The series harps on the idea that government can force companies like Facebook to police themselves and/or allow themselves to be policed. That’s never going to happen given the sheer amount of money and power these platforms have. There is no “public policy” solution to these problems, whether we’re talking about ransom ware attacks or the illegal sale of our private information. The host draws parallels between regulating airlines, but that’s apples and oranges. It’s in airlines interests not to crash. Facebook makes money to a great degree by selling our information. They will never stop. What would be far more useful and realistic is a focus on how we can protect ourselves. Do VPNs make a difference? If I quit Facebook entirely will that help? It doesn’t help that the host uses horribly dated words like “cyberspace” or that the people he interviews are often utterly confused by his ivory tower questions. Finally, the series starts with a total non-séquitor about the .com bubble in Ireland. We are told over and over that the podcast is NOT about Ireland or Facebook but in truth the podcast focuses on Facebook, never explains why Ireland is mentioned, and assumes that the “smart people” in the world can fix all this stuff. In sum, a terrible, poorly organized and overly academic look at evil perpetrated online with no applicable solutions.
