A far-right candidate was expected to win Romania’s presidential race and then the election was abruptly cancelled — amid concerns that Russia was paying TikTok influencers to boost his campaign. And would you believe it, things only get crazier from there. POLITICO host Steven Overly dives into the latest in Bucharest with Andrei Popoviciu, a Romanian freelance investigative journalist who has been covering this story for POLITICO. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices...
Dec 17, 2024•19 min
President-elect Donald Trump has lashed out at TV broadcasters and tech companies, accusing them of unfair news coverage or censoring conservative speech. And soon, his Federal Communications Commission may try to penalize them. Outgoing FCC Chair Jessica Rosenworcel, a Democrat, fears the agency’s independence could be in jeopardy. On POLITICO Tech, Rosenworcel joins host Steven Overly to discuss her tenure atop the agency and its future in the next administration. Learn more about your ad choi...
Dec 16, 2024•22 min
While U.S. lawmakers debate kids’ online safety legislation, elected officials in Australia have already taken bold action — banning minors under age 16 from social media altogether. Now, Australian officials will spend the next year figuring out how to implement the law. Among them is eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant, an American and former tech executive who oversees online safety regulation in Australia. On POLITICO Tech, Inman Grant tells host Steven Overly about Australia’s new social...
Dec 13, 2024•30 min
Patent lawyers at Google had a question: How many of the company’s big, new ideas were developed using artificial intelligence? The patent world has been grappling for years with whether or not AI can be considered an inventor, and Google needed to know how the technology is being used today. On POLITICO Tech, Google’s head of patent policy, Laura Sheridan, joins host Steven Overly to explain the findings and why the company doesn’t think AI counts as an inventor. Learn more about your ad choice...
Dec 12, 2024•18 min
Technology has made it so that we’re always connected. And for many of us, that means the boss can text or email anytime. But several countries are cracking down on after-work communication by enacting so-called “right-to-disconnect" laws. So far, two states in the U.S. have introduced such bills — with more expected to follow. But the Society of Human Resource Management argues the government shouldn’t be dictating work-life balance. On the show today, the association’s head of government affai...
Dec 11, 2024•22 min
It was looking like Congress had few plans to take up tech bills before the end of the year. But in Washington, one weekend and a couple of tweets can make a world of difference. Senators struck a deal to pony up money for key tech and telecom programs. And a major kids online safety bill may have gotten a much-needed boost from Elon Musk and Donald Trump Jr. On POLITICO Tech, health tech reporter Ruth Reader joins to discuss whether Trump world support can get that bill over the finish line. Le...
Dec 10, 2024•16 min
The government’s plan to potentially ban TikTok next month is still on schedule, at least for now. A federal appeals court ruled on Friday that Congress can legally force its parent company, ByteDance, to either sell the app or be shut down because of concerns about its ties to China. On POLITICO Tech, national security attorney Carrie Cordero from the Center for a New American Security joins host Steven Overly to parse through the ruling, and discuss what comes next as TikTok looks to the Supre...
Dec 09, 2024•19 min
Chinese hackers have infiltrated major telecommunications networks, gaining access to the call logs and data of millions of Americans, including President-elect Donald Trump. But while the breach was first detected back in the spring, U.S. officials acknowledged this week that they’ve not yet been able to stop it. On POLITICO Tech, cybersecurity reporter Maggie Miller joins host Steven Overly to explain why the attack has been so hard to contain and how people can protect their information. Lear...
Dec 06, 2024•15 min
Romanians head to the polls for a final round of voting on Sunday and European tech regulators will be watching. The candidate expected to win is a far-right politician named Călin Georgescu, who catapulted himself to the top in part due to his popularity on TikTok. But some regulators and researchers question whether Georgescu has gotten a boost from fake accounts and paid influencers — allegations that have put TikTok in the hot seat. On POLITICO Tech, reporter Pieter Haeck gives host Steven O...
Dec 05, 2024•15 min
Silicon Valley investor Marc Andreessen made headlines for backing Donald Trump in the 2024 election, and now stands to gain new levels of influence with Trump’s return to the White House. In a recent interview on “The Joe Rogan Experience,” Andreesen outlined his views on the changing political and media landscape, as well as his outlook for artificial intelligence and cryptocurrency. On POLITICO Tech, Digital Future Daily author Derek Robertson joins host Steven Overly to talk through the big ...
