"Technology Isn’t the Problem… We Are" – Timandra Harkness on Fragile Selves and Totalitarian Data Risks

In this engaging and thought-provoking discussion, journalist and author Timandra Harkness joins host Lee Hall to explore key ideas from her book Technology is Not the Problem. Harkness examines how our increasingly fragile sense of self fuels the demand for hyper-personalised technology and services. She delves into the ways these systems harvest vast amounts of personal data to deliver tailored experiences—and the serious risks that arise when such intimate information falls into authoritarian hands or is misused for control. The conversation also covers the rise of facial recognition technology, its growing legal and ethical implications, and how its widespread deployment contributes to deepening mistrust among citizens, governments, and major tech companies. A wide-ranging, insightful, and entertaining exchange that challenges us to question not just the tools we use, but the human desires driving their evolution.