An epic essay that puts mass surveillance (as revealed by Edward Snowden) in historical perspective. An absolute must read.

From Weekly Filet #162, in May 2014.

Privacy under attack: the NSA files revealed new threats to democracy

Privacy under attack: the NSA files revealed new threats to democracy

💔 Some older links might be broken — that's the state of the web, sadly. If you find one, ping me.

Recent recommendations

COP30 delivered mix of success and failure, but that is no success at all

COP30 delivered mix of success and failure, but that is no success at all

businessgreen.com

Does modern medicine need to drop the distinction between mental and physical health?

Does modern medicine need to drop the distinction between mental and physical health?

pocketcasts.com

Are we doomed?

A Time of Monsters

A Time of Monsters

Explore more →

Explore collections

Making Sense of the Climate Crisis 41 links Making Sense of Artificial Intelligence 39 links All-time favourites 20 links The Stuff Our Modern World Runs On 13 links The Art of Thinking (Differently) 28 links Bingeworthy Podcasts & Episodes 36 links Stories, too good to put down 16 links

Book recommendations

2025 Book Club Books curious minds wished they discovered sooner Our most popular crowd-curated book recommendations thus far. Read the post →

Book Club illustration

Weekly Filet Book Club All recommendations from previous editions, at a glance. Find your next read → 📚 David's Bookshelf The books that shaped how I see the world and inform how I think and act. Browse the bookshelf →