In our special coverage of the 2023 Oslo Freedom Forum Manal and I got to meet some truly inspirational African delegates who are shaping the way technology serves human rights on the African continent.   From the emerging power house that is Machankura we sat down with Noelyne Sumba and Kgothatso Ngako – both brilliant innovators doing some powerlifting with bitcoin to serve the human rights of their fellow citizens and African neighbors. They translate bitcoin learning materials into native African languages, and found a way to own and store bitcoin, even if you don’t have an internet connection, or a smartphone, or even a crypto account – talk about innovation!!!! These young tech-guns are leading the way….  And, you would be hard pressed to find a more dedicated warrior in the fight for human rights than Meron Estefanos. Meron’s nickname is “The Huntress of Human Traffickers”, she brought fifteen human traffickers to justice, helped to save thousands of Eritreans from drowning in the Mediterranean and helped negotiate the release of hostages who were kidnapped and held at ransom. Forget Arnie and Stallone… Meron is the ULTIMATE badass. Manal sat down to speak with Meron about AI, human trafficking and so much more.  Tune in for this absolutely unmissable episode from Season 3 of Tech4Evil.  We want to hear from you. Tune in, and tell us what you think. Email us at contact@tech4evil.com. Follow us on Twitter: @tech4evil. And if you've spotted Big Tech going too far, use the hashtag #EvilSpotter and mention @Tech4Evil and share your story. Music and media production by Reinhardt Sosin. Join our newsletter

Redefining Our Digital Lives: A Deep Dive into Technology’s Unseen Impact on Democracy and Human Rights In today’s digital age, our lives are intertwined with technology more than ever. From the moment we wake up to the minute we sleep, smartphones and smart devices have become our constant companions. But at what cost? Are we merely consumers in a digital marketplace, or is there a darker side to this tech-driven world? In this special live episode of Tech 4Evil, recorded at the renowned South by Southwest (SXSW) festival in Sydney, hosts Manal Al-Sharif and Reinhardt Sosin take us on an eye-opening journey through the intricate web of technology that surrounds us. They discuss the paradox of technology and the impact on our fundamental human rights and privacy. Episode Highlights: Smartphone Addiction: How our attachment to smartphones has reached unprecedented levels, reshaping even our most private moments. Tech Giants’ Duality: The curious case of tech moguls restricting their children’s tech use while promoting it to the world. Facial Recognition – A Privacy Nightmare: Unveiling the intrusive nature of facial recognition technologies in public and private spaces. Amazon Ring: Security or Surveillance? Examining Amazon Ring’s surveillance capabilities and its collaboration with law enforcement agencies. The Fight for Digital Rights: The pressing need for a Universal Declaration of Digital Rights in the era of data sovereignty. AI in Employment: The hidden biases in AI-driven job application processes and their discriminatory impact. Activism through Technology: Celebrating the brave use of technology by activists worldwide, from unmasking oppressors to smuggling information into oppressive regimes. Can Tech Be a Force for Good? Concluding thoughts on using technology ethically and understanding our digital rights. Join the Conversation: Manal and Reinhardt not only present these thought-provoking topics but also invite the live audience to participate, sparking discussions around online security, privacy, and the broader societal impact of technology. The Call to Action: As we navigate this tech-saturated world, it’s crucial to recognize our role and the power we hold. This episode of Tech 4Evil is more than just a conversation; it’s a call to action for listeners of all ages to join the movement in reclaiming our digital agency and ensuring technology remains a force for good. Don’t miss this crucial episode that challenges us to rethink our relationship with technology, for our present and our collective digital future. Recorded on : 20 Oct 2023 14:00 – 15:00 | ICC Sydney, Convention Centre, Sydney, 2000 https://schedule.sxswsydney.com/sessions/ec129f7b-495a-564b-a543-35de90947e23 We want to hear from you. Tune in, and tell us what you think. Email us at contact@tech4evil.com. Follow us on Twitter: @tech4evil. And if you've spotted Big Tech going too far, use the hashtag #EvilSpotter and mention @Tech4Evil and share your story. Music and media production by Reinhardt Sosin. Join our newsletter

