Episode 6. The Digital Underworld: Dr. Janos Mark Szakolczai on his forthcoming Book on Onlife Crime, Digital Harm and Tech Colonialism

In this episode of the Intelligence Explosion podcast, host Tamim Asey sits down with Dr. Janos Mark Szakolczai, author of the forthcoming book Onlife Criminology: Virtual Crimes and Real Harms (Bristol University Press, 2025).Together they explore how the digital and physical worlds have collapsed into one, creating new forms of crime, harm, and power. The discussion covers everyday surveillance and predictive policing, Big Tech’s business models of addiction and inequality, digital colonialism in the Global South, the erosion of trust through deepfakes and conspiracies, and Dr. Janos’s call for an “Offlife” future to reclaim autonomy in a hyperconnected world.It’s a thought-provoking conversation about the hidden architectures of control, the future of digital freedoms, and the urgent choices societies face. Tune in for an eye-opening journey into the Onlife.