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The New American Surveillance State | Byron Tau

May 20, 2024
Byron Tau, an investigative journalist and author of "Means of Control," dives into the dark world of the US surveillance state. He reveals how the government has created a digital dossier on every citizen and the chilling methods used to collect this data. The discussion covers the ethics of surveillance, the controversial Total Information Awareness program, and how commercial data fuels government monitoring. They also explore privacy rights in a digital age and the critical role of encryption as a safeguard against an encroaching surveillance apparatus.
01:26:28

Episode guests

Podcast summary created with Snipd AI

Quick takeaways

  • The US government maintains detailed digital dossiers on citizens, raising concerns about privacy invasion and data leveraging.
  • Data collection mechanisms and implications for digital privacy are explored, highlighting government access and privacy rights.

Deep dives

Data Brokers Selling Information to Government

Data brokers have the capability to sell vast amounts of personal information about US citizens to both the US government and foreign countries. This revelation sheds light on the extent of privacy invasion faced by individuals as their data can be leveraged by various entities. The realization that such personal data can be sold is a significant concern, offering insight into the frontier of privacy and the intricate network of data collection and dissemination.

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