In a world where technology is synonymous with convenience, accessibility, and connectivity, it’s easy to take our digital liberties for granted. However, for those trapped in closed societies like North Korea, access to information is a rare and precious commodity. In this episode of ‘Tech for Evil,’ we delve into the intersection of technology and human rights, shedding light on the remarkable initiative known as ‘Flash Drives for Freedom‘ and its mission to empower North Korean citizens with information and foster dissent in North Korea. “Flash Drives for Freedom” is a beacon of hope in this information-starved landscape. The program collects donated USB drives and SD cards, filling them with valuable information like Korean Wikipedia, documentaries, and real-world knowledge. These small devices are then smuggled into North Korea, giving North Koreans a glimpse of the truth beyond their borders. Join us as we delve into the importance of this initiative and the transformative power of information. Discover how these efforts are gradually opening windows to the outside world for North Koreans and challenging the regime’s control. Learn how you can support “Flash Drives for Freedom” by Human Rights Foundation and be part of a movement that believes in the potential of information to inspire change and promote freedom. Don’t miss this eye-opening episode, where we uncover the profound impact of technology used for a noble cause—to unlock minds and empower those living in one of the world’s most closed societies. #EthiTech #HumanRights #Digital Rights #Surveillance #Democracy #Freedom #Dictators #DigitalActivism #DigitalTyranny #TyrannyofTech #NorthKorea #FlashDrivesForFreedom #HRF #HumanRightsFoundation We want to hear from you. Tune in, and tell us what you think. Email us at contact@tech4evil.com. Follow us on Twitter: @tech4evil. And if you've spotted Big Tech going too far, use the hashtag #EvilSpotter and mention @Tech4Evil and share your story. Music and media production by Reinhardt Sosin. Join our newsletter

Digital Battlegrounds: Bytes, Bravery, and the Pursuit of Freedom The digital era – a double-edged sword, wielded by both heroes and tyrants. Welcome to an electrifying season, where the stakes are high, and the warriors are relentless. “Dictatorship in the Digital Space” is an unsettling reality. As dictators exploit cutting-edge tech to muzzle dissent, monitor every move, and craft illusions of popularity, a valiant counterforce rises. Join Manal and Reinhardt from the Tech4Evil podcast on season 3 titled “Don’t Click Here”. We dive into the riveting stories of intrepid activists, journalists, and freedom fighters from around the globe. Witness how, with wit and grit, they evade censorship, debunk disinformation, and guard civil liberties. From ingenious tactics that keep communication lines open during internet blackouts, to subverting digital surveillance with counter-tech, this episode illuminates the indomitable human spirit. But it’s more than stories; it’s an awakening. Through insights into the global struggle between liberty and oppression, democracy and dictatorship, you’ll grasp the vital role technology plays in shaping our shared future. The digital reckoning is upon us. Will you join the ranks of the guardians of freedom? Empower yourself and your community by learning how to be a force for good in the digital age. #HumanRights #Digital Rights #Surveillance #Democracy #Freedom #Dictators #DigitalActivism #DigitalTyranny #TyrannyofTech.

For many of us on this planet, our modern, digital lives are fast, cheap, convenient and smart as hell! Rediculously smart! Benign household devices like fridges and hoovers may have been born innocent and practical but have matured into obnoxiously in-your-face adolescent terrors. Devices that were once dumb are now terrifyingly capable and ”here to help” us. But have they gotten too smart? From voice assistants that can order groceries to smart thermostats that know when we’re home, our lives are becoming increasingly intertwined with technology. But what about the risks that come with this level of integration? Are these devices collecting our data without our knowledge or informed consent? In this episode of Tech for Evil, we examine the dark side of smart devices and the potential threats they pose to our privacy and security. We’ll explore how these devices gather data about our habits, preferences, and even our conversations, all in the name of convenience. We’ll also discuss the ways in which this data can be used to target us with advertising, manipulate our behavior, or even be sold to third parties without our consent. Join us as we dive into the world of smart devices and explore the tradeoffs we make for the convenience they offer. Are we sacrificing too much of our privacy and security for the sake of a more connected life? And what can we do to protect ourselves in an increasingly digital world? Don’t miss this important episode and join the growing movement that is fighting to keep tech good for all of us. We want to hear from you. Tune in, and tell us what you think. Email us at contact@tech4evil.com. Follow us on Twitter: @tech4evil. And if you've spotted Big Tech going too far, use the hashtag #EvilSpotter and mention @Tech4Evil and share your story. Music and media production by Reinhardt Sosin. Join our newsletter

