Secret communication channels on the internet can be disguised as completely benign sites. Brave's browser allows users to utilize advanced features while maintaining their privacy.
A traveler returning to the United States was subjected to a routine electronic device check by customs agents who accused him of having child pornography on his computer. The agents proceeded to search his laptop using his passwords and found no incriminating evidence.
The trifecta for digital privacy is encryption, VPN (Virtual Private Network), and a password manager. Signal should be used for instant messaging, rather than platforms that send things in clear text or only encrypt in transit, as they have to have a special setting turned on for things to be encrypted.
The emerging theme of this podcast seems to be government complicity in allowing fraudulent schemes to be profitable despite the risks of prosecution. The podcast acknowledges the buyer beware nature of capitalism and suggests that freedom of speech includes the freedom to be manipulated by advertising.
The constructs of democracy and balance of power were invented, as are systems for collecting data. With the potential for inventions that prevent centralized power, a decentralized world may be possible.