The internet is dominated by five companies: Amazon, Apple, Facebook, Google, and Microsoft. And it’s not just online—these giant tech companies are behind a lot of the smart devices collecting information about us every day, from Amazon Echo to robot vacuums to even “smart” toothbrushes that many consumers are bringing into their homes.
Today on the show, we explore the world of big tech. First, investigative journalist Kashmir Hill shares her experiences reporting about privacy and technology, including her research for the award-winning piece “The House that Spied on Me.” She discusses what she learned from two big experiments: first, living with as many smart devices as possible, then cutting herself off entirely from the “big five.”
After considering how all of our data is being collected, we turn our attention to the recent news of the security breach at Capital One and issues of cybersecurity with industrial and systems engineering professor Laura Albert, who emphasizes the importance of women in tech.
