"Let's not break into jail": Why Alex Stamos Says Facebook Was Afraid to Create Controversy
Alex Stamos spent three years as Facebook’s chief security officer. He oversaw a counterterrorism team that, he says, prevented multiple terrorist attacks without taking public credit. He also says that this approach to communications may have added to the criticism of the company following the Russian interference scandal in 2016. Read an edited transcript below, or listen to the full interview on the First Contact podcast. … Continue reading "Let's not break into jail": Why Alex Stamos Says Facebook Was Afraid to Create Controversy
What Kept Alex Stamos Up at Night as Facebook’s Security Chief
Alex Stamos spent three years as Facebook’s chief security officer. In addition to information security issues, he also oversaw the company’s Child Safety Investigations team. During that time he had to deal with some of the darkest the Internet has to offer. He tells Laurie Segall how that darkness sometimes followed him home. And how he’s changed since leaving Facebook. Read an edited transcript below, … Continue reading What Kept Alex Stamos Up at Night as Facebook’s Security Chief
Episode 13: Ex-Facebook Security Chief Speaks Out on Russia & Spies in Silicon Valley
First Contact with Laurie Segall is a production of Dot Dot Dot Media and iHeart Radio. Alex Stamos: I expect that every major US tech company has at least several people that have been turned by at least China, maybe Russia, probably Israel, and a couple other US allies. Laurie Segall: Did you ever uncover anybody that had been turned? Alex Stamos: I’m not gonna … Continue reading Episode 13: Ex-Facebook Security Chief Speaks Out on Russia & Spies in Silicon Valley
Former CIA Analyst: Facebook is Playing ‘Whack-A-Mole’
Yael Eisenstat spent six months as Facebook’s global head of elections integrity operations. But before that, she spent more than a decade in the CIA. She also served as a national security advisor to Vice President Biden. During her time working for the government, she was frequently in hostile situations. Sometimes she found herself sipping tea across the table from suspected extremists. Her job was … Continue reading Former CIA Analyst: Facebook is Playing ‘Whack-A-Mole’
Episode 12: She Spent 10+ Years at the CIA. It Didn’t Prepare Her for Life at Facebook.
First Contact with Laurie Segall is a production of Dot Dot Dot Media and iHeart Radio. Yael Eisenstat: When I left the CIA, it’s you can’t talk about anything classified, which is essentially an NDA. They never said you can’t say anything negative about us. The non disparagement at Facebook was so strong, I would have never been able to talk about even why I … Continue reading Episode 12: She Spent 10+ Years at the CIA. It Didn’t Prepare Her for Life at Facebook.
Sam Altman: The Tech Revolution Was Just a ‘Warm Up’ For What’s Next
Sam Altman is known for seeing into the future. For years he led Y Combinator — one of Silicon Valley’s most prominent incubators. He’s invested in companies like Airbnb, Dropbox, and Reddit. When he makes a prediction, you listen. Sam spoke to Laurie Segall about why he thinks the next ten years in tech could be even more disruptive than the last… Read an edited … Continue reading Sam Altman: The Tech Revolution Was Just a ‘Warm Up’ For What’s Next
Are Human/AI Hybrids the Future Of Humanity?
Sam Altman is known for seeing into the future. For years he led Y Combinator — one of Silicon Valley’s most prominent incubators. He’s invested in companies like Airbnb, Dropbox, and Reddit. When Sam makes a prediction, you listen. And he has plenty of predictions to go around. Here’s what he thinks might be coming down the pike… Read an edited transcript below, or listen … Continue reading Are Human/AI Hybrids the Future Of Humanity?
Episode 11: Sam Altman: Growing Up Silicon Valley
First contact with Laurie Segall is a production of Dot Dot Dot Media and iHeart Radio. Sam Altman: One thing where I do think Silicon Valley gets a little bit dishonest is, saying like, “Okay. We’re going to build these incredibly powerful systems. They’re going to do all these wonderful things for us on this incredible exponential curve of technology. And then right when we … Continue reading Episode 11: Sam Altman: Growing Up Silicon Valley
He Popularized Crowdfunding, Now He Wants to Reimagine Capitalism
Kickstarter introduced the world to a new way of shopping. It allowed consumers to fund a product into existence. To pre-order something when it was just an idea inside the mind of its creator. Now, years after he left the company, Kickstarter Co-founder Yancey Strickler is out with a new book that asks the world to re-evaluate how we prioritize money. He calls it a … Continue reading He Popularized Crowdfunding, Now He Wants to Reimagine Capitalism
How Kickstarter Survived Rejection Before It Found Success
Kickstarter is a wildly successful company by pretty much any standard. It’s almost single-handedly responsible for taking crowdfunding mainstream. But the company’s success wasn’t always guaranteed. Laurie Segall sat down with co-founder Yancey Strickler to talk about the ups and downs of getting Kickstarter off the ground and his new book, “This Could Be Our Future.” Read an edited transcript below, or listen to the … Continue reading How Kickstarter Survived Rejection Before It Found Success