Tech Gets Real: Protect Yourself in the AI Era
Claim This Podcastby David Meyer: Technology Journalist
Podcast Overview
<p>Tech Gets Real is a show about staying in control in a time of rapid technological change. I'm veteran tech journalist David Meyer, and I've been covering topics like online privacy and freedom for two decades. In TGR, I provide short, jargon-free guides to help you navigate the new AI era.</p>
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Publishing Since
9/24/2025
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Recent Episodes
July 21, 2026
The US and China's open-source AI showdown is coming
<p>China’s AI companies have become a huge threat to their US rivals with their more open models, with the likes of Kimi K3, GLM-5.2 and Qwen 3.8 now almost rivalling Anthropic and OpenAI’s best efforts. The Trump administration will soon need to make a decision about how or whether to try to control those Chinese models and the open-source AI movement in general – and China will need to consider whether the many benefits of open AI are worth the risks.</p><p> </p><p>Tech Gets Real is a show about staying in control in a time of rapid technological change, presented from a European perspective. I'm veteran tech journalist David Meyer, and I've been covering tech policy for two decades. If you like this, please hit like and subscribe, and share it with others who might find it useful.</p><p></p><p>REFERENCES:</p><p> </p><p>Reuters on US-China AI talks <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.reuters.com/world/china/us-china-hold-ai-talks-september-sources-say-2026-07-21/">https://www.reuters.com/world/china/us-china-hold-ai-talks-september-sources-say-2026-07-21/</a></p><p> </p><p>Hugging Face on its hacking incident <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://huggingface.co/blog/security-incident-july-2026">https://huggingface.co/blog/security-incident-july-2026</a></p><p> </p><p>The Diplomat on the World Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organization <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://thediplomat.com/2026/07/chinas-new-ai-club-the-world-artificial-intelligence-cooperation-organization/">https://thediplomat.com/2026/07/chinas-new-ai-club-the-world-artificial-intelligence-cooperation-organization/</a></p><p> </p><p>Xi Jinping’s open AI speech <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="http://english.scio.gov.cn/topnews/2026-07/18/content_118605932.html">http://english.scio.gov.cn/topnews/2026-07/18/content_118605932.html</a></p><p> </p><p>Financial Times on China considering open AI controls <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.ft.com/content/6049a031-9e9b-464c-97bb-414da04d5a6a?syn-25a6b1a6=1">https://www.ft.com/content/6049a031-9e9b-464c-97bb-414da04d5a6a?syn-25a6b1a6=1</a></p><p> </p><p>Thinking Machines Lab on its Tinker release <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://thinkingmachines.ai/news/introducing-inkling/">https://thinkingmachines.ai/news/introducing-inkling/</a></p><p> </p><p>Ben Thompson’s Stratechery post on the US’s choices</p><p><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://stratechery.com/2026/whos-afraid-of-chinese-models/">https://stratechery.com/2026/whos-afraid-of-chinese-models/</a></p><p> </p><p>David Sacks vs Dean Ball <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://x.com/DavidSacks/status/2078826291638522127">https://x.com/DavidSacks/status/2078826291638522127</a></p>
July 14, 2026
Europe doesn’t need an “internet passport” for age verification
<p>It looks like there will be EU-wide age restrictions for social media and other online services that might have content or designs that are unsuitable for kids. Some claim the European Commission is about to roll out an “internet passport” to enforce this, but that’s a misreading of the situation. Thanks to a major report that just landed, we are getting more details of what we really should expect from Europe’s online child safety crackdown.</p><p> </p><p>Tech Gets Real is a show about staying in control in a time of rapid technological change, presented from a European perspective. I'm veteran tech journalist David Meyer, and I've been covering tech policy for two decades. </p><p></p><p>To contact me, please email <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="mailto:david@techgetsreal.com">david@techgetsreal.com</a> or connect on:</p><p>Bluesky <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://bsky.app/profile/superglaze.eurosky.social">https://bsky.app/profile/superglaze.eurosky.social</a></p><p>Mastodon: <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://mastodon.social/@superglaze">https://mastodon.social/@superglaze</a></p><p>Facebook: <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.facebook.com/davidmeyerwrites">https://www.facebook.com/davidmeyerwrites</a></p><p>LinkedIn: <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidmeyer2/">https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidmeyer2/</a></p><p> </p><p>REFERENCES:</p><p> </p><p>Ursula von der Leyen speech on age verification legislation <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/statement_26_1590">https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/statement_26_1590</a></p><p> </p><p>Child safety online report <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://commission.europa.eu/document/download/d833504d-5ec3-4fac-945f-38e7d0bd5326_en?filename=Special-panel-report.pdf">https://commission.europa.eu/document/download/d833504d-5ec3-4fac-945f-38e7d0bd5326_en?filename=Special-panel-report.pdf</a></p><p> </p><p>“Summary” of