Podcast: The Computer Weekly Downtime Upload – Episode 6

In this week’s episode of the Computer Weekly Downtime Upload podcast, Brian McKenna, Caroline Donnelly and Clare McDonald dig a little deeper into some of the week’s biggest tech stories and trends. These include the latest revelations about Facebook’s data privacy practices, the announced joint venture between Marks and Spencer and Ocado, and whether the tech industry should take a more joined-up approach to ethics. Alex Scroxton also joins the conversation as a guest to talk about his experience at Mobile World Congress.

• Alex talks MWC in Barcelona, including the very political debate on how providers can usher in 5G without a repeat of the 3G auction debacle. He also discusses climate change and the GSMA’s attempt to make the show carbon neutral.

• Caroline talks about Bill Goodwin’s coverage of Facebook’s alleged plot to use Android users’ location data and relationship status to push targeted ads. The team discusses whether users know about the extent to which their data is being used, and whether they actually care.

• Clare talks about the £750m deal which saw M&S and Ocado enter a 50/50 joint venture, whereby Marks and Spencer will take ownership of 50% of Ocado’s UK retail business. With M&S’s recent push towards digital, could this be what the brand needs to enter the online market?

• Brian talks about TechUK’s push to get the tech industry to start actively championing ethical data use, which brings up the question: are ethics and data protection the same thing? With the plethora of groups and institutes in the UK trying to ensure an ethical tech future, does the landscape need an overhaul to make sure everyone is on the same page?

• The team then closes out the episode by talking about the benefits of “Therapets” and their growing presence at technology conferences.