Dec 04, 2024•21 min
Donald Trump’s election victory has liberals torn over whether or not to ditch X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter and owned by Trump’s billionaire benefactor Elon Musk. They say it’s become a hotbed of disinformation and accuse Musk of using it to push a political agenda. POLITICO contributing writer and long-time tech journalist Nancy Scola spoke to a dozen Democratic lawmakers and activists who defended their decision to stay or leave. She joins host Steven Overly to discus...
Dec 03, 2024•15 min
Billionaire Frank McCourt wants to create a more decentralized internet, one where big tech companies don’t hold all the power and individuals control their own data. But McCourt believes people need to see that version of the internet to believe it is possible, so he is leading a coalition trying to purchase TikTok — assuming President-elect Donald Trump will still force it to be sold. On POLITICO Tech, McCourt sat down with host Steven Overly at a recent Project Liberty summit to discuss his v...
Dec 02, 2024•20 min
Two years on from the release of ChatGPT, OpenAI has been beefing up its efforts to shape the way governments manage artificial intelligence. And earlier this year, the company tapped Democratic political veteran Chris Lehane to oversee global affairs. Now, Lehane is laying out proposals for how the U.S. government should invest in data, energy and chips to stay competitive with China. On POLITICO Tech, Lehane joins host Steven Overly to explain the company’s agenda and expectations for the inco...
Nov 22, 2024•22 min
Silicon Valley voted en masse for Vice President Kamala Harris, but Democratic support there did decline, just as it did in many other parts of the country. Host Steven Overly called up Rep. Ro Khanna to talk about how Democrats win back voters -- both in Silicon Valley and the heartland – which he says will require Democrats to embrace tech as a force for rebuilding the country and the economy. Plus, Khanna weighs in on Elon Musk’s plans to cut government spending under the incoming Trump admin...
Nov 21, 2024•18 min
Secretary Gina Raimondo has morphed the Commerce Department over the past four years into an agency focused on national security — enacting a massive, high-tech industrial policy aimed at beating China. And with two months left in her tenure, she is now racing to cement that legacy. On POLITICO Tech, Raimondo joins host Steven Overly to talk about her plans to dole out all microchip subsidies, today’s global summit on AI safety and why she thinks her work will withstand a Republican-controlled W...
Nov 20, 2024•22 min
President Joe Biden held the final meeting of his term with Chinese leader Xi Jinping over the weekend, and the pair walked away with an agreement not to allow artificial intelligence to control nuclear weapons. But their joint statement amounts to a handshake deal — just as President-elect Donald Trump is poised to return to the White House. On POLITICO Tech, Gregory Allen from the Center for Strategic and International Studies joins host Steven Overly to explain why the deal matters and what d...
Nov 19, 2024•19 min
In Washington, the people animate the policy. And that means new power players in the incoming Trump administration and Congress will shape everything from artificial intelligence to telecom regulations. On POLITICO Tech, reporter John Hendel joins host Steven Overly to discuss the newly elected leadership in the Senate, as well as Trump’s attorney general nominee Matt Gaetz and his pick for Federal Communications Commission chair, Brendan Carr. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone....
Nov 18, 2024•18 min
Box CEO Aaron Levie backed Vice President Kamala Harris in last week’s presidential election. But now that former President Donald Trump is returning to the White House, Levie says he’s getting on board with Trump’s deregulation agenda. A big reason for that support? His Silicon Valley compatriot, Elon Musk. On POLITICO Tech, Levie tells host Steven Overly why he thinks Democrats need to give Musk and his new government efficiency commission a chance. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit mega...
Nov 15, 2024•18 min
President-elect Donald Trump has promised sweeping tariffs on all U.S. trading partners, including a whopping 60 percent tariffs on goods from China. And Trump’s allies are already plotting how to get them implemented. But tech lobbyists are preparing to fight back, with arguments about how tariffs will harm companies and worsen inflation. On POLITICO Tech, host Steven Overly chats with Ed Brzytwa of the Consumer Technology Association about the industry’s plans for the tariff war ahead. Learn m...
Nov 14, 2024•20 min
The Defense Department shelled out more than $400 billion in contracts last fiscal year, but only a sliver of that money went to defense startups. Now, those companies hoping the incoming Trump administration will funnel more federal dollars their way, especially with Elon Musk advocating on their behalf. On POLITICO Tech, reporter Christine Mui joins host Steven Overly to explain what defense startups want from the next administration and what hurdles they will need to overcome. Learn more abou...
