Banish Big Brother
Join hosts Elizabeth and Zach as they embark on a thought-provoking journey through the labyrinth of privacy, technology, surveillance, and the digital age's unseen battles. Banish Big Brother isn't just another podcast; it's a mission to unravel the complex web of information that surrounds us, challenge the omnipresent eyes of surveillance, advocate for the sanctity of personal privacy in a world that's growing increasingly transparent, and have fun doing it. Each episode, Elizabeth and Zach dive deep into current events, technological advancements, and the shadowy realms of surveillance and privacy. They bring to light the critical issues that affect us...
The War on Flock Cameras
Zach and Elizabeth dig into the wave of Americans cutting down, vandalizing, and outright destroying flock cameras across the country, from an Air Force engineer facing charges to a man who replaced a downed cameras with American flags. They break down why jury nullification could matter for anyone charged in these cases, and cover a […]
Bitcoin Power Hypocrisy, Orbital Datacenters & Moon Nukes w/ Jake Green
Jake Green of Peaceful Sea Productions joins Zach and Elizabeth for a wide-ranging tour through the surveillance state’s latest toys. They start with a throwback: the 2013-era panic over Bitcoin’s energy use, and why nobody in the media seems bothered that AI data centers now consume vastly more power with a fraction of the outrage. […]
Spy on Everyone to Protect the Children: Flock, Social Media Bans, & Disguised Cameras
A Texas town council member throws a public tantrum after his city votes to cancel its Flock contract, and the resulting “Bandera Declaration of Digital Independence” is as unhinged as it sounds. Zach and Elizabeth break down the logical fallacies packed into one man’s attempt to equate mass license plate surveillance with your personal Ring […]
Your Concerns Are Probably Chinese Propaganda | Data Centers, Flock, and Surveillance Infrastructure
The surveillance state isn’t coming. It’s already here, it’s expanding fast, and apparently if you have a problem with that, China put you up to it. In this episode, Zach and Elizabeth dig into the sudden explosion of data centers across the country, why governments at every level are pushing them through over loud constituent […]
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 […]
New Orleans Pushes for “European Style” Surveillance After Attack & Chicago Ditches ShotSpotter
Elizabeth and Zach discuss the chilling proposal for expanded surveillance in New Orleans following a tragic New Year’s Eve attack, raising questions about privacy, predictive technologies, and the misuse of AI. They also dive into Chicago’s decision to abandon ineffective ShotSpotter gun detection technology and the broader implications of replacing invasive systems with something “new […]
Biden Administration Wanted Total Control of ALL Artificial Intelligence
Meta plans to fill Facebook with AI-generated users designed to mimic real people, raising alarming questions about authenticity, privacy, and ethics. Meanwhile, school zone speed cameras are under fire as legislators expose them as profit-driven scams. In New York City, congestion pricing begins, hitting drivers with steep tolls and raising concerns about economic fallout. Explore […]
