Burning Platforms Podcast Series
De-Coding the Power and Politics of Big Tech
The podcast unpacks the latest developments in technology from around the world. Fortnightly analysis of the politics of technology from some of Australia’s leading digital campaigners and industry experts.
Peter Lewis from The Australia Institute’s Centre for Responsible Technology, Lizzie O’Shea from Digital Rights Watch and Dan Stinton from Guardian Australia unpack the news and dive deep into pressing problems with expert guests.
Latest Work
AI hyperscalers need to restore trust—here’s how
It’s hard to avoid the conclusion that the market for artificial intelligence and its associated industries are over inflated. In 2025, just five hyperscalers—Alphabet, Meta, Microsoft, Amazon, and Oracle—accounted for a capital investment of $399 billion, which will rise to over $600 billion annually in coming years.
Digital Rights Activist Lizzie O’Shea Knows How to Change the Future
LIZZIE O’SHEA discussing her digital rights activism, (which impacts the rights of artists), the value of art in changing political conversations, and how to fight back against everything in the 21st century.
Antitrust Issues – Tech regulation under Trump 2.0
In August of 2024, which perhaps feels like more than a lifetime ago for observers of American politics, Judge Amit P. Mehta found Google to be in breach of U.S. antitrust law.
On its current trajectory, AI is inconsistent with democracy, sustainability, and autonomy
AI has been pitched as the great solution of the modern age – but the unfettered growth of this new technology could come at the expense of everything we hold dear.
How will AI affect our democracy?
We unpack how bots, deep fakes and misinformation undermine electoral integrity and trust in institutions, and ask: is giving too much rope to big tech a folly?
Copyright, class action and cybersecurity… Shaping our digital future with Lizzie O’Shea
This episode explores Australia’s technology debates from a security and legal lens—addressing copyright, creativity, AI, and the legal structures, including class action, that shape society and security.
Lizzie O’Shea on why digital rights are human rights
In recent years, many major companies, both in Australia and around the world, have conspicuously failed to protect their customers’ data, leading to personal details being shared on the dark web. Global platform companies have facilitated the spread of disinformation and misinformation, while their algorithms have contributed to the fragmentation and polarisation of society.
William & Lonsdale Podcast: 52
Lizzie O’Shea, principal lawyer at Maurice Blackburn, advocate and author. Lizzie is an internationally renowned expert on digital privacy rights and the intersection between technology, privacy and the law. She has worked & studied internationally, including getting a Master’s from Columbia University and now specialises in class actions, recently leading the class action against tech giant Uber.
We must target the root cause of misinformation. We cannot fact check our way out of this
There are once again calls for the government to Do Something about misinformation online, following the recent stabbings at Bondi Junction and the immediate spread of speculation and false claims on social media.
What does the internet know about you?
A trip to Bunnings, a Medibank or Optus account, a new smart car or vacuum, every facet of our daily lives is now up for grabs. So should privacy continue to be our individual responsibility, or is it time for governments do more?