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The Peter McCormack Show

#005 - Silkie Carlo - You Are Being Watched! How Big Tech & Government Track Your Daily Life

Sep 23, 2024
Silkie Carlo, Director of Big Brother Watch, is a champion for civil liberties and privacy rights. In a riveting discussion, she exposes the increasing threat of government surveillance and its implications for democracy. Carlo emphasizes the dangers of technologies like facial recognition and the erosion of free speech, especially comparing the U.S. and U.K. approaches. She tackles the challenges of disinformation and the heavy-handed tactics of state power, urging listeners to remain vigilant against encroaching surveillance.
01:28:42

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Quick takeaways

  • Silkie Carlo emphasizes the urgent need to protect civil liberties as mass surveillance technologies become increasingly pervasive in our daily lives.
  • The podcast highlights the tension between security measures and personal freedoms, illustrating how mass surveillance undermines the effectiveness of legitimate intelligence operations.

Deep dives

Surveillance State Realities

The pervasive nature of electronic surveillance by governments is highlighted, revealing that all online communications, including phone calls and text messages, are monitored. The initial outrage following the Snowden revelations of 2013 has subsided, leading to an increasing acceptance of surveillance measures by the public. Rather than retracting these intrusive practices, new systems and technologies for mass surveillance have been introduced, such as AI and ambient surveillance methods. This trend has prompted activist organizations like Big Brother Watch to raise awareness and oppose the escalation of such intrusions.

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