Tech Gets Real: Protect Yourself in the AI Era

David Meyer: Technology Journalist
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Tech Gets Real is a show about staying in control in a time of rapid technological change. I'm veteran tech journalist David Meyer, and I've been covering topics like online privacy and freedom for two decades. In TGR, I provide short, jargon-free guides to help you navigate the new AI era.

  1. DEC 16

    Whatever happened to AI ethics? An interview with tech ethicist Mathana

    Big Tech used to love the idea of AI ethics, but the AI gold rush does strange things to incentives. Tech ethicist Mathana joins Tech Gets Real to discuss what went wrong and what – hopefully – comes next. This will probably be the last TGR of 2025. Happy holidays! If you like this video, please hit like and subscribe, and share it with others who might find it useful. Please also consider subscribing to my mailing list: https://subscribe-forms.beehiiv.com/d763645e-9f25-4e6c-839a-da39daa947df Tech Gets Real is a show about staying in control in a time of rapid technological change. I'm veteran tech journalist David Meyer, and I've been covering topics like online privacy and freedom for two decades. To contact me, please email david@techgetsreal.com or connect on: Bluesky https://bsky.app/profile/superglaze.bsky.social Mastodon: https://mastodon.social/@superglaze Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/davidmeyerwrites

    18 min

  2. DEC 9

    Australia's social ban: The age-restricted internet is growing

    As Australia introduces its ban on under-16s accessing social media — including YouTube — we examine the emergence of the age-restricted internet in countries around the world. They’re supposed to protect kids from online harms, but do the restrictions actually work? And what effects do age verification measures such as AI-powered facial scanning have on adults? If you like this, please hit like and subscribe, and share it with others who might find it useful. Please also consider subscribing to my mailing list: https://subscribe-forms.beehiiv.com/d763645e-9f25-4e6c-839a-da39daa947df Tech Gets Real is a show about staying in control in a time of rapid technological change. I'm veteran tech journalist David Meyer, and I've been covering topics like online privacy and freedom for two decades. To contact me, please email david@techgetsreal.com or connect on: Bluesky https://bsky.app/profile/superglaze.bsky.social Mastodon: https://mastodon.social/@superglaze Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/davidmeyerwrites REFERENCES: Australian regulators say the world will follow https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/australia-says-world-will-follow-social-media-ban-meta-starts-blocking-teens-2025-12-04/ Teens can get around facial age estimation tools https://www.crikey.com.au/2025/12/04/social-media-ban-parents-help-teens/ Wikipedia loses its challenge against the UK’s Online Safety Act https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cjr11qqvvwlo UK regulator suggests age-restricting VPNs https://www.theverge.com/tech/827435/uk-vpn-restrictions-ban-online-safety-act KOSA remains controversial in the US https://www.theverge.com/policy/837123/house-energy-commerce-kids-online-safety-package-hearing Adult websites need age verification across most of the US https://www.404media.co/missouri-age-verification-law-porn-id-check-vpns/

    12 min

  3. DEC 2

    Apple's AI chief is out. Now what?

    Apple AI chief John Giannandrea is out, with Google and Microsoft vet Amar Subramanya taking over many of his responsibilities. Here’s why Apple’s AI strategy should be all about thinking small, to play to the company’s privacy strengths. If you like this, please hit like and subscribe, and share it with others who might find it useful. Please also consider subscribing to my mailing list: https://subscribe-forms.beehiiv.com/d763645e-9f25-4e6c-839a-da39daa947df Tech Gets Real is a show about staying in control in a time of rapid technological change. I'm veteran tech journalist David Meyer, and I've been covering topics like online privacy and freedom for two decades. To contact me, please email david@techgetsreal.com or connect on: Bluesky https://bsky.app/profile/superglaze.bsky.social Mastodon: https://mastodon.social/@superglaze Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/davidmeyerwrites REFERENCES: Apple’s announcement about Giannandrea’s retirement https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2025/12/john-giannandrea-to-retire-from-apple/ Apple pulls Apple Intelligence news summaries https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2025/jan/17/apple-suspends-ai-generated-news-alert-service-after-bbc-complaint Apple delays big AI Siri update to 2026 https://www.pcmag.com/news/apple-explains-why-it-delayed-ai-siri-confirms-it-wont-arrive-until-2026 DeepSeek’s distillation breakthrough https://www.cnbc.com/2025/02/21/deepseek-trained-ai-model-using-distillation-now-a-disruptive-force.html

