logo
episode-header-image
Mar 2024
31m 3s

6. Arbiters of Truth

Bbc Radio 4
About this episode

In 2018, the CEOs of our most popular social media companies are standing at a crossroad.

After political outcry over Russian interference in the 2016 election and fallout from the Cambridge Analytica scandal, tech leaders have a decision to make.

They need to come up with ways of making their platforms safer.

One route is a radical overhaul of the entire business model. The other is the biggest digital clean-up operation ever attempted, spanning hundreds of langauges and countries.

Which path will they take?

Producer: Caitlin Smith Sound Design: Eloise Whitmore Story Consultant: Kirsty Williams Composer: Jeremy Warmsley Executive Producer: Peter McManus Commissioned by Dan Clarke

A BBC Scotland Production for BBC Radio 4.

Archive: C-Net, April 2018; CBS News, 2020; Tucker Carlson on Fox News; BBC News 2021; EU Debates Tv, 2021

New episodes released on Mondays. If you’re in the UK, listen to the latest episodes of The Gatekeepers, first on BBC Sounds: bbc.in/3Ui661u

Up next
Mar 2024
7. Rest of World
Jamie Bartlett travels to Minnesota to meet Abrham Meareg Amare. The young academic is seeking asylum in the States following the murder of his father in Ethiopia in 2021. In December 2022, Abrham became the lead complainant in a $2 billion lawsuit against Meta. Abrham believes t ... Show More
30m 48s
Mar 2024
8. I Sung of Chaos
On 30th September 2022 a coroner in London finds that Molly Russell "...died from an act of self-harm while suffering from depression and the negative effects of online content." The finding is a global first. Social media is ruled to have contributed to the death of a child. In ... Show More
32m 18s
Mar 4
Trailer
Have you noticed that more and more of the world feels, well, fake?Online there's a daily avalanche of dubious advice and information - about health, money, success, happiness - much of it delivered with total confidence and little regard for evidence.There's the fabricated revie ... Show More
2m 23s
Recommended Episodes
Jul 2024
Newscast x Americast Q&A
Today, Newscast and Americast join forces to answer your questions on the US election. What brought Donald Trump and JD Vance together? If Kamala Harris does run to be President, who would be her VP? And, Is President Michelle Obama a possibility? Adam is joined by Americast’s Ju ... Show More
37m 33s
Aug 2024
The trouble with deepfakes: Liar’s dividend
<p>A new breed of AI generated fake pictures, videos and audio clips is spreading across the internet - content anyone with an internet connection can generate. And some of these deepfakes are now so convincing that even experts struggle to tell the difference between what’s real ... Show More
25m 56s
Apr 2025
Trump’s Tariffs: Is Globalisation Over?
Today, the Prime Minister has responded to Trump’s tariffs saying the government is ready to step in to protect the UK economy. Paddy’s away so Jeremy Vine makes a guest appearance to go through it all.They also discuss the Foreign Secretary David Lammy saying it’s unacceptable t ... Show More
22m 52s
Aug 2024
Starmer vs Musk: the incredible first battle of the Labour Government
As planned violence continues this week the Prime Minister has a new battle on his hands - and it's one of the most influential men on the planet. Elon Musk is trolling Kier Starmer. So, how do governments take on Big Tech? Later, Jon speaks to Scotland's former First Minister Hu ... Show More
41m 52s
Jan 2025
Studying online bad behavior was hard. It's going to get harder in Trump 2.0
Hello, Nilay here. We’re still on winter break; we’ll be back with brand-new Decoder interviews next week, and with our Thursday shows later this month. I’m excited for what we’ve got in the pipeline. I think you’re going to love it. For today, though, we’re sharing an episode o ... Show More
57m 13s
Jun 2025
Coming soon: The rise and fall of Trump’s tech bros
Can Tim Cook save Apple from the trade war? Has Mark Zuckerberg really been a fan of Donald Trump all along? And is the bromance between Elon Musk and the president really over? In a new season of Tech Tonic, Murad Ahmed explores the relationships between Trump and some of the ti ... Show More
1m 1s
Nov 2021
Part Four: Future Tense Politics
How can we do politics with a Long Time lens? So often it feels like our leaders are firmly stuck in the short-term, motivated by getting re-elected every four or five years and the sway of vested interests. In this episode we meet the people changing this both from within govern ... Show More
1h 6m
Jun 2025
A New Middle East?
<p>For decades, Israel has wanted American support to bomb Iranian nuclear sites. But U.S. presidents, both Republican and Democrat, have resisted — until President Trump. So, what changed? And what are the likely consequences of that decision?</p><p>Aaron David Miller is a senio ... Show More
48m 47s
Jul 2024
Trump: "I'm Supposed to be Dead"
Today, we look at the aftermath of the attempted assassination of Donald Trump.After surviving an attempt on his life, the former president says he will "bring the country together”, while President Joe Biden calls for the "temperature of politics" to be lowered. What will happen ... Show More
35m 43s
Jul 2024
Biden Withdraws from the Presidential Race!
And says it's "in the best interest of my party and the country". Americast and Newscast collaborate for another episode. Adam, Justin, Sarah and Marianna come together to talk about what's happened and what it could all mean for the US election. HOSTS: * Justin Webb, Radio 4 pre ... Show More
28m 39s