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 covers online fame, emerging platforms, viral phenomena, and the creator economy. Regular episodes air on Wednesdays, with "Free Speech Friday" episodes focusing on tech policy and civil liberties online.
Episodes
The Billionaire Tech Cult That Just Collapsed
SUPPORT MY WORK: Buy a paid subscription to my newsletter at https://www.usermag.co Support my work on Patreon: http://patreon.com/taylorlorenzSome of Silicon Valley’s wealthiest tech elites have a radical new dream, to abandon modern democracy completely and build their own sovereign nations. At the heart of this movement is a millionaire VC named Balaji Srinivasan and his vision for what
AI Spy Towers And Mass Surveillance Tech Coming To Your Town Next
Have you noticed surveillance cameras appearing in your community?SUPPORT MY WORK: Buy a paid subscription to my newsletter at https://www.usermag.co Support my work on Patreon: http://patreon.com/taylorlorenzFor decades, the US-Mexico border has served as a proving ground for invasive, next-generation surveillance tech like AI surveillance towers, cameras hidden in traffic cones, license
People Are Secretly Dating AI And Wont Stop: Everything You Know About AI Girlfriends Is Wrong:
Why are so many people falling in love with ChatGPT, and what do sensational headlines about AI relationships leave out? SUPPORT MY WORK: Buy a paid subscription to my newsletter at https://www.usermag.co Support my work on Patreon: http://patreon.com/taylorlorenzIn this episode of Power User I speak with technology journalist Bridget Todd about AI companions, chatbot romance, emotional at
The Govt Wants Your ID To Browse Online
AI agents are rapidly becoming the next major way people interact with the internet. They can browse websites, research topics, compare prices, schedule reservations, respond to emails, shop and increasingly take actions on our behalf. But as your agent is going off and scanning websites, or gathering information from government services, should it have to reveal who you are?SUPPORT MY WORK: Buy a
Why Big Tech Wants You to Think AI Is Alive
Can AI actually be conscious and why are some of the biggest AI companies in Silicon Valley pushing this idea?SUPPORT MY WORK: Buy a paid subscription to my newsletter at https://www.usermag.co Support my work on Patreon: http://patreon.com/taylorlorenzIn this episode of Power User, I talk with Washington Post tech reporter Nitasha Tiku about the growing push inside companies like Anthropi
[SUBSTACK/PATREON PREVIEW] The Brutal Truth Behind The AI Bubble w/ Garrison Lovely
To listen to the full episode and get access to more bonus episodes, an ad-free listening experience, and my weekly newsletter, subscribe to my Patreon or Substack 👇🏻Buy a paid subscription to my newsletter at https://www.usermag.co Support my work on Patreon: http://patreon.com/taylorlorenz Is AI really a massive bubble waiting to burst, or are we underestimating how durable the AI bo
AI Agents Are Infiltrating Group Chats: The Internet Can No Longer Tell Who Is Human
For decades, the entire internet was built on one simple assumption: the person on the other end of the screen is actually human. That assumption is officially dead.SUPPORT MY WORK: Buy a paid subscription to my newsletter at https://www.usermag.co Support my work on Patreon: http://patreon.com/taylorlorenzAI agents are getting good enough to post, argue, browse the web, work, transact, an
The Disturbing Cult Taking Over Silicon Valley (Inside Davos For The Tech Elite)
What happens when Silicon Valley tries to optimize everything, from AI and politics to dating, reproduction, friendship and even human behavior?SUPPORT MY WORK: Buy a paid subscription to my newsletter at https://www.usermag.co Support my work on Patreon: http://patreon.com/taylorlorenzEvery year, hundreds of technologists, rationalists, AI researchers, startup founders and prediction mark
Countries Are Hiding Censorship in 'Cybercrime' Laws
The New Global Plan To Control What You PostSUPPORT MY WORK: Buy a paid subscription to my newsletter at https://www.usermag.co Support my work on Patreon: http://patreon.com/taylorlorenzA new United Nations cybercrime treaty is being sold as a way for governments to fight hacking, phishing, and online fraud. But its sweeping language could also help countries identify anonymous users, obt