    12 min

  4. DEC 2

    Poisoning AI with disinformation

    The twisted nature of Elon Musk’s Grok AI shows how chatbots can be turned into tools of disinformation. But the tactics deployed by a Russian disinformation campaign called Pravda also point to a future where the “machine web” provides ways to push lies into AI models from beneath. If you like this, please hit like and subscribe, and share it with others who might find it useful. Please also consider subscribing to my mailing list: https://subscribe-forms.beehiiv.com/d763645e-9f25-4e6c-839a-da39daa947df Tech Gets Real is a show about staying in control in a time of rapid technological change. I'm veteran tech journalist David Meyer, and I've been covering topics like online privacy and freedom for two decades. To contact me, please email david@techgetsreal.com or connect on: Bluesky https://bsky.app/profile/superglaze.bsky.social Mastodon: https://mastodon.social/@superglaze Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/davidmeyerwrites REFERENCES: Grok’s white genocide claims https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2025/may/14/elon-musk-grok-white-genocide Grok’s antisemitism https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2025/jul/09/grok-ai-praised-hitler-antisemitism-x-ntwnfb Grok’s gross claims about Musk’s supremacy https://www.404media.co/elon-musk-could-drink-piss-better-than-any-human-in-history-grok-says/ French authorities investigating Grok over Holocaust denial https://www.lemonde.fr/en/pixels/article/2025/11/19/french-authorities-charges-x-over-holocaust-denial-comments-by-ai-chatbot-grok_6747630_13.html# Pravda network feeding Wikipedia and AI models https://dfrlab.org/2025/03/12/pravda-network-wikipedia-llm-x/ Harvard researchers on Pravda https://misinforeview.hks.harvard.edu/article/llms-grooming-or-data-voids-llm-powered-chatbot-references-to-kremlin-disinformation-reflect-information-gaps-not-manipulation/ Google’s “machine web” vision https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20250611-ai-mode-is-google-about-to-change-the-internet-forever

    8 min

  5. NOV 20

    Digital Surrender: Why gutting Europe's GDPR is capitulating to Trump

    The European Commission’s so-called Digital Omnibus would gut the GDPR, the EU’s tough online privacy law. Doing so would just be the latest example of capitulating to President Donald Trump and his Big Tech pals, including AI companies. Instead, Europe should be making sure it can break free of US tech and finally achieve digital sovereignty. If you like this, please hit like and subscribe, and share it with others who might find it useful. Please also consider subscribing to my mailing list: https://subscribe-forms.beehiiv.com/d763645e-9f25-4e6c-839a-da39daa947df Tech Gets Real is a show about staying in control in a time of rapid technological change. I'm veteran tech journalist David Meyer, and I've been covering topics like online privacy and freedom for two decades. To contact me, please email david@techgetsreal.com or connect on: Bluesky https://bsky.app/profile/superglaze.bsky.social Mastodon: https://mastodon.social/@superglaze Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/davidmeyerwrites REFERENCES: Final version of Digital Omnibus proposal https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/library/digital-omnibus-regulation-proposal Leaked draft of Digital Omnibus proposal https://cdn.netzpolitik.org/wp-upload/2025/11/EU-Kommission-Digital-Omnibus-A-Data-Act-und-DSGVO.pdf Trump administration threatening Europe with NATO withdrawal over tech rules https://www.businessinsider.com/jd-vance-nato-support-eu-regulation-x-musk-free-speech-2024-9 Dave Keating on Europe's various moves to appease Trump https://davekeating.substack.com/p/eu-bends-to-us-pressure-again-by

