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In this episode of the Plutopia Podcast, hosts Jon and Scoop engage in a wide-ranging discussion covering various topics, including the ongoing ransomware attack at Ascension Seton hospitals, solar flares, science fiction, billionaire bunkers, and QAnon conspiracy theories. They also touch on the upcoming debates between Joe Biden and Donald Trump, speculating on Trump's debate tactics. The conversation highlights Plutopia's commitment to freewheeling discussions, even if they occasionally veer off into humorous, speculative, or strange territory. The episode provides a blend of current events, personal anecdotes, and societal commentary, reflecting the eclectic nature of our podcast.







Jon: Biden and Trump are going to have a couple of debates, or Trump is going to have a couple of debates, whether he will let Biden get a word in edgewise is another question.



Scoop: Yeah, he's not real good at following the rules of decorum and debate. He just wants to scream and yell and interrupt. That's how the last one's were.



Jon: It'd be cool if Biden showed up with a bunch of black guys carrying bazookas.



Scoop: Okay...!



Jon: Terrorize Trump for a change.

ACLU Senior Policy Analyst Jay Stanley joins the Plutopia podcast this time. Jay works with the ACLU Speech, Privacy, and Technology Project, where he researches, writes, and speaks about technology-related privacy and civil liberties issues.



The ACLU is very involved in legislative advocacy. We have a team here in Washington of lobbyists who work with Capitol Hill and federal agencies to try to stop bad things and encourage good things. And also a lot of times just educate staffers. As everybody knows Capitol Hill is run by 20-somethings. And members of Congress who have to deal with every issue under the sun, A to Z, often aren't very educated on particular abstruse tech issues like what we were talking about. And so just having people who can pick up the phone, people on Capitol Hill who call and help educate them about the realities of things.





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The ACLU, a multi-issue nonprofit, has a team of lobbyists in Washington working to influence legislation, educate Capitol Hill staff, and address privacy and civil liberties concerns. Jay, as part of the Speech, Privacy, and Technology Project, focuses on issues like digital identity and drones, which have significant implications for privacy and power dynamics. He highlights the risks posed by surveillance technologies and the importance of protecting individual rights against misuse by both government and private entities. The conversation also covers the challenges of combating mass surveillance and ensuring technologies serve the public rather than expanding the power of corporations and government.



Relevant Links

Ross McNutt and his Baltimore aerial surveillance:

https://www.aclu.org/news/privacy-technology/baltimore-police-secretly-running-aerial-mass



Flock:

https://www.aclu.org/wp-content/uploads/publications/flock_1.pdf



Google and Project Maven:

https://www.wired.com/story/3-years-maven-uproar-google-warms-pentagon/



The Dawn of Robot Surveillance:

https://www.aclu.org/publications/dawn-robot-surveillance



Point and shoot chemical detection:

https://www.aclu.org/news/privacy-technology/new-point-and-shoot-chemical-detectors-raise-privacy-and-constitutional-issues



Justice Dept report on Ferguson:

https://www.justice.gov/sites/default/files/opa/press-releases/attachments/2015/03/04/ferguson_police_department_report.pdf



More on airport security and facial recognition:

https://papersplease.org

Madeline Bocaro describes herself as a passionate fan of rock music. In this episode of the Plutopia podcast, she explains her passion for all things rock and roll. We also explore her ultimate biography of Yoko Ono, In Your Mind: The Infinite Universe of Yoko Ono.







I just saw a picture of her in a magazine in 1967. It was a picture of her in front of a frame of one of her films. And I just thought, "This person has kind of a mischievous look. She looks kind of interesting." And her film was about "Bottoms," you know, on the screen walking. And I said, "Well, this is kind of cool." I kept the picture and the following year I realized, "Hey, this is the person that's with John Lennon." So I was so happy because now I'm like, "Wow, I can really find out what she's doing now." And sure enough, you know, they end up getting married and doing all their events together. The bed-in for peace, then, you know, everything they did. They were on the news every day practically. I started collecting everything she ever did, all the interviews, all her music, all her TV interviews - I would record off the TV. And I've been writing about her all my life.







In Your Mind: The Infinite Universe of Yoko Ono

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In this episode of the Plutopia podcast, hosts Jon Lebkowsky, Wendy Grossman, and Scoop Sweeney discuss with guest Mike Nelson, a senior fellow at Carnegie Asia, the evolution and impact of the internet and encryption policies. Mike shares his journey from being Al Gore’s science advisor, contributing to legislation that allowed public internet access, to his current focus on technology policy at Carnegie. He reflects on the internet's explosive growth during his tenure at the White House, highlighting the lack of cybersecurity concerns at the time compared to the multi-trillion dollar stakes and geopolitical consequences present today.







The conversation delves into the ongoing conflict between privacy advocates and law enforcement over access to encrypted communications. Mike criticizes inconsistent encryption policies and warns of the dangers of weakening encryption, which could impact a wide range of legitimate users including journalists. He also discusses the misuse of encryption and cryptocurrencies, noting the latter’s primary use in ransomware.



Further, Mike touches on his career trajectory, including his early advocacy for public internet access and his ongoing efforts to combat "stupid policy" through alternative frameworks. The discussion also covers the influence of digital technology on societal structures, politics, and personal privacy, emphasizing the need for careful policy crafting to avoid unintended consequences.



The dialogue expands to address broader technology issues like AI, digital leadership, and the sustainability of platforms like Signal. The hosts and guest critique current technology and encryption policies, debating the potential benefits and drawbacks of various regulatory approaches. Michael expresses concern over the future of encryption, digital currencies, and the overarching impact of technology on society, including the shift towards centralized digital power.



By the end of the discussion, it’s clear that while technology offers immense opportunities for innovation and problem-solving, it also presents significant challenges that require thoughtful and informed policy responses to ensure it benefits society as a whole.



Relevant Links

* @Mike Nelson on X (Twitter)



* The Modem World: A Prehistory of Social Media by Kevin Driscoll



* The Dream Machine by M. Mitchell Waldrop



* "Asia’s Interest in Wholesale Central Bank Digital Currency—and Challenges to Cross-border Use" by Robert Greene



* Carnegie Endowment compendium on “Digital Leadership”



* Background on “colonial copyright” and how the U.S. copyright first was redesigned to focus on profit rather than culture and creativity. (The original term was 14 years.)

This time on the Plutopia podcast, our evil alien overlords, Jon and Scoop, talk about their favorite science fiction films and TV series.

Filmmaker Friedrich Moser is on a crusade for truth. His new film "How to Build a Truth Engine" features investigators from the fields of technology, journalism, folklore and neuroscience who show that if you can hack the information feed, you can hack somebody's mind.



Friedrich Moser:

Anything that happened in the world would become the cornerstone of a new conspiracy story, like a small story. In some you have this web of conspiracy stories that grow together and then on top of that you see the formation of a real conspiracy. And that's the conspiracy that led to January 6th and the capital riot because a lot of people who were there, and I'm not talking about the Proud Boys - I'm not talking about those, but like normal ordinary people. A lot of people who were there genuinely believed that they were there to save democracy. So their feedback loop system of the model of the world that is in the mind and the real world had been cut off by relying exclusively on this online community for information. And that's a really dangerous thing.