Power User with Taylor Lorenz

Taylor Lorenz
  • 3.8 (204)
  • TECHNOLOGY
  • UPDATED WEEKLY
Power User with Taylor Lorenz

Power User explores how technology and the internet are upending our lives and the world around us. Each week, tech journalist Taylor Lorenz explores everything from online fame to emerging platforms, viral phenomena, the creator economy, and much more. Tune in every Thursday for the most influential stories that Silicon Valley often ignores.

  1. 5D AGO

    Trump Official Brendan Carr's War on Free Speech

    Chair of the Federal Communications Commission Brendan Carr has quietly positioned himself as one of the most dangerous figures in the Trump administration’s ongoing war on free speech. Carr is using his government position to intimidate journalists, punish media outlets, and pressure tech companies into cracking down on free expression. And he has done all of this while building his profile as a "free speech" influencer on X.  If left unchecked, Carr’s censorship crusade could fundamentally reshape our information ecosystem and have massive consequences for anyone seeking to speak freely without fear of government retaliation.  Mike Masnick, founder of TechDirt, joins me to break down who Carr is, why his agenda is so dangerous, what exactly he's doing to dismantle free speech protections in America, and how it all fits into a much bigger movement to control who can speak freely online.  SUBSCRIBE TO MY YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/taylorlorenz FOLLOW ME ON IG: https://instagram.com/taylorlorenz READ TECHDIRT: https://www.techdirt.com

    54 min

  2. MAR 13

    The Right-Wing Plot to ‘Murder’ a Free Press

    In 1964, the Supreme Court passed a landmark case called The New York Times v Sullivan, that established the right to a free press by protecting the media against erroneous lawsuits. The ruling has been instrumental in allowing journalists to scrutinize public figures, powerful corporations, and political leaders without undue fear of litigation. But now, that landmark decision is in jeopardy thanks to a coordinated right wing legal effort that's been decades in the making.  David Enrich's forthcoming book, Murder the Truth: Fear, the First Amendment, and a Secret Campaign to Protect the Powerful, delves into the organized efforts by elite individuals to challenge longstanding free speech protections and suppress dissenting voices. David joins me discuss the origins of this legal assault, its implications for investigative journalism in both new media and old, and what this all means for the future of free speech in America.​ BUY DAVID'S BOOK: https://www.harpercollins.com/products/murder-the-truth-david-enrich SUBSCRIBE TO MY NEWSLETTER: https://www.usermag.co SUBSCRIBE TO MY YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/taylorlorenz

    44 min

  3. MAR 6

    How Pop Culture News is Radicalizing You

    Have you been bombarded with non stop content about Blake Lively vs Justin Baldoni? The Misogyny Slop Ecosystem is a sprawling network of online creators and communities that manufacture and boost smear campaigns against women who speak out for women's rights, or have been victims of gender-based crimes like sexual assault, harassment, or abuse.  Though you might have never heard of it, the misogyny slop ecosystem has radically transformed the online landscape and the content that you see. It plays a central role in the alt-right pipeline for women.  I talked to Ophie Dokie, the brilliant content creator and commentator who coined the term, to discuss the origins of misogyny slop, what creators and communities make up this ecosystem, how it became so insanely profitable, and how all of it ultimately funnels women directly into the far right media machine.  SUBSCRIBE TO TAYLOR ON YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/taylorlorenz SUBSCRIBE TO OPHIE ON YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/@ophie-dokie

    52 min

  4. FEB 27

    How the 00s changed the tech world forever

    The 2000s were a formative decade for tech. From the dot com bubble to the rise of social media, to the chaotic days of early blogging, the iMac, and emergence of the PayPal Mafia, the 00s shaped our online world in ways we’re still reckoning with. Colette Shade is the author of the brand new bestselling book Y2K: How the 2000s Became Everything (Essays on the Future That Never Was). Today she joins Taylor to unpack the lasting impact of the 00s on our tech landscape.  Colette gives a nostalgic but critical account of the decade that set the stage for the digital revolution. She discusses what we can learn from the golden age of dial-up internet and tech optimism, and how the aughts ultimately set the stage for today’s hyper-surveilled, algorithm-driven world.  SUBSCRIBE TO POWER USER ON YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/taylorlorenz