Dating apps have radically reshaped the modern romance landscape. How we present ourselves and find other people on the dating market is now filtered through a digital lens. Dating Apps have turned the art of finding a partner into an online shopping experience very different from the raw, face-to-face courtship the previous generation had. But what about the companies that make dating apps? How do the apps work? What is the science behind them? Are the dating apps really trying to find us our soul mate or is there something more sinister going on? In this Episode of Tech4Evil Manal and Reinhardt examine the rise of dating apps, their origin story and the science that keeps us swiping obsessively. We also look at how these apps might take very personal information like our salary, religion and sexual orientation and send it on to third parties you never knew about. And what about the terrifying new things dating apps have brought us like addictive behaviors, harassment, deception, exploitation and even a rise in sexual assault? Is the price we’re paying to find our match too high? Join Manal and Reinhardt as we explore the world of dating apps, find out what YouTube has to do with dating apps, how much money we spend on these apps annually and how they might make our love lives sick. Don’t miss this important episode and join the growing movement that is taking back our digital agency and fighting to keep tech good! For young and old and for our collective digital future. We want to hear from you. Tune in, and tell us what you think. Email us at contact@tech4evil.com. Follow us on Twitter: @tech4evil. And if you've spotted Big Tech going too far, use the hashtag #EvilSpotter and mention @Tech4Evil and share your story. Meet the guy who turned dating into an addiction, TIME Tinder founder Sean Rad explains why the dating app is so popular, Business Insider I Just Figured Out Why Online Dating Doesn’t Work, Medium The Dark Side of Tinder: The Dark Triad of Personality as Correlates of Tinder Use, Research Gate Dating Apps, Research Gate What Makes Tinder Users Tick?, Pschology Today The one thing dating apps will give you for sure? Addiction On a 30-something’s Refusal to Use Dating Apps, Rachel Presser Hype at First Swipe: The Dark Side of Using Dating Apps, Andrea A

Have you ever found yourself wondering “…what if I just delete my Facebook account…?” Believe us, you’re not the only one to have pondered this question jokingly or even seriously in the last few years, and with good reason. Some part of you likely came to this realisation, intuitively, that feeling insecure and sad and lonely after several hours of doom scrolling and checking all your social media accounts was not quite the experience you were promised from these Social Media Apps. In this Episode of Tech4Evil Manal and Reinhardt take a close look at Jaron Lanier’s book Ten Arguments for Deleting Your Social Media Accounts Right Now. For those of you who have seen the Netflix documentary The Social Dilemma, Jaron Lanier and his book are already permeating your consciousness. The ideas put forward in the book are likely starting to tickle that part of your brain entertaining the notion that purging your toxic, pervasive and attention-stealing social media accounts could mean getting your life back. In other words, if you delete your Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Twitter accounts you might be able to have better mental and emotional health, be a better person and enjoy a more authentic human connection with your family and friends and loved ones. yes, you might get back to the life you had before all the notifications, posts, likes, comments and reshares started to chime and vibrate and ding their way into your daily consciousness through the smartphone you keep within reach 24 hours daily. If you’re looking to follow that intuitive part of your brain down the rabbit hole and say “goodbye” to all this digital detritus from your life then this is the episode for you. According to Jaron Lanier, when you delete your social media accounts you will join the resistance against the main insanity of our times, be less of an asshole, support the discovery of truth, be more empathetic and restore your economic dignity… Wow! What do you have to lose? Join Manal and Reinhardt and explore some of the best reasons to get rid of all your toxic social media accounts. We will explain how Big Tech is doing its best to take up all our attention, all our emotional bandwidth and all our digital capital as netizens. Tune in to our Crash Course in Digital Self-Defense and spread the word about reclaiming our autonomy and digital agency. Don’t miss this important episode and don’t succumb to the hypnosis that Big Tech wants to permeate. We are taking back our digital agency and fighting to keep tech good! For young and old and for our collective future. We want to hear from you. Tune in, and tell us what you think. Email us at contact@tech4evil.com. Follow us on Twitter: @tech4evil. And if you've spotted Big Tech going too far, use the hashtag #EvilSpotter and mention @Tech4Evil and share your story. Music and media production by Reinhardt Sosin. Join our newsletter

