A Texas town council member throws a public tantrum after his city votes to cancel its Flock contract, and the resulting “Bandera Declaration of Digital Independence” is as unhinged as it sounds. Zach and Elizabeth break down the logical fallacies packed into one man’s attempt to equate mass license plate surveillance with your personal Ring doorbell.
Then, the UK’s proposed social media ban for under-16s sounds like it’s about protecting kids, and that’s exactly the point. Underneath the “think of the children” framing is a system that will require age verification, facial recognition, and government ID uploads for any adult who wants to open a new social media account. Australia already tried it. It’s not working. But that’s never stopped anyone before.
Then, a listener tip leads Zach and Elizabeth to Hunterdon County, New Jersey, where local officials voted to move discussions about an ALPR contract with the New Jersey State Police into executive session, away from any public scrutiny or participation.
Finally, Flock cameras are going undercover. Literally. Yellow plastic barrels along Arizona highways and fake utility boxes on poles, all designed to blend in and escape the growing public awareness that has started canceling Flock contracts across the country. Elizabeth makes the case for why fighting Flock isn’t enough. You need broad privacy legislation, not just company-specific bans.
Zach Varnell
Zach Varnell is a cybersecurity expert and advocate for privacy and individual liberty. He is a founding member of Banish Big Brother, a nonprofit dedicated to combating invasive surveillance. He also runs Asteros, a security firm that helps software teams and compliance-driven organizations understand and reduce their real-world risk. His insights have been featured in publications like Infosecurity Magazine, Threatpost, ZDNET, and the Washington Examiner.