The Guy Who Ripped Out a License Plate Reader (And Why We Cheered)

Open Records Are Taking Down Flock Cameras

The pitch for Flock is always the same: “If you’ve done nothing wrong, you’ve got nothing to hide.” Then a court says the footage is public record, and suddenly cities start unplugging the cameras. In this episode, Zach Varnell and Elizabeth Melton walk through the public records rulings that are forcing Flock programs into crisis […]

The Guy Who Ripped Out a License Plate Reader (And Why We Cheered)

Zach and Elizabeth break down the surreal case of a Missouri county commissioner facing felony charges for removing a license plate reader — even though the county had already banned them. That sparks a deeper conversation about public surveillance, Flock cameras, inflated government tech contracts, and the illusion of “safety.” Then they shift to the […]

Google Drops Pledge to Not Develop AI Weapons & ChatGPT Joins the Dating Scene

We dive into the latest news around AI, surveillance, and control. First up, Google quietly ditches its pledge to avoid developing AI for weapons and surveillance — what does this mean for the future of Big Tech and military partnerships? Then, we break down China’s deployment of its AI system, DeepSeek, in military hospitals and […]

The Good News Episode

Tired of the endless cycle of dystopian tech headlines? In this special episode of Banish Big Brother, Zach and Elizabeth take a break from the usual doom and gloom to focus on the positives. From victories against government overreach to breakthroughs in privacy tech, every story in this episode has an uplifting twist. While the […]

The Fall of CBDCs (For Now) and the Rise of Quantum Threats

We dive into some rare good news—Trump’s executive order banning Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDCs). But is it really a victory for privacy, or just a sleight of hand favoring private financial giants? We unpack the implications, the risks of private CBDCs, and the looming threat of programmable money. Plus, we explore the latest developments […]