Banish Big Brother

Zach Varnell, Elizabeth Melton
  • 5.0 (2)
  • Technology
  • Updated Weekly

Join hosts Elizabeth and Zach as they embark on a thought-provoking journey through the labyrinth of privacy, technology, surveillance, and the digital age's unseen battles. Banish Big Brother isn't just another podcast; it's a mission to unravel the complex web of information that surrounds us, challenge the omnipresent eyes of surveillance, advocate for the sanctity of personal privacy in a world that's growing increasingly transparent, and have fun doing it. Each episode, Elizabeth and Zach dive deep into current events, technological advancements, and the shadowy realms of surveillance and privacy. They bring to light the critical issues that affect us all, from the rise of SMART cities to the subtle encroachments on our personal freedoms. Through engaging discussions, expert interviews, and listener stories, they explore the balance between the benefits of technology and the critical need to protect our digital and real-world selves from prying eyes. But it's not all serious business. Elizabeth and Zach also bring a unique blend of humor, wit, and light-heartedness to the conversation, reminding us that even in the midst of challenging topics, there's always room for laughter, fun, and a shared sense of community. Banish Big Brother promises not just to inform and provoke thought but also to entertain, proving that discussions around privacy and surveillance don't always have to be grim. Whether they're sharing quirky anecdotes, engaging in spirited banter, or exploring the lighter side of technology, Elizabeth and Zach create a podcast experience that’s both enlightening and enjoyable. Whether you're a tech enthusiast, privacy advocate, or just curious about the world of surveillance and digital rights, Banish Big Brother is your guide and companion. So tune in, join the conversation, and be part of a growing movement that believes in the power of awareness, the importance of dialogue, and the enduring value of privacy. Join us for a mix of meaningful dialogue, expert insights, and those unexpected moments of joy that remind us why fighting for our rights is worth it.

Episodes

  1. 1d ago

    Autonomous Police Cars & Your Amazon Driver Now Spying on You

    A nonprofit is pitching driverless patrol cars to a North Carolina police department, Amazon wants 20,000 delivery drivers wearing AI smart glasses that photograph your property (and sometimes your front door) every few seconds, and a company no one’s heard of just found a way to bolt facial recognition onto Flock’s camera network without Flock’s permission. Zach and Elizabeth dig into how each of these “won’t replace humans” pitches quietly erases jobs, consent, and the last bit of privacy around your own home — plus a detour into kid-tracking apps, why nobody lets their kids walk to the store anymore, OpenAI finding a bugging device in its own office, the (probably fake) story of an AI “hacking its way” out of a sandbox, Getty Images going bankrupt because of AI stock photos, and the show closes out with an AI-generated song.

  2. Oct 13

    Annoying Legislators for Freedom with Alex Marthews (Restore the Fourth)

    Alex Marthews, National Chair of Restore the Fourth, joins Zach and Elizabeth for a deep dive into the legal architecture behind mass surveillance, from FISA's origins after the Church Committee and COINTELPRO revelations to today's AI-accelerated version of the same programs. Alex walks through how Section 702 surveillance works, the history of warrantless wiretapping programs dating back to the Bush administration, and a 2024 legal fight that gave the NSA secret, warrantless access to data centers and business networks nationwide. He also covers how FBI domestic extremism designations have shifted across administrations, the use of confidential informants in manufactured terror plots, and why he calls Flock Safety "the Wile E. Coyote of the ALPR world." The conversation closes with practical tools: how Restore the Fourth helps local communities pass surveillance oversight ordinances that force public hearings and annual re-approval before new technology gets deployed. Guest: Alex Marthews, National Chair, Restore the Fourth Website: https://restorethe4th.com/

  3. Oct 6

    Flock Offers Buyouts as the Backlash Keeps Growing

    Zach and Elizabeth dig into a Wired report on Flock's new voluntary separation program, offered to its roughly 1,500 employees amid mounting backlash, along with reporting that the company may need to sell off parts of its business to stay afloat. They cover an EFF audit log review that caught officers searching ALPR networks with reasons like "IDK" and keyboard mashing, and a wider rundown of how little those "safeguards" actually fix. From there, they look at a new front in AI-powered code enforcement: a company called City Detect is putting cameras on garbage trucks to assign homes a "blight score," with early data showing violations concentrated almost entirely in lower-income zip codes. They close out with Meta's Ray-Ban camera glasses and the plan to use them to train household robots, musings on AI-generated content flooding YouTube, and an update on a DC police union pushing back after internal affairs used Flock to secretly monitor officers under investigation.

