Banish Big Brother
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© 2024 Banish Big Brother
Description
Join hosts Elizabeth and Zach as they embark on a thought-provoking journey through the labyrinth of privacy, technology, surveillance, and the digital age's unseen battles. Banish Big Brother isn't just another podcast; it's a mission to unravel the complex web of information that surrounds us, challenge the omnipresent eyes of surveillance, advocate for the sanctity of personal privacy in a world that's growing increasingly transparent, and have fun doing it.
Each episode, Elizabeth and Zach dive deep into current events, technological advancements, and the shadowy realms of surveillance and privacy. They bring to light the critical issues that affect us all, from the rise of SMART cities to the subtle encroachments on our personal freedoms. Through engaging discussions, expert interviews, and listener stories, they explore the balance between the benefits of technology and the critical need to protect our digital and real-world selves from prying eyes.
But it's not all serious business. Elizabeth and Zach also bring a unique blend of humor, wit, and light-heartedness to the conversation, reminding us that even in the midst of challenging topics, there's always room for laughter, fun, and a shared sense of community.
Banish Big Brother promises not just to inform and provoke thought but also to entertain, proving that discussions around privacy and surveillance don't always have to be grim. Whether they're sharing quirky anecdotes, engaging in spirited banter, or exploring the lighter side of technology, Elizabeth and Zach create a podcast experience that’s both enlightening and enjoyable.
Whether you're a tech enthusiast, privacy advocate, or just curious about the world of surveillance and digital rights, Banish Big Brother is your guide and companion. So tune in, join the conversation, and be part of a growing movement that believes in the power of awareness, the importance of dialogue, and the enduring value of privacy.
Join us for a mix of meaningful dialogue, expert insights, and those unexpected moments of joy that remind us why fighting for our rights is worth it.
Each episode, Elizabeth and Zach dive deep into current events, technological advancements, and the shadowy realms of surveillance and privacy. They bring to light the critical issues that affect us all, from the rise of SMART cities to the subtle encroachments on our personal freedoms. Through engaging discussions, expert interviews, and listener stories, they explore the balance between the benefits of technology and the critical need to protect our digital and real-world selves from prying eyes.
But it's not all serious business. Elizabeth and Zach also bring a unique blend of humor, wit, and light-heartedness to the conversation, reminding us that even in the midst of challenging topics, there's always room for laughter, fun, and a shared sense of community.
Banish Big Brother promises not just to inform and provoke thought but also to entertain, proving that discussions around privacy and surveillance don't always have to be grim. Whether they're sharing quirky anecdotes, engaging in spirited banter, or exploring the lighter side of technology, Elizabeth and Zach create a podcast experience that’s both enlightening and enjoyable.
Whether you're a tech enthusiast, privacy advocate, or just curious about the world of surveillance and digital rights, Banish Big Brother is your guide and companion. So tune in, join the conversation, and be part of a growing movement that believes in the power of awareness, the importance of dialogue, and the enduring value of privacy.
Join us for a mix of meaningful dialogue, expert insights, and those unexpected moments of joy that remind us why fighting for our rights is worth it.
44 Episodes
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Georgia’s Child Protective Services quietly bought a nearly million-dollar surveillance vehicle, including a cell-site simulator (a “Stingray”) that can sweep up everyone’s phone data within a mile, using federal foster-care funds, while the state claims it can’t afford basic services for kids in the system.
Meanwhile MapQuest is having an unlikely comeback by adding Flock camera locations to its maps after someone found Flock’s data sitting unsecured online and the USPS is turning mail trucks into rolling surveillance cameras.
Plus: OpenAI’s rare-book-buying habit (and the copyright rule forcing them to destroy the originals after scanning), and a 404 Media report on Houston police searching a flock camera network in North Carolina 183,000 times in three months, and a flock database in Ohio 900,000 times in one month, raising the question of what, exactly, they’re using it for.
A nonprofit is pitching driverless patrol cars to a North Carolina police department, Amazon wants 20,000 delivery drivers wearing AI smart glasses that photograph your property (and sometimes your front door) every few seconds, and a company no one’s heard of just found a way to bolt facial recognition onto Flock’s camera network without Flock’s permission.
Zach and Elizabeth dig into how each of these “won’t replace humans” pitches quietly erases jobs, consent, and the last bit of privacy around your own home — plus a detour into kid-tracking apps, why nobody lets their kids walk to the store anymore, OpenAI finding a bugging device in its own office, the (probably fake) story of an AI “hacking its way” out of a sandbox, Getty Images going bankrupt because of AI stock photos, and the show closes out with an AI-generated song.
Alex Marthews, National Chair of Restore the Fourth, joins Zach and Elizabeth for a deep dive into the legal architecture behind mass surveillance, from FISA's origins after the Church Committee and COINTELPRO revelations to today's AI-accelerated version of the same programs.
Alex walks through how Section 702 surveillance works, the history of warrantless wiretapping programs dating back to the Bush administration, and a 2024 legal fight that gave the NSA secret, warrantless access to data centers and business networks nationwide.
He also covers how FBI domestic extremism designations have shifted across administrations, the use of confidential informants in manufactured terror plots, and why he calls Flock Safety "the Wile E. Coyote of the ALPR world."
The conversation closes with practical tools: how Restore the Fourth helps local communities pass surveillance oversight ordinances that force public hearings and annual re-approval before new technology gets deployed.
Guest: Alex Marthews, National Chair, Restore the Fourth
Website: https://restorethe4th.com/
Zach and Elizabeth dig into a Wired report on Flock's new voluntary separation program, offered to its roughly 1,500 employees amid mounting backlash, along with reporting that the company may need to sell off parts of its business to stay afloat.
They cover an EFF audit log review that caught officers searching ALPR networks with reasons like "IDK" and keyboard mashing, and a wider rundown of how little those "safeguards" actually fix.
From there, they look at a new front in AI-powered code enforcement: a company called City Detect is putting cameras on garbage trucks to assign homes a "blight score," with early data showing violations concentrated almost entirely in lower-income zip codes.
They close out with Meta's Ray-Ban camera glasses and the plan to use them to train household robots, musings on AI-generated content flooding YouTube, and an update on a DC police union pushing back after internal affairs used Flock to secretly monitor officers under investigation.
Jon Padfield, host of the Business Reform YouTube channel, joins Zach and Elizabeth for a deep dive into what license plate reader networks actually capture and where the technology is headed next. They start with signal traces (the electronic fingerprints your devices give off as you drive) and how COVID-era lockdowns normalized the kind of movement tracking now baked into everyday policing.
They also cover Flock's pitch to live-stream dashcam footage from Uber and Lyft vehicles, the question of who's actually accountable when this technology gets it wrong, and updates from recent privacy and civil liberties events including the Electronic Frontier Forum.
Jon covers Flock and broader privacy topics regularly on his popular YouTube channel.
Guest: Jon Padfield, Business Reform
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@businessreform
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