In this two part series, Journalist and author Byron Tau joins host Ron Steslow to discuss his new book Means of Control: How the Hidden Alliance Of Tech And Government Is creating a New American Surveillance State 

Part 2:

(02:17) The extensive government data collection Edward Snowden revealed 

(09:40) How data vendors bypass privacy reviews within government agencies 

(11:50) The role of encryption in safeguarding privacy and the historical context of encryption legalization 

(18:40) Government efforts to weaken encryption and what that means for your privacy 

(22:45) How foreign governments could misuse data

(24:24) The public awareness of this form of surveillance 

(26:38) What could legislative reform look like? 

(29:37) The influence of advertising and data brokers in shaping privacy 

Read Means of Control: How the Hidden Alliance Of Tech And Government Is creating a New American Surveillance State — https://bit.ly/44199hw

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https://twitter.com/ByronTau

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This week, Ron Steslow and Mike Madrid (author of The Latino Century) discuss the unraveling of our political institutions, the devolution of political parties, what’s happening with them, where they’re heading and what it means.

They dive into the Epstein Files and the MAGA backlash, Mamdani’s primary win in New York City, the turmoil at the DNC, and Elon Musk’s new party, and what all this says about what America’s two-party system is becoming.

Then, in Politicology+ they discuss some predictions made in the 1997 book, “The Sovereign Individual,”many of which have already come to pass, as well as the future role of government in the information age.

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Send your questions and ideas to [email protected] or leave a voicemail at ‪(703) 239-3068‬

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https://twitter.com/RonSteslow

https://x.com/madrid_mike

Related Reading: 

The Great Transformation: Why the Epstein Case Is Not Going Away

The Great Transformation: Musk's America Party Signals the Collapse of Philosophical Politics

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In this two part series, Journalist and author Byron Tau joins host Ron Steslow to discuss his new book Means of Control: How the Hidden Alliance Of Tech And Government Is creating a New American Surveillance State 

Part 1:

(02:36) Byron’s background and why he decided to write this book 

(05:15) The Evolution of data brokering 

(09:00) Understanding metadata and data collection and how they can identify you 

(12:12) The implications for personal privacy 

(22:15) The state of privacy rights in the United States 

(26:16) The public-private surveillance relationship 

(28:43) The shift in Government attitudes toward this type of data 

(31:20) How social media changed the data collection game

Read Means of Control: How the Hidden Alliance Of Tech And Government Is creating a New American Surveillance State — https://bit.ly/44199hw

Follow Ron and Byron  on X (formerly Twitter):

https://twitter.com/RonSteslow

https://twitter.com/ByronTau

Email your questions to [email protected] or leave us a voicemail at ‪(202) 455-4558‬ 

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Contribute to Politicology at politicology.com/donate

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This week, Ron Steslow and Isaac Stone Fish (CEO and founder of Strategy Risks) discuss what it means to win the AI race with China, what the CCP’s ambitions are, and whether we could be sleepwalking into a future shaped by authoritarian values. 

Then, in Politicology+ they discuss how China is rushing to fill the soft power vacuum left by the U.S. retreat by pushing for changes that could threaten the free and open internet. 

Not yet a Politicology+ member? Don’t miss all the extra episodes on the private, ad-free version of this podcast. Upgrade now at politicology.com/plus.

Find our sponsor links and promo codes here: https://bit.ly/44uAGZ8

Send your questions and ideas to [email protected] or leave a voicemail at ‪(703) 239-3068‬

Follow this week’s panel on X (formerly Twitter):

https://twitter.com/RonSteslow

https://x.com/isaacstonefish

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In this conversation, Susan Del Percio discusses Zohran Mamdani’s win in the Democratic Primary for New York City Mayor, what it means for New York, and what it will mean for Democrats in and outside the state. 

