A Reasonable Expectation of Privacy
Endless Thread13 Syys 2024

A Reasonable Expectation of Privacy

When the founder of the messaging and social media app Telegram, Pavel Durov, was arrested in France, it exposed something: many of Telegram's millions of users believe the app is much more secure than it actually is.

Some of those people use the app for crime; others to communicate about sensitive political topics in war zones. Media outlets (including, we must admit, Endless Thread) have often described Telegram as an encrypted app, but that's not quite right. Telegram, and who knows who else, can access most of what's said and shared on the platform. There are crucial differences between apps like Telegram, and other services known for encryption, including WhatsApp and Signal, and many people using the apps don't understand the differences. Do we need to? Wired's Andy Greenberg, Natalia Krapiva at Access Now, and Matthew Green, a professor at Johns Hopkins, say absolutely.

This week, we look at the anarchist, googler, and billionaire moguls behind the tech that millions of people around the world use for basic communication. And we imagine what it looks like when an app actually protects your conversations from prying eyes? We also ask: why should you care, even if you think you have nothing to hide?

Show notes:

Credits: This episode was produced by Grace Tatter. Mix and sound design by Emily Jankowski. It was written and hosted by Ben Brock Johnson. It was edited by our managing producer, Samata Joshi.

Jaksot(436)

Infectious, Pt. 5: Talk To Me

Infectious, Pt. 5: Talk To Me

At the end of the day, our species only survives if we can communicate. In our fifth and final episode of "Infectious," we hear from those whose lives have been irrevocably altered by vaccines and lea...

30 Touko 201942min

Infectious, Pt. 4: Anatomy Of An Outbreak

Infectious, Pt. 4: Anatomy Of An Outbreak

Even considering the winding road of scientific advancement and the new expressway that is the internet, what the heck happened in Clark County? With reporting from the ground in Washington and Oregon...

23 Touko 201944min

Infectious, Pt. 3: Going Viral

Infectious, Pt. 3: Going Viral

You can’t tell the story of today’s anti-vaccine — or “vaccine hesitant”— movement without telling a story of technology and social media. Part 3 of our "Infectious" series looks at the spread of anti...

16 Touko 201946min

Infectious, Pt. 2: The Flintstone Dilemma

Infectious, Pt. 2: The Flintstone Dilemma

There was a time when the measles were common enough to be a source of comedy on TV shows like "The Flintstones." So how did we go from joking about the measles to reports on the news about a growing ...

3 Touko 201938min

Infectious, Pt. 1: Scabs, Pus, And Puritans

Infectious, Pt. 1: Scabs, Pus, And Puritans

The problem with being healthy is that you completely forget what it feels like to be sick. In 2019, many people assume that the history of vaccination is recent history -- maybe a few centuries of in...

3 Touko 201937min

'Endless Thread' Presents: 'Infectious'

'Endless Thread' Presents: 'Infectious'

"Endless Thread" presents "Infectious: The Strange Past and Surprising Present of Vaccines – and Anti-Vaxxers."

26 Huhti 20192min

Bonus: Jon Favreau, Live At CitySpace

Bonus: Jon Favreau, Live At CitySpace

T-minus one week until Endless Thread returns with new episodes! In the meantime, let's talk politics -- because Ben recently interviewed Jon Favreau, co-host of "Pod Save America" and former speechwr...

26 Huhti 201942min

Bonus: Endless Thrones

Bonus: Endless Thrones

In advance of the season 8 premiere of HBO's "Game of Thrones," we talk to one of the head moderators of r/gameofthrones and to a couple of in-house GOT nerds to hear some of their fan theories and pr...

12 Huhti 201921min