Techlore Talks
Techlore
Techlore Talks brings you in-depth conversations with the experts at the forefront of privacy, security, and digital rights. Hosted by Henry Fisher, founder of Techlore and long-time digital rights educator, each episode features meaningful discussions with the people building, researching, and advocating for digital freedom. From cybersecurity researchers and privacy tool developers to open-source advocates and digital rights activists—if they're shaping how we protect ourselves online, they're on this show.Topics include:• Privacy tools and technologies• Cybersecurity threats and defenses• Open-source software and development• Surveillance and digital rights• Encryption and data protection• Tech policy and advocacy• Digital sovereignty and freedomJust real conversations with real experts. New episodes released regularly. Subscribe now and join the community fighting for digital freedom. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Episodes
Mentioned books
Mar 29, 2026 • 1h 31min
Telecom Insider Explains What Your Carrier Actually Sees (Cape Interview)
David Dunn, co-founder of Cape and privacy-focused cellular expert, explains what carriers actually collect and why that matters. He covers IMSI catchers, SIM swaps, cell-tower triangulation, call detail records, Wi‑Fi calling flows, SS7 risks, IMSI rotation, and how Cape builds network features to reduce subscriber data exposure.
18 snips
Mar 21, 2026 • 1h 12min
Why This Linux Distro Is Growing Faster Than Ever (Zorin OS Interview)
Artyom Zorin, co-founder and lead developer of Zorin OS, builds a user-friendly Linux desktop alternative focused on accessibility and privacy. He talks about making familiar Windows and macOS-like layouts, package compatibility and app availability, business models funding development, privacy-by-default choices, ARM support plans, Zorin Grid for schools and orgs, and the reasons behind the distro's recent growth.
14 snips
Feb 28, 2026 • 1h 27min
Ad Blocking, Search Independence, and the Hidden Web | JP Schmetz (Ghostery / Brave Search)
JP (Jean-Paul) Schmetz, privacy entrepreneur who built Brave Search and leads Ghostery, shares stories about ad blocking, tracker visibility, and why only three search indexes exist. He discusses browser-search integration, how trackers create real harms, and AI’s role in rebuilding the open web. Practical tradeoffs and avoiding becoming the family tech support come up too.
11 snips
Feb 14, 2026 • 49min
Why This Password Manager Requires a Private Key (Passbolt Interview)
Remy Bertot, co-founder of Passbolt and software engineer focused on open-source team password solutions, explains why Passbolt uses a random private key and how granular permissions limit credential leaks. He talks about self-hosting for regulated orgs, phishing-resistant crypto signatures, passkey tradeoffs, and practical choices for team-focused password management.
10 snips
Feb 7, 2026 • 1h 4min
Why Everyone Should Use an Ad Blocker (AdGuard Interview)
Andre, CTO and co-founder of AdGuard, a builder of privacy and ad-blocking tools. He discusses why AdGuard shifted from data collection to privacy, differences between local filtering, DNS and VPN approaches, and how Apple’s new system API lets system-wide filtering work without exposing user traffic. The conversation also covers app-level tracking, AdGuard Home, and rollout challenges with Apple’s review process.
19 snips
Jan 31, 2026 • 1h 15min
The Chat App that Can't Go Down (Holepunch + Keet Interview)
Mathias Buus Madsen, CEO of Holepunch and longtime peer-to-peer technologist, discusses serverless, privacy-first apps. He talks about how BitTorrent scaled without servers. He explains why Keet the messenger stays online under huge load, peer-to-peer password syncing, and how P2P can cut energy use and avoid central points of failure.
25 snips
Jan 24, 2026 • 1h 53min
The Messaging App With No User IDs (SimpleX Interview)
Evgeny Poberezkin, founder of SimpleX Chat and privacy-focused protocol designer, builds a messaging network with no user identifiers. He explains unidirectional message pipes, how servers can be oblivious to users, comparisons to Signal and Session, scaling and usability tradeoffs, IP and metadata protections, and plans for redundancy, multi-device sync, and community-hosted operators.
20 snips
Jan 17, 2026 • 1h 9min
It's Time for the VPN Industry to Innovate (Obscura Interview)
Discover the cutting-edge world of Obscura VPN and its unique trust-minimizing approach. Carl discusses how this innovative service can't log your activity, comparing it to traditional VPNs. Learn about QUIC's role in evading censorship and the benefits of multi-party relays that protect user identity. Hear insights on reproducible builds, the challenges of mobile apps, and why Mullvad is their preferred partner. Carl calls on the VPN industry to adopt open-source practices and trustless models for enhanced privacy.
18 snips
Jan 10, 2026 • 1h 21min
Why F-Droid Still Can't Get on iPhone (FSFE Lawyer Explains)
Lucas Lasota, a legal project manager with the Free Software Foundation Europe, dives deep into the implications of the Digital Markets Act. He explains how this regulation aims to dismantle Big Tech's stronghold by promoting interoperability and access for smaller apps. Lucas also critiques how the law overlooks small developers, sharing insights on Apple’s strict app policies. The conversation sheds light on the global impact of these regulatory changes and the ongoing fight for digital freedom and fair competition in the tech landscape.
13 snips
Jan 6, 2026 • 18min
Inside Ad Blocking: Interviews from the Ad Filtering Dev Summit
Anton Lazarev, an engineer at Brave, discusses their innovative native ad-blocking technology and privacy-centric AI features. He dives into the differences between browser and system-level ad protection. Peter Lowe, the maintainer of a legendary block list since 1997, shares insights on the creepy nature of tracking and the philosophy behind his meticulous curation of domains. Together, they illuminate the evolving landscape of ad blocking, its impact on privacy, and future trends that consumers should keep an eye on.
