together different activist movements that listeners may find interesting: Cables of Resistance [https://cableresist.de]. * Learn more [https://www.structural-integrity.eu/regulation-disenchantment/] about the EU’s Digital Omnibus [https://verfassungsblog.de/the-omnibus-package-of-the-eu-commission/] regulation proposal. * The Draghi Report [https://commission.europa.eu/topics/competitiveness/draghi-report_en] examines EU competitiveness. * France and Germany [https://presse.economie.gouv.fr/france-and-germany-join-forces-with-mistral-ai-and-sap-se-to-launch-a-sovereign-ai-for-public-administration/] are partnering up to utilize AI in public administration * Shoutout to the book Vulture Capitalism [https://www.simonandschuster.ca/books/Vulture-Capitalism/Grace-Blakeley/9781982180867] by Grace Blakeley. * Here’s the latest in OpenAI’s ongoing litigation [https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2025/11/openai-says-dead-teen-violated-tos-when-he-used-chatgpt-to-plan-suicide/]. * Macron and Merz spoke out against authoritarianism [https://www.politico.eu/article/europe-democracies-danger-warn-friedrich-merz-emmanuel-macron/], in particular calling out a lack of national control over social networks. * Some governments [https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20250613-we-re-done-with-teams-german-state-hits-uninstall-on-microsoft] are pushing back [https://www.uctoday.com/unified-communications/denmark-now-germany-is-the-public-sector-migrating-away-from-the-microsoft-suite/] and disconnecting [https://www.techradar.com/pro/the-international-criminal-court-is-ditching-microsoft-software-for-an-open-source-alternative]from US tech giants.

Data Centers Are a Climate Enemy w/ Ketan Joshi

Paris Marx is joined by Ketan Joshi to discuss how hyperscale data centers are fueling the consumption of more oil and gas, what that means for climate targets, and the insidious relationship between the tech and fossil fuel industries. Ketan Joshi is a climate writer and data analyst based in Oslo working with climate and environmental groups. 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 Kyla Hewson. Exclusive $45-off Carver Mat at https://on.auraframes.com/PARIS [https://on.auraframes.com/PARIS]. Promo Code  PARIS Also mentioned in this episode: * Ketan has a page on his website sharing fascinating data sets [https://ketanjoshi.co/data-sharing/]. * The International Energy Agency [https://www.iea.org/reports/world-energy-outlook-2025] World Energy Outlook report was just released for this year. * xAI was caught using enough illegal methane generators [https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/apr/09/elon-musk-xai-memphis] to power a city at a facility that powers Grok. * Here is an in-depth look behind the scenes at the construction of the new data center from xAI [https://www.propublica.org/article/memphis-xai-colossus-elon-musk-chamber-messaging], including the purchasing of a power plant just across the state line. * Google's Chief of Investment loves Doug Burgum’s (Trump’s Secretary of the Interior) commitments to power AI growth with fossil fuels [https://www.desmog.com/2025/08/19/google-president-praised-maga-speech-slamming-climate-extremist-agenda/]. * Microsoft has been investing in nuclear energy [https://www.npr.org/2024/09/20/nx-s1-5120581/three-mile-island-nuclear-power-plant-microsoft-ai]. * Learn more about the Enabled Emissions Campaign [https://www.enabledemissions.com]. * Shout-out to the book Empire of AI [https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/743569/empire-of-ai-by-karen-hao/] by Karen Hao.

Peter Thiel is the Real Antichrist w/ Gil Duran

Paris Marx is joined by Gil Duran to discuss how Peter Thiel’s bizarre obsession with the antichrist is really a desperate and embarrassing attempt to divert attention from his own misdeeds. Gil Duran writes The Nerd Reich [https://www.thenerdreich.com] and is working on his first book, The Nerd Reich: Silicon Valley Fascism and the War on Global Democracy. 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]. Exclusive $45-off Carver Mat at https://on.auraframes.com/PARIS [https://on.auraframes.com/PARIS]. Promo Code: PARIS The podcast is made in partnership with The Nation. Production is by Kyla Hewson. Also mentioned in this episode: * Gil wrote about Peter Thiel’s Antichrist obsession [https://newrepublic.com/article/200471/peter-thiel-obsession-antichrist-religion] and the apocalypse capitalism of Silicon Valley [https://www.thenerdreich.com/silicon-valley-apocalypse-capitalism/]. * This link is for Peter Thiel (or any Silicon Valley millionaires who may be listening); Gil recommends a brush-up on the French Revolution [https://www.worldhistory.org/French_Revolution/]. * Steve Bannon expects to go to prison [https://www.newsweek.com/steve-bannon-predicts-prison-if-republicans-lose-midterms-2028-11009422]. * Donald Trump’s relationship to crypto [https://www.forbes.com/sites/danalexander/2025/10/10/trump-is-now-one-of-americas-biggest-bitcoin-investors/] continues to be awful.