Watchman Privacy — Episode 209

Episode Title: What is Fed-Posting and How to Spot it
Host: Gabriel Custodiet
Release Date: October 14, 2025

Overview

In this solo episode, Gabriel Custodiet shares an article from the upcoming Watchman’s Torch newsletter, focusing on the concept of “Fed posting”—the deliberate creation of extreme, illegal-sounding online content as a tactic for entrapment or to nudge communities toward dangerous behavior. Gabriel contextualizes the discussion by calling out a specific individual, Marconius Solidus (Msolidus), for plagiarism and potentially harmful advice within the privacy community. The episode warns listeners about such tactics, educates on how to identify them, and emphasizes the importance of behavioral vigilance in privacy practices.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Transition to Newsletter & Community Update

• Gabriel explains the shift from the podcast to a premium newsletter, Watchman’s Torch, which is becoming the main medium for privacy content.
• He alerts listeners about plagiarism by Marconius Solidus (Msolidus), who not only appropriates content but also gives “terrible advice” and engages in suspicious behavior that risks followers' safety.
  • “We want to instead bring supreme community attention to this despicable character to make him a pariah in all privacy circles.” (02:50)

2. Psychological & Social Engineering Dangers

• The episode opens with a vivid narrative about receiving an emotionally charged, extreme post online.
  • “A post so perfectly engineered to incite extremism that I couldn’t look away.” (05:00)
• Gabriel reiterates his core thesis: Privacy and cybersecurity are 90% behavior and mindset—not just technical tools.
  • “You can wrap yourself in the finest VPN money can buy, encrypt everything... and still find yourself utterly compromised… by the oldest vulnerability in the security apparatus: human psychology itself.” (06:20)

3. What is Fed-Posting?

• Definition:
  • Constructing posts, often illegal-sounding, to incite others to reveal intentions or take unlawful actions.
  • “Fed posting” is likened to agent provocateurs online, aiming to move communities’ standards over time.
    • “It’s the deliberate crafting of outrageous content, often blatantly illegal, designed to accomplish one simple goal: making the reader reveal his intentions, or worse, convincing him to act against his own interests.” (07:10)
• Mechanism:
  • Such posts start innocently, then escalate to dangerous, actionable advice.
  • Tactics mirror those used historically in real-world entrapment operations (e.g., Whitmer kidnapping case).

4. Real-World “Fed Posting” Example Breakdown

• Gabriel dissects a tweet (allegedly from Msolidus) that begins with reasonable privacy suggestions but pivots into guidance for tax evasion and unregistered weapons.
  • Notable red flags he highlights in the tweet:
    • Off-grid living, digital minimalism, privacy OS (all reasonable)
    • Sudden shift to: Avoiding taxes, using 3D printers for guns, “don’t register sh*t”, explicit pointers to circumvent laws.
  • "This is the signature architecture of Fed posting, the sandwich technique. Legitimate advice forms the bread... but buried in the middle lies the darkness.” (13:40)

5. Dangers & Protecting Yourself

• Behavioral caution:
  • It’s essential to understand the difference between private, philosophical musing and publishing actionable advice online.
  • Public forums are subject to legal and reputational risk.
  • “One can’t pursue privacy or help others to do so from a jail cell or caught up in the legal industrial complex.” (16:10)
• Vigilance about anonymous sources:
  • Some online personalities may not be who they claim.
  • There’s a risk posts are written by agents (or even AI) trained in entrapment techniques.
  • “Sometimes I wonder if the person behind the other screen is sitting in a field office somewhere... Or maybe it’s automated now, some AI trained on a corpus of entrapment techniques, endlessly generating glowing content that ensnares the unwary.” (17:30)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the danger of psychological manipulation:

  • “Your soul. This brings us to what’s known as Fed posting, a term that sounds almost conspiratorial until you examine the documented cases.” (06:50)

• On the blending of tactics:

  • “These aren’t philosophical musings about government overreach. They’re explicit instructions designed to create prosecutable offenses.” (14:45)

• On privacy community responsibility:

  • “This imposter has certainly messed with the wrong community.” (03:20)

• On the seriousness of publishing dangerous advice:

  • “There’s a difference between talking around the campfire and talking on a podcast, liking a tweet and sharing information in a forum. One is private, the other is engaging in publication.” (16:30)

Important Segment Timestamps

• 00:00-03:30 — Update on newsletter, shift in focus, and warning about Marconius Solidus.
• 05:00-07:30 — Opening narrative and the psychological roots of vulnerability in privacy.
• 07:30-09:50 — Explanation and real-world examples of Fed posting, including mention of the Whitmer case.
• 12:00-15:00 — Deep breakdown of the example Fed post, identifying red flags and sandwich technique.
• 16:00-18:00 — Final thoughts on safe practices, difference between private and public discourse, and the threat posed by provocateurs and automated tactics.

Flow & Tone

Gabriel maintains a vigilant and slightly combative tone. He’s passionate yet methodical, deeply concerned with community standards and the real dangers posed by manipulation—both by would-be privacy gurus and by institutional actors. His approach is educational, with moments of narrative flair (“the sun had set, the darkness arrived...”) that underscore the gravity of Fed posting and its psychological impact.

Takeaway

This episode is both a warning and a primer for those seeking privacy online. The primary message: Vigilance and behavioral discipline are as crucial as any privacy tool. Know how to spot manipulative tactics—especially when content escalates from reasonable advice to endorsing lawbreaking. The privacy community must police itself, and individuals must remain ever-aware that the biggest threats can come disguised in the language of shared values.