    10 min

  6. NOV 11

    Europe’s LEAKED privacy threat: Digital Omnibus vs the GDPR

    A leaked draft proposal shows the European Commission wants to remove key protections from the tough General Data Protection Regulation. The changes in the so-called Digital Omnibus would make it easier for AI companies to train their models on people’s personal data, even sensitive information like medical data. If you like this, please hit like and subscribe, and share it with others who might find it useful. Please also consider subscribing to my mailing list: https://subscribe-forms.beehiiv.com/d763645e-9f25-4e6c-839a-da39daa947df Tech Gets Real is a show about staying in control in a time of rapid technological change. I'm veteran tech journalist David Meyer, and I've been covering topics like online privacy and freedom for two decades. To contact me, please email david@techgetsreal.com or connect on: Bluesky https://bsky.app/profile/superglaze.bsky.social Mastodon: https://mastodon.social/@superglaze Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/davidmeyerwrites REFERENCES: Leaked Commission proposal https://cdn.netzpolitik.org/wp-upload/2025/11/EU-Kommission-Digital-Omnibus-A-Data-Act-und-DSGVO.pdf Paul Nemitz’s LinkedIn comment https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7391511950519840769?commentUrn=urn%3Ali%3Acomment%3A%28activity%3A7391511950519840769%2C7391530716725071873%29&dashCommentUrn=urn%3Ali%3Afsd_comment%3A%287391530716725071873%2Curn%3Ali%3Aactivity%3A7391511950519840769%29 Noyb analysis of leaked draft https://noyb.eu/en/eu-commission-about-wreck-core-principles-gdpr Lukasz Olejnik’s analysis https://blog.lukaszolejnik.com/european-commission-proposal-to-overhaul-the-gdpr-risks-user-privacy/

    9 min

  7. NOV 5

    AI Needs Renewable Energy

    The AI data centre boom is becoming a significant factor in water shortages and power outages, with the technology adding to the energy-grid stress caused by things like electric vehicles and air conditioning. With electricity demand soaring, solar and wind power are the best solutions for building out more capacity quickly. But AI’s thirst needs different solutions. If you like this, please hit like and subscribe, and share it with others who might find it useful. Please also consider subscribing to my mailing list: https://subscribe-forms.beehiiv.com/d763645e-9f25-4e6c-839a-da39daa947df Tech Gets Real is a show about staying in control in a time of rapid technological change. I'm veteran tech journalist David Meyer, and I've been covering topics like online privacy and freedom for two decades. To contact me, please email david@techgetsreal.com or connect on: Bluesky https://bsky.app/profile/superglaze.bsky.social Mastodon: https://mastodon.social/@superglaze Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/davidmeyerwrites REFERENCES: NYT on data centre water outages and power cuts https://www.nytimes.com/2025/10/20/technology/ai-data-center-backlash-mexico-ireland.html Guardian on Arizona data centre protests https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/oct/15/tucson-arizona-ai-data-center-project-blue James Ball on AI’s current environmental impact https://www.transformernews.ai/p/ai-energy-water-use-environment-argument-wrong Visual Capitalist chart on data centre boom https://www.visualcapitalist.com/charted-the-growth-of-global-data-center-capacity-2005-2025/ My Fortune article on the nuclear industry’s AI hopes https://fortune.com/2024/11/21/tech-nuclear-energy-google-microsoft-amazon-ai/

    9 min

  8. OCT 29

    Ditching US Tech Has To Be An Option

    Europe has talked about “tech sovereignty” from America before, but Donald Trump’s second term has made the issue an urgent one. Luckily, a time of massive flux in the tech industry has made it more viable than ever for the EU to declare independence from the US. Tech Gets Real is a show about staying in control in a time of rapid technological change. I'm veteran tech journalist David Meyer, and I've been covering topics like online privacy and freedom for two decades. In TGR, I provide short, jargon-free guides to help you navigate the new AI era. To contact me, please email david@techgetsreal.com or connect on: Bluesky https://bsky.app/profile/superglaze.bsky.social Mastodon: https://mastodon.social/@superglaze Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/davidmeyerwrites REFERENCES: EU tech sovereignty summit in November https://www.politico.eu/article/france-germany-united-states-big-tech-sovereign-digital-transition/ Survey about Big Tech being more powerful than the EU https://peoplevsbig.tech/large-majority-of-french-german-and-spanish-public-back-tough-eu-stance-on-big-tech-despite-risk-to-trump-relations/ Snowden’s claims about intel sharing https://www.infoworld.com/article/2192246/nsa-created-european-bazaar-to-spy-on-eu-citizens-snowden-tells-european-parliam.html Problems with Europe’s sovereign cloud https://eliatra.com/blog/the-sovereignty-illusion-why-awss-european-cloud-cannot-escape-us/

    11 min
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Tech Gets Real is a show about staying in control in a time of rapid technological change. I'm veteran tech journalist David Meyer, and I've been covering topics like online privacy and freedom for two decades. In TGR, I provide short, jargon-free guides to help you navigate the new AI era.

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