Are We All Going to Die!?!?! The Dark Money Behind AI Doomer Panic
Why does everyone suddenly think AI could kill humanity?SUPPORT MY WORK: Buy a paid subscription to my newsletter at https://www.usermag.co Support my work on Patreon: http://patreon.com/taylorlorenzIn this episode of Power User, I'm joined by tech journalist Natasha Tiku to investigate the viral claim that AI has a 10% chance of causing human extinction. From the halls of Anthropic an
Why You Cant Trust YouTube News: The Secret AI Farms Gaming YouTube
Who is really behind the fastest-growing political channels on YouTube? SUPPORT MY WORK: Buy a paid subscription to my newsletter at https://www.usermag.co Support my work on Patreon: http://patreon.com/taylorlorenz To listen to the full episode and get access to more bonus episodes, an ad-free listening experience, and my weekly newsletter, subscribe to my Patreon or Substack 👇🏻Buy a paid
Why Palantir Is Selling Tennis Skirts (w/ Lawrence Schlossman)
Why are people buying OpenAI sweatshirts, Claude “Thinking” hats and Palantir chore coats?SUPPORT MY WORK: Buy a paid subscription to my newsletter at https://www.usermag.co Support my work on Patreon: http://patreon.com/taylorlorenzTo listen to the full episode and get access to more bonus episodes, an ad-free listening experience, and my weekly newsletter, subscribe to my Patreon or Subs
ICE Is Hunting Down TikTok Journalists
ICE shot a TikTok journalist covering raids in Los Angeles then locked him in desert detention for 300 days (he is still there) with a festering gunshot wound, worms in his drinking water and cockroaches in his cell. This is the story of Carlitos Ricardo Parias known online as Richard LA or Richard Noticias LA and what it reveals about the war on independent journalism under the guise of "kid
Inside the Towns Saying Hell No to AI Data Centers w/ Jasmine Sun
Small towns across America are revolting against massive AI data centers. SUPPORT MY WORK: Buy a paid subscription to my newsletter at https://www.usermag.co Support my work on Patreon: http://patreon.com/taylorlorenz To listen to the full episode and get access to more bonus episodes, an ad-free listening experience, and my weekly newsletter, subscribe to my Patreon or Substack 👇🏻Buy a pa
Congress Wants to Track Every Device You Own
A New Law That Could Destroy Open Source Forever SUPPORT MY WORK: Buy a paid subscription to my newsletter at https://www.usermag.co Support my work on Patreon: http://patreon.com/taylorlorenz To listen to the full episode and get access to more bonus episodes, an ad-free listening experience, and my weekly newsletter, subscribe to my Patreon or Substack 👇🏻Buy a paid subscription to my new
The Pause AI Movement Is Winning
The movement to pause AI is gaining momentum, but can anyone actually stop the race toward more powerful artificial intelligence?SUPPORT MY WORK: Buy a paid subscription to my newsletter at https://www.usermag.co Support my work on Patreon: http://patreon.com/taylorlorenzTo listen to the full episode and get access to more bonus episodes, an ad-free listening experience, and my weekly news
AI Text Now Has a Secret Tracking Code
To access an ad-free listening experience, get bonus episodes, and receive my weekly newsletter, subscribe to my Patreon or Substack 👇🏻Buy a paid subscription to my newsletter at https://www.usermag.co Support my work on Patreon: http://patreon.com/taylorlorenzAnthropic just announced that Claude and all its AI tools will now watermark every piece of text a user generates, even if
The Truth About Zuck's 6,500 Word AI Manifesto w/ Mike Isaac
Zuckerberg Wants AI to Know Everything About You SUPPORT MY WORK: Buy a paid subscription to my newsletter at https://www.usermag.co Support my work on Patreon: http://patreon.com/taylorlorenzMark Zuckerberg just published a massive 6,500-word manifesto laying out an aggressive vision for the future of AI. But is this really about democratizing technology, or is it a desperate PR move to c
[PATREON PREVIEW] Inside America's First Venture Backed Bot Farm
