Overview of Pivot — Economic Protests, Social Media on Trial, and Big Tech Earnings
This episode of Pivot (New York Magazine / Vox Media) — hosted by Kara Swisher and Scott Galloway — covers three interconnected beats: a rising economic protest/consumer-unsubscribe movement aimed at pressuring companies tied to ICE and other controversial actors; a growing lawsuit in Los Angeles alleging social platforms are intentionally addictive; and the latest big‑tech earnings and their implications for AI, labor, and markets. The show also includes practical personal-finance and longevity tips, listener mail, and commentary on corporate moral responsibility.
Economic protest: "Resist & Unsubscribe" and "Unsubscribe February"
- What it is
- Scott Galloway is launching a site and campaign (“Resist & Unsubscribe” / unsubscribeFebruary) to coordinate a sustained consumer pullback from select big‑tech services and a second tier of companies (the “blast zone”) that provide services to ICE and related federal operations.
- The idea: target services that disproportionately move markets (big tech subscriptions, streaming, cloud/AI services) to maximize political/market pressure with minimal sacrifice.
- Ground Zero (companies Scott highlights)
- Examples: Amazon (Prime/Audible/Prime Video/Amazon Music), Apple, Microsoft, Google, Meta, Netflix, Disney, Audible, Anthropic, OpenAI, Uber.
- Campaign provides specific unsubscribe links and options (full cancel vs. temporary pause) so people can choose participation level.
- Blast Zone (companies connected to ICE / federal contracts)
- Examples noted: AT&T, Comcast, Charter, Dell, Deloitte, FedEx, UPS.
- Action: consider switching providers, divesting where possible, redirecting spend.
- Practical tips / listener-advice included
- Financial educator Vivian Tu: change W‑4 (reduce withholdings temporarily), pay in cash to local businesses, redirect saved money toward debt reduction or strategic causes (immigration, human rights).
- Scott’s framing: non‑participation (not buying/subscribing) is the “most radical act” in capitalist societies; sustained reduction (weeks/months) has more impact than one-day boycotts.
- Tone and caveats
- Campaign aims to be flexible — different levels of participation encouraged; not pushing people to skip work or essential purchases.
- Emphasis on viral, sustained, collective action rather than one-off gestures.
Minneapolis shooting, political fallout, and corporate reactions
- Incident and aftermath
- Federal agents shot Alex Preddy in Minneapolis; the episode covers local unrest, political infighting, and national reactions (including calls for de‑escalation and for accountability of Homeland Security leadership).
- High-profile attacks on members of Congress noted (Ilhan Omar, Maxwell Frost) and broader concerns about escalation and targeting of immigrants/people of color.
- Corporate responses and criticism
- Tim Cook (Apple) and Sam Altman (OpenAI) issued statements calling for de‑escalation; hosts criticized those statements as tepid/performative (e.g., Cook’s attendance at a White House/Melania premiere drew anger).
- Scott and Kara emphasize responsibility of tech leaders to be more forceful and highlight employee/consumer backlash when companies appear complicit or indifferent.
- Broader political commentary
- Discussion of MAGA administration tactics, historical analogies, and the role of visuals/media in shaping public opinion.
Longevity, health, and Kara Swisher’s new show
- Announcement: Kara’s new CNN series "Kara Swisher Wants to Live Forever" (6 episodes planned) — will explore longevity science grounded in experts and evidence (with some humor).
- Practical longevity takeaways discussed
- Big-impact items: socioeconomic status (“don’t be poor” as a blunt factor), sleep, diet/exercise, strong social relationships and community (argued as the single most important predictor of health/happiness).
- Medical/tech progress to watch: AI for drug discovery and cancer research, gene editing, mRNA vaccines, potential cancer vaccines.
- Medicines/therapies noted: GLP‑1 drugs (weight/obesity benefits and downstream health gains), some supplements (vitamin D, K, creatine), and caveats about experimental or poorly tested interventions (NAD, peptides, compounded drugs).
