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PODCAST

Taylor Lorenz’s Power User

Taylor Lorenz explores how technology and the internet are upending our lives and the world around us. Each week, she explores everything from online fame to emerging platforms, viral phenomena, the creator economy, and much more. Tune in every Wednesday for regular episodes and every Friday for "Free Speech Friday," her series on tech policy and the fight for civil liberties online.

technology

All Episodes

00:29:58

Silicon Valley is Breaking Everything

Taylor Lorenz’s Power User ·

2026/04/17

Is Silicon Valley actually making progress, or are they just breaking the world for profit? Support my independent journalism: 🙏 Patreon: ⁠https://www.patreon.com/cw/taylorlorenz ⁠ 🗞️ Buy a paid subscription to my Substack: ⁠https://www.usermag.co ⁠ In this episode of Free Speech Friday, I’m joined by legal scholar and surveillance expert Albert Fox Cahn to dismantle the "Move Fast and Break Things" ethos that has dominated tech for a decade. From the multibillion-dollar failure

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00:34:30

Inside Iran's Gen Z Meme Army: How LEGO Became War...

Taylor Lorenz’s Power User ·

2026/04/15

Iranian LEGO videos mocking the US government are taking over the internet. Support my independent journalism: 🙏 Patreon: ⁠https://www.patreon.com/cw/taylorlorenz ⁠ 🗞️ Buy a paid subscription to my Substack: ⁠https://www.usermag.co ⁠ We are living in an era where global internet culture and meme warfare are just as influential as traditional media and LEGOs are being used to create the most effective messaging around the US-Iran war.I sat down with Areeba Fatima, a journalist for Dropsite

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00:33:14

The Woman Taking On Big Tech: She Fought the...

Taylor Lorenz’s Power User ·

2026/04/10

Are we losing our right to online privacy entirely? Support my independent journalism: 🙏 Patreon: ⁠https://www.patreon.com/cw/taylorlorenz ⁠ 🗞️ Buy a paid subscription to my Substack: ⁠https://www.usermag.co ⁠ In this episode of Free Speech Friday, I sat down with Cindy Cohn, former head of the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) and author of the new book Privacy's Defender. We dive deep into the secret history of the early internet, the terrifying reality of mass online surveillance by

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00:33:22

The Downfall of Skibidi Toilet: How Hollywood Fumbled...

Taylor Lorenz’s Power User ·

2026/04/08

Skibidi Toilet changed how storytelling works on YouTube. But behind the scenes, things got messy.Support my independent journalism: 🙏 Patreon: ⁠https://www.patreon.com/cw/taylorlorenz ⁠ 🗞️ Buy a paid subscription to my Substack: ⁠https://www.usermag.co ⁠ Back in 2023, a creator named Alexey (better known as DaFuqBoom) launched a super weird, viral series about a singing head in a toilet called Skibidi Toilet. It went viral and quickly became one of the most popular online series to ever exist

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00:30:27

They're Putting AI Cameras In School Busses

Taylor Lorenz’s Power User ·

2026/04/03

AI Surveillance is taking over our schools. Support my independent journalism:🙏 Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/cw/taylorlorenz 🗞️ Buy a paid subscription to my Substack: https://www.usermag.co Kent Myrtle, a Wichita bus driver, has been blowing the whistle on AI-powered cameras being installed on school buses. From Wichita to Massachusetts, school districts are partnering with companies like Samsara and BusPatrol to implement "real-time monitoring" and "hazard

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00:27:30

AI Fruit Slop Is The New Greek Mythology w/ Kyle Chayka

Taylor Lorenz’s Power User ·

2026/04/01

Kyle Chayka is a writer for the New Yorker, and on this week's Power User he joins me to break down the rise of AI fruit slop dramas. Support my independent journalism:🙏 Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/cw/taylorlorenz 🗞️ Buy a paid subscription to my Substack: https://www.usermag.co Millions and millions of TikTok users are tuning into an AI generated short form show called Fruit Love Island. On the show, AI generated fruits kiss, date, fight, and make up. The show has amassed an

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00:40:25

Chappell Roan Did Nothing Wrong: The TikTok Smear...

