Tech for Evil (Tech4Evil.com)

In our special coverage of the 2023 Oslo Freedom Forum Manal and I got to meet some truly inspirational African delegates who are shaping the way technology serves human rights on the African continent.   From the emerging power house that is Machankura we sat down with Noelyne Sumba and Kgothatso Ngako – both brilliant innovators doing some powerlifting with bitcoin to serve the human rights of t...

Redefining Our Digital Lives: A Deep Dive into Technology’s Unseen Impact on Democracy and Human Rights In today’s digital age, our lives are intertwined with technology more than ever. From the moment we wake up to the minute we sleep, smartphones and smart devices have become our constant companions. But at what cost? Are we merely consumers in a digital marketplace, or is there a darker side to...

In a world where technology is synonymous with convenience, accessibility, and connectivity, it’s easy to take our digital liberties for granted. However, for those trapped in closed societies like North Korea, access to information is a rare and precious commodity. In this episode of ‘Tech for Evil,’ we delve into the intersection of technology and human rights, shedding light on the remarkable i...

Digital Battlegrounds: Bytes, Bravery, and the Pursuit of Freedom The digital era – a double-edged sword, wielded by both heroes and tyrants. Welcome to an electrifying season, where the stakes are high, and the warriors are relentless. “Dictatorship in the Digital Space” is an unsettling reality. As dictators exploit cutting-edge tech to muzzle dissent, monitor every move, and craft illusions of...

For many of us on this planet, our modern, digital lives are fast, cheap, convenient and smart as hell! Rediculously smart! Benign household devices like fridges and hoovers may have been born innocent and practical but have matured into obnoxiously in-your-face adolescent terrors. Devices that were once dumb are now terrifyingly capable and ”here to help” us. But have they gotten too smart? From...

Dating apps have radically reshaped the modern romance landscape. How we present ourselves and find other people on the dating market is now filtered through a digital lens. Dating Apps have turned the art of finding a partner into an online shopping experience very different from the raw, face-to-face courtship the previous generation had. But what about the companies that make dating apps? How d...

Have you ever found yourself wondering “…what if I just delete my Facebook account…?” Believe us, you’re not the only one to have pondered this question jokingly or even seriously in the last few years, and with good reason. Some part of you likely came to this realisation, intuitively, that feeling insecure and sad and lonely after several hours of doom scrolling and checking all your social medi...

Our guest for this episode is Andrew McAlister , a Data Ethics & Privacy Expert. Today, Australia stands out as the only democracy to use facial recognition technology to enforce COVID-19 restrictions . The private sector is participating too. Last year, 7-Eleven in Australia collected the facial prints of 1.6 million customers without their knowledge or consent. 7-Eleven was never fined . And...

Special thanks to Prof. Debbie Haski-Leventhal and Cameron Bogatez for sharing their experience with addictive technology for this episode. In the third and final installment of the Captology mini-series, Manal and Reinhardt examine the profound and terrifying impacts that have come from Big Tech using Capatology tactics on children, parents and the average person. In part three of our Captology s...

In our second installment of the Captology mini-series Manal and Reinhardt drill down into several of the specific tactics and techniques that technologists use to hold us captive. We look at how the Like and Share buttons were not just quaint additions to the social media landscape but rather, very deliberate and slick missiles that targeted our human desire for social affirmation. We explain wha...

There is a battle raging, fought without guns or bombs and not for land or resources… This is a battle for our attention. Big Tech companies are competing for our attention in clever ways and desperately want more and more. If you’re wondering why your children throw tantrums if you ask them to get off their phones, or why you find yourself doom scrolling and obsessively posting and checking for l...

Having a coffee or a beer this weekend? So are we… Join Manal and Reinhardt as we cover the latest news and developments from around the world. If you’re interested to see what Big Tech, Social Media Giants and other evil-doers are up to then please sit back and enjoy our coverage of the latest news and developments. On our very first Beer & Coffee episode format, we ask… is your boss looking...

How does Australia stack up against other countries when it comes to our digital rights? Do our privacy laws protect us or do they leave us vulnerable to the lightly regulated tech companies? To answer these questions, we’ve brought in our very first guest onto the show… a Top Gun of Australia’s legal profession – Angus Murray .   Angus is the co-founder and national director of The Legal Forecast...

Listen to Episode 4 Part 1 “Mass surveillance creates a prison to the mind” Glenn Greenwald Have you ever found yourself clicking on “Yes, I have read and understood the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy” only to nervously wonder what terms you just accepted? Whether we’re in our home with our family or confiding to a friend at the park there’s a high chance we cherish the privacy we can have with t...

Listen to Episode 4 Part 2 “Mass surveillance creates a prison to the mind” Glenn Greenwald Have you ever found yourself clicking on “Yes, I have read and understood the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy” only to nervously wonder what terms you just accepted? Whether we’re in our home with our family or confiding to a friend at the park there’s a high chance we cherish the privacy we can have with t...

A good user interface design offers ease of use and a streamlined online experience, but some of your favorite websites have deceptive ploys built in to get you to do things you never intended to do. Are you an avid online shopper? Many e-commerce sites use cunning manipulation to get you to buy something you don’t want or need. You might be greeted by a digital guilt trip when you click “no” on a...

Manal al-Sharif and Reinhardt Sosin discuss the concept of Planned Obsolescence of Tech. Big Tech companies use a whole host of design and marketing tactics to get you to throw away your smart devices long before it’s necessary. Ever had a product break within weeks of the warranty expiring? What about that iPhone that slowed down after a software update? If you’ve ever walked away from a repair s...

Is my phone listening to me? We’ve all been there: you have a conversation with a friend about a product or service, and within a day or two, you see an ad for that very thing on your favorite social media platform. It’s more than spooky; it feels intrusive, as if your phone has a direct connection to the thoughts in your head. No, it’s not technological espionage- it’s hyper-targeted advertising...