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 - Dean Cain joins ICE - ICE access to medicaid data- Industry Day at the US Customs and Border Protection- Inquiry by Microsoft- Investor concerns about Microsoft use by Israeli government- Israeli government use of Google services- Data sovereignty and Data Localisation across Africa and Asia- Meta violates California's wiretap law- PI's original app data investigation- PI's most recent look at period apps- Amazon Alexa ads?- Grok advertisers- Pew researchers study Google AI summaries- 404 media's experience with Google AI- Cloudflare experimenting with pay per crawl feature for AI companies- You can donate to PI!- Pilot programme - drones in Florida schools- Axon's ethics board resignations over taser drones- UK facial recogntion database searches- ICO complaint
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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- UK Decriminalisation: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c2le12114j9o- 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-education25 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-educationTips and Tricks for submitting a Data Subject Access Request: https://privacyinternational.org/explainer/3845/71-tips-how-make-most-out-your-dsarRequest 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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Why is my government undermining my security?: targeted and betrayed
This week we're talking to Gus about his experience being targeted by the Russian government, how it felt at the time, and then how it felt when he found out the government may be trying to undermine the tool he uses to keep himself and his family safe. Read more about Privacy International's challenge against the UK's secret TCN powers.
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