Taylor Lorenz’s Power User ·

2026/03/30

[SPECIAL BONUS EPISODE]Why the internet is trying to "end" Chappell Roan.Support my independent journalism:🙏 Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/cw/taylorlorenz 🗞️ Buy a paid subscription to my Substack: https://www.usermag.co Twitch streamer and cultural commentator Caroline Kwan joins me to break down the massive viral controversy surrounding Chappell Roan. What started as a passing interaction at a hotel breakfast in Brazil has morphed into a multi-platform smear campaign led by

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00:51:16

The Media Is Lying About the Social Media Addiction...

Taylor Lorenz’s Power User ·

2026/03/27

Everything you've been told about the "social media addiction" trial is wrong. Support my independent journalism:🙏 Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/taylorlorenz 🗞️ Buy a paid subscription to my Substack: https://www.usermag.co Everyone is celebrating the $400 million fine against Meta and Mark Zuckerberg, but it's a massive win for Big Tech. In this episode of Free Speech Friday, journalist Kat Tenbarge and I debunk a slew of misinformation about the landmark "social media addiction"

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00:41:29

How Heated Rivalry Broke the Internet: Inside the...

Taylor Lorenz’s Power User ·

2026/03/25

This show created one of the fastest fandoms ever.Support my independent journalism:🙏 Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/taylorlorenz 🗞️ Buy a paid subscription to my Substack: https://www.usermag.co Over the past few months, a series born from a niche, self-published Canadian romance novel became one of the biggest cultural phenomenons on the internet. In this episode of Power User, I dive deep into the explosive rise of the Heated Rivalry fandom and why it has the internet in a

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00:47:21

This Is How The Internet Dies: Governments are...

Taylor Lorenz’s Power User ·

2026/03/20

The Internet Is Being Deleted. Support my independent journalism:🙏 Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/taylorlorenz 🗞️ Buy a paid subscription to my Substack: https://www.usermag.co We are witnessing a massive, systematic erasure of digital history. From war crime investigations to grassroots activism and historical archives, the "permanent" web is vanishing. In this episode of Free Speech Friday, I break down the escalating censorship from Big Tech and governments that is burning

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00:31:24

The Rise of Celebrity Clone Conspiracies w/ Will Sommer

Taylor Lorenz’s Power User ·

2026/03/18

Why Does The Internet Think Every Famous Person Is A Clone? The Jim Carrey Clone Conspiracy ExplainedSupport my independent journalism:🙏 Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/taylorlorenz 🗞️ Buy a paid subscription to my Substack: https://www.usermag.co After his appearance at the Cesar Awards in Paris, the internet exploded with a bizarre theory: Jim Carrey had been replaced by a clone or body double. TikTok, X, and conspiracy communities are convinced something is off, from his face to his

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00:48:31

How Section 230 Became Political : The Secret...

Taylor Lorenz’s Power User ·

2026/03/16

What is Section 230 and why is everyone trying to kill it?Support my independent journalism:🙏 Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/cw/taylorlorenz 🗞️ Buy a paid subscription to my Substack: https://www.usermag.co In the latest episode of my Section 230 mini-series I’m joined by Mike Masnick, founder of Techdirt and host of the amazing Section 230 podcast Otherwise Objectionable. Mike breaks down how the whole drama around Section 230 began, and how this extremely inconsequential law became

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00:42:01

ICE Wants to Shut Down His Clothing Brand: What...