    28 min

  5. FEB 20

    Elon Musk and the Billionaire Baby Boom

    Last week, it was revealed that Elon Musk had welcomed his 13th child into the world several months ago with a conservative influencer. But he’s not the only tech mogul fixated on boosting birth rates. In this episode, journalist Julia Black joins Taylor to discuss the rise of pronatalism in Silicon Valley—a growing movement encouraging people to have as many babies as possible. They unpack why tech billionaires are so suddenly obsessed with having children and how their vision of the future is entangled with right-wing ideology, eugenics, and genetic engineering. From embryo selection to potential threats to reproductive rights, Julia and Taylor explore the unsettling ways pronatalist thinking is creeping into politics and culture. What does this mean for the future of parenthood, women’s autonomy, and the broader social landscape? And is this really about saving humanity—or something else entirely? SUBSCRIBE TO POWER USER ON YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/taylorlorenz

    29 min

  6. FEB 13

    How Spotify is Ruining Music: ‘It’s About How Power Works’

    No platform has had more of impact on what we listen to over the past decade than Spotify. This week, Taylor is joined by journalist Liz Pelly, to discuss her new book "Mood Machine: The Rise of Spotify and the Costs of the Perfect Playlist." They discuss the profound impact Spotify has had on the music industry, culture, and the way we consume sound. Pelly reveals the truth about so-called "ghost artists" and other tactics the company has employed to squeeze artists and upend the content ecosystem. They also dig into how Spotify's algorithm-driven playlists have reshaped not just listening habits but also the very nature of music production, artist careers, and industry power structures. SUBSCRIBE TO POWER USER ON YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/@TaylorLorenz

    31 min

  7. FEB 6

    Meet the zoomers aiding Musk’s government takeover

    Over the past week, Elon Musk has been engaged in a near wholesale takeover of key areas of the U.S. federal government.  Working under the newly minted "Department of Government Efficiency" aka DOGE, Musk and a group of young Gen Z loyalists have begun wreaking havoc on our institutions.  Online culture journalist Ryan Broderick joins Taylor to break down who exactly these young men are, what their backgrounds say about the people Musk is hiring, and what the billionaire is currently doing to the U.S. government. SUBSCRIBE TO POWER USER ON YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/taylorlorenz SUBSCRIBE TO USER MAG, Taylor's tech and online culture newsletter: https://www.usermag.co

    30 min

  8. JAN 30

    Why a MAGA influencer turned on Trump

    Clarkson Lawson was a prominent MAGA influencer on TikTok who amassed over 31 million likes on his videos. He built a platform as an outspoken Gen Z conservative making pro-Trump content. But in the months leading up to the election, something changed.  Despite building a massive audience on pro-Trump messaging, he had a change of heart and voted for Kamala Harris. Lawson announced his political pivot in a video titled "Why I left MAGA." Taylor sits down with Clarkson to talk about the behind-the-scenes reality of being a right-wing content creator, the industry forces that keep influencers tethered to Trumpism, what made him ultimately change his mind, and how he plans to navigate the choppy waters of the internet going forward.  Subscribe to Power User on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/taylorlorenz

    52 min
See All (50)

    3.8
    out of 5
    204 Ratings

    About

    Power User explores how technology and the internet are upending our lives and the world around us. Each week, tech journalist Taylor Lorenz explores everything from online fame to emerging platforms, viral phenomena, the creator economy, and much more. Tune in every Thursday for the most influential stories that Silicon Valley often ignores.

    Information

    You Might Also Like

    Content Restricted

    This episode can’t be played on the web in your country or region.

    To listen to explicit episodes, sign in.

    Stay up to date with this show

    Sign in or sign up to follow shows, save episodes, and get the latest updates.
    Select a country or region

    Africa, Middle East, and India

    Asia Pacific

    Europe

    Latin America and the Caribbean

    The United States and Canada