This Week in Tech (Audio)

Microsoft quietly hands over BitLocker keys to the government, TikTok's new privacy terms spark a user panic, and Europe's secret tech backups reveal anxious prep for digital fallout. Plus, how gambling platforms are changing the future of news and sports. Host: Leo Laporte Guests: Alex Stamos, Doc Rock, and Patrick Beja Download or subscribe to This Week in Tech at https://twit.tv/shows/this-week-in-tech Join Club TWiT for Ad-Free Podcasts! Support what you love and get ad-free audio and video feeds, a members-only Discord, and exclusive content. Join today: https://twit.tv/clubtwit Sponsors: threatlocker.com/twitmeter.com/twitredis.ioexpressvpn.com/twitshopify.com/twit

Claude isn't just the hottest name in AI right now—it's quietly ushering in a wave of ultra-personalized, vibe-coded software that could transform how we build and use tech in 2026. Find out why coders and normies alike are obsessed and what's coming next. Host: Leo Laporte Guests: Harper Reed and Abrar Al-Heeti Download or subscribe to This Week in Tech at https://twit.tv/shows/this-week-in-tech Join Club TWiT for Ad-Free Podcasts! Support what you love and get ad-free audio and video feeds, a members-only Discord, and exclusive content. Join today: https://twit.tv/clubtwit Sponsors: ZipRecruiter.com/twitredis.iozscaler.com/securitymonarch.com with code TWIT

Is putting a camera in your toilet the future of health, or have tech companies lost the plot? This episode's panel digs into what's truly innovative versus what's just over the top, as industry leaders spar over privacy concerns and the real impact of AI in everyday devices. Host: Leo Laporte Guests: Fr. Robert Ballecer, SJ, Jennifer Pattison Tuohy, and Jason Hiner Download or subscribe to This Week in Tech at https://twit.tv/shows/this-week-in-tech Join Club TWiT for Ad-Free Podcasts! Support what you love and get ad-free audio and video feeds, a members-only Discord, and exclusive content. Join today: https://twit.tv/clubtwit Sponsors: redis.iobitwarden.com/twitmeter.com/twitjoindeleteme.com/twit promo code TWITNetSuite.com/TWIT

Happy New Year! NVIDIA just spent $20 billion to hollow out an AI company for its brains, while Meta and Google scramble to scoop up fresh talent before AI gets "too weird to manage." Who's winning, who's left behind, and what do these backroom deals mean for the future of artificial intelligence? Computer Chronicles Host: Leo Laporte Guests: Dan Patterson and Joey de Villa Download or subscribe to This Week in Tech at https://twit.tv/shows/this-week-in-tech Join Club TWiT for Ad-Free Podcasts! Support what you love and get ad-free audio and video feeds, a members-only Discord, and exclusive content. Join today: https://twit.tv/clubtwit Sponsors: zscaler.com/securitycanary.tools/twit - use code: TWITmonarch.com with code TWITMelissa.com/twitredis.io

Host: Leo Laporte Download or subscribe to This Week in Tech at https://twit.tv/shows/this-week-in-tech Join Club TWiT for Ad-Free Podcasts! Support what you love and get ad-free audio and video feeds, a members-only Discord, and exclusive content. Join today: https://twit.tv/clubtwit Sponsor: zscaler.com/security

