Best Alt Essentials Podcasts (2026)

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Spotlight: Five Years of the Oversight Board, from Experiment to Essential Institution 35:31

Play Pause

17h ago35:31

35:31

In this sponsored Spotlight episode of Ctrl-Alt-Speech, host Ben Whitelaw talks to Oversight Board co-chair Paolo Carozza (Professor of Law and Concurrent Professor at the University of Notre Dame, Indiana) and Board member Julie Owono (Executive Director of Internet Without Borders and research affiliate at Berkman Klein Centre) about the Board’s …

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Making Our 2026 Bingo Card 44:33

1d ago44:33

44:33

In the first Ctrl-Alt-Speech episode of 2026, Mike and Ben look forward at the year ahead and begin building a bingo card of things that might happen. They discuss a short list of possible squares, ask for listeners to contribute more ideas, and go few a through suggestions that have already come in. Soon, we’ll release an official Ctrl-Alt-Speech …

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The Betoota Advocate's Biggest Articles of 2025 30:51

22d ago30:51

30:51

Clancy Overell and Errol Parker guide the Australian public through a journey into the year that was, 2025. From politics to pop culture, cities to farms, US to Australia, we talk through all the important and unimportant issues in 2025. Here's to a better 2026. Subscribe to the Betoota Newsletter HERE Betoota on Instagram Betoota on TikTok See omn…

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Have Yourself a Very Meta Christmas 53:46

22d ago53:46

53:46

In the last Ctrl-Alt-Speech of the year, Mike and Ben round up the latest news in online speech, content moderation and internet regulation with the following stories: Meta shuts down global accounts linked to abortion advice and queer content | Global development (The Guardian) Facebook is testing a link-posting limit for professional accounts and…

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WEEKLY BULLETIN: Weird Victorians, Travel Allowances, Social Media Ban & Dial Before You Dig? 13:10

29d ago13:10

13:10

Errol Parker and Clancy Overell wrap up all the biggest stories from the week - live from the Desert Rock FM studio in downtown Betoota thanks to our friends at Dan Murphy's! Subscribe to the Betoota Newsletter HERE Betoota on Instagram Betoota on TikTok See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.…

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Censors & Sensibility 1:03:52

29d ago1:03:52

1:03:52

In this week's round-up of the latest news in online speech, content moderation and internet regulation, Mike and Ben cover: Resonant Computing Manifesto Support Techdirt’s Uncompromising Coverage, Get Our First Commemorative Coin (Techdirt) US Ambassador Slams EU Tech Rules as Musk’s X Hit With Fine (Bloomberg) Why the X fine is causing so much tr…

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BETOOTA TALKS: Best of 2025 1:05:59

1M ago1:05:59

1:05:59

As we wind down the year that was, Errol Parker guides a journey through some of the best moments from Betoota Talks in 2025. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.By The Betoota Advocate

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WEEKLY BULLETIN: Essential Worker Christmas Party, Delloitte Replaced By AI, Spotify Wrapped & Ford Raptor 17:45

1M ago17:45

17:45

Errol Parker and Effie Bateman wrap up all the biggest stories from the week - live from the Desert Rock FM studio in downtown Betoota thanks to our friends at Dan Murphy's! Subscribe to the Betoota Newsletter HERE Betoota on Instagram Betoota on TikTok See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.…

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Stuck in the Middleware with Youth 46:23

1M ago46:23

46:23

In this week’s roundup of the latest news in online speech, content moderation and internet regulation, Ben is joined by Vaishnavi J, former head of youth policy at Meta and founder and principal of Vyanams Strategies, a product advisory firm that helps companies, civil society, and governments build safer age appropriate experiences. Prior to foun…

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BETOOTA TALKS: Ashes Moments with Peter Lalor PART 2 35:21

1M ago35:21

35:21

What turns a routine delivery into folklore? How does one wide ball at the Gabba trigger a generation of English PTSD? And why do the strangest, funniest and most chaotic moments always seem to find their way into this rivalry? In Part Two of our deep dive into Ashes mythology, Clancy & Errol once again sits down with Peter Lalor to revisit a fresh…

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WEEKLY BULLETIN: Pauline Hanson Stunt, Ciggies Not Appropriate Gift, Fine Dining Not Enough & Expensive Ice Latte 11:45

1M ago11:45

11:45

Errol Parker and Effie Bateman wrap up all the biggest stories from the week - live from the Desert Rock FM studio in downtown Betoota. Subscribe to the Betoota Newsletter HERE Betoota on Instagram Betoota on TikTok See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.By The Betoota Advocate

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Spotlight: Building Better CSAM Detection with Resolver’s George Vlasto 34:08

2M ago34:08

34:08

In this sponsored Spotlight episode of Ctrl-Alt-Speech, host Ben Whitelaw speaks with George Vlasto, head of the Trust & Safety division at Resolver, as the organisation marks its 20th anniversary. Their conversation looks back at two decades of Resolver’s work supporting platforms and safeguarding online communities, and explores how that legacy h…

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WEEKLY BULLETIN: Amyl and The Sniffers, Dog Vomit, 50 Grand Retaining Wall & Cocaine Epidemic 12:54