Nov 13, 2024•13 min
After every major election, the losing side faces a dreaded question: Where did it all go wrong? But journalist Steven Waldman, the co-founder and president of Rebuild Local News and Report for America, argues that pollsters and reporters are overlooking a key factor when debating that question after last week’s outcome. On POLITICO Tech, Waldman explains why the place where voters get their news and information — legacy media or social media — likely influenced which candidate they support. Lea...
Nov 12, 2024•18 min
Congress returns to Washington tomorrow with the results of last week’s election hanging overhead. But the weeks ahead could be a busy time for tech. Congress has let legislation languish on issues like artificial intelligence, spectrum authorization and kids online safety — and some lawmakers are now eager to get them done. On POLITICO Tech, host Steven Overly and reporter Brendan Bordelon break down expectations for the lame duck session. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/ad...
Nov 11, 2024•17 min
Silicon Valley executives lauded President-elect Donald Trump after his big win Tuesday night. And while buttering up the president-to-be is typical, the flattery may be especially strategic in Trump’s case, argues Chamber of Progress CEO Adam Kovacevich. On POLITICO Tech, Kovacevich tells host Steven Overly how he expects companies to handle Trump’s “personal grievance agenda” this time around, and what his return means for AI, antitrust and other tech policy issues. Learn more about your ad ch...
Nov 08, 2024•20 min
Former President Donald Trump wasn’t the only big winner on Tuesday night. Elon Musk made a big bet on Trump during the election, becoming his billionaire benefactor and social media hype man. And now that Trump is returning to the White House, Musk stands to cash in both politically and financially. On POLITICO Tech, national political correspondent Meridith McGraw and Digital Future Daily author Derek Robertson join host Steven Overly to break down Musk’s new power and influence. Learn more ab...
Nov 07, 2024•20 min
Donald Trump will be the next president. But so much in tech policy depends on which party controls Congress. And last night, Republicans also took control of the Senate. That has big implications for policy debates over issues like artificial intelligence, data privacy and cryptocurrency. POLITICO Tech host Steven Overly and reporter Brendan Bordelon discuss what this new balance of power in Washington means for Silicon Valley. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices...
Nov 06, 2024•13 min
There will be many races to watch as election results pour in tonight. That includes the competition among news outlets to one-up each other with splashy new technology. After all, it’s an Election Night tradition. POLITICO Tech host Steven Overly chats with CNN senior product director Manav Tanneeru about the network’s “Magic Wall” app, and then Aspen Digital executive director Vivian Schiller explains why journalists should keep it simple. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/a...
Nov 05, 2024•15 min
Election Day is nearly upon us. (Finally!) But any uncertainty over the outcome is sure to turbocharge disinformation from foreign adversaries and fellow Americans alike. Ginny Badanes leads the Democracy Forward program at Microsoft, which aims to defend campaigns and election administrators against operations from Russia, China and Iran. On POLITICO Tech, Badanes tells host Steven Overly how Microsoft is bracing for the critical days ahead. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/...
Nov 04, 2024•24 min
The Federal Election Commission faced a big question this election cycle: Should political candidates be banned from making AI-generated deepfakes of their opponents? POLITICO Tech host Steven Overly attended the GovAI Summit this week for a live interview with Democratic FEC Commissioner Shana Broussard to discuss the agency’s recent decision, as well as AI disclaimers, social media influencers and the Elon Musk “smell test.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices...
Nov 01, 2024•21 min
The nature of war is changing. $10 million tanks in Ukraine are being disabled by $10,000 drones — and many cutting-edge battlefield technologies today come from private companies rather than governments. Few people know more about harnessing commercial tech for the military than Raj Shah, who led the Pentagon’s Defense Innovation Unit before founding his own venture capital firm. Now he’s on the board of the NATO Innovation Fund. On the show today, he speaks with POLITICO deputy tech editor Dan...
Oct 31, 2024•22 min
Data firms are hoovering up all sorts of information about us, and then selling it to political campaigns and advocacy groups. But one of these data collectors is using that information to extrapolate whether voters might believe QAnon conspiracies or support Jan. 6 insurrectionists — raising concerns about more than just privacy. POLITICO reporter Alfred Ng joins host Steven Overly to talk about the controversial voter database. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices...
Oct 30, 2024•15 min
