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- Are you normal? What even is normal?
This week Gus and Caitlin discuss what it means to be normal, where the concept comes from, and the impact that it has on the design of technological systems like proctoring systems and emotion recognition.
Links/Further Reading
Normal People by Ian Hacking: https://www.scribd.com/document/259318963/Hacking-1996-Normal-People
English heritage on the history of eugenics in Britain and Francis Galton: https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/blue-plaques/blue-plaque-stories/eugenics/
The Grammar of Society by Christina Bicchieri: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/227389527_The_Grammar_of_Society
Extract from Discipline and Punish by Foucault: https://foucault.info/documents/foucault.disciplineAndPunish.panOpticism/
56 min - Light, Camera, Surveillance: Technology in film
From Spiderman, to Toy Story, to One Night Only, this week we’re talking about some of the summers biggest and weirdest movies, as we think about the use of technology and surveillance in film.
Links
Silicon valley has a science fiction problem: https://aeon.co/essays/silicon-valley-has-a-science-fiction-problem
One night only
- Guardian review: https://www.theguardian.com/film/2026/aug/05/one-night-only-movie-review
- NY Times review: https://www.nytimes.com/2026/08/05/movies/one-night-only-review.html
Movies we watched in order discussed:
Spiderman: Brand New Day and Spiderman: Far from Home
Coyote Vs. Acme
Toy Story 5 (and Toy Story 3)
One Night Only
Super Mario Galaxy (Derogatory)
Minions and Monsters
Project Hail Mary
The Odyssey
Devil Wears Prada 2
"The Box" Brooklyn 99 S5 E14
1 hr 3 min - How is militarisation shaping civic spaces?
This week we’re talking about how the militarisation of tech is shaping civic spaces and what ‘dual use’ technology actually means with Sophie from Corporate Watch.
LinksCorporate watch: What's driving the militarisation of tech - and what can we do about it: https://corporatewatch.org/whats-driving-the-militarisation-of-tech-and-what-we-can-do-about-it/
Case studies and info about military tech companies: https://privacyinternational.org/military-tech-companies
Skydio case study: https://privacyinternational.org/report/5734/dual-use-tech-skydio-example
Axon taser drones for schools: https://www.wired.com/story/axon-taser-drones-ethics-board/
Skydio/The Verge podcast: https://www.theverge.com/podcast/949195/skydio-ceo-adam-bry-autonmous-drones-china-red-lines-military
BAE systems case study: https://privacyinternational.org/report/5766/dual-use-tech-bae-systems-example
Pokemon go:
-> https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2026/jun/12/pokemon-go-data-trained-ai-that-could-assist-military-drones-in-war-zonesNiantic sell games division including Pokemon Go to Scopely:
https://www.forbes.com/sites/richardnieva/2025/05/21/niantic-scopely-pokemon-go/Elbit systems case study: https://privacyinternational.org/report/5735/dual-use-tech-elbit-example
Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) case study including their relationship with EU Horizon funding: https://privacyinternational.org/report/5703/dual-use-tech-israel-aerospace-industries-iai-example
Airbus case study: https://privacyinternational.org/report/5720/dual-use-tech-airbus-example
Leonardo case study: https://privacyinternational.org/report/5733/dual-use-tech-leonardo-example
Proscription of Palestine Action: https://www.libertyhumanrights.org.uk/issue/breaking-down-the-court-of-appeal-judgment-on-palestine-actions-proscription/
Elbit systems factory raid: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/ce950111xk7o
Elbit systems factory close down: https://www.timesofisrael.com/israeli-defense-giant-elbit-said-to-quietly-shut-down-uk-plant-targeted-by-activists/
0 min - Human testing: Militarised technology across Southwest Asia and North Africa
This week we're talking to Marianne from SMEX about their new report looking at the differing dynamics of producing, testing, and deployment of militarized technology across the Southwest Asia and Northern African region (SWANA).
Links
Report - Produced, tested, deployed: the Miltarisation of technology in the SWANA region
Vodafone in Egypt story: https://www.theguardian.com/business/2011/jul/26/vodafone-access-egypt-shutdown
Lebanon and Israel leaflet drop: https://english.alarabiya.net/News/middle-east/2026/03/13/israeli-warplanes-drop-leaflets-over-beirut-causing-panic-
More about QR code leaflet drop: https://smex.org/smex-warns-of-risks-related-to-scanning-qr-codes-on-israeli-leaflets/
More about the data security problem in Lebanon: https://smex.org/lebanons-data-security-problem-explained/
Open Season - PI's old report on Syria: https://privacyinternational.org/report/1016/open-season-building-syrias-surveillance-state
PI's Militarisation of Tech project: https://privacyinternational.org/campaigns/militarisation-of-tech
0 min - Foreign Keys: Travel Surveillance
This week we're discussing borders, biometrics and more, as we take a look at what kind of surveillance you might experience if you're traveling to the World Cup, or to the EU schengen area.