Taylor Lorenz’s Power User ·

2026/03/13

BUY COLA CORP APPAREL: https://www.thecolacorporation.com (None of this is sponsored, I just really want people to support him!!!!) Support my independent journalism:🙏 Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/cw/taylorlorenz 🗞️ Buy a paid subscription to my Substack: https://www.usermag.co What happens when the government doesn't like your t-shirts? Joe, founder of Cola Corporation, has dealt with DMCA takedowns, letters from the LAPD, shipments seized by US Customs and Border Protection, and

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00:35:40

How Bots Boosted Nicki Minaj's MAGA Pivot

Taylor Lorenz’s Power User ·

2026/03/11

Is The Nicki Minaj Bot Scandal the Future of Politics?Support my independent journalism:🙏 Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/cw/taylorlorenz 🗞️ Buy a paid subscription to my Substack: https://www.usermag.co The lines between entertainment, celebrity beef, and political propaganda are blurring. A few weeks ago, a POLITICO report sent shockwaves through Stan Twitter and the MAGA internet. The story reported that Nicki Minaj’s sudden pro-Trump pivot was being secretly propped up by an army of

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00:44:40

Everything You Know About Algorithms Is A Lie:...

Taylor Lorenz’s Power User ·

2026/03/09

Are social media algorithms actually destroying the internet? Support my independent journalism:🙏 Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/cw/taylorlorenz 🗞️ Buy a paid subscription to my Substack: https://www.usermag.co In this episode of my Section 230 series, I sit down with Eric Goldman, Associate Dean for Research and Professor at Santa Clara Law, and one of the nation's foremost experts on internet law, to debunk the biggest myths surrounding Section 230 and algorithmic amplification.I hear

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00:33:07

Inside The AI Scandal Rocking Silicon Valley: How The...

Taylor Lorenz’s Power User ·

2026/03/06

The AI industry just had one of its biggest controversies ever.Support my independent journalism:🙏 Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/cw/taylorlorenz 🗞️ Substack: https://www.usermag.co A massive conflict between the Pentagon and leading AI companies like Anthropic and OpenAI has triggered a nationwide debate about how artificial intelligence should be used in warfare and surveillance. What started as a $200 million government contract fight quickly spiraled into a Silicon Valley crisis

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00:39:17

How Epstein Shaped The Internet w/ Ryan Broderick

Taylor Lorenz’s Power User ·

2026/03/04

How Jeffrey Epstein Shaped the Modern Internet: From 4chan to Facebook Support my independent journalism:🙏 Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/cw/taylorlorenz 🗞️ Substack: https://www.usermag.co Since the release of the Epstein files, we've learned a ton about Epstein's role in the early web. From 4chan to World of Warcraft, to Facebook, and online movements like gamergate and #MeToo, Epstein seems to have played a role in it all. So how much of our modern internet was shaped by

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00:44:07

They Want to Ban Abortion Info Online

Taylor Lorenz’s Power User ·

2026/03/02

How Section 230 Became a Reproductive Rights IssueSupport my independent journalism:🙏 Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/cw/taylorlorenz 🗞️ Substack: https://www.usermag.co In this episode of my Section 230 mini series, I break down how anti abortion groups are targeting the internet itself. From the 1873 Comstock Act to modern day efforts to repeal Section 230, there is a long history of using censorship laws to suppress reproductive health information. The fight for reproductive justice and

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00:30:05

How The Govt Uses Big Tech to Silence Critics

Taylor Lorenz’s Power User ·

2026/02/27

The Trump admin publicly bragged about demanding that Apple and Facebook remove ICE watch apps and Facebook groups documenting ICE activity, and Big Tech is complying.Support my independent journalism:🙏 Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/cw/taylorlorenz 🗞️ Substack: https://www.usermag.co [FREE SPEECH FRIDAY]Since last year, Meta, Apple, and other big tech platforms have been mass removing content related to ICE. From deleting Facebook groups who criticize ICE agents to removing apps from the

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00:36:53

Kids Are Being Taught By ChatGPT: Inside A $65K AI...

Taylor Lorenz’s Power User ·

2026/02/25

Would you pay $65,000 to have ChatGPT teach your kids?Support my independent journalism:🙏 Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/cw/taylorlorenz 🗞️ Substack: https://www.usermag.co 404 Media reporter Emmanuel Maiberg joins to discuss the disturbing truth behind Alpha School, an AI-powered private school that has been getting massive hype from mainstream media. While Alpha School promises parents that kids can complete their core education in just two hours a day, leaked internal documents reveal the

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251 results

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