Securing Sexuality

The amount of peer-to-peer surveillance these days has gotten downright creepy. Behavior we'd never tolerate from our neighbors (staring in our windows, jotting down our dog-walking schedule) have become ubiquitous through the use of things like Ring cameras and other "internet of things" home products. Wolf and Stefani talked about app-based surveillance in episode 77- The New Peeping Toms, and this week they're joined by Albert Fox Cahn of the Surveillance Technology Oversight Project, whose here to tell us how to protect yourself from constant, low-key monitoring... or if you even can.

RSA is one of the biggest Information Security conferences in the country, drawing 50,000 people to San Francisco from around the world to learn from some of the leading voices in technology... and for some reason? They gave Stefani a microphone. This week's episode, recorded live at RSA, features her thoughts on how the internet is rewiring our erotic identities, the role that hackers and technologists can play in protecting intimate relationships, and why the Elf on the Shelf is an existential threat to society. You should check it out!

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Friend of the show and all-around badass, Kurt Fowler is back with us to discuss his new book The Rise of Digital S3x Work out now from NYU Press. The internet has revolutionized s3x work perhaps more than any other profession and Kurt is here to tell Wolf & Stefani all about how innovative workers are using the internet to attract clients, shape personas, share information, screen potential clients, and build community. 

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Stef & Wolf were invited to be Guests of Honor at PenguiCon 2024 and they are here to report on 48 hours of pure awesomeness. Lots of talks (they gave four separate presentations) and LOTS of great questions later... they're here to tell you all about it. Have you ever wondered what you get when you combine Open Source, Sci Fi, and S3x Toys? You'll find out this week on Securing Sexuality!

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Hey there, Mr(s) Incognito Mode! You're doing all the right things when you browse online. No one knows what you're searching for and you know better than to actually make an account on the sexywebz, right? Yeah... we've got some bad news for you. This week Stef and Wolf are joined by Alessandro Polidoro, technology attorney and digital rights activist who's here to tell us all the sneaky ways that websites (yes, those websites) are tracking your searches and how this information can be weaponized against you. Alessandro is working to make sure your private pleasures remain just that. Because after all, you didn't sign up to be a data p0rn star.

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Stefani is out sick, but don’t worry- it’s not Covid!

Speaking of the pandemic? Since 2020, the rise of Zoom dates has become a fascinating phenomenon. These virtual meet-cutes not only offer a practical solution for distance or health concerns but also introduce a whole new dynamic to the dating scene. Weaving in tips on avoiding romance scams with tips for fun-yet-secure Zoom dates, Wolf does his best to carry on alone.

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This is the 80th episode of Securing Sexuality. Each week, Stef and Wolf sit down at their desks to chat about the world of intimacy and technology... or do they? How can you tell if the voices you're hearing right now belong to the people you think they do? Can you be sure that the faces you see on your screen are real? Do the Goerlichs exist at ALL?! Lucky for you, Information Security and Risk Management expert Joshua Marpet is with us this week to give you the answer... and that answer is "damned if we know."

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One of the top questions listeners ask the Securing Sexuality Home Team is how to minimize the amount of data they feed to "the machine." Unfortunately, we don't have a good answer for you, especially now that AI seems to be developing...gaydar? Tune in this week as Wolf and Stef discuss the subtle, even subliminal data points that Large Language Models are using to figure out your most personal information- whether you intend to share this info or not.

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Keigh-Lee Paroz is a U.K. based data privacy expert who is deeply passionate about human rights, accessibility, gender equality, and the ways in which technology can influence all three. This week, she's joining Wolf and Stef to explain Europe's General Data Protection Regulation and how better security practices can build a better world.

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We're all familiar with the way that big businesses collect, analyze and sell our personal data. No one LIKES it, but most of us have resigned ourselves to the fact that the stuff we share on social media is going to be, well, shared. But what happens when the entity tracking your location, sharing your personal data (address, religion, political views) is not a website you've chosen to use but the stranger in line behind you at the pharmacy? How do we respond when our neighbors are the ones monitoring- and sharing- our most private details with the world? This week, Wolf and Stef talk about the rise of peer-to-peer surveillance tech and the ironic lack of information about who's behind these apps.

Show Notes