>> Dana: THANK YOU.
>> THANK YOU.
>> Dana: SOCIAL MEDIA
EXECUTIVES ARE FACING FIRE ON
CAPITOL HILL RIGHT NOW TRYING
TO DEFEND THEMSELVES AGAINST
CHARGES THEIR PLATFORMS
THREATEN NATIONAL SECURITY
COMING A DAY AFTER TESTIMONY
FROM A WHISTLEBLOWER REVEALING
FOREIGN SPIES COULD EASILY
INFILTRATE TWITTER.
JOINING US FOR MORE ON THIS.
NATION OF VICTIMS IS HIS NEW
BOOK.
THE DEATH OF MERIT AND THE PATH
BACK TO EXCELLENCE.
SAID IT ALL THERE.
THAT’S ALL WE NEED TO KNOW.
WHAT’S HAPPENING WITH THE
TWITTER WHISTLEBLOWER.
CATCH PEOPLE UP.
>> ONE END OF THE SPECTRUM THE
SHAREHOLDERS APPROVED THE DEAL
TO BUY TWITTER.
THE WHISTLEBLOWER IS
INTERESTING OUTSIDE OF THE DEAL.
THESE ARE PLATFORMS THAT SERVE
INTERESTS THAT GO BEYOND THE
INTERESTS OF THE UNITED STATES.
I THINK THAT’S WHAT IS AT ISSUE
HERE.
IF THE SECURITY OF ONE OF THESE
PLATFORMS CAN BE COMPROMISED
PEOPLE CAN USE COMPANIES AS
TROJAN HORSES.
>> Bill: HE WENT TO WASHINGTON
WITH A CLARION CALL AND HOW HE
EXPLAINED HOW WHAT HE BELIEVES
WAS SOMETHING THAT WAS IGNORED
BY THE PEOPLE IN CHARGE.
>> I BROUGHT CONCRETE EVIDENCE
OF THESE FUNDAMENTAL PROBLEMS
TO THE EXECUTIVE TEAM AND
REPEATEDLY SOUNDED THE ALARM OF
THE REAL RISKS ASSOCIATED WITH
THEM.
THESE WERE PROBLEMS BROUGHT TO
ME BY THE ENGINEERS AND
EMPLOYEES OF THE COMPANY
THEMSELVES.
THE EXECUTIVE TEAM CHOSE
INSTEAD TO MISLEAD ITS BOARD,
SHAREHOLDERS, LAWMAKERS AND
PUBLIC INSTEAD OF ADDRESSING
HIM. >> THAT’S HIS STORY
>> THAT’S HIS STORY
>> I’M SURE TWITTER WOULD HAVE
A DIFFERENT STORY.
IT’S A CASE FOR THE PUBLIC TO
HOLD COMPANIES ACCOUNTABLE.
I AM MORE SYMPATHETIC TO THE
IDEA WE SHOULD NOT DEPEND ON
COMPANIES TO INDEPENTEDLY
EXERCISE THEIR SOCIAL JUDGMENT.
PART OF THE REASON I WROTE THE
SEQUEL WE HAVE A CONFUSION IN
OUR CULTURE AT THE END OF THE
DAY OF WHAT IT IS WE WANT OUT
OF OUR COMPANIES.
EITHER WE WANT THEM OUT OF THE
BUSINESS AND REGULATING US AND
WHAT WE CAN SEE AND EXERCISING
INDEPENDENT SOCIAL JUSTICE OR
IN THE BUSINESS OF EXERCISING
THEM.
I COME OUT ON ONE SIDE OF THE
QUESTION.
THAT’S UP TO THE CITIZENS TO BE
ABLE TO REVIVE THROUGH ITS
CULTURE NOT WHAT WE WANT
TWITTER TO BE RESPONSIBLE FOR.
FRNLTS ON CAPITOL HILL YOU HAVE
REPUBLICANS AND DEMOCRATS
AGREEING IN BOTH PARTIES THAT
WANT TO REPEAL SECTION 230 THAT
GIVES COVER TO SOME OF THESE
COMPANIES BUT THEY WANT IT FOR
DIFFERENT REASONS.
IT’S WEIRD.
>> IT MIGHT BE INTERESTING.
CHINA POLICY IS ANOTHER
BIPARTISAN AREA THAT’S
INTERESTING.
DIFFERENT PATHS TO GETTING TO
THE SAME PLACE.
I BELIEVE IN BOTH OF THOSE
CASES STILL GETTING TO THE
RIGHT ANSWER.
