#94 Obfuscation
Episode Description
Calibrating Anger in a Changing World Strategies for managing frustration in response to political and social shifts.
Ideabrix Summary
The '#94 Obfuscation' episode of 'Reply All' begins with the introduction of a new segment called 'Why is everybody so mad? And do I have to be mad also?' The hosts, Alex Goldman and PJ Vogt, discuss the current climate of pervasive outrage and the challenge of keeping up with the multitude of issues that demand public attention. The segment aims to evaluate the necessity and intensity of the public's anger towards various topics.
In this episode, the focus is on the public's reaction to the U.S. Congress repealing FCC privacy rules that were set to go into effect later that year. These rules would have required Internet Service Providers (ISPs) like AT&T and Verizon to obtain consumers' consent before selling their personal information to advertisers. The repeal led to a bipartisan outcry, with people concerned that ISPs would now freely spy on their browsing history and sell their data.
Alex Goldman delves into the issue to determine how much concern is warranted. He explains the background of the FCC privacy rules and the reasons Congress gave for repealing them. Senator Jeff Flake, who sponsored the bill to repeal the rules, argued that it was unfair for ISPs to be restricted from selling personal information while companies like Facebook and Google were not. However, critics argued that unlike social media platforms, consumers often have little choice in their ISP and that ISPs have access to a more comprehensive view of a person's online activities.
Goldman's investigation includes attempts to contact ISPs and policymakers for comment, with limited success. He eventually speaks with Howard Waltman of the 21st Century Privacy Coalition, who advocates on behalf of ISPs. Waltman downplays the significance of the repeal, suggesting that ISPs will continue to act responsibly with consumer data. However, privacy advocates like Jeremy Galula from the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) express significant concern, rating the severity of the situation as high as a seven or eight out of ten.
Goldman also explores unconventional methods to protect privacy online, such as using a VPN, HTTPS sites, and more creative approaches like TrackMeNot and AdNauseam, which obfuscate users' online activities from ISPs and advertisers. These tools are part of what Helen Nissenbaum, a philosopher, describes as the 'obfuscation movement.' The episode concludes with Goldman rating the issue as a four out of ten in terms of concern, suggesting that while the repeal of the privacy rules is not ideal, it may not be as catastrophic as some fear.
In this episode, the focus is on the public's reaction to the U.S. Congress repealing FCC privacy rules that were set to go into effect later that year. These rules would have required Internet Service Providers (ISPs) like AT&T and Verizon to obtain consumers' consent before selling their personal information to advertisers. The repeal led to a bipartisan outcry, with people concerned that ISPs would now freely spy on their browsing history and sell their data.
Alex Goldman delves into the issue to determine how much concern is warranted. He explains the background of the FCC privacy rules and the reasons Congress gave for repealing them. Senator Jeff Flake, who sponsored the bill to repeal the rules, argued that it was unfair for ISPs to be restricted from selling personal information while companies like Facebook and Google were not. However, critics argued that unlike social media platforms, consumers often have little choice in their ISP and that ISPs have access to a more comprehensive view of a person's online activities.
Goldman's investigation includes attempts to contact ISPs and policymakers for comment, with limited success. He eventually speaks with Howard Waltman of the 21st Century Privacy Coalition, who advocates on behalf of ISPs. Waltman downplays the significance of the repeal, suggesting that ISPs will continue to act responsibly with consumer data. However, privacy advocates like Jeremy Galula from the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) express significant concern, rating the severity of the situation as high as a seven or eight out of ten.
Goldman also explores unconventional methods to protect privacy online, such as using a VPN, HTTPS sites, and more creative approaches like TrackMeNot and AdNauseam, which obfuscate users' online activities from ISPs and advertisers. These tools are part of what Helen Nissenbaum, a philosopher, describes as the 'obfuscation movement.' The episode concludes with Goldman rating the issue as a four out of ten in terms of concern, suggesting that while the repeal of the privacy rules is not ideal, it may not be as catastrophic as some fear.
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