Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg spent hours in a Washington courtroom this week answering questions about his decision to buy Instagram and WhatsApp more than a decade ago — and whether the social media empire he now oversees is a monopoly. Losing the high-stakes lawsuit, which was brought by the Federal Trade Commission, could ultimately lead to Meta being broken up. On POLITICO Tech, host Steven Overly unpacks Meta’s week in court with former Republican FTC Chair Bill Kovacic.

Washington is looking to regulate how kids use the internet with legislation that could alter how online platforms collect data, monitor content and design features. Roblox has a lot at stake in that debate — with some 90 million daily users, many of them young kids, who flock to the platform to play games and socialize. On POLITICO Tech, Roblox CEO Dave Baszucki joins host Steven Overly to discuss how the company aims to stay ahead of regulation. Plus, his take on the recent tariff turmoil and his bid to buy TikTok.

After days of stock market mayhem, President Donald Trump pulled back most of the tariffs he slapped on U.S. trade partners. But not China. Trump upped his tariffs on China to 125 percent — the latest shot in a rapidly escalating trade war. On POLITICO Tech, host Steven Overly talks to Nazak Nikakhtar, a former Commerce Department official during Trump’s first term and law partner at Wiley, about the ways in which the tech industry is vulnerable to Beijing’s retaliation, and why she thinks the economic pain from these sky-high tariffs is necessary.

What’s Washington without Elon Musk? That’s a question many Republicans are hoping to answer in the weeks ahead after President Donald Trump told allies that Musk’s time in the White House is soon coming to an end. But getting the world’s richest man and designated small-government crusader to move on will be complicated, even if Musk does have a slumping business empire to run. On POLITICO Tech, host Steven Overly is joined by POLITICO Capitol Bureau Chief Rachael Bade and POLITICO contributor Issie Lapowsky to break down the political and business pressure Musk is under, and why he’ll stick around as a political power player long after leaving D.C.

“Liberation Day” arrived at the White House and President Donald Trump, as promised, slapped sweeping tariffs on the world. But what comes next may be less predictable — especially for tech. From the TikTok sale to digital services taxes, tech issues are now a bargaining chip as countries negotiate with the Trump administration to ease tariffs. On POLITICO Tech, host Steven Overly chats with Michael Froman, the president of the Council on Foreign Relations and former U.S. trade representative, about what Liberation Day could mean for Silicon Valley.

Greenland’s “Great Race” isn’t just a dog sled competition. It’s increasingly a hunt for critical minerals and AI data centers — two national security priorities for President Donald Trump and a business opportunity being pursued by some in his orbit. On POLITICO Tech, E&E News reporter Hannah Northey joins host Steven Overly in the wake of Vice President JD Vance’s controversial visit to explain why Greenland could help address major tech challenges facing the U.S.

Were the messages “war plans” or “attack plans”? Was the information classified, sensitive or something in between? If you put aside the spin around Signalgate, security experts warn secret military operations shouldn’t be shared on commercial messaging apps like Signal in the first place. On POLITICO Tech, host Steven Overly discusses the tech implications of this week’s White House fiasco with Graham Brookie, the Atlantic Council’s vice president of technology programs and a former National Security Council adviser.

President Donald Trump has many U.S. allies on edge, but you wouldn’t know it from talking to Peter Kyle, the UK’s secretary of state for science, innovation and technology. He’s a relentless believer that the UK and U.S. will join forces on artificial intelligence and other cutting-edge technologies. But his rosy vision faces real obstacles, like the Trump administration’s criticism of the UK’s digital taxes, and its free speech record. Plus, Elon Musk's very vocal disdain for Prime Minister Keir Starmer. On POLITICO Tech, host Steven Overly called up Secretary Kyle at the end of his recent West Coast visit to discuss.

Silicon Valley’s bet that a Trump administration would be friendly to tech has a big payoff: Vice President JD Vance. At the American Dynamism Summit this week, Vance spoke at length about bolstering U.S. innovation and manufacturing, and bridging the divide between so-called “populists” and “techno-optimists.” The summit was hosted by venture capital firm Andreesen Horowitz, which became the tech-for-Trump poster child during the election. On POLITICO Tech, host Steven Overly sits down with Katherine Boyle, the co-founder of Andreessen Horowitz’s American Dynamism practice.

This Elon Musk-made moment of government upheaval has some business executives seeing dollar signs, and that includes Matt Calkins, the CEO of software company Appian. Calkins contends there are billions of dollars to be saved in how the government buys stuff, but reforming that process requires “the most powerful digital worker ever invented” — artificial intelligence. On POLITICO Tech, Calkins tells host Steven Overly how he thinks AI can tackle the government’s waste problem, and why Musk and Washington must find a way to get along.

François-Philippe Champagne, Canada’s minister of innovation, science and industry, says America’s northern neighbor is “not like some small country that you can push around.” That’s why Champagne is in Washington today with other Canadian officials seeking an economic reset after a week of tariff-fueled tensions with the U.S. On POLITICO Tech, Champagne joins host Steven Overly to discuss President Donald Trump’s trade war and the potential impact of Canada’s new prime minister.

