The Data Diva E194 - Rex M Lee and Debbie Reynolds

"The Data Diva" Talks Privacy Podcast

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Debbie Reynolds, “The Data Diva” talks to Rex M Lee, Tech Journalist, Security Advisor, My Smart Privacy. We discuss his career in the cellular phone industry, detailing his involvement in developing Houdini Soft, a platform that allowed unlocking and reprovisioning of devices. He discusses the legal battles and controversies surrounding the platform, emphasizing its role in empowering consumers to have control over their devices. Additionally, he connects the platform's relevance to cybersecurity and its impact on the industry's landscape, shedding light on the challenges and the consumer rights upheld in the 2009 Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) ruling. Furthermore, he delves into the broader implications of surveillance capitalism and data mining in the tech industry, highlighting the role of operating systems in supporting these technologies.

Rex Lee delves into the historical progression of operating systems, tracing the shift from iPods to smartphones and the implications for user surveillance. He emphasized the role of pre-installed apps in data collection and the subsequent adoption of a targeted advertising business model rooted in surveillance capitalism by major companies like Google, Apple, and Microsoft. Furthermore, he illustrates how these companies control global access to Internet trade and commerce, leading to centralization. Debbie Reynolds contributes to the discussion by highlighting the data collection capabilities of unused apps on phones, underscoring the far-reaching impact of surveillance practices. Rex Lee passionately discusses the exploitation of privacy, security, and civil liberties in the digital age, emphasizing the need for an electronic bill of rights to address these concerns. He advocated for individuals to have control over their personal information and opposed surveillance capitalism business practices, calling for the abolition of contracts of adhesion. Debbie Reynolds agrees with Lee's perspectives and appreciates the insights shared, acknowledging the importance of the discussion on privacy and security in the digital era. The conversation also touched on their professional backgrounds and, a mutual appreciation for each other's work, and his wish for privacy in the future.

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