To listen to the full episode and get access to more bonus episodes, an ad-free listening experience, and my weekly newsletter, subscribe to my Patreon or Substack 👇🏻Buy a paid subscription to my newsletter at https://www.usermag.co Support my work on Patreon: http://patreon.com/taylorlorenz What happens when startups straight up stop hiring human creators and start leveraging industrial-
Your iPhone Could Send You to Jail: The Terrifying Truth About Prairieland
Inside the Case That Could Change Protesting ForeverFOR AD-FREE EPISODES SUPPORT MY WORK: Buy a paid subscription to my newsletter at https://www.usermag.co Support my work on Patreon: http://patreon.com/taylorlorenz This week on Free Speech Friday, I sat down with independent investigative journalist Andrew Fedorov, whose bombshell Mother Jones piece reveals the horrors of the Prairiel
The Insane Collapse of Silicon Valley's 'Nostradamus of AI'
The Wild Rise and Fall of Leopold AschenbrennerLISTEN AD-FREE!! 👇🏻 Buy a paid subscription to my newsletter at https://www.usermag.co Support my work on Patreon: http://patreon.com/taylorlorenz Until a week ago, Leopold Aschenbrenner was hailed as the "Nostradamus of AI". A 24-year-old former OpenAI researcher whose 165-page manifesto, Situational Awareness, convinced Silicon Va
The Viral Elon Musk Lawsuit Everyone Is Getting Wrong
Everyone got this viral lawsuit totally wrong.FOR AD-FREE EPISODES, BUY A PAID SUBSCRIPTION TO MY PATREON OR SUBSTACK!! SUPPORT MY WORK: Buy a paid subscription to my newsletter at https://www.usermag.co Support my work on Patreon: http://patreon.com/taylorlorenz This week, a viral story claimed Elon Musk's xAI is suing Minnesota so that he can create AI-generated CS*M. That false
AI Is Destroying Millions of Books (But Not For The Reason You Think)
Is AI destroying human literature? SUPPORT MY WORK: Buy a paid subscription to my newsletter at https://www.usermag.co Support my work on Patreon: http://patreon.com/taylorlorenz You might have seen the viral videos of a "book guillotine" slicing the spines off thousands of books in a massive warehouse. Last week, the internet exploded after videos surfaced showing Anthropic
Inside The Nantucket Influencer War
Nantucket's "No Influencers" Sign Started a Gender and Class War, Here's What It's Really AboutSUPPORT MY WORK: Buy a paid subscription to my newsletter at https://www.usermag.co Support my work on Patreon: http://patreon.com/taylorlorenz Last week, the internet exploded after a small Nantucket shop posted a simple sign reading "No Influencers." What started as a local controversy quickly beca
Trump's Plan to Destroy 'Woke AI'
If AI becomes the foundation of search, education, government, and everyday life, the fight over who controls AI outputs could shape the future of the internet. SUPPORT MY WORK: Buy a paid subscription to my newsletter at https://www.usermag.co Support my work on Patreon: http://patreon.com/taylorlorenz The Trump administration is making a major push to reshape AI in a way that could affe
The AI War Just Went Nuclear: Everyone Hates Anthropic Now (Even Denny's Diner)
The biggest fight in AI isn't about chatbots anymore, it's about who gets to control the future of artificial intelligence. SUPPORT MY WORK: Buy a paid subscription to my newsletter at https://www.usermag.co Support my work on Patreon: http://patreon.com/taylorlorenz Is Anthropic trying to lock down AI before their IPO, or are open-weight models genuinely a threat to global safet
The Secret Plan to Kill Super PACs (How We Finally End Citizens United)
The Secret Court Case That Could Destroy Super PACs ForeverSUPPORT MY WORK: Buy a paid subscription to my newsletter at https://www.usermag.co Support my work on Patreon: http://patreon.com/taylorlorenz You've been told that Citizens United created Super PACs… but that's not the full story. In this episode of Free Speech Friday, Harvard Law Professor Lawrence Lessig reveals the obsc
OpenAI Could Lose Everything w/ Alex Kantrowitz
🔒 Get 20% off DeleteMe by going to https://joindeleteme.com/TAYLOR20 and use code TAYLOR20 to protect your privacy! 🙌 🚨 Apple is officially suing OpenAI and the allegations are insane. 🚨SUPPORT MY WORK: Buy a paid subscription to my newsletter at https://www.usermag.co Support my work on Patreon: http://patreon.com/taylorlorenz In what might be the most shocking Silicon Valley lawsuit of the ye
