How Americans Are Surveilled During Protests | EUROtoday

You can comply with Michael Calore on Bluesky at @snackfight, Lauren Goode on Bluesky at @laurengoode, and Andrew Couts on Bluesky at @couts. Write to us at uncannyvalley@wired.com.

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Transcript

Note: This is an automatic transcript, which can comprise errors.

[Archival audio]: No justice, no peace. Ho ho. Trump and Musk have gotten to go.

Michael Heat: People are taking to the streets to problem President Donald Trump’s most up-to-date coverage adjustments, a few of which have been created with the help of Elon Musk and his so-called Department of Government Efficiency.

[Archival audio]: All 50 states noticed these so-called hands-off rallies and so did a couple of cities in Europe.

Michael Heat: The first hands-off protests occurred earlier this month. The Tesla Takedown demonstrations have been rolling for weeks and from the texture of it, we’re taking a look at a summer season filled with protests. So at the moment we’re speaking in regards to the dangers of being surveilled by legislation enforcement throughout protests. We’ll speak about how surveillance tech is getting used, the way it’s advanced through the years, and what it means for anybody taking to the streets or posting to social media to voice their considerations. This is WIRED’s Uncanny Valleya present in regards to the folks energy and affect of Silicon Valley. I’m Michael Calore, Director of Consumer Tech and Culture right here at WIRED.

Lauren Goode: And I’m Lauren Goode. I’m a senior author at WIRED.

Michael Heat: Katie Drummond is out at the moment, however we’re joined by WIRED’s Senior Editor of Security and Investigations, Andrew Couts.

Andrew Couts: Thanks a lot for having me.

Michael Heat: So let’s begin by speaking about what is going on on proper now. There are the hands-off protests, there are the Tesla Takedown protests. Are these associated in any respect?

Lauren Goode: The hands-off protests and the Tesla Takedown motion usually are not the identical, however they’re associated. They’re each not directly resisting a number of the insurance policies that Donald Trump has rapidly enacted with out congressional approval within the quick time since he took workplace in January. Tesla Takedown is pegged straight at Elon Musk who has this official however unofficial position in Trump’s administration because the chief of DOGE. We generally seek advice from him because the Buddy In Chief, and the thought there may be to problem Musk’s energy as one of many world’s richest males by devaluing one among his most vital companies within the personal sector, which is Tesla, whereas the hands-off protests are about every kind of issues. They’re protesting the firing of federal employees, the overreaching and doubtlessly unconstitutional immigration insurance policies, threats to girls’s rights and LGBTQ rights, threats to social safety, threats to healthcare. The record goes on. The concept is principally get your arms off my rights.