2M ago12:54

12:54

Errol Parker and Effie Bateman wrap up all the biggest stories from the week - live from the Desert Rock FM studio in downtown Betoota. Subscribe to the Betoota Newsletter HERE Betoota on Instagram Betoota on TikTok See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.By The Betoota Advocate

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You Can't Antitrust Anyone These Days 53:01

2M ago53:01

53:01

In this week's round-up of the latest news in online speech, content moderation and internet regulation, Mike and Ben cover: Meta wins FTC antitrust trial over Instagram, WhatsApp deals (CNBC) Commission eyes further simplification of tech rules after DSA review (Euractiv) Inside Europe's 'Jekyll and Hyde' tech strategy (Digital Policy) NetChoice s…

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BETOOTA TALKS: Ashes Moments with Peter Lalor Part 1 32:08

2M ago32:08

32:08

What is an Ashes moment, really? Why do grown men howl like rapid dogs over a ball that lands on a crack? And how did a couple of colonial summer sports turn into one of the world’s most unhinged rivalries? This week, The Betoota Advocate sits down with one of cricket’s most respected storytellers, Peter Lalor, to unpack the triumphs, meltdowns and…

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BETOOTA TALKS: 'Monkeyboy' on the secret cultural fault lines of Sydney City. 32:17

2M ago32:17

32:17

What are eshays? Where is Sydney home to the world's best chicken burgers? What the hell has been happening in Australia's biggest city since the government introduced lock out laws. This week, The Betoota Advocate talks to one of Sydney's most razor-sharp cultural commentators, Monkeyboy. He's an author, an online oracle, and an unofficial anthrop…

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WEEKLY BULLETIN: Libs Ditch Net Zero, 50 Years Since The Dismissal, Big Week For FIFOs, Social Media Ban & Very Chill Maid of Honour 20:57

2M ago20:57

20:57

Clancy Overell and Errol Parker wrap up all the biggest stories from the week - live from the Desert Rock FM studio in downtown Betoota. Subscribe to the Betoota Newsletter HERE Betoota on Instagram Betoota on TikTok See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.By The Betoota Advocate

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Deviation from the Teen 56:40

2M ago56:40

56:40

In this week’s roundup of the latest news in online speech, content moderation and internet regulation, Ben is joined by Kenji Yoshino, who has the excellent title of Chief Justice Earl Warren Professor of Constitutional Law at New York University School of Law and the Director of the Meltzer Center for Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging. Kenji is …

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BETOOTA TALKS: Merv Hughes 52:08

2M ago52:08

52:08

This week on Betoota Talks, Errol Parker sits down with an icon of Australian cricket, Merv Hughes. In this wide ranging one on one interview, Merv takes us through the highs and lows of his career, from Australia’s triumphant away ashes victories, to the nervous moments hoping not to get dropped from the team. He’s got some classic stories about W…

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WEEKLY BULLETIN: Landslide Win For Leftists, Tips To Get Rich, Online Gambling Is Totally Normal & Liberals Decide They Don’t Care About Climate Change 18:37

2M ago18:37

18:37

Clancy Overell, Errol Parker and Wendell Hussey wrap up all the biggest stories from the week - live from the Desert Rock FM studio in downtown Betoota. Subscribe to the Betoota Newsletter HERE Betoota on Instagram Betoota on TikTok See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.By The Betoota Advocate

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New Blocks On The Kids 59:47

2M ago59:47

59:47

In this week's round-up of the latest news in online speech, content moderation and internet regulation, Mike and Ben cover: It’s Cool to Have No Followers Now (New Yorker) Introducing Safe for Work? — all about T&S jobs (Everything in Moderation*) Kids Turn Podcast Comments Into Secret Chat Rooms, Because Of Course They Do (Techdirt) Reddit and Ki…

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Who was Christopher Skase? (with Mark Humphries) 33:36

2M ago33:36

33:36

Those who don’t remember the 1980s would not be familiar with the myth and scandal that surrounded Australia’s most confident, glitzy and wreckless businessman-turned-white-collar- criminal, Christopher Skase. This week, ABC presenter Mark Humphries joins Betoota Talks to discuss our nation’s most notorious high flyer, and what happened when he fle…

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WEEKLY BULLETIN: Liberals Having A Normal One, Kevin27 Evades ICE, QLD High Schools, & Real Estate Agents 14:59

2M ago14:59

14:59

Clancy Overell, Errol Parker and Wendell Hussey wrap up all the biggest stories from the week - live from the Desert Rock FM studio in downtown Betoota. Subscribe to the Betoota Newsletter HERE Betoota on Instagram Betoota on TikTok See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.By The Betoota Advocate

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Chat Bot Your Tongue? 53:06

2M ago53:06

53:06

In this week's round-up of the latest news in online speech, content moderation and internet regulation, Mike and Ben cover: Character.AI is banning minors from AI character chats (Financial Times) Strengthening ChatGPT’s responses in sensitive conversations (OpenAI) Senators propose banning teens from using AI chatbots (The Verge) EU accuses Meta,…