[PATREON PREVIEW] Bill Gates Daughter's $43M Tech Scandal
To listen to this and other bonus episodes, buy a paid subscription to my newsletter at https://www.usermag.co or support my work on Patreon: http://patreon.com/taylorlorenz.Affiliate marketing is one of the biggest industries on the internet, and according to researcher Ben Edelman, one of Silicon Valley’s hottest AI startups may have been abusing it.In this bonus episode of Power User I sat down
How the Government Uses AI to Spy on You
The government is using powerful AI tools to build massive digital dossiers on everyday citizens, and it’s happening with zero oversight.SUPPORT MY WORK: Buy a paid subscription to my newsletter at https://www.usermag.co Support my work on Patreon: http://patreon.com/taylorlorenz In this episode of Free Speech Friday, I sat with Matthew Guariglia, Senior Policy Analyst at the Electronic Frontie
A Physicist Destroys Elon Musk's Mars Fantasy
We are never going to Mars. And the billionaires selling you the dream are lying to your face. SUPPORT MY WORK: Buy a paid subscription to my newsletter at usermag.co Support my work on Patreon: http://patreon.com/taylorlorenz The idea of living on Mars has become one of Silicon Valley's biggest promises. Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, and other tech billionaires claim humanity's future depe
Kids Aren't Addicted to Phones — Here's the Data (The Top Academic Studying Social Media & Children Breaks Things Down)
Is social media actually destroying a generation, or are we in the middle of a massive political moral panic?For this week's Free Speech Friday I sat down with one of the world's leading researchers studying young people, technology, and mental health to answer one question: Did social media really create a generation-wide mental health crisis?SUPPORT MY WORK: Buy a paid subscription to my
Why Smart Glasses Feel Different This Time w/ Amy Odell
Are we living through the dawn of a permanent Surveillance Summer?SUPPORT MY WORK: Buy a paid subscription to my newsletter at usermag.co Support my work on Patreon: http://patreon.com/taylorlorenz Kylie Jenner is the new face of Meta's AI smart glasses and suddenly, mass surveillance is a fashion trend. Influencers are declaring a "hot surveillance summer," West Village fashion girl
Bars Are Secretly Scanning Your Face And Tracking You
Most people hand their ID to a bouncer without thinking twice. But what if your local bar was monitoring way more than your age?SUPPORT MY WORK: Buy a paid subscription to my newsletter at usermag.co Support my work on Patreon: http://patreon.com/taylorlorenz Cydney Hayes is a tech and business reporter at the Gazetteer SF.and she joins me for this week's Free Speech Friday to dis
The Terrifying New Bounty Economy w/ Adam Aleksic (Etymology Nerd) & Aidan Walker
The internet has entered a terrifying new era where reality itself has become a marketplace. Adam Aleksic (Etymology Nerd) & Aidan Walker join me to break it all down. SUPPORT MY WORK: Buy a paid subscription to my newsletter at usermag.co Support my work on Patreon: http://patreon.com/taylorlorenz Pump Fun GO is a new service that lets anyone pay anyone to do anything, and the r
Congress Just Declared War on the Internet: The Patriot Act For Online Spaces Is Here
The Kids Act Could End Internet Freedom As We Know It. SUPPORT MY WORK: Buy a paid subscription to my newsletter at usermag.co Support my work on Patreon: http://patreon.com/taylorlorenz A massive new package of legislation, dubbed the "Kids Act," is moving through Congress with unprecedented speed. The package is a broad-based censorship and surveillance scheme that will affect
The Riskiest Bet in Tech History: Elon Musk's Most Dangerous Company Yet
SpaceX just pulled off the biggest IPO in history and made Elon Musk the world's first trillionaire. But is it all built on a fantasy?SUPPORT MY WORK: Buy a paid subscription to my newsletter at usermag.co Support my work on Patreon: http://patreon.com/taylorlorenz In this week's episode of Power User, I sit down with Ryan Mac, the main New York Times reporter covering SpaceX and co-
[PATREON PREVIEW] What Is Peter Thiel Doing In Argentina? (and what's with his secret cult) w/ NYT's Ryan Mac
