El Salvador's president made Bitcoin legal tender, now he wants to build a city. Joe Tidy speaks to Salvodoran-American cryptocurrency enthusiast and investor Gerson Martinez about the Central American country's experience with Bitcoin since its introduction earlier this year. Plus 193 member states of the UN agency Unesco say they want a more ethical approach to the development of artificial intelligence. We hear from Unesco's Gabriella Ramos about the problems with AI use today. And our own Jane Wakefield investigates the community of tweeters and YouTubers helping others find the latest Playstation and XBox consoles amid a global computer chip shortage in the run-up to Christmas.

Tech Tent

A volcano-powered Bitcoin city?

How hackers stole millions from companies around the world, and why they're so difficult to stop. Chris Fox speaks to Jen Ellis from cybersecurity firm Rapid7 and to Tom Pace from NetRise about the growth in ransomware attacks in recent years, and why companies often feel they have no choice but to pay large ransoms. And Joe Tidy travels to Russia in an attempt to track down alleged ransomware gang members.

The global rise of ransomware

Alleged hackers are arrested and millions of dollars recovered in a global police operation. Is the tide finally turning in the battle against ransomware attacks? Jane Wakefield speaks to James Chappell from cybersecurity firm Digital Shadows. Plus companies like Facebook have virtual reality at the heart of their plans for the metaverse, but is augmented reality a better bet? We speak to Magic Leap, the company that hopes its AR glasses will become as essential to our digital lives as our phones. And just a few companies run the cloud that powers most of the websites we use. What happens when they fail? Presented by Jane Wakefield with BBC tech reporter Chris Vallance.

Ransomware gangs face a crackdown

How cryptocurrency scams have become an everyday event. Joe Tidy speaks to crypto watcher Dan Arreola about the ease with which scammers can create new coins designed to tempt investors. And is your website killing the planet? Web developer Vineeta Greenwood tells us why modern websites are wasting too much energy. Plus the company behind Second Life discusses Facebook and the metaverse, and Shiona McCallum finds out what happens when your gamer handle matches the name of a popular Netflix series.

The Squid Game coin scam

Frances Haugen tells a British parliamentary committee that the social giant’s engagement algorithm puts users at risk of harm. Plus we get a view from India, where the platform stands accused of allowing dangerous misinformation to spread. Presented by Rory Cellan-Jones, with senior BBC tech reporter Jane Wakefield and BBC technology editor Zoe Kleinman. Producer: Jat Gill (Photo: Frances Haugen, former product manager on Facebook"s civic misinformation team, leaves the Houses of Parliament, London. Credit: Henry Nicholls/Reuters)

Whistleblower piles pressure on Facebook

How the metaverse, energy tech, and AI might influence how we live in years to come. Presented by Rory Cellan-Jones, with BBC tech reporter David Molloy. Produced by Jat Gill.

Tech for future living

William Shatner makes global headlines by becoming the oldest person to travel to space, aboard the Blue Origin craft backed by Jeff Bezos. But has Elon Musk effectively already won the billionaires’ space race? Plus the ambitious plan to carry solar and wind energy from Morocco to the UK. And we take a trip through mobile phone history with the founder of a new virtual handset museum. Presented by Rory Cellan-Jones, with BBC senior tech reporter Jane Wakefield. Produced by Jat Gill.

Bezos' rocket blasts Star Trek actor into space

The social giant suffers one of its worst ever weeks after a tech blunder takes its platforms offline for hours, and a whistleblower gives highly critical testimony to Congress about its attitude to online harm. Plus, the CEO of cryptocurrency exchange Binance tells us why he’s convinced digital currencies are the future of finance. And why is China clamping down on cryptocurrencies? Presented by Rory Cellan-Jones, with BBC tech reporter David Molloy. Produced by Jat Gill.

Facebook’s punishing week

Are quantum computers ready to make the leap from the lab to the business? We visit two companies trying to make that a reality. Plus, we hear about Intel’s advances in neuromorphic computing, which mimics the workings of the brain. And will Amazon’s new home robot succeed where a long line of others have failed? Presented by Rory Cellan-Jones, with BBC senior tech reporter Jane Wakefield. Produced by Jat Gill.

A ‘practical’ quantum computer

Will US press reports about Facebook bring tighter regulation or a breakup a step closer? Plus, the British startup that wants to power the metaverse. And the plan to connect the UK’s museum and gallery collections to online visitors and researchers. Presented by Rory Cellan-Jones, with BBC senior tech reporter Jane Wakefield. Produced by Jat Gill. (Image: Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, Credit: Getty Images).

A turning point for Facebook?

Can the online encyclopaedia be impartial in a world of hotly-contested narratives? Plus, is Apple struggling to innovate? And the privacy implications of Facebook’s smart sunglasses. Presented by Rory Cellan-Jones, with BBC senior tech reporter Jane Wakefield. Produced by Jat Gill.

Wikipedia’s editing war

El Salvador becomes the first country to adopt Bitcoin as legal tender. Cryptocurrency fans celebrate, but will Salvadorans benefit? Rory Cellan-Jones speaks to Alex Gladstein from the Human Rights Foundation, who says Bitcoin can help give citizens of poorer countries more economic freedom. Also on the programme, Facebook's algorithm is accused of perpetuating gender stereotypes in the way it shows job adverts to men and women. Naomi Hirst from the campaign group Global Witness explains. And what will a world powered by artificial intelligence look like in 20 years' time? AI pioneer Kai-Fu Lee paints a picture of life in 2041. (Photo: A woman buys in a store that accepts bitcoins in El Zonte, La Libertad, El Salvador. Credit: Getty Images)

El Salvador's Bitcoin experiment

China announces plans to restrict children to just three hours of video games a week. How will gamers cope and what does it mean for China's booming video games industry? We speak to Rui Ma, China tech watcher and host of the Tech Buzz China podcast, and to games industry analyst Lisa Cosmas Hanson from Niko Partners. Plus the battle over the video game streaming market hots up, with major streaming stars switching from Twitch to YouTube. Can YouTube ever challenge Twitch's dominance? Louise Shorthouse from Ampere Analysis explains. And the BBC's cyber security correspondent Joe Tidy tells us about the strange case of a fake Banksy NFT, and why one collector paid hundreds of thousands of dollars for it. Presented by Rory Cellan-Jones, with BBC technology reporter Jane Wakefield. (Photo: A gamer yawns during an esports tournament in Shanghai, China. Credit: Getty Images)

China's video games ban

Is language-based artificial intelligence as capable as it seems? We visit a theatre production that places the GPT-3 algorithm at its heart. Plus, why attempts at using AI to help diagnose and treat Covid-19 don’t yet appear to have yielded significant results. And how sensors and AI might help provide better care for vulnerable people in their own homes. Presented by Rory Cellan-Jones, with BBC senior tech reporter Zoe Kleinman. Produced by Jat Gill.

AI: Reality and hype

Human rights activists say that the Taliban could use databases compiled by the previous government and coalition forces to target citizens. Plus, why is there a flurry of investment in undersea internet cables. And the amazing stories behind some emoji characters. Presented by Zoe Kleinman, with BBC tech reporter Chris Vallance. Produced by Jat Gill. (Image: Representation of a fingerprint scan, Credit: Getty Images).

Fears over Afghan biometric data

How the technology business is transforming the way we live and work.

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