- Wellness trends with mixed evidence: saunas (hot sauna supported), cold plunges (more contested), red‑light therapy (limited evidence).
- Social point: strong, real relationships beat synthetic online ones for health and longevity.
Social media addiction trial (LA) — why it matters
- Case overview
- A plaintiff in Los Angeles sued Meta, TikTok, Snap, and YouTube alleging design choices (infinite scroll, algorithmic recommendations) caused compulsive use, depression, anxiety, and personal injury.
- Several executives, including Mark Zuckerberg, expected to testify; TikTok and Snap settled early in the process.
- Framing & implications
- Hosts liken this to a “big tobacco” moment: internal documents and discovery could show that companies knew about harmful effects and engineered engagement anyway.
- Data/concerns cited: heavy users show higher rates of suicidal ideation, body image issues; family conflict and adolescent mental health harms tied to device use.
- Social/parenting implications: collective action needed (individual parental bans can ostracize kids), and broader policy/regulatory attention likely.
- What to expect
- Discovery and internal testimony could reveal more about algorithmic intent and company awareness — potential precedent for accountability and regulation.
Big tech earnings and market dynamics
- Big headlines
- S&P 500 reached new highs driven by tech.
- Meta: revenue up 24% YoY; continued heavy AI/CAPEX investment (projected up to $135B by 2026).
- Microsoft: strong cloud growth (Azure), CapEx rising ($37.5B), backlog of commercial bookings rose substantially tied partly to OpenAI deals.
- Tesla: revenue pressures and a 61% drop in net income quarter; pivot towards robotics/XAI; $2B investment disclosed in XAI; stock behavior remains disconnected to fundamentals.
- Amazon: layoffs (~10% of corporate staff previously) and continued investment in AI/industrial robotics; aims to grow retail revenue without headcount increases.
- Pinterest and others: layoffs, subscale challenges.
- Host analysis / macro takeaways
- AI is driving massive CapEx and is being used to both expand product capability and cut labor (“corporate Ozempic” metaphor).
- Markets are concentrated: a handful of tech giants now drive a disproportionate share of S&P returns.
- Skepticism about overvaluation of AI‑native companies (NVIDIA, OpenAI, Anthropic), with greater near-term shareholder value expected from practical AI applications (ad targeting, autonomy, cloud, industrial robotics).
- Labor implications: flattening headcount, further automation in warehouses and corporate functions.
Key takeaways & recommended actions
- If you want to participate in consumer pressure:
- Use Scott’s suggested targeted approach: pause/cancel subscriptions to services with outsized market influence (choose level of participation).
- Publicize receipts and participation on social platforms to create viral momentum.
- Consider switching service providers tied directly to ICE/contracts if feasible.
- Personal finance tips from Vivian Tu:
- Adjust W‑4 to reduce interim withholding and consolidate tax payments (be careful to avoid underpayment penalties).
- Pay cash at small local businesses where possible; redirect savings to debt reduction or strategic causes.
- Aim for sustained spending reduction (weeks/months), not just a single day.
- Parenting & personal tech hygiene:
- Collective approaches needed for kids’ device use; family rules (phone-free meetings, locked boxes) can help.
- Prioritize real social relationships and activities that build community and cognitive challenge.
- For watchers of tech policy and markets:
- Watch the LA trial for discovery that could reshape regulation and corporate responsibilities.
- Monitor AI CapEx vs. margins and labor outcomes — earnings narratives will drive market concentration and public scrutiny.
Notable quotes & soundbites
- Scott Galloway: “The most radical act in a capitalist society, hands down, is non‑participation.”
- Kara Swisher: “The number one thing — relationships. A hundred percent.” (on longevity)
- Framing: hosts repeatedly liken social media litigation to Big Tobacco — internal knowledge of harm vs public messaging.
Final notes
- The episode mixes prescriptive civic tactics (targeted consumer withdrawal) with cultural critique (corporate moral responsibility) and market analysis (AI-driven capex and layoffs).
- Listeners are encouraged to weigh their means and decide participation level; the campaign/service tools promised aim to make participation simple and scalable.