Mitch Joel's Blog: Six Pixels of Separation, page 24

SPOS #958 – Greg Epstein On How Technology Became Religion

Welcome to episode #958 of Six Pixels of Separation – The ThinkersOne Podcast.

Greg Epstein is not your average chaplain. As the Humanist Chaplain at both Harvard University and MIT, Greg bridges the gap between spirituality and secular life, offering a unique perspective that resonates deeply in today’s rapidly evolving world. With a rich background that spans philosophy, ethics, and humanism, Greg has become a beacon for those seeking meaning beyond traditional religious frameworks. In this conversation, Greg dives into his new book, Tech Agnostic – How Technology Became The World’s Most Powerful Religion, And Why It Desperately Needs A Reformation (his first book is: Good Without God – What A Billion Nonreligious People Do Believe). Picture this: technology has ascended to the status of a global deity, worshipped and unquestioned. Greg challenges this reverence, urging us to adopt a stance of skepticism and agnosticism towards our digital overlords. He doesn’t advocate for abandoning technology but rather for a thoughtful and ethical approach to its integration into our lives. Greg draws on his extensive experience advising corporations, government agencies, and non-profits to highlight the ethical dilemmas posed by unchecked technological advancement. He likens the current tech-driven era to a modern-day religious movement, complete with its own set of beliefs, rituals, and moral codes. However, unlike traditional religions that offer community and purpose, technology often isolates us, fostering a superficial connection that lacks depth and genuine human interaction. Throughout our conversation, Greg emphasizes the importance of critical thinking and ethical accountability in shaping the future of technology. He challenges leaders and innovators to ask the tough questions: Who benefits from this technology? What are the unintended consequences? How can we ensure that advancements serve the greater good rather than narrow interests? Tech Agnostic is more than just a critique of our tech-obsessed society; it’s a call to action for a reimagined relationship with technology – one that prioritizes human values, ethical integrity, and meaningful connections. Greg’s insights are both timely and timeless, offering a roadmap for navigating the complexities of our digital age with wisdom and compassion. If you’re grappling with the pervasive influence of technology in your personal or professional life, Greg’s perspectives offer a refreshing and necessary counterbalance. His work serves as a reminder that amidst the rapid advancements and digital transformations, our humanity remains our most valuable asset. Enjoy the conversation…

Running time: 1:01:19.Hello from beautiful Montreal.Subscribe over at Apple Podcasts.Please visit and leave comments on the blog – Six Pixels of Separation.Feel free to connect to me directly on Facebook here: Mitch Joel on Facebook.Check out ThinkersOne.or you can connect on LinkedIn.…or on Twitter.Here is my conversation with Greg Epstein.Tech Agnostic – How Technology Became The World’s Most Powerful Religion, And Why It Desperately Needs A Reformation.Good Without God – What A Billion Nonreligious People Do Believe.Follow Greg on X.Follow Greg on LinkedIn.This week’s music: David Usher ‘St. Lawrence River’.

Chapters:

(00:00) – Introduction to Humanism and Technology.(15:05) – The Intersection of Technology and Religion.(29:48) – Workism: The New Religion?(45:00) – AI and the Future of Human Interaction.(01:00:07) – Personal Reflections and Conclusion.

Download the Podcast here: Six Pixels of Separation – The ThinkersOne Podcast – Episode #958.

Before you go… ThinkersOne  is a new way for organizations to buy bite-sized and personalized thought leadership video content (live and recorded) from the best Thinkers in the world. If you’re looking to add excitement and big smarts to your meetings, corporate events, company off-sites, “lunch & learns” and beyond, check it out.

Six Links That Make You Think #751

Is there one link, story, picture or thought that you saw online this week that you think somebody you know must see?

My friends: Alistair Croll (Solve for Interesting, Tilt the Windmill, Interesting Bits, HBS, chair of Strata, Startupfest, FWD50, and Scaletechconf; author of Lean Analytics and some other books), Hugh McGuire (Rebus Foundation, PressBooks, LibriVox) and I decided that every week the three of us are going to share one link for one another (for a total of six links) that each individual feels the other person “must see.”

Check out these six links that we’re recommending to one another: 

