Stuff They Don't Want You To Know Strange News: Suspicious Bodyguards, the Resurrection of Walt Disney, Palantir Will Know EVERYTHING About You, and Why That Is Bad.
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Jun 9, 2025 Palantir is on track to create a massive and controversial database on US residents, raising serious privacy concerns. Meanwhile, the descendants of Walt Disney oppose an animatronic version of him resurrected at Disneyland. In a bizarre twist, a bodyguard for New York's mayor gets embroiled in shenanigans. Also, a study reveals alarming rates of insect decline, hinting at ecological challenges ahead. And, in unrelated news, it turns out guinea pigs are not fans of Adele's music! Join in for these curious tales.
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Surveillance's Slippery Slope
- Mass surveillance tools blur lines between private companies and government.
- Opt-in monitoring often evolves into mandatory surveillance normalized as safety measures.
Mass Data Fuels ICE Surveillance
- ICE obtains mass data access including a license plate network for surveillance.
- This facilitates tracking and targeting beyond illegal residents, raising constitutional concerns.
Dystopias Are Slow Unfolding
- Dystopias emerge gradually, often unnoticed by those living through them.
- Historical tipping points gain clarity only in hindsight through scholarly narrative.