  4. Sep 26

    Flock’s Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Summer w/ Jon Padfield

    Jon Padfield, host of the Business Reform YouTube channel, joins Zach and Elizabeth for a deep dive into what license plate reader networks actually capture and where the technology is headed next. They start with signal traces (the electronic fingerprints your devices give off as you drive) and how COVID-era lockdowns normalized the kind of movement tracking now baked into everyday policing. They also cover Flock's pitch to live-stream dashcam footage from Uber and Lyft vehicles, the question of who's actually accountable when this technology gets it wrong, and updates from recent privacy and civil liberties events including the Electronic Frontier Forum. Jon covers Flock and broader privacy topics regularly on his popular YouTube channel. Guest: Jon Padfield, Business Reform YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@businessreform

  5. Sep 3

    The Surveillance State Doesn’t Need Your Permission Anymore

    In this episode of Banish Big Brother, Zach and Elizabeth cover the escalating tactics of the surveillance state and the creative ways people are fighting back. They start with the shocking news out of Oakland, where police are obtaining warrants to physically tow bystanders' Teslas just to extract their Sentry Mode video footage. That opens up a wider conversation about automotive kill switches, the 2027 federal mandate for spy tech in new vehicles, Thomas Massie's fight against it, and whether "cash for clunkers" was ever really about emissions. From there, they cover the wave of Flock camera news: Ron DeSantis ordering license plate readers off Florida's state highways, a group of Miami-area mayors publicly pushing back to keep theirs, and the disturbing case of a Brevard County deputy who used Flock to stalk his ex-girlfriend before resigning. They also break down reporting that Axon is redesigning its ALPR cameras to not look like Flock's, so the public stops vandalizing them. Zach and Elizabeth also reveal that police are actively asking Axon to redesign their ALPR cameras to avoid the rampant vandalism currently targeting Flock. Later, they break down the rollout of "Next Generation 911". They speculate on how the shift to IP-based dispatch could eventually lead to AI replacing human 911 operators and authorities geofencing crime scenes to harvest civilian text and video data. Finally, they end on a high note with an update on a wild "digital camouflage" shirt designed with strange patterns to make the wearer invisible to AI video surveillance.

  6. Aug 27

    The Surveillance State Is Bigger Than Flock

    Flock cameras may be getting all the attention, but what else is happening behind the scenes? In this episode of Banish Big Brother, Zach and Elizabeth look at the growing surveillance infrastructure being built into everyday life. We discuss a Wisconsin police department installing Flock cameras without notifying city leaders, a Tennessee sheriff refusing license plate readers because the cost to freedom is too high, and the Institute for Justice's new database documenting abuses of automated license plate readers. Then we zoom out. Atlanta gas stations are required to maintain surveillance cameras, while Rialto, California has required surveillance systems as a condition for a certificate of occupancy. We talk about the growing trend of governments finding ways to make private surveillance part of the public surveillance apparatus. From there, we ask where this is all heading: facial recognition, voice recognition, brain-wave monitoring, emotion detection, predictive policing, temperature sensors, smart streetlights, and the possibility of connecting all of these systems into a massive surveillance network. We also discuss 15-minute cities, centralized control over movement, the dangers of predictive surveillance, and why seemingly harmless technologies can become something very different when they're combined into a larger system.

  7. Aug 20

    Flock in Crisis PR Mode: Copaganda & Fake Transparency w/ Ethan Watters

    In this episode of Banish Big Brother, Zach and Elizabeth are joined by "educator and agitator" Ethan Watters from Flockout SAV. They discuss the Savannah mayor's refusal to hold open public comment periods and the shocking revelation that 28% of the Savannah Police Department's budget is heavily allocated to surveillance. They break down Flock Safety's latest PR maneuvers, including their misleading "7-day default retention" and the rise of "copaganda" pushed by crisis management PR firms. They also explore the integration of Fusus real-time crime centers, the concerning push to replace beat cops with AI, and Wired's recent report on Flock's new chatbot search prompts. Stick around for updates on the National DeFlock Week of Action and some good news. Ethan Watters & FlockOutSAV Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/flockoutsav/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/flockoutsav Email: flockedout_sav@proton.me Upcoming Events "Popsicles for Privacy": Saturday at 9:30 AM at the Forsyth Park fountains. "SCAD Get the Flock Out": Saturday at 5:00 PM in the Northwest section of Daffin Park.

