Podcast
Technology Pill
Hosted by Privacy International · EN
Find out how technology is reshaping our lives every day and explore the new powers of governments and companies.
26episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
Foreign Keys: Travel Surveillance
3d ago01:03:39Summary readyThis 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. 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 controlcooperation, 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)LinksWorld Cup: https://privacyinternational.org/long-read/5759/moving-goalposts-football-facial-recognition-and-expansion-surveillanceUSATrump Administration: https://privacyinternational.org/news-analysis/5713/trump-administration-wants-your-dna-and-social-mediaAirport Phone searches: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/12/31/travel/airport-border-phone-search.htmlCustoms and Border Protection phone searches: https://www.cbp.gov/travel/cbp-search-authority/border-search-electronic-devicesSnooperbowl 2000/2001 NFL seasonhttps://www.aclu.org/press-releases/firm-defends-snooper-bowl-technologyOmar 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 ETIASPI 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.pdfStatewatch 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-enUN 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-surveillanceUK 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-accessibleTommy Robinson Court Case https://www.ibtimes.co.uk/tommy-robinson-cleared-terror-charges-over-refused-phone-access-1752352Muhammad Rabbani - Director of Cage - Schedule 7 terror charges: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-41394156
SummaryEuropol's Shadow Surveillance feat Bill Goodwin
2w ago00:56:10Summary readyThis 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.LinksComputer Weekly investigation: https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366642525/They-protect-the-law-while-breaking-it-Inside-Europols-shadow-IT-systemWe 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-requestsSpanish police and cryptophone intercepts: https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366643318/Spanish-police-systematically-hid-cryptophone-intercepts-from-courts-claims-ex-chiefBill's caseGoodwin 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.htmlHorizonParliamentary 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/
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Community Health: Young people in Ghana and Vietnam
Jun 500:43:32Summary readyThis 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.LinksDHRP 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
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Community Health: Colombia dating app dilemma
May 1500:52:19Summary readyThis 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. LinksMore from Fundación Karisma: https://info.karisma.org.co/2018 Grindr shared HIV status and more: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-436243282021 Norwegian DPA fines Grindr: https://www.edpb.europa.eu/news/national-news/2021/norwegian-dpa-imposes-fine-against-grindr-llc_enOngoing 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-approvedCriteo 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/
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Community Health: Kenya Data Debt Spiral
May 100:41:36Summary readyThis 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%20News/cnn-boss-apologizes-to-kenya-over-terrorism-slur- PI's work on sim card registration: https://privacyinternational.org/learn/sim-card-registration
SummaryWar Machines feat Stop Killer Robots and PAX
Apr 1000:48:34Summary readyThis 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
SummaryWhy governments struggle with ID
Mar 2701:03:09Summary readyThis 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/- Interview with people in Kenya who had been double registered: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLz3h0TjXz7gXB4xg4WNdg9_8JyBftx_kP- 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://www.youtube.com/watch?v=65VVbcXVK_0&feature=youtu.be
SummaryGhosts in the SheLLM: Chatbot ethics with James Muldoon
Mar 1300:37:36Summary readyThis 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/
SummarySand in Trump's Gears: Lessons from America
Feb 1300:53:11Summary readyThis 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. LinksACLU report: https://www.aclu.org/campaigns-initiatives/aclu-vs-trumpKyllo 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-governmentYale lectures on National Security law: https://epe.yale.edu/videos/above-law-or-beneath-it-how-national-security-law-subverts-accountability-and-weakens-0Asylum for White South Africans: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/10/30/us/politics/trump-refugee-admissions-white-south-africans.htmlFISA reauth: https://theintercept.com/2026/01/29/nsa-702-fisa-surveillance/
SummaryMoving Stories: Border Violence and Surveillance
Dec 1201:11:11Summary readyJoin 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 workBVMN's website https://borderviolence.eu/Surveillance Tech Serbia Report: https://borderviolence.eu/reports/surveillance-technologies-at-european-borders-serbiaCyprus Borderscape: https://cyprusborderscape.com/BalkanDac: https://borderviolence.eu/reports/decoding-balkandac-navigating-the-eu-s-biometric-blueprintSamos CCAC : https://borderviolence.eu/reports/controlled-and-confined-unveiling-the-impact-of-technology-in-the-samos-closed-controlled-access-centreUse 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-cyprusAl Otro Lado:Al Otro Lado’s Programs: https://www.alotrolado.org/our-programsMerch: https://www.bonfire.com/al-otro-lado/?srsltid=AfmBOoqZMoeVG0Ggysn-YhlXQ7YPehx_4tnFPY5O2K236THD3U7p7_SGPI workDrivers of Surveillance: http://privacyinternational.org/challenging-drivers-surveillanceWhen 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-policingMigration and borders: https://privacyinternational.org/learn/migration-and-borders
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