REPEALING SECTION 230, FREE
SPEECH AND A BIG PART OF WHY I
WROTE THE NEXT BOOK TO LAY OUT
SHARED AMERICAN IDENTITY.
>> Bill: I WANT TO ASK YOU
ABOUT YOUR BOOK IN A SECOND.
WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT REFORMING
THE TECH WORLD LET’S SAY,
SILICON VALLEY, DO YOU EVER SEE
THAT HAPPENING?
>> I ACTUALLY DO SEE THAT
HAPPENING. >> ZBL* WHO DOES IT?
>> ZBL* WHO DOES IT?
>> A COMBINATION OF SHAREHOLDER
VOICES MUST *K HAVE SHARED THE
WAY FOR SHAREHOLDERS HAVING A
VOICE.
MOST OF THE OWNERS OF THE
PUBLIC COMPANIES ARE THE
EVERYDAY CITIZENS OF THE
COUNTRY.
THROUGH OTHER FUNDS MANAGED BY
OTHER FUNDS THAT HAVE EXERCISED
THE VOTE.
EVERYDAY CITIZENS CAN SAY IT’S
MY MONEY INVESTED IN THE
COMPANIES AND TELL THE
COMPANIES MYSELF AS A
SHAREHOLDER I WANT TO SEE THEM
REPRESENT FREE SPEECH
PRINCIPLES RATHER THAN
CENSORSHIP.
>> Dana: HOW DOES IT WORK WITH
TIKTOK?
KIDS LOVE IT.
>> THAT’S THE TROJAN HORSE
PROBLEM.
TIKTOK IN CHINA DOESN’T
PROPAGATE THE SAME MATERIAL
THEY DO IN THE UNITED STATES.
I THINK IT IS AN INSTRUMENT OF
THIS BROADER CHINESE STRATEGY
OF CAPITALISM OF USING
COMPANIES TO BASICALLY POLLUTE
THE MINDS OF THE UNITED STATES
AND ITS CITIZENS BUT NOT
ACTUALLY ALLOWING THAT SAME
TYPE OF CONTENT TO P PROPAGATED
IN CHINA.
AT THE END OF THE DAY I THINK
THIS IS AN AREA WHERE WE NEED
TO SET BOUNDARIES TO SAY IF YOU
GO BEYOND THE ROLE OF WHAT A
COMPANY WAS SUPPOSED TO DO,
TAKING DIRECTIONS FROM THE
GOVERNMENT, BE IT THE U.S.
GOVERNMENT AS THE SOCIAL MEDIA
COMPANIES HAVE STARTED TO DO OR
THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT, AN
INTERESTING TREND
UNDERDISCUSSED.
AT THE END OF THE DAY IT WILL
BE UP TO THE ROLE OF CITIZENS
TO HOLD THE COMPANIES
ACCOUNTABLE.
>> YOU WERE INTO THE WOKE
POLITICS OF CORPORATE AMERICA A
YEAR AGO AND WROTE ABOUT IT IN
YOUR FIRST BOOK.
DO YOU BELIEVE THERE HAS BEEN
ANY CHANGE AT THE CORPORATE
LEVEL WHEN IT COMES TO THAT
ISSUE OR HAS IT ONLY GONE
DEEPER?
>> IT HAS BEEN A POSITIVE
CHANGE OVER THE LAST YEAR.
I WON’T TAKE CREDIT WITH MY
BOOK.
>> DISNEY COMES TO MIND AND THE
BATTLE IN FLORIDA AND GEORGIA.
YOU ARE SUGGESTING THAT SOME OF
THESE COMPANIES ARE STARTING TO
GET IT?
>> ABSOLUTELY.
ECONOMIC HARDSHIP WILL BE ONE
OF THE THINGS THAT FORCES THEM
TO GET IT.
LOOK AT WHAT HAPPENED TO
NETFLIX EARLIER THIS YEAR.
COMPANIES WHEN THEY ENCOUNTER,
THEY SAW EARNINGS AND PROFITS
DROP.
IF YOU ARE AN EMPLOYEE AND
DON’T WANT TO WORK ON THESE
PROJECTS SHOW YOURSELF THE DOOR.
>> Dana: IN 10 SECONDS WHAT
HAPPENS IF YOU HAVE A NATION OF
VICTIMS?
>> NATION OF VICTIMS SPELLS THE
BEGINNING OF NATIONAL DECLINE.
A TRACE A LOT OF THE HISTORY OF
THE FALL OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE
WAS WHAT YOU SEE IN AMERICA
TODAY.
THERE IS PATH BACK TO