the report <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://commission.europa.eu/document/download/4c5d55f1-9072-4bb9-a263-094461525ca6_en?filename=Child-Safety-Online-summary.pdf">https://commission.europa.eu/document/download/4c5d55f1-9072-4bb9-a263-094461525ca6_en?filename=Child-Safety-Online-summary.pdf</a></p><p> </p><p>Interface page on national age verification plans <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.interface-eu.org/publications/social-media-age-gating-eu">https://www.interface-eu.org/publications/social-media-age-gating-eu</a></p><p> </p><p>Le Monde on European Commission chastising France <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.lemonde.fr/en/france/article/2026/07/06/eu-tells-france-to-amend-social-media-ban-law_6755209_7.html">https://www.lemonde.fr/en/france/article/2026/07/06/eu-tells-france-to-amend-social-media-ban-law_6755209_7.html</a></p><p> </p><p>Euronews on viral “internet passport” claims <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.euronews.com/my-europe/2026/07/13/no-the-eu-is-not-about-to-censor-access-to-the-internet">https://www.euronews.com/my-europe/2026/07/13/no-the-eu-is-not-about-to-censor-access-to-the-internet</a></p><p> </p><p>Guardian on Australia exploring VPN restrictions <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2026/jul/11/most-popular-porn-sites-now-have-age-checks-for-australians-but-online-watchdog-to-assess-vpn-loopholes">https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2026/jul/11/most-popular-porn-sites-now-have-age-checks-for-australians-but-online-watchdog-to-assess-vpn-loopholes</a></p>
July 8, 2026
Why Ireland is a big problem for Europe's tech rules
<p>European lawmakers are worried that Ireland will favour US Big Tech as it takes a major role in legal negotiations over the second half of 2026. The country, which largely relies on Big Tech for its tax revenues, has assumed the Presidency of the EU Council and will steer the Council’s work on bills like the Tech Sovereignty Package, the revisions to the Cybersecurity Act, and the Digital Omnibus, which could see the watering-down of the General Data Protection Regulation.</p><p> </p><p>Tech Gets Real is a show about staying in control in a time of rapid technological change, presented from a European perspective. I'm veteran tech journalist David Meyer, and I've been covering tech policy for two decades. If you like this, please hit like and subscribe, and share it with others who might find it useful.</p><p> </p><p>REFERENCES:</p><p> </p><p>Schwab and Echeverria’s letter to Commissioner McGrath <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://enforce.ie/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Letter-to-Commissioner-McGrath-signed-by-MEP-Arias-Echeverria.pdf">https://enforce.ie/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Letter-to-Commissioner-McGrath-signed-by-MEP-Arias-Echeverria.pdf</a></p><p> </p><p>Wikipedia article on Apple-EU tax dispute <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apple%E2%80%93EU_tax_dispute">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apple%E2%80%93EU_tax_dispute</a></p><p> </p><p>Irish Times on DPC not collecting fines <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.irishtimes.com/business/2026/01/12/data-protection-commission-owed-more-than-4-billion-in-fines/">https://www.irishtimes.com/business/2026/01/12/data-protection-commission-owed-more-than-4-billion-in-fines/</a></p><p> </p><p>Irish Times on Apple, Microsoft and Eli Lilly’s outsized tax role <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.irishtimes.com/business/economy/2026/02/19/three-multinational-companies-paid-close-to-50-of-states-corporate-tax-in-2024/">https://www.irishtimes.com/business/economy/2026/02/19/three-multinational-companies-paid-close-to-50-of-states-corporate-tax-in-2024/</a></p><p> </p><p>EU Observer on Niamh Sweeney’s selection as Irish DPC <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://euobserver.com/4580/outrage-as-ireland-picks-ex-meta-lobbyist-as-new-data-protection-chief/">https://euobserver.com/4580/outrage-as-ireland-picks-ex-meta-lobbyist-as-new-data-protection-chief/</a></p><p> </p><p>Politico on delayed DSA enforcement for X <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.politico.eu/article/europe-exhales-brussels-fines-elon-musk-x/">https://www.politico.eu/article/europe-exhales-brussels-fines-elon-musk-x/</a></p><p> </p><p>Irish Council for Civil Liberties demanding Irish recusal <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.iccl.ie/press-release/ireland-recuse-eu-presidency-digital-files-enforce/">https://www.iccl.ie/press-release/ireland-recuse-eu-presidency-digital-files-enforce/</a></p>
42 total episodes available
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- What is Tech Gets Real: Protect Yourself in the AI Era?
<p>Tech Gets Real is a show about staying in control in a time of rapid technological change. I'm veteran tech journalist David Meyer, and I've been covering topics like online privacy and freedom for two decades. In TGR, I provide short, jargon-free guides to help you navigate the new AI era.</p> - How often does this podcast release new episodes?
This podcast updates daily.
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This podcast is available on 4 platforms including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and more. You can also use the RSS feed directly.
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Yes, this podcast regularly features guests.
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