A little over a year ago, Elon Musk made the world’s most expensive impulse purchase. His reasons for buying Twitter were murky at best, but in the story he tells now, he’s saving civilization. In the final episode of this season, we look at Twitter today, inside Elon’s fantasy. What happens when the world’s richest man buys the global town square - and announces that we are doing it all wrong? Hosted by Peter Kafka (@pkafka) Follow Land of the Giants on your favorite podcast app to get future seasons Follow @voxdotcom for more coverage of X/Twitter and Big Tech Learn more about your ad choi ..read more

Twitter employees had always imagined the platform would be used for social good. Their idea was that free expression on the internet would lead to good things. But after the 2016 U.S. election, that notion would be put under stress. And Twitter would have to grapple with the question: what happens when its powerful superuser - who also happens to be the most powerful person in the world - creates havoc on the platform? Hosted by Peter Kafka (@pkafka) Be the first to hear next week's episode by following Land of the Giants on your favorite podcast app Follow @voxdotcom for more coverage of X ..read more

Twitter employees had always imagined the platform would be used for social good. Their idea was that free expression on the internet would lead to good things. But after the 2016 U.S. election, that notion would be put under stress. And Twitter would have to grapple with the question: what happens when its powerful superuser - who also happens to be the most powerful person in the world - creates havoc on the platform? Hosted by Peter Kafka (@pkafka) Be the first to hear next week's episode by following Land of the Giants on your favorite podcast app Follow @voxdotcom for more coverage of X ..read more

Twitter was created by its users, who invented features like the retweet and hashtag. These features helped create vibrant communities like Black Twitter and Comedy Twitter, but eventually, some groups exploited Twitter’s virality in order to intimidate and harass others online. In this episode: how Twitter became the best and worst place on the internet. EDITOR'S NOTE: This episode contains descriptions of sexual harassment and of graphic threats of violence. This section begins 9 minutes after the midroll break and lasts for about 5 minutes, or approximately 35:30 through 41:20. This episod ..read more

Mark Zuckerberg has a vision for the future -- that in a few years, we’ll be living our digital lives in a blend of augmented and virtual reality. The metaverse. To pursue that vision, Zuckerberg’s renamed his entire company and invested billions of dollars in a bid to make Meta the leader of the next tech platform. In our season finale: what are the chances his bet pays off, and why it would give Meta more power than ever. Hosted by Shirin Ghaffary (@shiringhaffary) and Alex Heath (@alexeheath) Subscribe for free. Be the first to hear our next season by hitting the plus sign in your fav ..read more

Facebook defined an era of social media built on our connections, our social lives. We’re watching that era come to a close. Now, your main feeds of both Facebook and Instagram will use AI to start increasingly recommending content from people you don't follow. Kind of like another major app you may have heard of – TikTok. Hosted by Shirin Ghaffary (@shiringhaffary) and Alex Heath (@alexeheath) Subscribe for free. Be the first to hear next week's episode by hitting the plus sign in your favorite podcast app Follow @recode and @verge for more coverage of Meta and Big Tech Learn more about you ..read more

There's a secret world of restaurants that you can only find when you open up the delivery apps. This brave new world of ghost kitchens and virtual brands has allowed traditional restaurants to access new revenue streams. And these new models are using data to shape new concepts and menus. But when tech reimagines what a restaurant even is, is the soul of an entire industry at stake?  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices ..read more

Without delivery workers, there is no DoorDash or UberEats or Grubhub. And workers in this slice of the gig economy get access to a level of flexibility that most people in traditional employment situations can only dream of. But how much control do delivery workers really have over their schedules, their pay and the terms of their employment? These questions are at the heart of a political battle playing out across the country with stakes that are deeply personal for delivery drivers nationwide. Host: Ahmed Ali Akbar (@radbrowndads) Enjoyed this episode? Rate us ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ and leave a review ..read more

The restaurant delivery industry is worth more than $100 billion. But none of the major apps are profitable. In this episode, the key battles that have shaped the delivery wars from the point of view of founders, company executives and venture capitalists. And a key question: With billions invested, rockstar IPOs and a pandemic that exploded the growth of the industry, why aren’t these companies profitable? Hosts : Ahmed Ali Akbar (@radbrowndads) & Jason Del Rey (@delrey) Enjoyed this episode? Rate us ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ and leave a review on Apple Podcasts. Want to get in touch? Tweet @recod ..read more

Restaurant delivery apps have made it possible for many of us to order pretty much anything we want to eat with the click of a button. And during the pandemic that convenience became even more valuable. But at what cost? Some restaurant owners say they now need the apps to survive, but resent what they feel to be forced partnerships. And other restaurant owners are finding ways to take the power back. From Recode and the Vox Media Podcast Network in partnership with Eater. Host: Ahmed Ali Akbar (@radbrowndads) Enjoyed this episode? Rate us ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ and leave a review on Apple Podcasts ..read more