Our guest for this episode is Andrew McAlister, a Data Ethics & Privacy Expert. Today, Australia stands out as the only democracy to use facial recognition technology to enforce COVID-19 restrictions. The private sector is participating too. Last year, 7-Eleven in Australia collected the facial prints of 1.6 million customers without their knowledge or consent. 7-Eleven was never fined. And now OAIC is opening a probe into Bunnings and Kmart over facial recognition. Privacy advocates say there isn’t much hope looking at the 7-Eleven example.  Facial recognition technology violates a fundamental human right, the right to privacy. And with facial recognition becoming increasingly sophisticated, it will soon be possible to monitor an entire population with minimal effort. But to what end? Our guest for this episode is Andrew McAlister, a Data Ethics and Privacy expert, who will help us dig deeper into the state of facial recognition in Australia and explain what the rest of the free world is doing. We talk about how facial recognition is now used as part of the psychological warfare in Ukraine, how Westfield tracks our every move once we step into one of their malls, and how Telstra’s tools can turn you into a green blob once passed by CCTV. We also talk about the US and EU and how their citizens resisted the use of facial recognition, and finally, we talk about Data for Good and how data can be used to save lives. 00:00:00 Why the Ivy didn’t let me enter their venue (Manal’s story) 00:03:40 OAIC opens probe into Bunnings and Kmart use of facial recognition 00:08:00 What’s biometric data and what’s facial print? 00:10:00 What’s the impact on customers in Australia where facial recognition is not regulated? 00:13:00 What does the Privacy Act say about the justifications for monitoring customers? 00:13:30 What is the second (or secondery) use of data? 00:15:14 What is Mesh technology and how does it monitor all our activities and behaviors in the real world? (scary shit!) 00:16:40 How our behavioral data is being monitized  00:17:00 Deep facial analytics is the next step 00:18:30 What are the things supermarkets collect about us? 00:19:00 How Westfield track all shoppers activities once they step in 00:20:00 The arm race for collecting and exploiting behavior data in the physical world too 00:21:30 How ClearView is used in the Ukrainian war to identify dead Russian soldiers 00:24:40 Australia is the only democracy in the world to use facial recognition to enforce COVID-19 restrictions 00:25:27 The US federal law banning private facial recognition 00:26:00 The state of facial recognition law in Australia 00:29:00 Is Australia moving towards a technocracy? 00:33:00 Amazon Ring the largest crowdfunded mass surveillance project in the world 00:35:00 Data sharing agreements 00:37:40 What Europe is doing and how Australia can learn from that 00:42:00 Ethics in Technology and why businesses should care about them 00:46:00 Canada and facial recognition  00:50:00  Data for Good and how it can save lives such as funding cancer research<...

Special thanks to Prof. Debbie Haski-Leventhal and Cameron Bogatez for sharing their experience with addictive technology for this episode. In the third and final installment of the Captology mini-series, Manal and Reinhardt examine the profound and terrifying impacts that have come from Big Tech using Capatology tactics on children, parents and the average person. In part three of our Captology series, we look at the phenomena of online social contagion and mental disorders among adolescent girls being traced back to social media. We also hear directly from a parent trying desperately to help their child through technology addiction and a young entrepreneur who may have the answer. The rising attention economy created by Big Tech is robbing us of our ability to focus preventing us from connecting deeply with people around us and is polarising our society. The crazy thing is that the people who are behind it are aware of what they have done and some have turned their backs on their creations and are speaking out.  If you’d like to know what the signs of social media addiction are in yourself and your children then tune in. Don’t feel too bad if you are a parent with a tech-addicted child, Big Tech is aggressively targeting their young minds throughout the day, but you can fight back. Join us for a surprising and uplifting crash course in digital self-defense and a very special guest in the studio. Join the resistance against the excesses of Big Tech. We are taking back our digital agency and fighting to keep tech good! For young and old and for our collective future. We want to hear from you. Tune in, and tell us what you think. Email us at contact@tech4evil.com. Follow us on Twitter: @tech4evil. And if you've spotted Big Tech going too far, use the hashtag #EvilSpotter and mention @Tech4Evil and share your story. Persuasive Technology: Using Computers to Change What We Think and Do by BJ Fogg Hooked: How to Build Habit-Forming Products by Nir Eyal Ten Arguments For Deleting Your Social Media Accounts Right Now by Jaron Lanier Indistractable: How to Control Your Attention and Choose Your Life by Nir Eyal Stolen Focus by Johann Hari 7 WARNING Signs You’re Addicted to Technology, Life Hack Is your child addicted to screens? Here’s what you can do about it, the Conversation fastasarocket.com the ethical social media that helps you focus

