033 - Black Mirror - Is the UK's Surveillance State Coming to America?

In this episode, I share news from my recent trip to the UK, noticing how it seems to have reached the epic proportions of a Black Mirror episode; from the absurd TV licensing program to the new Digital ID Brit cards that will track your behavior. I also explore how the UK may be serving as a testing ground for new levels of behavioral surveillance that could eventually spread globally. I dive into California’s $900 “smart” license plates that track your every move, centralized government digital currencies, and my predictions for the next 20 years of Orwellian surveillance.

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In this week’s episode:

1. The UK’s TV licensing system: Legal extortion through private contractors
2. The Reviver R-plate: $900 to track yourself in California and Arizona
3. Brit Cards: UK’s new “voluntary” Digital ID system
4. The Bank of England’s digital pound and programmable money
5. Historical patterns of control: From land ownership to neural interfaces
6. Why the UK is the blueprint for global surveillance rollout
7. Predictions for the next 20-50 years of biosurveillance

Matrix Community Rooms

• Matrix Community Space - https://matrix.to/#/#psysecure:matrix.org

Individual Room Links:

• https://matrix.to/#/#lockdown-intro:matrix.org
• https://matrix.to/#/#lockdown-podcast:matrix.org
• https://matrix.to/#/#lockdown-general:matrix.org

Show Links:

• PsySecure ODSF Framework - https://odsf.psysecure.com
• LCD License Plate (not privacy friendly!) - https://reviver.com/rplate/
• Black Mirror S03E01 "Nosedive" - https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5497778/
• Bank of England's Digital Pound - https://www.bankofengland.co.uk/the-digital-pound
• Brit Card Digital ID System - https://www.labourtogether.uk/all-reports/britcard
• TV Licensing Detector Ads (1980s-90s): 
  • The Detector Van - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8NmdUcmLFkw
  • "We know exactly where he is" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qF3-S2sCnb8
  • Keep One Eye Open - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mVfOmR7gAek
  • More Powerful Dector Vans! - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Q9CsRRhWQI

“One believes things because one has been conditioned to believe them.”

- Mustapha Mond (Brave New World

★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

What is The Lockdown - Practical Privacy & Security?

Welcome to The Lockdown. Privacy doesn’t have to be all-or-nothing. The inability to attain extreme levels of privacy shouldn’t deter one from taking any protective measures at all. The show is hosted by Ray Heffer, an expert in the field of privacy and cybersecurity, with each episode touching on a range of topics such as data privacy, password management, and secure browsing habits. Tin-foil hats are optional!