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  • Why governments struggle with ID

    This week we're speaking to Professor Edgar Whitley - an expert on the design and implementation of ID systems.

    Links

    • More about Edgar: https://www.lse.ac.uk/people/edgar-whitley

    • More about the London School of Economics and ID: https://www.lse.ac.uk/research/research-impact-case-studies/scrapping-costly-controversial-proposals-identity-cards

    • Gus and Edgar's joint publications:

      - Global challenges for identity policies: https://books.google.co.uk/books/about/Global_Challenges_for_Identity_Policies.html?id=P7hsCwAAQBAJ&redir_esc=y
      - Global Identity Policies and Technology:
      Do we Understand the Question? An open access paper: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/j.1758-5899.2010.00028.x
      - Book chapter on Aadhaar: https://researchonline.lse.ac.uk/id/eprint/90490/

    • Edgar's report on Women and ID: https://silkstart.s3.amazonaws.com/1967006c-a430-414e-9982-75e204478d6e.pdf

    • More information on Aadhaar in India: https://privacyinternational.org/news-analysis/819/aadhaar-scheme-faq

    • The Indian Supreme Court decision: https://privacyinternational.org/long-read/2299/initial-analysis-indian-supreme-court-decision-aadhaar and https://www.scobserver.in/cases/beghar-foundation-ks-puttaswamy-aadhaar-review-case-background/

    • The Windrush scandal: https://jcwi.org.uk/reportsbriefings/windrush-scandal-explained/

    • Interviews with people in Kenya who had been double registered: https://media.privacyinternational.org/my-library/video-playlists/kysrYXu54t5ennt5NtjNxc

    • Yes Minister TV show: https://archive.org/details/yes-minister-1980-1984 including the famous Big Brother episode: https://archive.org/details/yes-minister-1980-1984/Yes+Minister+-+S01E04+-+Big+Brother.mp4

    • The Clarkson toothpick incident: https://pressgazette.co.uk/publishers/nationals/jeremy-clarkson-victim-of-id-fraud-after-publishing-bank-details/

    • The Washington Post raid: https://theintercept.com/2026/01/30/washington-post-hannah-natanson-fbi-biometrics-unlock-phone/

      Previous podcasts:

      • Double Registration - The trouble with Identity in Kenya: https://media.privacyinternational.org/w/midJFm7fJiH8mfQMbY3gY9
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      • Ghosts in the SheLLM: chatbot ethics with James Muldoon

        This week we're discussing what happens when AI is trained on a dead person's data to bring them back as a chatbot — find out more from Gus and Caitlin and their guest James Muldoon, Reader in Management at Essex Business School and Research Associate at the Oxford Internet Institute, about the ethics, the grief, and the companies making it happen.

        Links:

        • https://jamesmuldoon.org/
        • https://www.faber.co.uk/product/9780571399277-love-machines/
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        • Sand in Trump's Gears: Lessons from America

          This week we're talking to Ben Wizner from the American Civil Liberties Union about what the ACLU have been doing in the first year of Trump's second term, what the difference is between this time and last time, and how an earth they can keep up.

          Links

          ACLU report: ⁠https://www.aclu.org/campaigns-initiatives/aclu-vs-trump⁠

          Kyllo case: ⁠https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kyllo_v._United_States⁠Underground

          Empire book: ⁠https://henryfarrell.net/underground-empire-2/

          ⁠Swift work between PI and ACLU: ⁠https://privacyinternational.org/blog/1355/pi-and-aclu-show-swift-auditor-has-extensive-ties-us-government

          Yale lectures on National Security law: ⁠https://epe.yale.edu/videos/above-law-or-beneath-it-how-national-security-law-subverts-accountability-and-weakens-0

          Asylum for White South Africans: h⁠ttps://www.nytimes.com/2025/10/30/us/politics/trump-refugee-admissions-white-south-africans.html

          FISA reauth: ⁠https://theintercept.com/2026/01/29/nsa-702-fisa-surveillance/

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        • Moving Stories: Border Violence and Surveillance

          Join us as we discuss Border Externalisation - what is it, and why does it drive violence at the border? We're joined by two fantastic guests - Dan from the Border Violence Monitoring Network to discuss the EU's Border Externalisation, and Kathy from Al Otro Lado to discuss the America's.

          Border Violence Monitoring Network’s work

          BVMN's website ⁠https://borderviolence.eu/⁠Surveillance Tech Serbia Report: ⁠https://borderviolence.eu/reports/surveillance-technologies-at-european-borders-serbia⁠

          Cyprus Borderscape: ⁠https://cyprusborderscape.com/⁠

          BalkanDac: ⁠https://borderviolence.eu/reports/decoding-balkandac-navigating-the-eu-s-biometric-blueprint⁠

          Samos CCAC : ⁠https://borderviolence.eu/reports/controlled-and-confined-unveiling-the-impact-of-technology-in-the-samos-closed-controlled-access-centre⁠

          Use of mercenaries for pushbacks in Cyprus. ⁠https://borderviolence.eu/reports/submission-to-the-ohchr-for-the-upcoming-visit-of-the-working-group-on-the-use-of-mercenaries-to-cyprus⁠