In our second installment of the Captology mini-series Manal and Reinhardt drill down into several of the specific tactics and techniques that technologists use to hold us captive. We look at how the Like and Share buttons were not just quaint additions to the social media landscape but rather, very deliberate and slick missiles that targeted our human desire for social affirmation. We explain what B.F. Skinner’s experiments with mice in the 50’s have to do with modern social media platforms. And we explore the ways that our natural human vulnerabilities can be exploited by Big Tech to get as much of our attention as they can and the catastrophic damage it has left in its wake. Join Manal and Reinhardt for our second episode of Season 2 of Tech4Evil.com and join the resistance against the excesses of Big Tech. Tune in to our podcast for Crash Courses in Digital Self Defense and spread the word. We are taking back our digital agency and fighting to keep tech good! For young and old and for our collective future. Special thanks to Cameron Bogatez, founder of fastasarocket.com the new ethical social media that helps you focus. We want to hear from you. Tune in, and tell us what you think. Email us at contact@tech4evil.com. Follow us on Twitter: @tech4evil. And if you've spotted Big Tech going too far, use the hashtag #EvilSpotter and mention @Tech4Evil and share your story. Persuasive Technology: Using Computers to Change What We Think and Do by BJ Fogg Hooked: How to Build Habit-Forming Products by Nir Eyal Social media copies gambling methods 'to create psychological cravings', the Guardian Instagram internal research: ‘We make body image issues worse for one in three teen girls’, the Verge Variability Reward, Want to Hook Users?, My Name Is Manj, And I’m Addicted To Notifications, What Makes online Content Viral?, Our Minds can be Hijacked, the Guardian, The psychology of being ‘liked’ on social media,

There is a battle raging, fought without guns or bombs and not for land or resources… This is a battle for our attention. Big Tech companies are competing for our attention in clever ways and desperately want more and more. If you’re wondering why your children throw tantrums if you ask them to get off their phones, or why you find yourself doom scrolling and obsessively posting and checking for likes, then this podcast is for you. These phenomena did not come about by accident – this was designed. A few decades ago, a new field of behavioral science emerged from the depths of our advanced computer age. It is called Captology. This is the science of how to grab as much of our time and attention as possible with technology. Nobody is safe from being a lab rat in this giant, unspoken experiment. Whether you’re elderly, a working adult or a child, Big Tech wants to use the principles of Captology on all of us! And guess what, Big Tech is winning the battle by captivating our time, mesmerizing our minds, and taking hold of our deepest emotions for their profit. Are you scared yet? You probably should be… This topic is so broad and complex that we decided to dedicate three episodes to the people, concepts and impacts involved. We will take you back to the birthplace of Captology looking at people like BJ Fogg and Nir Eyal, exploring the Hooked Model and explaining what Pavlov’s Dog and the principles of Classical Conditioning have to do with our relationships with technology today. Join Manal and Reinhardt for our first episode of Season 2 and a new year at Tech4Evil.com and join the resistance against the excesses of Big Tech. Tune in to our podcast for Crash Courses in Digital Self Defense and spread the word. We are taking back our digital agency and fighting to keep tech good! For young and old and for our collective future. 00:00 – Season two topics 07:29 – The Facebook whistleblower Francis Haughen 12:27- Captology or Computers as Persuasive Technology  15:54 – The Hooked Model 22:25 – BJ Fogg Behavior Model 25:02 – Pavlov’s Dog We want to hear from you. Tune in, and tell us what you think. Email us at contact@tech4evil.com. Follow us on Twitter: @tech4evil. And if you've spotted Big Tech going too far, use the hashtag #EvilSpotter and mention @Tech4Evil and share your story. Persuasive Technology: Using Computers to Change What We Think and Do by BJ Fogg Hooked: How to Build Habit-Forming Products by Nir Eyal Social media copies gambling methods 'to create psychological cravings', the Guardian Instagram internal research: ‘We make body image issues worse for one in three teen girls’, the Verge Music and media production by Reinhardt Sosin.

