Burning Platforms
Welcome to Burning Patforms: De-Coding the Power and Politics of Big Tech. Join Peter Lewis, Lizzie O’Shae (Digital Rights Watch), Dan Stinton (HealthEngine CEO), and guests, fortnightly for analysis of the politics of technology from some of Australia’s leading digital campaigners and industry experts. Brought to you by the Centre of the Public Square - an initiative of Per Capita.
Episodes

Tuesday Jul 01, 2025
Tuesday Jul 01, 2025
"I thought old people got scammed. And actually young people are at greater risk because they have more confidence in dealing [with things] online."
This week on Burning Platforms, the team learns how the financial scam industry has become an enthusiastic early adapter of AI and how the banks are working around the clock to ensure they aren’t the ones liable for the ensuing harm.
With our regular panelists Digital Rights Watch Chair, Lizzie O’Shea, Health Engine CEO Dan Stinton, Per Capita’s Peter Lewis, who are joined by co-founder of Scams Victims Alliance, Alex Brooks.
To discuss the issues raised in this episode join us in the Democracy Sandpit. (https://civility.bettermode.io/welcome)
For more about Scams Victims Alliance go to: https://scamvictimalliance.org.au/

Monday Jun 23, 2025
Monday Jun 23, 2025
"What could things have become? You could imagine if the baton had been passed from the Obama administration to a Clinton administration... an American public much more ready... for the turns in AI that we are facing now."
On this week's Burning Platforms, our panel spends some quality time with the architect of the Biden Administration’s AI executive order, Dr Alondra Nelson.
With regular panelists Digital Rights Watch chair Lizzie O’Shea, Health Engine CEO Dan Stinton, and Per Capita’s Peter Lewis.
Join the conversation. Get involved with the Burning Platforms community in the Democracy Sandpit - https://civility.bettermode.io/

Tuesday May 27, 2025
Tuesday May 27, 2025
Burning Platforms struggles to make sense of white genocide, design unicorns and the all-seeing Apple Eye.
E-Safety Commissioner Julie Inman-Grant joins regular panellists Digital Rights Watch founder Lizzie O’Shea, Health Engine CEO Dan Stinton and Per Capita’s Peter Lewis for our regular dive into the world of tech and politics.
Don't forget to subscribe to The Town Crier, the official newsletter of the Centre for the Public Square and Burning Platforms podcast: https://the-town-crier-2.ghost.io/

Wednesday May 14, 2025
Wednesday May 14, 2025
Good things come in threes and this week’s Burning Platforms looks at the inspiration behind the new Pope’s decision to name himself Leo, the critical changes to the Labor Government’s front bench and Mark Zuckerberg maximum number of friends.
Regular panellists Digital Rights Watch Chair Lizzie O’Shea, Health Engine CEO Dan Stinton and Per Capita’s Peter Lewis and joined by Professor Dan Angus from QUT’S Digital Research Centre.

Tuesday Apr 29, 2025
Tuesday Apr 29, 2025
With a federal election within days, Burning Platforms looks at the lack of discussion about tech and whether that is a good or bad thing.
With Digital Rights Watch Chair Lizzie O’Shea, Per Capita’s Peter Lewis and special guests, Editor of The Sizzle, Cam Wilson and Dr Rys Farthing from Reset Australia.
Don't forget to subscribe to The Town Crier, the official newsletter of the Centre for the Public Square and Burning Platforms podcast: https://the-town-crier-2.ghost.io/
Support our guests by checking out their content and work.
Subscribe to The Sizzle! - https://thesizzle.com.au/
Reset Australia's work on the Child Online Privacy Code - https://au.reset.tech/news/welcoming-a-children-s-privacy-code/

Monday Apr 14, 2025
Monday Apr 14, 2025
As the world teeters on the brink of whatever comes after globalisation we dive deep into the way AI is transforming film-making with the director of the iconic Australian film Kenny, Clay Jacobson.
Our regular panel of Digital Rights Watch chair Lizzie O’Shea, Health engine CEO Dan Stinton and Per Capita’s Peter Lewis also discuss:
The theory that the Trump Tariffs were cooked up by a chatbot
The growing chance that the FTC anti-trust case against Meta is history; and
The backlash against Chat GPT’s appropriation of Studio Ghibli’s acclaimed work.
Don't forget to subscribe to The Town Crier, the official newsletter of the Centre for the Public Square and Burning Platforms podcast: https://the-town-crier-2.ghost.io/

Monday Mar 24, 2025
Monday Mar 24, 2025
On this week's episode of Burning Platforms, the gang looks at global efforts to force Big Tech to pay their share of tax with special guest Dr Mark Zirnsak from the Tax Justice Network.
With our regular panelists Digital Rights Watch chair Lizzie O’Shea, Health Engine Dan Stinton and Per Capita’s Peter Lewis.
Don't forget to subscribe to The Town Crier, the official newsletter of the Centre for the Public Square and Burning Platforms podcast: https://the-town-crier-2.ghost.io/

Tuesday Mar 18, 2025
Tuesday Mar 18, 2025
This week on Burning Platforms, we dive deep into a new initiative to understand the role of Trust in the relationship between society and technology with special guest, Professor Terry Flew.
With regular panelists Per Capita’s Peter Lewis, Digital Rights Watch chair Lizzie O’Shea and Health Engine Dan Stinton, we'll also look at:
Data Centre Diplomacy
will Google’s AI search eat itself?
and Digg’s reboot
Don't forget to subscribe to The Town Crier, the official newsletter of the Centre for the Public Square and Burning Platforms podcast: https://the-town-crier-2.ghost.io/

Monday Mar 03, 2025
Monday Mar 03, 2025
Burning Platforms is back for 2025.
With the tech overlords in the ascendant, particularly following the US election, we take stock of the impending inferno with our regular panel Per Capita’s Peter Lewis, Digital Rights Watch chair Lizzie O’Shea, Health Engine Dan Stinton, and special guest, fresh from the Paris AI Summit, Professor Nick Davis from UTS’ Human Technology Institute.
Don't forget to subscribe to The Town Crier, the official newsletter of the Centre for the Public Square and Burning Platforms podcast: https://the-town-crier-2.ghost.io/

Monday Dec 16, 2024
Monday Dec 16, 2024
In our final episode of 2024 we unpack the recent Senate Report into the Adoption of AI in Australia with Committee Chair Senator Tony Sheldon.
We also look at:
Woolworth's industrial dispute over workplace surveillance
Why Meta is building a deep sea cable to India
How TikTok was gamed to deliver an election boil over in Romania
With regular panellists Digital Rights Watch chair Lizzie O’Shea, HealthEngine CEO Dan Stinton and Per Capita's Peter Lewis.
Visit the Centre of the Public Square for more on our work around technology policy.
Don't forget to subscribe to The Town Crier, the official newsletter of the Centre for the Public Square and Burning Platforms podcast.