System Update with Glenn Greenwald Minnesota Shooting Exploited to Impose AI Mass Surveillance; Taylor Lorenz on Dark Money Group Paying Dem Influencers, and the Online Safety Act
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Aug 29, 2025 
Taylor Lorenz, an expert on internet culture and writer for User Magazine, joins the discussion to unpack the alarming rise of AI mass surveillance following a recent shooting. The conversation touches on a dark money group funding Democratic influencers, raising critical questions about accountability in media. Additionally, they explore the implications of the UK's Online Safety Act, challenging the balance between child protection and online anonymity, and warning against the erosion of free speech in today's digitally governed landscape.
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Fear Drives Expansion Of Surveillance
- Fear after mass tragedies is routinely used to push greater surveillance and authoritarian powers.
- Glenn warns this pattern repeats since 9/11 and should raise public skepticism.
Fox Segment Promotes 'Gideon' Surveillance
- Aaron Cohen, an Israeli special-ops veteran, promoted an AI mass-surveillance product on Fox News.
- He described Gideon as a 24-7 internet-scraping threat detection platform that reports to law enforcement.
Opaque Definitions Hide Major Risks
- Gideon claims to scrape social media, forums, Discord, and gaming chats to flag threats and route them to police.
- Glenn highlights the lack of transparency about who defines 'threat' and what 'Israeli-grade ontology' even means.