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BETOOTA TALKS: Jelly Roll 7:28

3M ago7:28

7:28

International superstar and Quokka enthusiast Jelly Roll joined Betoota Talks to have a yarn and get the run down on what he needs to know before heading down under for his first ever headline tour in Aus. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.By The Betoota Advocate

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WEEKLY BULLETIN: Trump V Rudd, RFK Approves Silica Packets, Local Mum Full From Lunch & Local Kid Frightens Neighbours 15:14

3M ago15:14

15:14

Errol Parker and Effie Bateman wrap up all the biggest stories from the week - live from the Desert Rock FM studio in downtown Betoota. Subscribe to the Betoota Newsletter HERE Betoota on Instagram Betoota on TikTok See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.By The Betoota Advocate

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A Tale of Two Internets 1:02:08

3M ago1:02:08

1:02:08

In this week's round-up of the latest news in online speech, content moderation and internet regulation, Mike and Ben cover: Wikipedia Volunteers Avert Tragedy by Taking Down Gunman at Conference (New York Times) AI-Generated Content a Triple Threat for Reddit Moderators (Cornell Tech) Wikipedia Says AI Is Causing a Dangerous Decline in Human Visit…

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BETOOTA TALKS presents ‘The Ballad Of Barnaby Joyce’ 51:25

3M ago51:25

51:25

The three-times Deputy PM, Barnaby Gerard Joyce MP has offered the vaguest resignation in political history over the weekend. Is he quitting politics? Is he quitting the party? Is he quitting Tamworth? Or is he simply reloading the clip and coming back for more!? This week on Betoota Talks, we trace the career of Barnaby Joyce from his days as a bu…

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WEEKLY BULLETIN: Conflict Definitely Over, Young Blokes Pay Lands Mid Piss-Up, Former Gifted Child & 37-Year-Old Pulls Muscle 11:38

3M ago11:38

11:38

Clancy Overell and Wendell Hussey wrap up all the biggest stories from the week - live from the Desert Rock FM studio in downtown Betoota. Subscribe to the Betoota Newsletter HERE Betoota on Instagram Betoota on TikTok See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.By The Betoota Advocate

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Rated R for Ridiculous 53:35

3M ago53:35

53:35

In this week's round-up of the latest news in online speech, content moderation and internet regulation, Mike and Ben cover: Sam Altman says OpenAI isn’t ‘moral police of the world’ after erotica ChatGPT post blows up (CNBC) Where are all the women on Sora 2? This could be a nightmare for OpenAI. (Business Insider) Musk’s AI Is Being Used to Make H…

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BETOOTA TALKS: Natalie Kyriacou OAM 34:24

3M ago34:24

34:24

Footy finals are over, so this week The Betoota Advocate is broadening the scope. Natalie Kyriacou joins BETOOTA TALKS to discuss her work as an Australian environmentalist, author and a storyteller that shares the most eccentric facts and phenomenas that relate to our natural world. Tune in for some hard truths about deforestation, birdwatching an…

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WEEKLY BULLETIN: QLD Best at Everything, Sydney Man 2kg Overweight, Sydney Gang War, Corporate Alpha Woman Finds Perfect Match 15:49

3M ago15:49

15:49

Clancy Overell, Errol Parker and Unnamed Intern wrap up all the biggest stories from the week - live from the Desert Rock FM studio in downtown Betoota. Subscribe to the Betoota Newsletter HERE Betoota on Instagram Betoota on TikTok See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.By The Betoota Advocate

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With Great Platforms Come Great Responsibility 49:35

3M ago49:35

49:35

In this week’s roundup of the latest news in online speech, content moderation and internet regulation, Ben is joined by Thomas Hughes, CEO of Appeals Centre Europe and former Director at the Oversight Board. Together they discuss: Appeals Centre Europe Transparency Report (ACE) Most people want platforms (not governments) to be responsible for mod…

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More Than a Name Change – Christine Feenstra on Leading Innovation Through Change 24:11

3M ago24:11

24:11

Technology and education evolve together, but leading change within a legacy organization is not a small task. In this episode of the Learning Through Technology podcast, Alex sits down with Christine Feenstra, Executive Director of calie (formerly CUE), to talk about what it really means to reimagine an education organization for the current era. …

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BETOOTA TALKS: Christian Welch 47:25

3M ago47:25

47:25

Former Melbourne Storm Captain and QLD origin winner Christian Welch joins Clancy and Wendell for a wide ranging chat delving into the highs and the lows of an NRL career. From premiership wins and losses, to opposing his own coach as the head of the players union, Welch's career is more interesting than your average prop forward, and he's here to …

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WEEKLY BULLETIN: Our Keith & Nicole, Sims Sold To Saudis, Q4 Begins & AFL Bans Meat Pies 13:46

3M ago13:46

13:46

Clancy Overell, Errol Parker and Unnamed Intern wrap up all the biggest stories from the week - live from the Desert Rock FM studio in downtown Betoota. Subscribe to the Betoota Newsletter HERE Betoota on Instagram Betoota on TikTok See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.By The Betoota Advocate