Recode Decode: Microsoft President Brad Smith

Episode • Sep 9, 2019 • 1h 8m

Microsoft President Brad Smith talks with Recode’s Kara Swisher about his new book, co-authored with Carol Ann Browne, Tools and Weapons: The Promise and the Peril of the Digital Age. They discuss what Microsoft learned from United States v. Microsoft Corp. in 2001 and how that antitrust investigation compares to today’s techlash; the culture of disruption and “move fast and break things” in Silicon Valley; and why every tech company, even those not responsible for problems, should be part of the solutions. Smith also talks about the impact of Edward Snowden’s NSA leak and the Cambridge Analytica scandal, how the government can expand the opportunities enjoyed by the tech world with more of America, and tech regulation around the world — including why Smith believes the US will have a national privacy bill by 2024. Plus: Is it inevitable that big tech companies will be broken up?

Featuring:

Brad Smith (@bradsmi), president of Microsoft and co-author of Tools and Weapons: The Promise and the Peril of the Digital Age.

Hosts:

Kara Swisher (@karaswisher), Recode co-founder and editor-at-large

More to explore:

Subscribe for free to Pivot, Kara’s podcast with NYU Professor Scott Galloway that offer sharp, unfiltered insights into the biggest stories in tech, business, and politics.

About Recode by Vox:

Recode by Vox helps you understand how tech is changing the world — and changing us.

Switch to the Fountain App