Ep 3 | Controlling Our Toxic Relationship with Big Tech — Tom Kemp

Host Misha da Vinci and Tom Kemp author of Containing Big Tech: How to Protect Our Civil Rights, Economy, and Democracy discuss the influence and impacts of big tech on our lives, touching on privacy concerns, data collection, surveillance, and steps individuals can take to protect their privacy. They discuss the hegemony of big tech companies over data collection in detail and how this unchecked power can lead to potentially harmful impacts on society. Tom shares his personal journey into tech and his experiences in Silicon Valley and as an angel investor. He asserts the urgent need for legislation and consumer education to combat rampant data collection and digital surveillance persisting in today's societies.   00:00 Introduction and Podcast Goals 00:51 Guest Introduction: Tom Kemp 01:58 Tom's Journey to Silicon Valley 02:54 The Importance of Balancing Tech and Humanities 04:33 Tom's Experience as a Founder and Angel Investor 06:21 Understanding the Role of an Angel Investor 09:36 Tom's Current Projects and Daily Life 12:54 The Toxic Relationship with Big Tech 16:14 The Impact of Big Tech Monopolies 25:18 The Need for Regulation and Antitrust Laws 30:34 Historical Perspective on Power Concentration 31:41 The Need for Pro-Innovation Legislation 32:20 The Unfairness of Tech Monopolies 33:33 Understanding Digital Surveillance 34:58 The Dangers of Data Weaponization 36:05 AI's Role in Personalization and Manipulation 42:21 The Importance of Privacy 50:36 The Future of Big Tech 55:28 Practical Steps to Reduce Data Footprint 57:20 Tech Companies' Double Standards 59:50 Closing Remarks   PRIVACY ENHANCING TOOLS: - Privacy Badger - a browser extension that automatically learns to block invisible trackers. https://privacybadger.org/ - How to configure App Tracking Transparency in iOS and iPadOS https://appleinsider.com/articles/21/07/20/how-to-configure-app-tracking-transparency-in-ios-and-ipados - DuckDuckGo — Privacy, simplified. https://duckduckgo.com/ - My Activity Google https://myactivity.google.com/   Tom's book: https://www.amazon.com/Containing-Big-Tech-Protect-Democracy/dp/1639080619 Connect with Tom: https://www.tomkemp.ai/ +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++   Listen, subscribe, and follow on our YouTube channel and wherever you get your podcasts. Let's get ready for the future!   Misha da Vinci is a futurologist, tech thinker, and founder of GRFTF.  Connect with Misha: The GRFTF Newsletter (a free life-changing newsletter): https://mishadavinci.substack.com/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/mishadavinci Website: https://www.mishadavinci.com/