GizmoSapiens Show 279: Price Fixing, Plat Reading and the Death of the Status update

Chris and Matt dive into how automation and algorithms are quietly reshaping daily life: police misusing Flock’s license‑plate surveillance to stalk people, AI tools allegedly helping gas stations nudge prices higher, and seed patents tightening control over the food system. We also look at the UK’s push for “trusted” news ranking, the fragility of old‑school checks in the era of mail theft, and why more than half of Americans say they’ve basically stopped posting on social media. Along the way, we pull the threads together into a bigger story about power: who gets to watch, who gets to charge, who gets to speak, and who gets left exposed.   Please send Feedback to [email protected] See you on the Digital Flip-Side!