Podcasts · Technology

Long Reads

Rest of World

17 episodes

Listen to Rest of World's best stories about the way technology is reshaping the globe. Narrated by our staff of writers and editors.

More about the show

Nearly four billion internet users live outside the West. We're telling their stories, with in-depth, on-the-ground reporting on topics like Big Tech’s global influence, e-commerce, cryptocurrency, the struggles of the gig economy, and the rise of EVs.

Episodes

  1. How a Chinese battery factory sparked a political meltdown in a small Michigan town

    · 33 min · Episode 17

    The Chinese company Gotion's EV battery plan was the kind of big, ambitious, the U.S. economy — and the struggling small town of Big Rapids — needed. But that’s not how some locals saw it. In this narrated feature Rest…

  2. The global struggle over how to regulate AI

    · 29 min · Episode 16

    Big AI companies like Google, Meta, OpenAI and Amazon, have come out hard against comprehensive regulatory efforts in the West — but are receiving a warm welcome from leaders in many other countries. This episode from…

  3. How WhatsApp ate the world

    · 26 min · Episode 15

    WhatsApp is already the world’s most widely used messaging app. Meta wants it to be a lot more. WhatsApp is the world’s most widely used messaging app, with 2 billion daily users, who send 100 billion messages every…

  4. WhatsApp vigilantes in India are converting Christians by force

    · 28 min · Episode 14

    In this episode, Rest of World explores how far-right Hindu nationalists use WhatsApp to target Christian families when they’re most vulnerable — by preventing them from burying their dead. Written by Parth MN.…

  5. Destined for clicks: YouTube is driving an astrology boom in Pakistan

    · 31 min · Episode 13

    Amid economic, political, and environmental uncertainty, Pakistanis are increasingly seeking guidance from digital astrologers for a sense of reassurance. In this narrated feature, Rest of World profiles celebrity…

  6. Can a church exist exclusively on the internet?

    · 29 min · Episode 12

    Amid a life of upheaval and poverty, Jeffter Wekesa tried and failed to found three churches in Kenya. Then he started preaching on TikTok, and his fortunes changed. In this episode, Rest of World takes you inside the…

  7. The AI artist who used Bad Bunny’s voice — and shot to fame

    · 22 min · Episode 11 · Explicit

    For years, Mauricio Bustos used his YouTube channel to try and break into the music industry. Then he discovered AI. Overnight, he could rap like Bad Bunny and sing like Justin Bieber. He went viral. Now, he’s at the…

  8. Vigilantes for views: The YouTube pranksters harassing suspected scam callers in India

    · 34 min · Episode 10 · Explicit

    Los Angeles-based Trilogy Media took “scambaiting” to a new level, but some claim they’re gaining viral fame at others’ expense. In this story from our archive, Rest of World, profiles the Trilogy Media YouTubers who…

  9. The graying gig economy

    · 21 min · Episode 9

    The average age for delivery workers is 29 and the average age for ride-hailing drivers is 36, but many older individuals are turning to gig work, too. Rest of World spoke to 52 workers above the age of 50 who…

  10. Inside the BJP’s WhatsApp machine

    · 28 min · Episode 8

    As millions of Indians vote, there’s one platform most of them will turn to for information: WhatsApp. And no one controls the political narrative on WhatsApp like the BJP, the ruling party helmed by Prime Minister…

  11. Inside TSMC’s struggle to build a chip factory in the U.S. suburbs

    · 34 min · Episode 6

    Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) was slated to open a plant in Phoenix, Arizona in 2024. It aimed to bring thousands of jobs, but the expansion hasn’t taken off. In this story, Rest of World follows…

  12. The changing face of protest

    · 33 min · Episode 6

    Mass protests used to offer a degree of safety in numbers. Facial recognition technology changes the equation. This story explores how thanks to new facial recognition technology, protesters’ safety in numbers is…

  13. The rise and fall of Argentina’s celebrity crypto pastor

    · 47 min · Episode 1

    Generación Zoe’s Leonardo Cositorto was charged with fraud in Argentina in April 2022. His and staff arrests have users asking, “¿Qué pasó con generacion Zoe?” In this feature from our archive, Rest of World visits…

  14. Riders in the smog

    · 22 min · Episode 4

    From toxic skies to health hazards: Rest of World measured air quality for riders in Lahore, New Delhi, and Dhaka. The results were devastating. Pollution is worsening in South Asia’s major cities, but few occupations…

  15. The fall of the King of Squirrels

    · 24 min · Episode 3 · Explicit

    In this feature from our archive, Rest of World follows the story of exotic animal trader as he capitalizes on Vietnam's growing digital connectivity — and Facebook’s negligence — to build an online wildlife…

  16. Inside Foxconn’s struggle to manufacture iPhones in India

    · 37 min · Episode 2

    Foxconn is flying engineers from China to India to train the next generation of iPhone builders. But both the Chinese engineers and Indian assembly line workers describe a serious culture clash. In this episode, Rest…

  17. When digital nomads come to town

    · 28 min · Episode 1

    What happens to cities when they become digital nomad hotspots? In this narrated feature, Rest of World looks at how the remote work revolution is changing life in places like Medellín and Bali. Written by Stephen…

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