After a year tangled in political drama, AI hype, and regulation battles, the TWiT crew explains how many of tech's "biggest stories" simply fizzled into nothing or left us with new headaches by year's end. • Year-end tech trends: AI, politics, and security dominated 2025 • Major stories faded fast: TikTok saga, political tech drama, DOGE scandal • TikTok's ownership battle—Oracle, Trump donors, and US-China tensions • China tech fears: banned drones, IoT vulnerabilities, secret radios in buses • Rising political pressure for internet privacy and media literacy reform • Surveillance and kill switch concerns in US grid and port infrastructure • Convenience vs. privacy: Americans trade data for discounts and ease • Age verification, surveillance, and flawed facial recognition across countries • Discord's ID leak highlights risks of rushed compliance with privacy laws • Social media's impact on kids pushes age-gating and verification laws • ISPs monetize customer data, VPNs pitched for personal privacy • Global government crackdowns: UK bans VPN advertising, mandates age checks • The illusion of absolute privacy: flawed age gates and persistent tracking • AI takes over: explosive growth, but profits elusive for big players • Arms race in LLMs: DeepSeek's breakthrough, OpenAI/Meta talent bidding war • Ad-driven models still rule; Amazon's playbook repeated in AI • Humanoid robots and AGI hype: skepticism vs. Silicon Valley optimism • AI-generated art, media, and the challenge of deepfake detection • Social platforms falter: Instagram and X swamped by fake or low-value content • Google's legal, regulatory, and technical woes: ad tech trial, Manifest V3 backlash • RAM price spikes and hardware shortages blamed on AI data center demand • YouTube overtakes mobile for podcast and video viewing, Oscars move online • The internet's growth: Cloudflare stats, X vs. Reddit, spam domain trends • Weird tech stories: hacked crosswalks, Nintendo Switch 2 Staplegate, LEGO theft ring • Sad farewell: Lamar Wilson's passing and mental health awareness in tech • Reflections on the year's turbulence and hopes for a better 2026 Host: Leo Laporte Guests: Mikah Sargent, Paris Martineau, and Steve Gibson Download or subscribe to This Week in Tech at https://twit.tv/shows/this-week-in-tech Join Club TWiT for Ad-Free Podcasts! Support what you love and get ad-free audio and video feeds, a members-only Discord, and exclusive content. Join today: https://twit.tv/clubtwit Sponsors: expressvpn.com/twitzscaler.com/securityMelissa.com/twitventionteams.com/twitauraframes.com/ink

Are we witnessing an AI-fueled gold rush or the early signs of an epic crash? Listen to these hard-hitting discussions on bubbles, breakthroughs, and the real impact behind Silicon Valley's AI obsession. Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Host: Leo Laporte Guests: Iain Thomson, Owen Thomas, and Jason Hiner Download or subscribe to This Week in Tech at https://twit.tv/shows/this-week-in-tech Join Club TWiT for Ad-Free Podcasts! Support what you love and get ad-free audio and video feeds, a members-only Discord, and exclusive content. Join today: https://twit.tv/clubtwit Sponsors: shopify.com/twitNetSuite.com/TWITventionteams.com/twitzscaler.com/securityhelixsleep.com/twit

What happens if your internet provider gets the blame for what you download? This week, the panel unpacks a billion-dollar copyright battle at the Supreme Court that could upend how we all use the web. Host: Leo Laporte Guests: Amy Webb, Cathy Gellis, and Brian Woolf Download or subscribe to This Week in Tech at https://twit.tv/shows/this-week-in-tech Join Club TWiT for Ad-Free Podcasts! Support what you love and get ad-free shows, a members-only Discord, and behind-the-scenes access. Join today: https://twit.tv/clubtwit Sponsors: miro.comexpressvpn.com/twitbitwarden.com/twitZipRecruiter.com/twitcanary.tools/twit - use code: TWIT

Is Black Friday really booming, or are inflated prices and AI shopping assistants just muddying the waters? This episode rips into the data, exposes retailer tactics, and debates if smarter tech is actually making us better shoppers. Host: Leo Laporte Guests: Daniel Rubino, Sam Abuelsamid, and Mike Elgan Download or subscribe to This Week in Tech at https://twit.tv/shows/this-week-in-tech Join Club TWiT for Ad-Free Podcasts! Support what you love and get ad-free shows, a members-only Discord, and behind-the-scenes access. Join today: https://twit.tv/clubtwit Sponsors: ventionteams.com/twitdeel.com/twitzapier.com/twitMelissa.com/twitzscaler.com/security

