Because Online Life Is Real Life
Host Manoush Zomorodi shares real stories of life online and real talk about the future of the Web.
IRL is an original podcast from Mozilla, maker of Firefox and always fighting for you.
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Season 4 Ep. 7
What if women built the internet?
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All the things we love on the internet — from websites that give us information to services that connect us — are made stronger when their creators come with different points of view. With this in mind, we asked ourselves and our guests: “What would the internet look like if it was built by mostly women?”
Witchsy founders Kate Dwyer and Penelope Gazin start us off with a story about the stunt they had to pull to get their site launched — and counter the sexist attitudes they fought against along the way. Brenda Darden Wilkerson recalls her life in tech in the 80s and 90s, and shares her experience leading AnitaB.org, an organization striving to get more women hired in tech. Coraline Ada Ehmke created the Contributor Covenant, a voluntary code of conduct being increasingly adopted by the open source community. She explains why she felt it necessary, and how it’s been received; and Mighty Networks CEO Gina Bianchini rolls her eyes at being called a “lady CEO,” and tells us why diversifying the boardroom is great for business and innovation.
Show NotesSubscribe to IRL. Because online life is real life.
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Season 4 Ep. 6
Decentralize It
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Some people believe that decentralization is the inevitable future of the web. They believe that internet users will start to demand more privacy and authenticity of information online, and that they’ll look to decentralized platforms to get those things. But would decentralization be as utopian as advocates say it could be?
Host Manoush Zomorodi speaks to Eugen Rochko of Mastodon, an ad-free alternative to Twitter; Justin Hunter of Graphite docs, a decentralized alternative to GoogleDocs; Maria Bustillos who hopes to help eliminate fake news online through the Blockchain; David Irvine, the co-founder of MaidSafe who plans to make the centralized internet as we know it redundant; and Tom Simonite of WIRED, who comments on both the promise and also the pitfalls of decentralization.
Show NotesSubscribe to IRL. Because online life is real life.
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Season 4 Ep. 5
The Surveillance Economy
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In her new book, The Age of Surveillance Capitalism, Harvard Business School’s Shoshana Zuboff argues that tech companies — like Google and Facebook — collect so much personal data for profit, that they’re changing the fundamentals of our economy and way of life. And now these companies are learning to shape our behavior to better serve their business goals. Shoshana joins Manoush Zomorodi to explain what this all means for us.
We then explore whether or not it’s time to end our relationship with corporate spies. OG advice columnist Dear Abby gives us some tips to start with. We chat with philosopher S. Matthew Liao. He asks if we have a moral duty to quit Facebook. Alice Marwick explains why most people won’t leave the social network. And journalist Nithin Coca tells us what it was like for him to quit both Facebook and Google. Spoiler alert: it wasn’t easy, but he has no regrets.
Show NotesSubscribe to IRL. Because online life is real life.
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Season 4 Ep. 4
Everything in Moderation
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What, if anything, should be banned from online media? And who should review violent and explicit content, in order to decide if it’s okay for the public? Thousands of people around the world are working long, difficult hours as content moderators in support of sites like Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube. They are guided by complex and shifting guidelines, and their work can sometimes lead to psychological trauma. But the practice of content moderation also raises questions about censorship and free expression online.
In this IRL episode, host Manoush Zomorodi talks with a forensic investigator who compares the work she does solving disturbing crimes with the work done by content moderators. We hear the stories of content moderators working in the Philippines, as told by the directors of a new documentary called The Cleaners. Ellen Silver from Facebook joins us to outline Facebook’s content moderation policies. Kalev Leetaru flags the risks that come from relying on artificial intelligence to clean the web. And Kat Lo explains why this work is impossible to get exactly right.
Some of the content in this episode is sensitive, and may be difficult to hear for some listeners.
Show NotesSubscribe to IRL. Because online life is real life.
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Season 4 Ep. 3
TL;DR
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TL;DR: We have access to more things to read than ever before. Too much, in fact. Our reading habits have shifted. We skim a lot. We look for full stories baked into headlines. Our eyes bounce around from one article to the next, and we try and fail to manage how many things we read at once. Some of us can no longer concentrate on a book—no matter how good it might be. Reading has changed. And we’re changing alongside it. With host Manoush Zomorodi, Derek Thompson at the Atlantic talks headlines; Ernie Smith from Tedium rails against our bad browser tab habits; librarian rock star Nancy Pearl makes the case for analog books; Beth Rogowsky discusses if audiobooks can replace reading; and Nate Weiner from Mozilla’s Pocket shows us one way we can manage our reading overload. Happy New Year — let’s get working on that “I will read more this year” resolution. Show Notes
Subscribe to IRL. Because online life is real life.