Having a coffee or a beer this weekend? So are we… Join Manal and Reinhardt as we cover the latest news and developments from around the world. If you’re interested to see what Big Tech, Social Media Giants and other evil-doers are up to then please sit back and enjoy our coverage of the latest news and developments. On our very first Beer & Coffee episode format, we ask… is your boss looking at your computer screen? Why does the private Israeli NSO group have the French President’s mobile phone number? …does the EU care about biometric surveillance and why is Big Tech trying to make money off of our emotions? Pour your favorite latte, blow the froth off of your last lager for the week and join Manal and Reinhardt on today’s episode of Tech For Evil…. We want to hear from you. Tune in, and tell us what you think. Email us at contact@tech4evil.com. Follow us on Twitter: @tech4evil. And if you've spotted Big Tech going too far, use the hashtag #EvilSpotter and mention @Tech4Evil and share your story. Best Employee Monitoring Software by PC Magazine What does Fortune Mag say about employee monitoring? How credible is your news? U.S adds Israeli spyware software to blacklist The grandfather of World Wide Web is stepping up Music and media production by Reinhardt Sosin. Join our newsletter

How does Australia stack up against other countries when it comes to our digital rights? Do our privacy laws protect us or do they leave us vulnerable to the lightly regulated tech companies? To answer these questions, we’ve brought in our very first guest onto the show… a Top Gun of Australia’s legal profession – Angus Murray.   Angus is the co-founder and national director of The Legal Forecast, Vice President of the Queensland Council for Civil Liberties, member of the Australian Lawyers for Human Rights, Chair of Electronic Frontiers Australia policy team and a death metal fan to boot. Angus was recently awarded the ‘Young Alumnus of the Year’ by the University of Southern Queensland. So, strap in and let Angus demystify the legal jargon and give you an insight into the world of online digital rights and privacy in Australia.  In the blue corner of our title fight, today is the Australian legal system and privacy laws and in the red corner, we have the rest of the world. Angus does a blow by blow of how Australia’s legal history has shaped our current digital rights and privacy laws, compares them with our European contenders and gives his view on whether Australians can count on our rights as citizens to keep us safe while our human experience is being digitized with little or no say of our own.   Also in the episode, find out how Aussie politicians can get away with sending us unsolicited text messages on mass and whether or not your boss is allowed to monitor our work laptop activity, on today’s episode of Tech For Evil, where we expose what big tech doesn’t want you to know and give you ways to fight back.  00:30 – Introductions and Bio – Angus Murray 04:38 – How Does Australia Compare to Europe?  08:00 – Origin of Australia’s LegalFramework 10:00 – A digital social contract 17:00 – Australia’s Privacy Act of 1988 20:26 – Australia and the EU GDPR 23:00 Informed Consent 27:41 – Australia’s Privacy Commissioner and Ben Grubb 30:00 – DIfference between breach of confidence and an invasion of privacy  32:22 – Angus on Facebook 41:05 – Angus on our data being abused 43:41 – A Skynet, Minority Report World 44:54 – Break 45:27 – Painting a dark picture, Australia, US, EU, UK 46:53 – Politicians in my phone 50:16 – Is my boss watching me? 53:13 – The Legal Forecast 01:06:20 – Remote controlled mice 01:09:46 – What can we do to fight back? 01:13:22 – Are we all doomed or is there hope? We want to hear from you. Tune in, and tell us what you think. Email us at contact@tech4evil.com. Follow us on Twitter: @tech4evil. And if you've spotted Big Tech going too far, use the hashtag #EvilSpotter and mention @Tech4Evil and share your story. Music and media production by Reinhardt Sosin. Join our newsletter