Listen to our episode with Mike Madrid about the Fighting Oligarchy Tour: https://bit.ly/45Rr2lL

Find our sponsor links and promo codes here: https://bit.ly/44uAGZ8

Follow Ron and Susan on X (formerly Twitter):

https://twitter.com/RonSteslow

https://x.com/DelPercioS

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This week, Ron Steslow and Jennifer Schulp (Director of Financial Regulation Studies at the Cato Institute’s Center for Monetary and Financial Alternatives) discuss the Senate passing the GENIUS Act to regulate stablecoins.

They dive into the implications of the Bank Secrecy Act and the critical importance of privacy-enhancing tools in the digital age.

They explore how new legislation impacts personal privacy, the role of stablecoins in the financial ecosystem, and the potential consequences of government surveillance.

Then, in Politicology+ they discuss political corruption in cryptocurrency and Congressional stock trading. They dive into the lack of political will to combat it, despite public outcry, and the challenges of enforcing ethical standards.

Not yet a Politicology+ member? Don’t miss all the extra episodes on the private, ad-free version of this podcast. Upgrade now at politicology.com/plus.

Send your questions and ideas to [email protected] or leave a voicemail at ‪(703) 239-3068‬

Follow this week’s panel on X (formerly Twitter):

https://twitter.com/RonSteslow

https://x.com/jenniferjschulp

Related Reading: 

CNBC - Senate passes GENIUS stablecoin bill, giving crypto industry first major legislative win

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Ron Steslow, Mike Madrid, and Marc Polymeropoulo discuss the shift in immigration enforcement, the protests in LA, and the values America stands for. 

Related Reading: 

CBS News - Afghan ally detained by ICE after attending immigration court hearing - CBS News

WSJ - The White House Marching Orders That Sparked the L.A. Migrant Crackdown - WSJ

The Dispatch -This Won’t End Well

SacBee - A message to Trump protesters in California: Put down the Mexican flags | Opinion

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This week, Ron Steslow, Mike Madrid (author of The Latino Century), and Marc Polymeropoulos (Former CIA Official) discuss the recent military operations by Israel against Iran and the implications for U.S. foreign policy. 

They dive into Trump becoming wartime president and the internal divisions within MAGA. 

Then, in Politicology+ they discuss the shift in immigration enforcement, the protests in LA, and the values America stands for. 

Not yet a Politicology+ member? Don’t miss all the extra episodes on the private, ad-free version of this podcast. Upgrade now at politicology.com/plus.

Send your questions and ideas to [email protected] or leave a voicemail at ‪(703) 239-3068‬

Follow this week’s panel on X (formerly Twitter):

https://twitter.com/RonSteslow

https://x.com/Mpolymer

https://x.com/madrid_mike

Related Reading: 

Axios - U.S. companies brace for Israel-Iran cyber spillover

NBC News - Trump’s ‘America First’ supporters feel duped by his hawkishness on Iran

Axios - Ted Cruz and Tucker Carlson's blowup exposes MAGA's divide on war with Iran

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This week, Ron Steslow and  Izabella Kaminska (Founder and Editor at The Blind Spot and Senior Finance Editor at Politico Europe) discuss Trump’s Big Beautiful Bill and why the controversy over debt and deficits has come to the forefront. 

Then, in Politicology+ they discuss what we can learn from historical models of what happens when great powers are tested, and where we might be heading.

Not yet a Politicology+ member? Don’t miss all the extra episodes on the private, ad-free version of this podcast. Upgrade now at politicology.com/plus.

Send your questions and ideas to [email protected] or leave a voicemail at ‪(703) 239-3068‬

Check out The Blind Spot: https://the-blindspot.com/

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https://twitter.com/izakaminska

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Mike Madrid and host Ron Steslow discuss the Coinbase data leak, why data leaks in the A.I. era are so dangerous and will hurt more than we can possibly imagine, and the desperate need for greater privacy protections.

Related media:

Mashable - Coinbase confirms data breach with hackers demanding $20 million ransom | Mashable

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