          Al Otro Lado:

          Al Otro Lado’s Programs: ⁠https://www.alotrolado.org/our-programs

          ⁠Merch: ⁠https://www.bonfire.com/al-otro-lado/?srsltid=AfmBOoqZMoeVG0Ggysn-YhlXQ7YPehx_4tnFPY5O2K236THD3U7p7_SG⁠

          PI work

          Drivers of Surveillance: ⁠http://privacyinternational.org/challenging-drivers-surveillance⁠

          When Spiders Share Webs: EU-Funded INTERPOL policing programme in West Africa: ⁠https://privacyinternational.org/long-read/5346/when-spiders-share-webs-unveiling-privacy-threats-eu-funded-interpol-policing⁠

          Migration and borders: ⁠https://privacyinternational.org/learn/migration-and-borders

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        • End of Life: Time to X goodbye to Windows 10

          This week we're discussing the end of support (kind of) for Windows 10 - find out more from Chris and Tom about what you should worry about and what you can do now Windows 10 is officially (mostly) End of Life.

          Links

          • Read more about your options: https://privacyinternational.org/news-analysis/5686/end-line-windows-10
          • Learn more about PI's position on the Cyber Resilience Act: https://privacyinternational.org/advocacy/5060/our-position-eu-cyber-resilience-act-cra
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          • Militarisation of Tech: Redefining the Battlefield

            This week we talk to Ilia and Serhat about the creeping militarisation of technology, and with it our societies.

            Links

            All of our militarisation work: ⁠https://privacyinternational.org/campaigns/militarisation-of-tech⁠

            Below are all the articles we talk about in this episode:

            What is Militarisation of Tech?: ⁠https://privacyinternational.org/long-read/5668/what-militarisation-tech⁠

            Key Concerns Regarding Governance in the Era of Militarisation of Tech: ⁠https://privacyinternational.org/long-read/5671/key-concerns-regarding-governance-era-militarisation-tech⁠

            “Killer Robots”: Read PI statement during informal consultations on autonomous weapons systems in New York: ⁠https://privacyinternational.org/advocacy/5589/pi-statement-during-informal-consultations-autonomous-weapons-systems-new-york⁠

            How Data Drives the Militarisation of Tech: ⁠https://privacyinternational.org/long-read/5667/how-data-drives-militarisation-tech⁠

            On the Applicable Legal Frameworks and Regulatory Gaps: International Humanitarian Law and International Human Rights Law: ⁠https://privacyinternational.org/long-read/5670/applicable-legal-frameworks-and-regulatory-gaps-international-humanitarian-law-and⁠

            We have a mailing list specifically for our militarisation work that you can find here: ⁠https://action.privacyinternational.org/user/register⁠

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          • What's News? Back to Work!

            This week we're back to discussing stories that have been in the news over the past few months - in particular the stories that have stayed with us and kept us thinking about them.

            Links

            • Expansion of ICE biometrics: https://www.biometricupdate.com/202506/trumps-megabill-expands-biometric-surveillance
            • Dean Cain joins ICE: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c5yp8l3z0g5o
            • ICE access to medicaid data: https://www.wired.com/story/ice-access-medicaid-data
            • Industry Day at the US Customs and Border Protection: ⁠https://theintercept.com/2025/07/23/cbp-border-patrol-ai-surveillance/
            • UK Subcutaneous trackers: https://www.theguardian.com/society/2025/jul/01/tech-firms-suggested-placing-trackers-under-offenders-skin-at-meeting-with-justice-secretary
            • Azure use by Israeli Government⁠: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/aug/06/microsoft-israeli-military-palestinian-phone-calls-cloud
            • Inquiry by Microsoft⁠: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/aug/15/microsoft-launches-inquiry-claims-israel-used-tech-mass-surveillance-palestinians
            • Investor concerns about Microsoft use by Israeli government⁠: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-07-11/microsoft-investors-prod-company-over-work-with-israeli-military
            • Israeli government use of Google services⁠: https://theintercept.com/2025/05/12/google-nimbus-israel-military-ai-human-rights/
            • ⁠Data sovereignty and Data Localisation in Africa and Asia⁠: https://restofworld.org/2025/big-tech-data-sovereignty/
            • Meta violates California's wiretap law⁠: https://www.theregister.com/2025/08/05/meta_flo_data/
            • PI's original app data investigation⁠: https://privacyinternational.org/appdata
            • PI's most recent look at period apps⁠: https://privacyinternational.org/learning-resources/no-bodys-business-mine-vol-2
            • Amazon Alexa ads?⁠: https://techcrunch.com/2025/07/31/amazon-ceo-wants-to-put-ads-in-your-alexa-conversations/
            • Grok advertisers⁠: https://www.ft.com/content/3bc3a76a-8639-4dbe-8754-3053270e4605
            • ⁠Pew researchers study Google AI summaries⁠: https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2025/07/22/google-users-are-less-likely-to-click-on-links-when-an-ai-summary-appears-in-the-results/
            • 404 media's experience with Google AI⁠: https://www.404media.co/googles-ai-is-destroying-search-the-internet-and-your-brain/
            • Cloudflare experimenting with pay per crawl feature for AI companies⁠: https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2025/07/pay-up-or-stop-scraping-cloudflare-program-charges-bots-for-each-crawl/
            • You can donate to PI!: pvcy.org/donatepill
            • Pilot programme - drones in Florida schools⁠: https://www.cbsnews.com/miami/news/demonstrated-at-south-florida-school-texas-company-touts-drone-response-system-for-school-shootings/
            • Axon's ethics board resignations over taser drones⁠: https://www.wired.com/story/axon-taser-drones-ethics-board/
            • UK facial recognition database searches⁠: https://privacyinternational.org/news-analysis/5635/revealed-skyrocketing-scale-uk-polices-secret-facial-recognition-searches
            • 100 page ICO complaint: privacyinternational.org/legal-action/ico-complaint-against-uks-automated-recommendation-tools-immigration-operations
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            • Rewilding the Internet with Maria Farrell

