logo
episode-header-image
Sep 2020
28m 2s

Is the Internet Broken?

Bbc Radio 4
About this episode

The internet is a cornerstone of our society. It is vital to our economy, to our global communications, and to many of our personal and professional lives. But have the processes that govern how the internet works kept pace with its rapid evolution?

James Ball, author of 'The System - Who Owns the Internet, and How It Owns Us', examines whether the infrastructure of the internet is up to scratch. If it's not, then what does that mean for us?

Producer: Ant Adeane Editor: Jasper Corbett

Up next
Mar 2024
The low pay puzzle
From April, 2.7 million workers will get one of the biggest pay rises in UK history as the National Living Wage rises to £11.44 an hour. But will they feel better off?It's 25 years since the National Minimum Wage was introduced. During that time it's credited with putting billion ... Show More
29m 1s
Mar 2024
The low pay puzzle
From April, 2.7 million workers will get one of the biggest pay rises in UK history as the National Living Wage rises to £11.44 an hour. But will they feel better off?It's 25 years since the National Minimum Wage was introduced. During that time it's credited with putting billion ... Show More
29m 1s
Mar 2024
How real is the existential threat from AI?
The existential threat caused by Artificial Intelligence is a popular theme in science fiction. But more recently it’s started to be taken seriously by governments around the world and the companies developing the technology. Where did this idea come from, and why is so much mone ... Show More
29m 6s
Recommended Episodes
Dec 2021
Why a free and fair internet is more vital than ever | Priscilla Chomba-Kinywa
Without the internet, how would you have coped with the pandemic -- from work and school, to maintaining your closest relationships? In the digital age, reliance on the internet is so common and seems ubiquitous, yet billions of people worldwide still go without it. Digital trans ... Show More
10m 14s
Sep 2017
Internet of Things
Can we Control the Dark Side of the Internet?The Internet is the world's most widely used communications tool. It’s a fast and efficient way of delivering information. However it is also quite dumb, neutral, treating equally all the data it passes around the world. From data that ... Show More
26m 58s
Feb 2018
Do We Need a New Internet?
All around the world, governments are increasingly looking at control of the internet; whether it’s to regulate content, hide or ban content or increase ownership of your data. Is this the opposite of what the internet was originally designed to be - a free, open and uncensored s ... Show More
1h 1m
Mar 2023
Would You Shut Down the Internet, If You Could?
The Internet brings astonishing knowledge, convenience, and communication to modern society. But overall does it make us more or less happy than before we invented it? Rex Williams, host of The Whiskey Tribe, joins to ask: If you could pull the plug on the Internet, forever–would ... Show More
1h 16m
Feb 2024
Why Is The Internet Broken?
<p>On today’s show we’re talking about what’s wrong with today’s internet.</p> <p>You might be wondering why we are talking about technology on a real estate podcast. It’s because the internet is the primary source of information for real estate investors and developers. We’ve co ... Show More
5m 3s
Jul 2025
Internet dating: will AI kill the web?
<p>The business model of the internet is built on people visiting sites to find out information. As <a href="https://www.economist.com/business/2025/07/14/ai-is-killing-the-web-can-anything-save-it?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_conte ... Show More
22m 31s
Jul 2020
Aleks in Wonderland: Attack of the Zombie Baby Monitors - Episode 3
Can we Control the Dark Side of the Internet? The Internet is the world's most widely used communications tool. It's a fast and efficient way of delivering information. However it is also quite dumb, neutral, treating equally all the data it passes around the world. From data tha ... Show More
28m 56s
Jul 2025
Internet dating: will AI kill the web?
The business model of the internet is built on people visiting sites to find out information. As Artificial Intelligence changes how we navigate the web, our correspondent weighs the long-term consequences. Meet Austria’s “accidental chancellor” Christian Stocker. And fancy a bea ... Show More
22m 31s