Listen to Episode 4 Part 1 “Mass surveillance creates a prison to the mind” Glenn Greenwald Have you ever found yourself clicking on “Yes, I have read and understood the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy” only to nervously wonder what terms you just accepted? Whether we’re in our home with our family or confiding to a friend at the park there’s a high chance we cherish the privacy we can have with them. But what if I told you that someone in your house, in this very moment, has the power to hear your self-talk and to hear that inner voice that allows your mind to wander through your fantasies and insecurities? What if I told you that it was you who invited them into your home? The online world may not be as private as we were all led to believe. Did you know that Facebook can read your private messages? Did you know that YouTube still keeps all your videos even if you delete your account? Did you know that Reddit keeps the drafts that you never submitted? Find out what you can do to fight back when Big Tech tries to peer into your private life and hear about the tools you can use to take back control of your privacy when you’re online on Part 2 of Episode 4 of Tech 4 Evil. 01:24 – We don’t sell your data 03:54 – You are in charge of your data 10:05 – We anonymize your data before sharing it 12:57 – If you have nothing to hide, you have nothing to fear 23:44 – Privacy is dead 28:17 – What is privacy protection? 31:35 – Privacy Law between Australia and China 33:42 – What the tech community can do  39:30 – Manal’s message to the tech community We want to hear from you. Tune in, and tell us what you think. Email us at contact@tech4evil.com. Follow us on Twitter: @tech4evil. And if you've spotted Big Tech going too far, use the hashtag #EvilSpotter and mention @Tech4Evil and share your story. Music and media production by Reinhardt Sosin. Research and content by Manal al-Sharif. Sources for this episode include "Why Privacy Matters?" TED talk by Glenn Greenwald, Teach Privacy, Terms of Service Didn't Read, AP News, PrivacyMonitor.com, TheNextWeb.com, PrivacyPolicies.com, Human Rights Watch, TheMarkUp.org, Mozilla.org, privacyinternational.org, Mobile Marketing Reads, WIRED, and "I have Nothing to Hide" book by Heidi Boghosian Join our newsletter

Listen to Episode 4 Part 2 “Mass surveillance creates a prison to the mind” Glenn Greenwald Have you ever found yourself clicking on “Yes, I have read and understood the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy” only to nervously wonder what terms you just accepted? Whether we’re in our home with our family or confiding to a friend at the park there’s a high chance we cherish the privacy we can have with them. But what if I told you that someone in your house, in this very moment, has the power to hear your self-talk and to hear that inner voice that allows your mind to wander through your fantasies and insecurities? What if I told you that it was you who invited them into your home? The online world may not be as private as we were all led to believe. Did you know that Facebook can read your private messages? Did you know that YouTube still keeps all your videos even if you delete your account? Did you know that Reddit keeps the drafts that you never submitted? Find out what you can do to fight back when Big Tech tries to peer into your private life and hear about the tools you can use to take back control of your privacy when you’re online on Part 1 of Episode 4 of Tech 4 Evil. Tech4Evil “We Don’t Sell Your Data” and Other Hilarious Privacy Lies – Part 1 Play Episode Pause Episode Mute/Unmute Episode Rewind 10 Seconds 1x Fast Forward 30 seconds 00:00 / 00:46:44 Subscribe Share Apple Podcasts Stitcher

A good user interface design offers ease of use and a streamlined online experience, but some of your favorite websites have deceptive ploys built in to get you to do things you never intended to do. Are you an avid online shopper? Many e-commerce sites use cunning manipulation to get you to buy something you don’t want or need. You might be greeted by a digital guilt trip when you click “no” on an “exclusive offer” or end up with a product in your shopping cart that you never selected. Is your email inbox overflowing with spam emails and newsletters to which you never subscribed? Little did you know, when you clicked a random button or bought a product, you were automatically put on the mailing list. It’s right there in the privacy agreement that takes roughly 18 minutes to read. Attempting to opt-out of spam emails only adds to your frustration as you hunt for a minuscule unsubscribe button that takes eight tries to push successfully. Facebook users who try to disable their facial recognition can expect to be bombarded with the positive aspects of the software without any mention that it will also be used for targeted advertising. In this episode, Manal al-Sharif and Reinhardt Sosin dissect the dark patterns of user interface design. From color interpretation to “Bait and Switch,” they cover several of the cheapest tricks deployed by online giants to influence your decisions. Join Manal and Reinhardt as they expose some of these con artists. Welcome to episode 3 of the Tech4Evil Podcast: The Dark Patterns of Design. Tech4Evil The Dark Side of Targeted Advertising Play Episode Pause Episode Mute/Unmute Episode Rewind 10 Seconds 1x Fast Forward 30 seconds 00:00 / 01:05:02 Subscribe Share Apple Podcasts ...

