Episode #1768
Dr. Robert Epstein
Books mentioned
Zucked
Mentioned by Dr. Robert Epstein · at 01:23:46 · ▶︎ Watch this moment on YouTube (approximate)
Amazon (opens in a new tab; affiliate link) Source: Transcript (podscripts.co)
Timestamps are segment start times from the podscripts.co transcript of the audio release (includes ad reads), so they may differ from the video by a few minutes.
Dr. Robert Epstein, a senior research psychologist, examines how large technology companies use algorithms, surveillance, and opaque digital systems to shape search results, social media, political behavior, and children’s online experiences. He discusses Big Tech’s influence on elections and democratic institutions, criticizes social-media moderation, and proposes regulation of Google’s search index alongside privacy-focused alternatives.
What they talked about
- Google as a surveillance and manipulation platform
- Search engine manipulation effect on elections
- Search suggestion manipulation and optimal count of four
- Up Next algorithm control on YouTube
- Need for monitoring systems like Nielsen
- Google's censorship and suppression capabilities
- Big tech as utilities and free speech concerns
- Danger of biased personal assistants like Alexa
Data last updated · Report a mistake · How it works: mentions are pulled from public transcripts and episode descriptions, partly with AI-assisted extraction, so details and timestamps can be off.