3 chapters across the catalog
The investigation into the Smollett hoax utilized Chicago's extensive "POD" camera network and private surveillance like Ring doorbells to track the suspects. The hosts discuss the near-impossibility of avoiding detection in modern urban environments due to the density of digital tracking and ride-sharing data.
The Ring doorbell network, licensed to police departments nationwide, provides a continuous view of American streets, driven by consumer fear of package theft. The hosts also discuss how apps like Spotify mine user data and drain battery life through intensive background processing. They argue that this constant data mining is used not just for advertising, but to "shape" society by controlling what people watch, hear, and believe through algorithms.
"Nudging" is a psychological tactic used by governments and corporations to subtly influence public behavior and perception without overt coercion. Examples include the marketing of Ring doorbells through viral "native ads" of neighborhood crimes and the creation of the Social and Behavioral Science Team under the Obama administration. The failure of 2016 election polls is cited as an instance where aggressive nudging failed to overcome voter reality.