Subscribe to my Patreon or newsletter to listen to the full episode!SUPPORT MY WORK: Buy a paid subscription to my newsletter at usermag.co Support my work on Patreon: http://patreon.com/taylorlorenz Over the past few months, Peter Thiel has become fully infatuated with Argentina. He bought a house there, enrolled his kids in school, has been attending local soccer matches, playing chess with lo
Hasan Piker Reveals The New Censorship Playbook: The Twitch Streamer on KOSA, Section 230, jawboning, travel bans and more
Hasan Piker On The Terrifying Future Of Internet SurveillanceSUPPORT MY WORK: Buy a paid subscription to my newsletter at usermag.co Support my work on Patreon: patreon.com/taylorlorenz Hasan Piker joined me for this week's Free Speech Friday for a wide-ranging conversation about online censorship, government surveillance, digital ID laws, Section 230, TikTok, KOSA, free speech, the JAWB
Why Timothée Chalamet Is Shilling Kalshi: Inside The Plan To Monetize Everything
Why is Kalshi suddenly everywhere? SUPPORT MY WORK: Buy a paid subscription to my newsletter at usermag.co Support my work on Patreon: http://patreon.com/taylorlorenz Prediction markets like Kalshi and Polymarket have become one of the most powerful forces in American media, politics, and culture. In this episode of Power User, I sit down with NPR's Bobby Allyn, the country's top pred
The Anti-LGBTQ Internet Censorship Bill Is Back
Just in time for Pride month, Marsha Blackburn and the Heritage Foundation's anti-LGBTQ censorship is back (now supported by OpenAI). SUPPORT MY WORK: Buy a paid subscription to my newsletter at usermag.co Support my work on Patreon: http://patreon.com/taylorlorenz The Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA) is back, and this time, the White House is reportedly negotiating a deal to pass it in ex
Exposing OpenAI's Secret Meme Army: A $125M Propaganda Network
Exposing The Dark Money Machine Behind AI PropagandaSUPPORT MY WORK: Buy a paid subscription to my newsletter at usermag.co Support my work on Patreon: http://patreon.com/taylorlorenz I break down my investigation into a network of pro-AI and anti-AI meme accounts that I found were secretly being run and funded by OpenAI, Palantir, and Andreessen Horowitz's big $125M super PAC and dark mon
Are You On A Govt Watchlist? Cops Are Tracking Anyone Who Hates AI
Are you on a government watchlist just for criticizing AI? SUPPORT MY WORK: Buy a paid subscription to my newsletter at usermag.co Support my work on Patreon for bonus episodes, monthly Q&A livestreams, and more: http://patreon.com/taylorlorenz A shocking new investigation from The Intercept reveals that police are tracking seemingly anyone who expresses skepticism or anger about the tech
The Data Center Boom Is More Toxic Than You Think
Are AI data centers destroying the environment, driving up power bills, and consuming massive amounts of water, or is the backlash overblown?SUPPORT MY WORK: Buy a paid subscription to my newsletter at usermag.co Support my work on Patreon for bonus episodes, monthly Q&A livestreams, and more: http://patreon.com/taylorlorenz In this episode of Power User, I sit down with Wired senior
Visa Could Ruin the Internet
What if you woke up tomorrow and completely lost access to your bank account, credit cards, PayPal, and Venmo, all because of something you posted online? SUPPORT MY WORK: Buy a paid subscription to my newsletter at usermag.co Support my work on Patreon for bonus episodes, monthly Q&A livestreams, and more: http://patreon.com/taylorlorenz In this episode of Free Speech Friday, Rainey Re
Why AI Doom Content Is Everywhere
Have you noticed your social media feeds suddenly flooding with terrifying content about AI existential risk? From TikTok clips warning about "AI psychosis" to viral YouTube shorts claiming chatbots are pushing people to the brink, the anti-AI movement has taken over the internet... But what if these "anti-AI" influencers aren't actually what they seem?SUPPORT MY WORK: Buy
Elon Musk’s Final Plan: A Dangerous Blueprint For World Domination
Elon Musk has evolved far beyond a billionaire CEO. SUPPORT MY WORK: Buy a paid subscription to my newsletter at usermag.co Support my work on Patreon for bonus episodes, monthly Q&A livestreams, and more: http://patreon.com/taylorlorenz According to political theorists Quinn Slobodian and Ben Tarnoff, Musk has created an entirely new ideology called “Muskism” — a system where technology co