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Season 4 Ep. 2
Your Password Is the Worst
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Look, we agree with you: passwords are the worst. But you know what else is the worst? Someone hacking your account, or big security breaches that expose your email, your credit card information, your government-issued identification number, and more. We should hold companies accountable for better security, but we also need to hold ourselves accountable for having good password hygiene. So let’s tackle this once and for all. Hear from Buzzfeed’s Mat Honan, who endured a brutal hack a few years ago when hackers exploited password-recovery tools; Mark Wilson from Fast Company, who wants to ban passwords altogether (though admits it’s not the best idea); Masha Sedova of Elevate Security who says that, yes, security companies have failed us – but we have to use passwords anyway; and Matt Davey of 1Password, who offers a solution that Mozilla can get behind: use a password manager. A simple, game-changing tool that will help you take back control of your accounts, and secure yourself as best as you can. Show Notes
Subscribe to IRL. Because online life is real life.
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Season 4 Ep. 1
Checking Out Online Shopping
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When you shop, your data may be the most valuable thing for sale. This isn’t just true online — your data follows you into brick and mortar stores now as well. Manoush Zomorodi explores the hidden costs of shopping, online and off. Meet Meta Brown, a data scientist who unveils the information Amazon captures about you when you make an online purchase; Joseph Turow, who discusses how retailers are stripping us of our privacy; and Alana Semuels, who talks about becoming a hoarder with the advent of online shopping. Plus, learn about a college coffee shop where you can actually buy a drink with your data. (Is it worth it?) Show Notes
Subscribe to IRL. Because online life is real life.
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Season 4 Trailer
Introducing Season 4 of IRL: Because Online Life is Real Life
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Can ‘ethical tech’ be a thing? We think so. Season 4 of Mozilla’s IRL podcast will explore all the ways tech can have more positive influence on people, communities, and societies at large. And, we’re delighted to welcome our new host Manoush Zomorodi, who will keep the season nerdy, human, and — importantly — fun, for all of us as we listen in. Show Notes
Subscribe to IRL. Because online life is real life.
Season 3
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Examine how the internet is changing our minds, our votes, and our democracies – all over the world. Listen now.
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Today’s teens are the first humans who have spent their entire lives online. Find out what it's like growing up in the age of screens. Listen now.
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Veronica Belmont and Franchesca Ramsey meet the people working to make the web — and world — friendlier places. Listen now.
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Veronica Belmont and Peter Rojas explore how the Internet is building and confusing our relationships. Listen now.
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There’s a new currency in town (and no, we’re not talking about Bitcoin). We’re talking about attention. Listen now.
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2: Press Play
One of the most successful recruitment tools the U.S. Army ever made was… a video game? Find out how gaming elements in tech have infiltrated our online and offline lives. Listen now.
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Explore the tradeoffs you make online everyday, and learn why on earth your email inbox is filling up with privacy policies. Listen now.
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Get a sneak peak at what Veronica Belmont will cover in Season 3 of IRL, because online life is real life. Listen now.
Season 2
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How to stop the spread of disinformation online. Listen now.
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How technology can create, and can break, our filter bubbles. Listen now.
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5: Algorisky
When bad code spreads disinformation and bias, it’s never something that “the algorithm did.” It’s something people did. Listen now.
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On the Internet no one knows you’re a dog, as the old joke goes. But does anonymity truly exist on the web anymore? Listen now.
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3: Face Value
From Snapchat filters to Apple’s Face ID, biometric technology plays a growing role in our everyday lives. What do we actually give up when we upload our face to these apps? Listen now.
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Recent reports estimate that over 50% of teens are addicted to their smartphones. Veronica Belmont investigates the impact of growing up online. Listen now.
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1: Bot Or Not
Most website visitors aren’t human. They’re bots. Here’s how to spot them. Listen now.
Season 1
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Bonus: Net Neutrality Emergency
The battle for the open Internet isn’t over. In the days leading up to the FCC’s vote, we investigate what’s next for net neutrality. Listen now.
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Bonus: Status Update
On the Internet, everything happens so much. Veronica Belmont explores the latest developments in digital activism, cybersecurity and troll clapbacks. Listen now.
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Recent events in Charlottesville, VA have revealed the role the Internet plays in IRL threats and violence. Should tech companies regulate who says what on the Internet? Listen now.
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What is life like without fast Internet, and how does life change once a person has it? Veronica Belmont talks to people about joining the digital economy. Listen now.
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Surveillance. Turns out, we’ve invited it into our homes through digital assistants, connected toys and baby monitors. Listen now.
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Trolls are in every corner of the Web, but people are fighting back in new ways. Baked goods included. Listen now.
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3: Hack Jobs
This episode of IRL focuses on our internet insecurity. Meet the unsung heroes fighting to keep us safe. Listen now.
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The Internet is at a crossroads. Mozilla’s IRL podcast dives into the current net neutrality debate. Listen now.
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There is no such thing as a free lunch. Mozilla’s IRL podcast dives into the price of “free” online series. Listen now.
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Introducing IRL: Because Online Life is Real Life Listen now.