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kill switch

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Were we sleeping when everything changed? Seems like the technologically driven future is already here. On kill switch, we explain the right NOW of our super charged technological lives. New host Dexter Thomas answers questions big and small – like who’s behind Shrimp Jesus, and could you get arrested by a computer?

kill switch also brings the DIY back to tech – “How to Now” on everything from ho... more

PublishesWeeklyEpisodes72Founded7 years ago
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Latest Episodes

The wellness and health tech space is more crowded and confusing than ever – influencers are selling dubious health and beauty products and tech companies are developing wearables that track everything, from your sleep to your blood. Victoria Song, s... more

AI agents can do stuff for you: like organize meetings or, accidentally delete your hard drive. Is this the future Silicon Valley wants for us? To get a preview of what it might be like, Evan Ratliff launched a startup with almost exclusively AI empl... more

Direct File promised a free and easy way for Americans to file their taxes, but after two successful tax seasons, it was shut down. Dexter talks with Merici Vinton, who helped build Direct File, about the project's development, why it was an example ... more

Wartime propaganda isn’t new – but the use of AI slop in churning out propaganda videos is. And in this proxy war, Iran is winning. Dexter talks to Matthew Gault, who recently wrote about the Iran-US slopaganda war for 404 Media, about the strategy b... more

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Recent Guests

Merici Vinton
Senior advisor (former IRS) who helped build Direct File
Federation of American Scientists (and former IRS)
Episode: why the IRS killed a free, easy way to file your taxes
Matthew Gault
Writer covering weird tech, nuclear war and video games
404 Media
Episode: why Iran is winning the AI propaganda war
Ethan Zuckerman
Professor at University of Massachusetts Amherst and internet activist
University of Massachusetts Amherst
Episode: he monetized the web. now he has a plan to fix it
Parth MN
Independent journalist who contributed reporting for Rest of World
Independent journalist
Episode: how the tech boom is killing India’s best coders
Makena Kelly
Senior politics writer at Wired
Wired
Episode: who is palantir, and why are they involved with ICE?
Will Knight
Senior writer at Wired; AI writer and commentator
Wired
Episode: why is the government fighting with claude?
Liz Chamberlain
Director of Sustainability at iFixit, which publishes free online repair guides for consumer electronics.
iFixit
Episode: a tour of the year’s worst new tech
Tim Wu
Legal scholar, author of The Age of Extraction, and former advisor in the Biden administration on antitrust policies.
Columbia University
Episode: how the internet learned to extract
Samy Kamkar
Hacker known for creating the Myspace worm, a significant event in internet history.
Episode: the hack that broke myspace

Host

Dexter Thomas
Host of Kill Switch, featured across episodes with a focus on technology, policy, and societal impact.

Reviews

4.7 out of 5 stars from 914 ratings
  • Great show

    I’m relatively new to the show, but its depth is impressive. The episode I listened to most recently was about the 1997 movie Gattica and the real-world efforts by tech oligarchs to bring that world to life. Whew, scary stuff.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Random_Canuck
    Canada2 months ago
  • I’m hooked

    kill switch has become one of my favorite podcasts over the past year! Dexter is an excellent host and the guests are always interesting. The topics feel timely and fresh.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    kashew8
    United States2 months ago
  • killer podcast

    i love this podcast. seriously insightful and well done

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    password1223
    Canada4 months ago
  • Excellent

    Well produced and researched. Interesting guests

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Soulsonic1234
    United States6 months ago
  • Doomed bells are ringing.

    Your take on AI is hopelessly biased. Probably you’re just chasing likes, waving your pitchfork with the mob. In the latest episode about workslop, there was zero useful content on positive uses of AI and a completely unscientific dwelling on emotional negative reaction on the part of your researcher. You represented her as failing to ask about instances where AI elevated the calibre of work product. Bottom line. It’s a tool. Idiots can I wreck things with a tool. Smart people build things with ... more

    Apple Podcasts
    1
    marctaro
    Canada6 months ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Guests are consistently insightful and well-informed.
Depth and practicality in tech topics make complex ideas easier to grasp.
Ads and sponsorships occasionally thread into episodes; some listeners find this disruptive.
Audience comments highlight high production quality and careful editing.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Apple Podcasts
#147
United States/Technology
Apple Podcasts
#80
Canada/Technology
Apple Podcasts
#172
Australia/Technology
Apple Podcasts
#106
New Zealand/Technology
Apple Podcasts
#116
Finland/Technology
Apple Podcasts
#124
Singapore/Technology

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

why the IRS killed a free, easy way to file your taxes
Q: What caused Direct File to die, and could it ever come back?
Political reshaping under DOGE, funding cuts, and adverse reactions from powerful tax software lobbyists led to its shutdown; the guest believes it could return via open-source development and renewed awareness.
why the IRS killed a free, easy way to file your taxes
Q: What was Direct File and why did it matter to taxpayers?
Direct File was a free, user-friendly option that allowed people to file taxes online without paying private software, improving accessibility and trust in government services.
who is palantir, and why are they involved with ICE?
Q: Why is there internal concern at Palantir about ICE work?
Employees have pressured for more transparency, with some worried about how the tools are used; management has suggested NDA-based sharing for intimate details, while acknowledging legal limitations and the need for court processes to address potential abuses.
a tour of the year’s worst new tech
Q: If we're to take one thing from this year's Worst in Show or the Worst in Show awards in general, what do you think it would be?
I would like people to be less bought into the hype cycle.
a tour of the year’s worst new tech
Q: What do you think the awards will look like next year?
I would love to have a Worst in Show where we don't give a sealed in battery award.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

Listeners per Episode
Gender Skew
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Age Range
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Social Media Reach

Frequently Asked Questions About kill switch

What is kill switch about and what kind of topics does it cover?

A tech-focused series that dissects the immediate implications of digital life, from government tech initiatives and AI policy to online security and everyday gadgetry. Episodes routinely feature experts and journalists who unpack how platforms, surveillance, and policy shape real-world outcomes, often with a critical eye on power, privacy, and accountability. Listeners can expect rigor, thoughtful skepticism, and practical takeaways about staying safe online, understanding how large tech systems work, and spotting the social and political forces behind the next wave of innovation. A standout aspect is the willingness to tackle ethically complex topics—from government-led tech programs to the ethics of AI and privacy—without shying away fro... more

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1. Search Engine
2. Radiolab
3. This American Life
4. Hyperfixed
5. 99% Invisible

How many episodes of kill switch are there?

kill switch launched 7 years ago and published 72 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

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What guests have appeared on kill switch?

Recent guests on kill switch include:

1. Merici Vinton
2. Matthew Gault
3. Ethan Zuckerman
4. Parth MN
5. Makena Kelly
6. Will Knight
7. Liz Chamberlain
8. Tim Wu

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

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