Flock cameras have ignited a debate over surveillance, privacy, data collection, and public resistance. The MacVoices panel weighs in on the debate. They also discuss the risks of government-sponsored cyberattacks carried out by private companies, growing opposition to data centers over power and infrastructure demands, and the regulatory challenges surrounding their expansion.
The panel includes: Chuck Joiner, David Ginsburg, Web Bixby, Eric Bolden, Jeff Gamet, Jim Rea, Marty Jencius.
This edition of MacVoices is brought to you by our Patreon supporters. Get access to the MacVoices Slack and MacVoices After Dark by joining in at Patreon.com/macvoices.
Show Notes:
Chapters:
00:00 Flock Cameras, Cyber Mercenaries, and Data Center Pushback
00:29 The Growing Flock Camera Controversy
04:04 Returning to Flock Cameras and Public Awareness
05:57 Axon, Palantir, and Law Enforcement Technology
07:58 Surveillance Cameras Beyond the United States
11:53 Cameras Everywhere and Privacy Concerns
12:50 Private Companies Conducting Cyberattacks
14:50 Government Cyber Operations and Private Contractors
16:52 Data Center Development and Community Pushback
17:43 Data Center Moratoriums and Local Resistance
19:58 Lessons From Data Center Development in Texas
21:28 Power, Infrastructure, and the Costs of Data Centers
22:09 The Case For and Against Data Center Moratoriums
23:52 Exploring the MacWeek Archive
26:23 Panelist Wrap-Up and Closing Comments
Links:
The ‘Flocklash’ is getting louder—and more creative
https://www.fastcompany.com/91594793/flock-backlash-camera-surveillance-protests-grow-louder
White House recruits security firms to hack overseas cybercriminals
https://arstechnica.com/security/2026/08/white-house-recruits-security-firms-to-hack-overseas-cybercriminals/
President Trump signs a memo letting the US government partner with private companies to conduct cyberattacks abroad against criminal groups targeting Americans
https://www.techmeme.com/260813/p2#a260813p2
Gov. Josh Shapiro takes a hard line against ‘predatory’ data center developers in Pennsylvania
https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2028-election/gov-josh-shapiro-executive-order-data-centers-pennsylvania-rcna593177
PBS station fears losing 50TB of data after being ghosted by cloud storage provider
https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2026/08/pbs-station-fears-losing-50tb-of-data-after-being-ghosted-by-cloud-storage-provider/
The best look into Apple’s past comes from this ‘MacWeek’ archive
https://appleinsider.com/articles/26/08/19/the-best-look-into-apples-past-comes-from-this-macweek-archive?utm_source=rss
Guests:
Get detailed bios and contact information about for the panel on the MacVoices Live! Panel page on our web site:
https://macvoices.com/macvoiceslive/macvoices-live-panel/
Support:
Become a MacVoices Patron on Patreon
http://patreon.com/macvoices
Enjoy this episode? Make a one-time donation with PayPal
Connect:
Web:
http://macvoices.com
Twitter:
http://www.twitter.com/chuckjoiner
http://www.twitter.com/macvoices
Mastodon:
https://mastodon.cloud/@chuckjoiner
Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/chuck.joiner
MacVoices Page on Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/macvoices/
MacVoices Group on Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/groups/macvoice
LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/chuckjoiner/
Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/chuckjoiner/
Subscribe:
Audio in iTunes
Video in iTunes
Subscribe manually via iTunes or any podcatcher:
Audio: http://www.macvoices.com/rss/macvoicesrss
Video: http://www.macvoices.com/rss/macvoicesvideorss
