Earlier this year, the Electronic Frontier Foundation named Matt Mitchell, founder of CryptoHarlem, one of its 2021 Pioneer Award winners for his groundbreaking work to protect Black communities from surveillance. In this episode, Matt talks about what led him to apply his hacking skills to social justice causes and how that led to his role today as a Technology Fellow for the BUILD program at the Ford Foundation. Matt also discusses what Twitch can do to safeguard creators and the steps anyone can take to better protect themselves online. 

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Why you should listen:

* Hear from a hacker working on the frontlines of today’s most important racial justice issues.

* Better understand the state of digital surveillance in Black communities.

* Hear about what steps platforms such as Twitch can take to better protect creators.

* Learn the three things everyone online should do to better protect themselves on the internet.

* Discover where “Mr. Robot” placed an elusive CryptoHarlem Easter egg.

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Key Quotes:

* “It's really about taking the skill that we have and applying it toward something bigger than yourself.”

* “Under the lens of a surveyor, who’s always looking for wrongs, you’ll find what you’re looking for all the time.”

* “We sometimes confuse public safety with surveillance.”

* “I'm pretty realistic. If you look at the number of cyberattacks that came from sticky notes on personal computers, it’s zero. But don’t put a sticky note on the nuclear codes.” 

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Related Links:

* Synack.com

* https://www.cryptoharlem.com/

* https://www.fordfoundation.org/

* https://calyxinstitute.org/