The AI Job Apocalypse: Silicon Valley Is Bracing for a Permanent Underclass w/ Jasmine Sun
What happens if AI becomes smarter than humans at most jobs?SUPPORT MY WORK: Buy a paid subscription to my newsletter at usermag.co Support my work on Patreon for bonus episodes, monthly Q&A livestreams, and more: http://patreon.com/taylorlorenz Researchers, economists, and top AI executives are increasingly warning about the rise of a “permanent underclass”, a future where millions of worker
Silicon Valley Is Losing Control w/ Brian Merchant
What’s really driving the growing backlash against AI and Silicon Valley?Support my independent journalism: 🙏 Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/cw/taylorlorenz 🗞️ Buy a paid subscription to my Substack: https://www.usermag.co From burning data centers to celebrating an attack on Sam Altman’s house, the anti‑tech backlash has escalated. In this episode of Free Speech Friday, I sit d
Ben Shapiro’s Empire Is Crumbling w/ Will Sommer
Ben Shapiro’s Media Empire Is CollapsingSupport my independent journalism: 🙏 Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/cw/taylorlorenz 🗞️ Buy a paid subscription to my Substack: https://www.usermag.co For the last decade, Ben Shapiro and The Daily Wire dominated the digital landscape. From Facebook to chart-topping podcasts, they seemed untouchable. But in 2025, the data tells a different st
Stop Feeling Helpless About AI: The Violent History of Resisting Technology
What if everything you've been told about technological progress is a lie?Support my independent journalism: 🙏 Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/cw/taylorlorenz 🗞️ Buy a paid subscription to my Substack: https://www.usermag.co AI is changing society faster than ever, but resistance to technology is not new. For this week's Free Speech Friday I spoke with academic Thomas De
The Most Dangerous Lie on the Internet: The 62 Million Men Hoax Explained
The Lie Created To Strip Your Rights OnlineSupport my independent journalism: 🙏 Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/cw/taylorlorenz 🗞️ Buy a paid subscription to my Substack: https://www.usermag.co In March, a CNN investigation into a "Global Academy" of 62 million men allegedly drugging and assaulting women broke the internet. But the most viral story of the year was built
The Dark Side Of AI Safety Laws
Should AI be protected by free speech laws?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 sit down with Corbin K. Barthold, Internet Policy Counsel at Tech Freedom, to discuss one of the most controversial legal papers of the year: "
The New Digital Class War: Rich People Use The Internet Differently w/ Adam Aleksic
There’s a hidden social hierarchy on the internetSupport my independent journalism: 🙏 Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/cw/taylorlorenz 🗞️ Buy a paid subscription to my Substack: https://www.usermag.co Is your Instagram "low class"? While we like to think of the internet as a universal playground, a new digital class war is emerging. From the way you use filters to the numbe
[PATREON PREVIEW] Record Labels Are Buying Meme Pages for Millions
[PATREON PREVIEW] Is Geese a Psyop? How the Music Industry Fakes ViralitySubscribe to my Patreon to get this and other bonus Power User podcast episodes!! Support my independent journalism: 🙏 Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/cw/taylorlorenz 🗞️ Buy a paid subscription to my Substack: https://www.usermag.co The Brooklyn band Geese has sparked a massive "industry plant" contro
Inside A Billionaire's AI Spy Network: The Shocking Secrets of Madison Square Garden’s Surveillance Machine
The Billionaire Who Built a Private Surveillance StateSupport my independent journalism: 🙏 Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/cw/taylorlorenz 🗞️ Buy a paid subscription to my Substack: https://www.usermag.co Sports arenas and concert venues are becoming high-tech surveillance "deep states." In this video, I dive into the explosive Wired report by Noah Shachtman and Robert Silverm
The Girlboss-ification of AI: How Big Tech Is Gaslighting Women Into AI w/ Kat Tenbarge
