NetGuide: Your Privacy Resource Guide.
Podcasts
Your Undivided Attention is a podcast produced by the Center for Humane Technology, a non-profit that advocates for tech that “supports our well-being, democracy, and shared information environment”. Similarly, the podcast explores themes of relevance to the interaction between people and technology and attempts to (re)imagine and catalyse healthier digital worlds.
The hosts, Tristan Harris and Aza Raskin, couldn’t be more fit for the job – Harris is a previous Google design ethicist, and Raskin is a human–computer interface specialist. As they lead us listeners into thought-provoking conversations with their expert guests, privacy is one of the many related issues this podcast investigates. Topics explored also include cyberwarfare, disinformation, mental health, and others. We particularly recommend the “Digital Democracy is Within Reach” episode with guest Audrey Tang, digital minister of Taiwan who we at NetDem also had the chance to interview back in 2019.
In Machines We Trust proclaims itself as a “podcast about the automation of everything”. Produced by the MIT Technology Review, it addresses all things related to the increasing presence of technology in our lives. Hosted by journalist Jennifer Strong, the podcast has 37 episodes and counting at the time of writing – all of which are somehow related to digital privacy issues. Many of their guests are inventors and founders of technology that is revolutionising the way society functions, which is sure to give listeners new angles and insights into the latest tech developments.
In Machines we Trust is not only a resource where you can find great amounts of info about privacy and technology matters, it’s also widely recognised for its high-quality approach to these issues. Their minisseries on the use of facial recognition technology by police won the 2020 Front Page award for its excellent investigative reporting in audio. Interested? Find In Machines We Trust on all major podcast hosting platforms.
Technology Pill is a podcast produced by nonprofit Privacy International and hosted by the organisation’s executive director Gus Hosein. Like our other podcast recommendations, Technology Pill dives into the different ways in which technology is reshaping our lives. Unlike the other podcasts on this list, Technology Pill specifically focuses on privacy and digital rights – a reflection of Privacy International’s work in the area – and it does so brilliantly.
Alongside his extraordinary guests, Hosein discusses the hottest topics in digital privacy – such as humanitarian data after the US withdrawal from Afghanistan, covid and tech in countries such as India and Colombia, and the impact of ID systems on transgender people in the Philippines. As you may have noticed, one Technology Pill’s best qualities is that it approaches digital rights issues from a truly global viewpoint rather than falling into the usual American and European narratives.
Author: Ana Luiza Loio Becil
Image: Jonathan Velasquez via Unsplash
