by Angela Brinckerhoff In today’s world, it’s not very hard to find information about anyone, no matter how personal. Our posts, public records, employment history, etc. can all be uncovered within a few clicks. A University of Washington team of researchers created a project called Vanish to address this, making it possible to permanently erase personal data. This project brings up the central debate of the “right to be forgotten” movement, discussing the legality and prospect of deleting data from public databases and web searches. This podcast discusses the system behind Vanish and the diff ..read more

by Rishabh Gharekhan This podcast explains the story of Edward Snowden and the PRISM program. In 2013, Snowden leaked classified government secrets exposing the National Security Agency’s widespread mass surveillance programs. PRISM was one of these. Using discreet legal pathways, the NSA was tapping directly into the servers of American companies including Apple, Google, Microsoft. Snowden’s revelations shocked the American public due to the violations of privacy. The exposure of this program led to quick damage control. However, the damage had already been done which has continued to raise q ..read more

by Thomas Riker The attacks on September 11th, 2001 deeply affected America and its citizens. In its aftermath came the USA PATRIOT act, a far-reaching piece of legislation that was passed both in the Senate and the House of Representatives by an overwhelming majority. The act contained many provisions that expanded the scope of the government and its agencies in the hopes of catching terrorists, so as to prevent the next 9/11 from ever occurring. This podcast discusses the Patriot Act generally and its effects, mostly on regular American citizens, and raises questions about the debate between ..read more

by Nathan Chang This podcast gives insight into the progression of the Fourth Amendment of the United States Constitution through time via two court cases, Carpenter v. United States and Smith v. Maryland. These two cases were both integral to how the advancement of technology has affected American legislation by addressing intrusive surveillance technology such as pen registers and CSLI, or cell-site location information. With new technology constantly springing up, our privacy has never been more vulnerable. Works Cited Carpenter v. United States. (n.d.). Oyez. Retrieved April 7, 2021, from ..read more

by Thomas Ditsworth While many people rely on the internet for everything from casual emails to secure banking transactions, most don’t understand the security behind it. In this podcast, we will discuss a computer science problem that is the basis behind our most current methods of encryption. In turn, we will explore where the encryption is used, the math behind why it is so secure, and how further innovation could put it all in jeopardy. References:  Baumhof, A. (2019, June 13). Andreas Baumhof. QuintessenceLabs. https://www.quintessencelabs.com/blog/breaking-rsa-encryption-update-stat ..read more

by Sebastian Garaycochea On January 4th 2012 a mysterious post appears on the infamous 4chan website, leaving everyone “puzzled”. The post says that they are looking for highly talented individuals and that there is a message hidden within it. From this stems one of the most intricate scavenger hunt of recent history, stemming to three highly complex puzzles and the search for the mysterious group behind the post. This episode talks about this mystery and the secret group of 3301 that’s behind it. The episode aims to answer the questions Who is 3301? What is their purpose? And finally, What ha ..read more

by Isaac Taylor Did you know that border protection agents have near-free rein over your personal belongings if you’re traveling into the United States? Does that seem shocking or even a little invasive? How did this come to be? This episode of One-Time Pod aims to answer those questions by addressing the origin of the border exception as well as to raise new ones regarding our attempts to maintain our privacy in an ever-changing world. Citations: Alasaad v. McAleenan: Federal District court RULES suspicionless searches of smart phones at U.S. ports of ENTRY UNCONSTITUTIONAL. (2020, January 05 ..read more

by P. C. Chinese citizens are always being watched by their police and government. The government claims it is to ensure that their citizens are as safe as can be. But, what if this power was abused and used for the wrong reasons? Security cameras and AI-driven facial recognition technology are becoming more and more prevalent in China. In this episode, we delve into the complicated truth regarding the surveillance state that is China. Audio: ● How to Pronounce 谢谢 Xie Xie (say Thank You) in Chinese | speak Mandarin Chinese, https://youtu.be/JMMu9PC2z2o ● Feeling Low (Sad Lofi type Beat) | [Fre ..read more

by Ethan Barr In this podcast I bring awareness to the future of surveillance, through gait recognition, while also describing the way it has developed over the recent years. This idea of being identifiable through the way you walk brings up the questions of whether it is an intrusion to one’s privacy or strictly a moral form of surveillance. These questions are left unanswered in the podcast, but through the information available to you, as the audience, think about the stance and how you perceive this type of surveillance. I wanted this podcast to draw those thoughts by being informative and ..read more

by Aliyah Weaver This episode of One-Time Pod focuses on the 1990s “crypto wars,” a power struggle between the government and the American public. How much privacy does the general American public deserve in terms of encryption, and what are the limits of the government’s surveillance of the American public? References: Bankston, K., Kehl, D., Wilson, A. (2015). Doomed to Repeat history? Lessons from the Crypto Wars of the 1990s. New America. https://static.newamerica.org/attachments/3407-doomed-to-repeat-history-lessons-from-the-crypto-wars-of-the-1990s/Crypto%20Wars_ReDo.7cb49 ..read more