Manal al-Sharif and Reinhardt Sosin discuss the concept of Planned Obsolescence of Tech. Big Tech companies use a whole host of design and marketing tactics to get you to throw away your smart devices long before it’s necessary. Ever had a product break within weeks of the warranty expiring? What about that iPhone that slowed down after a software update? If you’ve ever walked away from a repair shop feeling frustrated after being told the cost to repair your device is close to the value of a new one, this episode is for you. Learn about the history of Planned Obsolescence, the detrimental impacts this concept has on our planet, and the ecocide, iFixit and the Right to Repair activists fighting Big Tech to take back our rights as consumers and protect our planet. Welcome to Episode Two of the Tech4Evil Podcast. 2:40 – What is planned obsolescence?  3:05 – The four types of planned obsolescence of tech 13:50 – Why are tech companies designing devices to break? 16:08 – The economical and environmental impact of planned obsolescence of tech 21:45 – A brief history of planned obsolescence 25:12 – Repair Cafes 25:13 – I Fix It or Ifixit.com 27:24 – The Right to Repair movement 29:09 – The Ecocide Law 30:06 – The US, Europe and Australia  supporting the Right to Repair 33:02- Steve Wozniak support 35:15 – A call to action We want to hear from you. Tune in, and tell us what you think. Email us at contact@tech4evil.com. Follow us on Twitter: @tech4evil. And if you've spotted Big Tech going too far, use the hashtag #EvilSpotter and mention @Tech4Evil and share your story. Music and media production by Reinhardt Sosin. Research and content by Manal al-Sharif and Margaret Coomer. Sources for this episode include repaircafe.org , ifixit.com, the Atalntic's article on the global cost of e-waste, CHOICE's article "5 Ways to Take Control of Your Consumer Rights" and the Guardian's artcile on the world's largest e-waste dump and many more sources mentioned in our blog.

Is my phone listening to me? We’ve all been there: you have a conversation with a friend about a product or service, and within a day or two, you see an ad for that very thing on your favorite social media platform. It’s more than spooky; it feels intrusive, as if your phone has a direct connection to the thoughts in your head. No, it’s not technological espionage- it’s hyper-targeted advertising evolving to be surveillance-based advertising. Every time we go online or scroll through social media on our phones, we leave behind bits of data, like breadcrumbs, for Data Miners. Websites track our movements via cookies and tracking pixels. Companies pay big bucks for your personal profile that was structured from those breadcrumbs and then target you with specific advertising. In this episode, Manal al-Sharif and Reinhardt Sosin discuss the multi-billion dollar targeted advertising ecosystem, how it directly impacts your mental health and privacy, and how you can fight back against the digital dictatorship. Welcome to Episode One of the Tech4Evil Podcast where you find out what big tech doesn’t want you to know. Background reading. Targeted Advertising or Surveillance-Based Advertising? 25 Aug 2021 1:53 – Welcome 2:27 – What is surveillance-based advertising? 9:50 – How does surveillance-based advertising work? 20:57 – The Norwegian Consumer Council Report 30:13 – How big is the digital advertising industry? 33:21 – The history of digital advertising 36:12 – What are the impacts of the surveillance-based advertising model? 52:30 – What are the alternatives? 54:47 – How can we fight back? 55:57 – A call to action 57:57 – Your Crash Course in Digital Self Defence 01:02:19 – Spot the Evil (#evilspotter) We want to hear from you. Tune in, and tell us what you think. Email us at contact@tech4evil.com. Follow us on Twitter: @tech4evil. And if you've spotted Big Tech going too far, use the hashtag #EvilSpotter and mention @Tech4Evil and share your story. Music and media production by Reinhardt Sosin. Research and content by Manal al-Sharif. Sources for this episode include “Don’t Be Evil” book by Rana Foroohar, “Surveillance Capitalism” by Prof Shoshana Zuboff, “Zucked” book by Roger McNamee, “Time to Ban Surveillance-Based Advertising” by the Norwegian Consumer Council, Newsweek article “Secretive World Selling Data About You” by Paul Boutin 2016, The Atlantic article “Why Technology Favors Tyranny” by Yuval Noah Harari and many more sources mentioned in the blog post of this episode.<...