Links
World Cup: https://privacyinternational.org/long-read/5759/moving-goalposts-football-facial-recognition-and-expansion-surveillance
USA
Trump Administration: https://privacyinternational.org/news-analysis/5713/trump-administration-wants-your-dna-and-social-media
Airport Phone searches: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/12/31/travel/airport-border-phone-search.html
Customs and Border Protection phone searches: https://www.cbp.gov/travel/cbp-search-authority/border-search-electronic-devices
Snooperbowl 2000/2001 NFL season: https://www.aclu.org/press-releases/firm-defends-snooper-bowl-technology
Omar Artan, the Somali Referee not allowed in to the US: https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/articles/cnv9drg0qzgo
Some more info on the Iranian team's travel restrictions: https://www.reuters.com/sports/soccer/iran-thank-tijuana-after-world-cup-exit-support-mexico-second-team-2026-06-30/
The EU's database complex - the EES and ETIAS
PI on EU travel surveillance from 2020: https://privacyinternational.org/explainer/4119/travel-surveillance-euStatewatch on the ETIAS: https://statewatch.org/news/2026/april/europe-s-uncertain-plans-for-rolling-out-the-automated-border-system-etias/
Statewatch's full report: https://statewatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/sw-automated-suspicion-full.pdf
Statewatch on expanding EU stravel surveillance: https://statewatch.org/news/2026/january/eu-member-states-want-to-expand-police-surveillance-of-travel/
Court cases against Passenger Name Record directive: https://freiheitsrechte.org/en/themen/freiheit-im-digitalen-zeitalter/nopnr-en
UN Counter TerrorPI's Travellers' Surveillance report from 2024: https://privacyinternational.org/sites/default/files/2024-12/PI Travellers surveillance report dec 2024_0.pdfPI's briefing: https://privacyinternational.org/report/5481/pis-briefing-travellers-surveillance
UK
Border Search of digital devices: https://hansard.parliament.uk/Commons/2023-12-05/debates/D4EA367E-312B-4FA4-A441-0C4E7967C5D6/DigitalDevicesSearchPowersAtTheUKBorderUK's law on seizure of electronic devices from asylum seekers and migrants: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/powers-and-operational-procedure-caseworker-guidance/border-security-asylum-and-immigration-act-2025-seizure-of-electronic-devices-policy-guidance-accessible
Tommy Robinson Court Case: https://www.ibtimes.co.uk/tommy-robinson-cleared-terror-charges-over-refused-phone-access-1752352
Muhammad Rabbani - Director of Cage - Schedule 7 terror charges: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-41394156
Acronyms
- ETIAS: European Travel Information and Authorisation System (new for visa exempt; no biometrics - run by a central unit operated by frontex; this is where manual checks carried out if automated checks flag problems)
- VIS: Visa information System (obvs for visas; age lowered to 6? - will soon check other systems)
- EES: Entry/Exit system (biometrics on entry; records all border crossings)
- CIR: Common Identity Repository (only non-eu citizens; weak anti-discrimination; identity info from visa and ta - data from other databases lives here and is used for purposes beyond travel e.g. police checks in country)
- Eurodac: (all asylum seekers, and trying to add undocumented migrants)
- ECRIS-TCN: European Criminal Records Information System for Third-Country Nationals (data on non-EU citizens convicted in one or more EU member state)
- SIS: schengen information system (an EU database for police, judicial and border control
cooperation, to see whether they are wanted by the police or subject to an entry ban; checked on crossing external schengen border inc eu citizens)- MID: Multiple-Identity Detector
- SLTED: Interpol’s Stolen and Lost Travel Documents database (checked on crossing external schengen border inc eu citizens)
- PNR: Passenger name record
0 min - Europol's Shadow Surveillance feat Bill Goodwin
This week we're joined by Bill Goodwin, investigations editor at Computer Weekly and award-winning journalist, to discuss Europol's secret shadow IT system — and what it tells us about how law enforcement agencies evade oversight.
Links
Computer Weekly investigation: https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366642525/They-protect-the-law-while-breaking-it-Inside-Europols-shadow-IT-system
We Are Solomon: https://wearesolomon.com/en/mag/focus-area/accountability/they-protect-the-law-while-breaking-it-inside-europols-shadow-it-system/
Privacy International's 2019 FOI on Europol: https://privacyinternational.org/report/3225/challenging-drivers-surveillance-eu-access-documents-requests
Spanish police and cryptophone intercepts: https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366643318/Spanish-police-systematically-hid-cryptophone-intercepts-from-courts-claims-ex-chief
Bill's case
Goodwin v United Kingdom: https://globalfreedomofexpression.columbia.edu/cases/goodwin-v-united-kingdom/
The Independent — Reporter's rights violated: https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/reporter-s-rights-violated-1438583.html
Horizon
Parliamentary committee on Horizon redress: https://committees.parliament.uk/committee/365/business-and-trade-committee/news/212661/post-office-horizon-it-scandal-serious-structural-failings-persist-in-redress/
Bill at TCIJ on breaking the Horizon story: https://tcij.org/summer-conference-event/breaking-horizon-post-office-scandal/
0 min - Community Health: Young people in Ghana and Vietnam
This is the third and final edition of our series on young peoples’ digital health and human rights.