AI companies are secretly waging a massive PR campaign targeting women.Support my independent journalism: 🙏 Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/cw/taylorlorenz 🗞️ Buy a paid subscription to my Substack: https://www.usermag.co In the past year, OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, and Meta have launched an aggressive PR campaign to rebrand artificial intelligence for women, especially mothers and t
Silicon Valley is Breaking Everything
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 an
Inside Iran's Gen Z Meme Army: How LEGO Became War Propaganda
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
The Woman Taking On Big Tech: She Fought the Government and Won
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
The Downfall of Skibidi Toilet: How Hollywood Fumbled A Powerful Fandom
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
They're Putting AI Cameras In School Busses
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
Why AI Fruit Slop Is Taking Over Our Feeds w/ Kyle Chayka
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 Is
Chappell Roan Did Nothing Wrong: The TikTok Smear Campaign Explained w/ Caroline Kwan
[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 passin
The Media Is Lying About the Social Media Addiction Trial: The Verdict Everyone Got Wrong
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, jour
How Heated Rivalry Broke the Internet: Inside the Internet’s Biggest Breakout Fandom
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
This Is How The Internet Dies: Governments are Scrubbing the Web
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 Fre
The Rise of Celebrity Clone Conspiracies w/ Will Sommer
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
How Section 230 Became Political : The Secret Campaign To Seize Power Over the Internet
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
ICE Wants to Shut Down His Clothing Brand: What Happens When the Govt Hates Your Merch
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
How Bots Boosted Nicki Minaj's MAGA Pivot
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 st
Everything You Know About Algorithms Is A Lie: Section 230 Algorithm Problem Explained
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
Inside The AI Scandal Rocking Silicon Valley: How The Govt Wants AI To Kill Without Humans
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. Wha
How Epstein Shaped The Internet w/ Ryan Broderick
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,
They Want to Ban Abortion Info Online
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 usin
How The Govt Uses Big Tech to Silence Critics
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 conte
Kids Are Being Taught By ChatGPT: Inside A $65K AI School
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 tha
Why The Internet Is Broken
FOSTA/SESTA shows what happens when you "reform" and chip away at Section 230.Welcome back to my Section 230 mini-series, where I break down the most important and misunderstood law about the internet!!Support my independent journalism:🙏 Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/cw/taylorlorenz 🗞️ Substack: https://www.usermag.co FOSTA-SESTA was the first major amendment and carve-out to Sec
The Body Camera Propaganda Playbook
Democrats just handed ICE exactly what ICE asked for.[FREE SPEECH FRIDAY]If you value my reporting, please, please support my work 👇👇👇Join the Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/cw/taylorlorenz Subscribe to my Substack: https://www.usermag.co Body cameras were supposed to hold police accountable. So why is police violence still rising? Why are cops almost never convicted using body cam foota
Dumbphone Owners Have Lost Their Minds: The Logging Off Industrial Complex
Are dumb phones actually the solution to our anxieties, or are they a $400 scam built on a moral panic?~~~~~~~~~~My work is 100% self-funded and this series is not backed by any advertisers or tech giants. If you value my reporting, please, please support my channel: Join the Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/cw/taylorlorenz Subscribe to my Substack: https://www.usermag.co ~~~~~~~~~~~~Over th
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