  8. Aug 13

    Flock’s Propaganda Is Backfiring

    Zach and Elizabeth dive into the escalating pushback against Flock cameras and the government's attempts to control the narrative. They break down a Colorado intelligence memo attempting to link the anti-surveillance movement to extremists, and analyze Flock’s sneaky new Terms and Conditions that allow the company to sell your data and retain it perpetually. They also discuss the alarming trend of police officers misusing the surveillance system to stalk citizens, the reality of how these cameras are quietly installed using structured contracts to avoid public approval, and the upcoming National Week of Action Against ALPRs. Finally, they cover a creative new method researchers are using to fool AI cameras: "dazzle" camouflage.

  9. Aug 4

    FBI Data Says Flock Cameras Don’t Actually Solve Crime

    Zach and Elizabeth walk through a tour of a real-time crime center and what it actually revealed, then dig into the data behind the "these cameras keep us safe" pitch. New FBI numbers show Flock's home turf of Atlanta has one of the largest camera networks in the country and some of the worst clearance rates for violent crime, including a homicide closure rate that's dropped since 2021. They cover Flock's $220 million deal with Axon (formerly Taser) and its ties to ICE, look at audit log transparency (or the lack of it), and draw an unexpected parallel to Margaret Thatcher's fight with British coal miners. Then it gets personal: a family held at gunpoint after a license plate reader misread their tag as stolen, eye-tracking cameras now common in commercial truck cabs, and a local news crew's man-on-the-street reactions to Flock cameras around Atlanta's Beltline.

  10. Jul 23

    The For-Profit Surveillance Machine: School Zone Cameras & Data Centers w/ James Dutton

    James Dutton, the attorney who took Georgia's automated school zone speed cameras all the way to the state Supreme Court (twice), joins Zach and Elizabeth for a deep dive into how for-profit surveillance actually works on the ground. James breaks down how out-of-state corporations like Vera Mobility structure these ticket programs, why the burden of proof gets flipped onto drivers, how school bus routes mysteriously changed after camera installation, and what's really happening with the data these systems collect on your voter status, tax history, and more. From there the conversation shifts to data centers, where James is currently serving as a Spalding County Commissioner, walking through the actual zoning fights, water usage negotiations, and tax revenue arguments happening behind the scenes as Georgia becomes a data center hotspot. They close out with a wider conversation about AI, China, and whether the endpoint of all this is somewhere we actually want to go. James is also a board member of Banish Big Brother and will be speaking at DragonCon this year (September 3rd-7th) on data centers, automated photo enforcement, and camera-based data collection.

    The For-Profit Surveillance Machine: School Zone Cameras & Data Centers w/ James Dutton
  • 10 Episodes

5
out of 5
2 Ratings

About

Join hosts Elizabeth and Zach as they embark on a thought-provoking journey through the labyrinth of privacy, technology, surveillance, and the digital age's unseen battles. Banish Big Brother isn't just another podcast; it's a mission to unravel the complex web of information that surrounds us, challenge the omnipresent eyes of surveillance, advocate for the sanctity of personal privacy in a world that's growing increasingly transparent, and have fun doing it. Each episode, Elizabeth and Zach dive deep into current events, technological advancements, and the shadowy realms of surveillance and privacy. They bring to light the critical issues that affect us all, from the rise of SMART cities to the subtle encroachments on our personal freedoms. Through engaging discussions, expert interviews, and listener stories, they explore the balance between the benefits of technology and the critical need to protect our digital and real-world selves from prying eyes. But it's not all serious business. Elizabeth and Zach also bring a unique blend of humor, wit, and light-heartedness to the conversation, reminding us that even in the midst of challenging topics, there's always room for laughter, fun, and a shared sense of community. Banish Big Brother promises not just to inform and provoke thought but also to entertain, proving that discussions around privacy and surveillance don't always have to be grim. Whether they're sharing quirky anecdotes, engaging in spirited banter, or exploring the lighter side of technology, Elizabeth and Zach create a podcast experience that’s both enlightening and enjoyable. Whether you're a tech enthusiast, privacy advocate, or just curious about the world of surveillance and digital rights, Banish Big Brother is your guide and companion. So tune in, join the conversation, and be part of a growing movement that believes in the power of awareness, the importance of dialogue, and the enduring value of privacy. Join us for a mix of meaningful dialogue, expert insights, and those unexpected moments of joy that remind us why fighting for our rights is worth it.

Information

  • Creator
    Zach Varnell, Elizabeth Melton
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    10
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2024 Banish Big Brother
  • Show Website
    Banish Big Brother