Today we’re talking to Alberta Nadutey - a research officer for working on the Digital Health and Rights project about how young people in Ghana interact with digital health, and Minh Anh a young person from the Vietnam community advisory team about her participation in the research in Vietnam, and what she sees as the biggest digital health concerns as a medical student interested in public health policy.
Links
DHRP report: https://digitalhealthandrights.com/resource-library/report-paying-the-costs-of-connection/
Ghana policy brief DHRP: https://digitalhealthandrights.com/resource-library/national-policy-brief-navigating-human-rights-and-risks-online-young-ghanaians-and-the-future-of-digital-health/
Vietnam policy brief DHRP: https://digitalhealthandrights.com/resource-library/paying-the-cost-of-connection-vietnam-policy-brief/
Ghana law: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ghanaian_anti-LGBTQ_bill
0 min - Community Health: Colombia Dating App Dilemma
This week we're talking to Natalia Andrade and Laura Grisales Silva from Fundación Karisma about dating app data, the commodification of intimacy, and talking to Colombian young people about their experiences.
Fundación Karisma are a member of the Digital Health and Rights Project.
Links
More from Fundación Karisma: https://info.karisma.org.co/
2018 Grindr shared HIV status and more: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-43624328
2021 Norwegian DPA fines Grindr: https://www.edpb.europa.eu/news/national-news/2021/norwegian-dpa-imposes-fine-against-grindr-llc_en
Ongoing UK case in which Grindr is being sued: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cj7mxnvz42no
$40 million Bumble and Badoo class action settlement: https://www.jjlmlaw.com/news/bumble-biometric-privacy-40-million-settlement-approved
Criteo loses appeal on their fine: https://cybernews.com/privacy/french-ad-tech-giant-criteo-eur40m-privacy-fine/
Karisma's work on WorldCoin in Colombia: https://blog.karisma.org.co/investigar-lo-invisible-del-iris-a-worldcoin-herramientas-de-investigacion-para-transformar-la-curiosidad-en-accion/
WorldCoin in Colombia: https://cadeproject.org/updates/colombia-orders-worldcoin-shutdown-over-biometric-data-violations/
0 min - Community Health: Kenya Data Debt Spiral
This week we're talking to Joan Musenya about life in Kenya as a young person - from mobile money, to data protection, to government surveillance.
Joan is a member of the Kenyan Community Advisory Team (K-CAT) helping to steer the Digital Health and Rights Project.
Links
- Digital Health and Rights Project report: https://digitalhealthandrights.com/resource-library/report-paying-the-costs-of-connection/
- Find more from Joan: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joan-musenya/
- PI's low cost tech work: https://www.privacyinternational.org/campaigns/privacy-shouldnt-be-luxury
- More about shame based debt collection in Kenya: https://biznakenya.com/digital-lenders-kenya-debt-collection-warning/
- More about what to do if you're experiencing harassment from debt collectors in Kenya: https://dealfish.co.ke/2025/03/mobile-loan-recovery-harassment-in.html
- More about the history of M-Pesa: https://www.forbes.com/sites/christianstadler/2024/06/11/m-pesa-why-the-worlds-first-large-mobile-payment-platform-keeps-on-winning/
- CNN apology to Kenya: https://www.newtimes.co.rw/article/121633/Latest News/cnn-boss-apologizes-to-kenya-over-terrorism-slur
- PI's work on sim card registration: https://privacyinternational.org/learn/sim-card-registration
0 min - War Machines feat Stop Killer Robots and PAX
This week we're joined by Professor Peter Asaro from Stop Killer Robots, and Frank Slijper, Arms trade project lead at PAX to discuss military uses of AI, including Anthropic's stand-off with the US Department of Defense.
Please note this podcast was recorded on the 20th March.
Links
Stop Killer Robots: https://www.stopkillerrobots.org/stop-killer-robots/
Pax: https://paxforpeace.nl/who-we-are/organization/Stop Killer Robots at the UN: https://www.stopkillerrobots.org/news/reports-of-ai-enabled-targeting-in-iran-bring-real-world-impacts-to-the-un/
Stop Killer Robots on Anthropic stand off: https://www.stopkillerrobots.org/news/press-release-stop-killer-robots-responds-to-the-anthropic-pentagon-standoff/
The Case
- The Anthropic case: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cq571w5vllxo
- The Anthropic supply chain designation: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cn5g3z3xe65o
- Access, Tech Justice, and more's amicus: https://techjusticelaw.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Anthropic-amicus-press-release_updated.pdf
War and AI systems
- : https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/3/12/who-bombed-the-iranian-girls-school-killing-more-than-170-what-we-know
- Lavender and Where's Daddy: https://www.972mag.com/lavender-ai-israeli-army-gaza/
- Project Maven: https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/project-maven-ai-us-airstrike-iraq-anthropic-b2929138.html
- More on Project Maven: https://www.businessinsider.com/palantir-project-maven-ai-demonstration-pentagon-2026-3?op=1
- More on Project Maven: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project_Maven
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Find out how technology is reshaping our lives every day and explore the new powers of governments and companies.