A judge is racing to break up Google's advertising empire before they can appeal, while Microsoft's Copilot stumbles on camera. Australia's sweeping social bans, Roblox's selfie requirement, and flawed AI moderation spark sharp debate on what happens when online gatekeeping gets serious. Fortnite Host: Leo Laporte Guests: Fr. Robert Ballecer, SJ, Molly White, and Wesley Faulkner Download or subscribe to This Week in Tech at https://twit.tv/shows/this-week-in-tech Join Club TWiT for Ad-Free Podcasts! Support what you love and get ad-free shows, a members-only Discord, and behind-the-scenes access. Join today: https://twit.tv/clubtwit Sponsors: spaceship.com/twithelixsleep.com/twitexpressvpn.com/twitzscaler.com/securitydeel.com/twit

Meta's Ray-Ban Display glasses steal the spotlight on a Rome trip, triggering debates about privacy, wearable tech etiquette, and the uncomfortable power of recording the world through your eyewear. Plus, gadgets scanning your urine, bots shaping your inbox, and the future of Disney+! Host: Leo Laporte Guests: Victoria Song and Christina Warren Download or subscribe to This Week in Tech at https://twit.tv/shows/this-week-in-tech Join Club TWiT for Ad-Free Podcasts! Support what you love and get ad-free shows, a members-only Discord, and behind-the-scenes access. Join today: https://twit.tv/clubtwit Sponsors: zapier.com/twitdeel.com/twitzscaler.com/securityhelixsleep.com/twitventionteams.com/twit

Elon Musk's eye-popping trillion-dollar pay package, Apple's big F1 gamble, and Meta's scam-friendly ad policies set the stage for a candid debate on Big Tech's priorities and who really pays the price for innovation (and neglect). 'GTA VI'Pluribus Host: Leo Laporte Guests: Iain Thomson, Ashley Esqueda, and Janko Roettgers Download or subscribe to This Week in Tech at https://twit.tv/shows/this-week-in-tech Join Club TWiT for Ad-Free Podcasts! Support what you love and get ad-free shows, a members-only Discord, and behind-the-scenes access. Join today: https://twit.tv/clubtwit Sponsors: expressvpn.com/twitshopify.com/twitziprecruiter.com/twitNetSuite.com/TWITbitwarden.com/twit

From AI-powered code generation boosting productivity to adversaries using the same tools to hunt zero-days, the panel exposes the coming wave of AI-fueled cyberattacks—and why most companies aren't ready for it. Host: Leo Laporte Guests: Jill Duffy, Alex Stamos, and Stacey Higginbotham Download or subscribe to This Week in Tech at https://twit.tv/shows/this-week-in-tech Join Club TWiT for Ad-Free Podcasts! Support what you love and get ad-free shows, a members-only Discord, and behind-the-scenes access. Join today: https://twit.tv/clubtwit Sponsors: ziprecruiter.com/twitzscaler.com/securitymiro.comcanary.tools/twit - use code: TWITMelissa.com/twit

When a major Amazon cloud outage brings everything from smart mattresses to Snapchat grinding to a halt, what does it reveal about our digital fragility—and are we trusting the cloud a little too much? Host: Leo Laporte Guests: Richard Campbell and Doc Rock Download or subscribe to This Week in Tech at https://twit.tv/shows/this-week-in-tech Join Club TWiT for Ad-Free Podcasts! Support what you love and get ad-free shows, a members-only Discord, and behind-the-scenes access. Join today: https://twit.tv/clubtwit Sponsors: deel.com/twitzapier.com/twithelixsleep.com/twitexpressvpn.com/twitzscaler.com/security

Shocking new research reveals how anyone with $750 can intercept unencrypted satellite data, exposing everything from government secrets to in-flight Wi-Fi traffic. Find out why decades-old vulnerabilities are still open and who actually wants it that way. Host: Leo Laporte Guests: Jacob Ward, Harper Reed, and Abrar Al-Heeti Download or subscribe to This Week in Tech at https://twit.tv/shows/this-week-in-tech Join Club TWiT for Ad-Free Podcasts! Support what you love and get ad-free shows, a members-only Discord, and behind-the-scenes access. Join today: https://twit.tv/clubtwit Sponsors: Melissa.com/twitZipRecruiter.com/twitdeel.com/twitzscaler.com/securityzapier.com/twit