Nick Viall became famous after appearing on The Bachelor and The Bachelorette — but used podcasting to turn reality TV stardom into lasting relevance. So last week, YouTube brought The Viall Files host to Washington to teach political staffers how to tap online creators to spread their message. Coming off of last year’s “podcast election,” Viall says the medium has gained new levels of media credibility and that candidates need to win over listeners like his in order to win votes. On POLITICO Tech, Viall joins host Steven Overly to discuss podcasting’s breakout moment and why not every politician is cut out for it.

This week, President Donald Trump put tariffs in place — again. He then walked most of them back — again. The administration’s erratic trade policy is also causing a great deal of anxiety in California, where the state budget depends on ample tax revenue from the tech industry. On POLITICO Tech, California tech reporter Chase DiFeliciantonio joins host Steven Overly to explain why lawmakers and economists from Sacramento to Silicon Valley are so nervous.

Three Army brigades have been trying to prove that the future of war can be cheaper — even before Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency came in demanding budget cuts. The brigades are part of a program that outfits soldiers with off-the-shelf tech that doesn’t take years to build or cost billions of dollars to buy. On POLITICO Tech, Gen. Randy George, the Army’s chief of staff, discusses plans to expand the effort and hurdles to overcome.

It’s been said that software is “eating the world.” But Catherine Bracy, the founder and CEO of TechEquity, says tech investors are actually reshaping the economy. And she explains why that’s a problem in a new book, “World Eaters: How Venture Capital is Cannibalizing the Economy.” But the influence of venture capital now reaches into our politics and government. On POLITICO Tech, Bracy tells host Steven Overly why she thinks venture capital is eating the world… and Washington.

Joshua Zeitz is a historian and best-selling author who thinks America is living through a second Gilded Age. A period that is reminiscent of the late 1800s, when railroad and banking magnates held enormous sway over the economy and government. Except today, those moguls build social media sites and rocketships and electric vehicles. On POLITICO Tech, Zeitz outlines the parallels between then and now — and explains why the outcome isn’t great for Republicans if history truly repeats itself.

Anne Marshall resigned from her role as director of engineering and data science at the U.S. Digital Service last month. The decision followed staffing cuts by Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency. “This is not the mission I came to serve,” Marshall wrote on LinkedIn at the time. On POLITICO Tech, Marshall tells host Steven Overly about her decision to leave and what she thinks everyone is missing about DOGE.

The U.S. and UK will negotiate “a new economic deal with advanced technology at its core,” UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer said on Thursday at the White House. The details of the arrangement remain an open question, but President Donald Trump added it could get done quickly. On POLITICO Tech, London-based trade and technology deputy editor Joseph Bambridge joins host Steven Overly to talk about potential sticking points.

Ann Lewis has seen the government waste a lot of money on bad technology. As director of Technology Transformation Services under President Joe Biden, her office was tasked with revamping and updating government technology. Lewis says there’s a version of Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency that could have been bipartisan (and less controversial). On POLITICO Tech, Lewis tells host Steven Overly how she thinks Musk should do things differently. NEW

Big Tech is hoping President Donald Trump will lighten up on antitrust enforcement after four years of heavy scrutiny under the Biden administration. But so far, there are few signs of a change. In fact, recent policy announcements from the Federal Trade Commission suggest internet and social media platforms will remain under the microscope. On POLITICO Tech, Cato Institute senior fellow Jennifer Huddleston joins host Steven Overly to discuss tension among Republicans over antitrust and dissect some of the early action in Trump’s second term

The most striking outcome of this weekend’s German election wasn’t the actual winner. It’s that one in five voters backed the far-right party, Alternative for Germany. Elon Musk heavily promoted the AfD in the lead up to Election Day, and the party leaned on AI-generated content to amplify its nationalist message. On POLITICO Tech, host Steven Overly chats with reporter Emily Schultheis in Berlin about Musk’s influence and what the results mean for transatlantic relations.

Since taking office last month, President Donald Trump has been driving the tech agenda in Washington. Now, Congress is slowly starting to get back in the game. But the politics around Big Tech are shifting — and some once-vocal critics are softening up. On POLITICO Tech, reporter Anthony Adragna gives host Steven Overly the download on what’s happening on Capitol Hill.

Elon Musk’s army of government reformers are making sweeping cuts across federal agencies, and the changes often start with getting ahold of the data. That has raised questions and legal complaints about whether the Department of Government Efficiency is mishandling all the sensitive data it’s now accessing. POLITICO reporter Adam Wren wanted to find out whether the data could be funneled into Musk’s businesses. On POLITICO Tech, he tells host Steven Overly what he found.

When it comes to online political culture, few personalities are as influential as Joe Rogan, host of the popular Joe Rogan Experience podcast. And if you tune into the show these days, Rogan is a breathless defender of Elon Musk and his controversial role reshaping government. POLITICO’s Calder McHugh reports that’s driving away some of Rogan’s long-time listeners — the fans who made him so impactful in the last election. On POLITICO Tech, McHugh joins host Steven Overly to explain Rogan’s predicament and why other online personalities face a similar challenge.

The Senate confirmed Howard Lutnick as the next commerce secretary, meaning the former Wall Street CEO will soon be shaping President Donald Trump’s second-term tech agenda. During Trump’s first stint in the White House, Satya Thallam was a senior counselor in the Office of Management and Budget. And he’s now shaping tech policy through roles at Americans for Responsible Innovation and the Foundation for American Innovation. On POLITICO Tech, Thallam joins host Steven Overly to dish on what he expects from Lutnick and other tech players in Trump’s orbit.