              This week Gus and Caitlin are rewilding the Internet with Maria Farrell. What do you want using the internet or your devices to feel like? What can ecology teach us about unwinding corporate capture of the digital commons? How do we take back our home online?

              Links

              • Maria's original rewilding article, with Robin Berjon, in Noema: https://www.noemamag.com/we-need-to-rewild-the-internet/
              • Maria's article 'This is your phone on feminism': https://conversationalist.org/2019/09/13/feminism-explains-our-toxic-relationships-with-our-smartphones/
              • A talk Maria gave about rewilding: https://www.noemamag.com/we-need-to-rewild-the-internet/
              • Maria's website where you can keep an eye to find out when her book is coming out! http://mariafarrell.com/
              • More about PI's work on competition: https://privacyinternational.org/learn/competition-and-data
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              • Cycles of Control: Reproductive rights and digital risks

                This week we're talking to Martha Dimitratou from ReproUncensored, and PI's own Sarah Simms about the international landscape for reproductive rights, and including barriers to access to reproductive healthcare, including abortion; and how big tech are collaborating with or supporting tactics to make access to healthcare harder.

                Links

                • Learn more about Repro uncensored: https://www.reprouncensored.org/ (incident form)
                • Repro Uncensored incident report form: https://www.reprouncensored.org/report-incident
                • Adriana Smith's case: https://www.jezebel.com/georgia-takes-brain-dead-woman-off-life-support-after-using-her-corpse-as-incubator
                • More about Adriana's case: https://www.npr.org/2025/05/21/nx-s1-5405542/a-brain-dead-womans-pregnancy-raises-questions-about-georgias-abortion-law
                • Privacy International's Menstruation apps research: https://privacyinternational.org/learning-resources/no-bodys-business-mine-vol-2
                • Research on Bing's Typo-searching: https://www.reprouncensored.org/research/bing
                • MSI on the Global impact of Roe V. Wade being overturned: https://www.msichoices.org/latest/the-global-effects-of-roe-v-wade-being-overturned/
                • Report by Fòs Feminista on the Global Impact of the Dobbs Decision: https://fosfeminista.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/The-Global-Impact-of-the-Dobbs_Preliminary-Findings-Fact-Sheet-1.pdf
                • Meta getting rid of factchecking function: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cly74mpy8klo
                • Amazon USA report called Obstacles to Autonomy, which includes info on advertising account restrictions: https://www.amnestyusa.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Obstacles-to-Autonomy-Post-Roe-Removal-of-Abortion-Information-Online.pdf
                • An Independent report on state funding for 'fake' clinics: https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/crisis-pregnancy-center-public-funding-abortion-b2629678.html
                • Women on Web report about the Digitalization of Anti-Abortion groups: https://www.womenonweb.org/en/page/20603/breaking-down-the-myths-around-abortions-misinformation-the
                • ShaketheDust map of fake clinics: https://docs.google.com/document/d/10I3LLyLn73gVKKM-fsWUY9snDhp3SQG38gmtNwJ6bEA/edit?tab=t.0
                • Digital defence fund digital security and abortion: https://digitaldefensefund.org/ddf-guides/abortion-privacy
                • Facebook messages in Nebraska case: https://time.com/6298166/nebraska-abortion-pill-case-legal-experts/
                • Nicola Packer case in the UK: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c93y5gq09x7o
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                • Learning about learners: Protecting Children's Data

                  This week we speak to Jen Persson, Director of Defend Digital Me, about the technologies being deployed in schools in England and Wales.

                  Links:

                  • Read more from Defend Digital Me: https://defenddigitalme.org/research/
                  • PI's work on Securitising Education: https://privacyinternational.org/campaigns/securitising-education
                  • 25 Years old - The Database State report: https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/database_state/
                  • 5 safes principles: https://ukdataservice.ac.uk/help/secure-lab/what-is-the-five-safes-framework/
                  • Genomics in Education: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/genomics-in-education
                  • Tips and Tricks for submitting a Data Subject Access Request: https://privacyinternational.org/explainer/3845/71-tips-how-make-most-out-your-dsar
                    • Request your information from the Department for Education: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/requesting-your-personal-information-from-dfe/requesting-your-personal-information-from-the-department-for-education
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