From internet service providers facing billion-dollar lawsuits for their users' file sharing to Amazon's smart displays turning into ad machines, the future of your connected life is up for grabs. If you want to know who's really pulling the strings in tech and where the battle lines are being drawn, this is the episode you can't miss. Host: Leo Laporte Guests: Cathy Gellis, Jennifer Pattison Tuohy, and Gary Rivlin Download or subscribe to This Week in Tech at https://twit.tv/shows/this-week-in-tech Join Club TWiT for Ad-Free Podcasts! Support what you love and get ad-free shows, a members-only Discord, and behind-the-scenes access. Join today: https://twit.tv/clubtwit Sponsors: fieldofgreens.com Promo Code "TWIT"NetSuite.com/TWITshopify.com/twitbitwarden.com/twitexpressvpn.com/twit

As AI-generated clip content upends trust and creativity, this week's panel members join forces to unravel whether we're facing a cultural disaster or just the next leap forward (and what anyone online needs to watch out for next). Is the world ready for AI-generated video slop flooding the internet, legal headaches over deepfakes, and million-dollar tech maneuvering? Host: Leo Laporte Guests: Patrick Beja, Georgia Dow, and Iain Thomson Download or subscribe to This Week in Tech at https://twit.tv/shows/this-week-in-tech Join Club TWiT for Ad-Free Podcasts! Support what you love and get ad-free shows, a members-only Discord, and behind-the-scenes access. Join today: https://twit.tv/clubtwit Sponsors: ZipRecruiter.com/twitcanary.tools/twit - use code: TWITzscaler.com/securityspaceship.com/twitmiro.com

With Nvidia's plan to invest $100 billion over time in OpenAI, is this type of investment in other competitors healthy for AI? Can LLMs actually handle enterprise tools and tasks? Meta launches a new AI short-form video feed. Apple is testing a new internal chatbot called Veritas as part of its efforts to revamp Siri. Host: Alex Kantrowitz Guests: Brian McCullough, Dan Shipper, and Ari Paparo Download or subscribe to This Week in Tech at https://twit.tv/shows/this-week-in-tech Join Club TWiT for Ad-Free Podcasts! Support what you love and get ad-free shows, a members-only Discord, and behind-the-scenes access. Join today: https://twit.tv/clubtwit Sponsors: helixsleep.com/twitexpressvpn.com/twitfieldofgreens.com Promo Code "TWIT"zscaler.com/securityspaceship.com/twit

Is strapping notifications to your face the next frontier, or just tech gone too far? Dive into a lively, sometimes skeptical discussion on Meta's AR glasses, social media's shifting power, the fate of TikTok, and how AI is quietly rewriting the rules, whether we like it or not. Host: Leo Laporte Guests: Devindra Hardawar, Fr. Robert Ballecer, SJ, and Nicholas De Leon Download or subscribe to This Week in Tech at https://twit.tv/shows/this-week-in-tech Join Club TWiT for Ad-Free Podcasts! Support what you love and get ad-free shows, a members-only Discord, and behind-the-scenes access. Join today: https://twit.tv/clubtwit Sponsors: uscloud.comsmarty.com/twitZipRecruiter.com/twithelixsleep.com/twitzscaler.com/security

Host: Leo Laporte Guests: Dan Patterson, Victoria Song, and Jason Hiner Download or subscribe to This Week in Tech at https://twit.tv/shows/this-week-in-tech Join Club TWiT for Ad-Free Podcasts! Support what you love and get ad-free shows, a members-only Discord, and behind-the-scenes access. Join today: https://twit.tv/clubtwit Sponsors: expressvpn.com/twitbitwarden.com/twitoracle.com/twitshopify.com/twitNetSuite.com/TWIT