The Woman Taking On Big Tech: She Fought the Government and Won

April 10
33 mins

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Episode Description

Are we losing our right to online privacy entirely? 

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In this episode of Free Speech Friday, I sat down with Cindy Cohn, former head of the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) and author of the new book Privacy's Defender. We dive deep into the secret history of the early internet, the terrifying reality of mass online surveillance by the US government, and how "age verification" laws sweeping the US will destroy digital civil liberties for everyone.

 

Cindy explains how the NSA and FBI use massive legal loopholes like Section 702 to secretly access your data for domestic purposes, the massive security dangers of forcing users to upload their IDs to access apps like Discord, and why the fight to protect encryption is more crucial now than ever. 

If you care about your digital rights, free speech, and the future of the open web, this is a must-watch conversation!! 

 

Topics Covered:

  • The 90s hacker origins of the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF)

  • How the Bernstein case saved internet encryption

  • Post-9/11 mass surveillance and the government's data grab

  • Why the FBI and NSA's use of Section 702 threatens your privacy

  • The truth about the government buying your personal data from private brokers

  • Why age verification laws banning users under 16 create massive security risks

  • How to fight back and become part of the next generation of privacy advocates 


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