#digital-privacy
41 episodes
#4426: Rooting's Dead End: Phone Control in 2026
Google's Titan M2 chip killed the rooting cat-and-mouse game. What now for power users?
#4423: The Cookie That Changed the Web
Third-party cookies are dying, but first-party cookies aren't going anywhere. Here's what actually happens when you browse.
#4417: How to Tell Real Security Tools From Fakes
A friend's question about SSN monitoring reveals how to spot fake security tools designed to steal what you're trying to protect.
#4403: The Rabbi You Can't Google
What does influence look like when nobody's measuring it in clicks? One rabbi's answer.
#4343: AliExpress Checkout: Dollars vs Shekels
Which currency should you pick at checkout? The hidden fees of DCC, PayPal, and credit cards explained.
#4324: How to Flip the Script on Customer Service Calls
Stop being the only one who has to prove who they are. A three-move sequence to level the playing field.
#4063: Can the Law Give You a Second Name for Privacy?
Sweden, Germany, and Japan each offer fragments of a legal second identity — but none fully solve the privacy problem.
#4010: What Happens When Everyone Votes on Everything?
Estonia, Switzerland, and Taiwan prove digital voting works. So why hasn't it replaced politicians?
#3853: When Your Name Belongs to Someone Famous
What happens when your name is algorithmically hijacked by a famous or infamous stranger?
#3834: How Celebrities Hide Their Phone Numbers
The three-layer system of tech, legal, and social defenses that keeps celebrity phone numbers private.
#3692: Authorization Holds vs. Actual Charges: How to Tell
Pending transactions look like charges but aren't. Learn the three structural tells that reveal the difference.
#3651: What Happened to the Baby Health Vault App?
A parent wants a secure way to store medical photos of their child. No app does this well.
#3216: EFF's 36-Year Fight for Digital Rights
How the Electronic Frontier Foundation has fought for internet freedom since 1990 — from the Crypto Wars to border phone searches.
#2878: How China Controls Foreign Critics and Domestic Media
China blocks foreign critics at the border while running a sophisticated domestic media control system. Here's how both work.
#2398: Your Taste, Your Data: Owning Your AI Preferences
Why can’t you describe your perfect movie—but you’d know it if you saw it? A vision for portable, user-owned AI taste profiles.
#2383: The Blame Gap: Public Anger vs. Breach Reality
How much blame do companies deserve for data breaches? The answer isn't as simple as you think.
#2373: How Facial Recognition Maps Your Face—And Your Rights
The same AI that organizes your photos can track you in a crowd. How does facial recognition work—and why is it so hard to evade?
#2292: Inside the Walled Garden: China's Parallel Internet
Explore China’s parallel internet ecosystem—how the Great Firewall works, the apps that dominate it, and the surprising innovations it fosters.
#2045: Anonymity Isn't the Problem, The Architecture Is
Why does Reddit amplify toxicity while other anonymous spaces stay healthy? It's not the mask—it's the room's shape.
#2042: Gifted, Stigmatized, and Seeking Real Community
Why do online communities for the gifted become toxic, and how can you find real-world connections?
#1841: Async Work: Freedom or Digital Surveillance?
Is async work the key to productivity or a trap for total surveillance? We break down the promises and perils of the modern workday.
#1815: Escaping Chrome's Golden Cage: Vivaldi, Brave, Arc & Opera
Google Chrome dominates at 65% market share, but Manifest V3 is breaking ad blockers. Here's how Vivaldi, Brave, Arc, and Opera offer a way out.
#1796: The Encryption Mirage: Are Your Keys Really Safe?
End-to-end encryption promises privacy, but hidden backdoors and metadata leaks can betray your trust.
#1780: The Danger Zone: Your Browser Extensions
Your encrypted data is safe until it hits your browser. Here's how extensions turn your "secure" browsing into a data leak.