The Man Who Bought Pine Bluff, Arkansas – Max Read – Read Max. “Much has been written about the resurgence of small towns in America. What’s not to like? Tariffs will bring manufacturing home and the Internet means you can work from anywhere. Why not go where rents are low, and try to rekindle a town that’s collapsed from urbanism? I’m waiting for this to turn into a Netflix show or true crime podcast.” (Alistair for Hugh). I’m A Neurology Icu Nurse. The Creep Of Ai In Our Hospitals Terrifies Me – Michael Kennedy & Isobel Cockerell – Coda . “In The Perils of Automation, a The Guardian piece I read years back, we learn that those whose jobs are automated have their basic skills atrophy. Airplane autopilots do this to their human pilots, which is why pilots practice emergencies in flight simulators so much. Otherwise, those pilots are idle; the autopilot only hands them control when it encounters something it can’t handle. But AI is about to spread autopilots to every industry, resulting in unprepared humans that are handed crises. Automating the drudgery of documentation is a clear target for these algorithms – but by reducing a patient to ratings and rankings, it has the side effect of not letting humans understand the patient’s situation, which robs caregivers of automation. There’s a lot in here that foreshadows how other industries will change as AI joins the workforce.” (Alistair for Mitch). What If Cities Finally Legalized Adult Dorms? – Rachel M. Cohen – Vox . “Up until the post war period, in the United States and Canada, rooming houses were common, where single men, labourers and immigrants rented a room and (usually) had meals and cleaning provided by the owner and small staff. In the 1946, movie It’s a Wonderful Life, for instance, Jimmy Stewart‘s mother runs a rooming house, illustrating the difficulties of banks and housing that underpin the movie. That model mostly disappeared, with a combination of a massive housing build, suburbanization, zoning laws banning multi-occupancy dwellings, and public housing. But as far as housing goes, we’re facing a huge crisis of affordability and availability. One solution is to take all these empty office buildings and turn them into massive dorms: multiple bedrooms or units, with central kitchens and bathrooms. This is the first half of the premise for my late-capitalist-dystopia-horror script.” (Hugh for Alistair). Police Hunt 43 Monkeys That Escaped From A South Carolina Research Facility – Patrick Smith, Austin Mullen And Doha Madani – NBC News . “Here is part two of my late-capitalist-dystopia-horror script: 43 rhesus macaque monkeys escaped from a research facility called Alpha Genesis, in Beaufort County, South Carolina. From the article: ‘The monkeys are a group of ‘very young females’ that have never been used for testing. An Alpha Genesis spokesperson confirmed to police that the animals ‘are too young to carry disease.’ Alpha Genesis, in case you are looking for a job, is ‘one of the largest and most comprehensive non-human primate facilities, designed specifically for monkeys, in the United States.’.” (Hugh for Mitch). The Art Of Time Travel – Katie Neith – Nautilus . “While we’re all obsessing over digital technology and transformation roadmaps, Lia Halloran‘s creating art that fundamentally challenges how we perceive technology’s role in our lives. She describes telescopes as ‘machines of longing’ – tools that extend our desire to understand what’s beyond our reach. Here’s what really got me: She says, ‘It’s not about what’s out there, it’s about your perception of what’s out there.’ Halloran combines century-old techniques like cyanotype with modern approaches. She’s not choosing between old and new – she’s creating something better by combining both. There’s some thinking here in that the future of business isn’t about the technology itself. It’s about how that technology changes our perception of what’s possible. And isn’t that a much more exciting perspective?” (Mitch for Alistair). The Podcast Election – Scott Galloway – No Mercy / No Malice . “As a Canadian, this past US Presidential election has been ‘fascinating’ (’terrifying’?) to watch – on many different levels. I’m guessing for many, they won’t be able to get beyond the politics of this article to really think deeply about just how much the media landscape has shifted. From celebrity endorsements to the power of podcasting. Scott Galloway does a great job of breaking down the true new media landscape. My podcast, Six Pixels of Separation – The ThinkersOne Podcast, has been published weekly for over eighteen years… suddenly, podcasting is – once again – new media? But the power? The audience? The viewers/listeners? The connection with the hosts? It’s… very… interesting. I’ve been a fan of the genre (as a listener – not just as a host) for closer to twenty years… I’m, certainly, thrilled to see its ascent. Also, were not for those early days of podcasting, I would have never met Hugh” (Mitch for Hugh).

Feel free to share these links and add your picks on X, Facebook, in the comments below or wherever you play.

Before you go… ThinkersOne  is a new way for organizations to buy bite-sized and personalized thought leadership video content (live and recorded) from the best Thinkers in the world. If you’re looking to add excitement  and big smarts to your meetings, corporate events, company off-sites, “lunch & learns” and beyond, check it out.

More On Canada’s Crackdown On The Business Of TikTok

What’s really behind Canada’s move to shutter TikTok‘s Canadian offices?

The stated reason?
National security threats and potential data sharing with the Chinese government (more on that here: Tik-ing Time Bomb – Canada’s Crackdown On The Business Of TikTok)
Still, the platform itself remains fully accessible to all Canadian users as-is (no changes or additional oversight to the algorithm).

If data privacy and surveillance are the core concerns, wouldn’t the greater risk lie within the app, not the local ad sales operations?

Is this less about security and more about seizing control of the bigger media narrative?
With TikTok emerging as a dominant force in the battle for consumer attention, could this be another attempt to hobble a perceived threat to the traditional and local media players?

As lawmakers grapple with content regulation and the rise of online harms, how does this all work?

Without a Canadian business office, might this mean that Canadian advertisers will deal with TikTok’s US-based sales office and geo-target the ads to Canada?
Or, is this a calculated move by the government in the name of delivering a symbolic warning shot to China?
It’s not just about the hundreds of Canadians employed at TikTok, it’s also about the creators, brands, and small/medium businesses that have leveraged the platform to build audiences and drive growth.
Policymakers should provide a comprehensive, coherent explanation – one that goes beyond two words (“national security”) and speaks to the broader implications for Canada’s digital future…. and more importantly, why shuddering media sales but leaving the app fully accessible solves anything…

Lots and lots of questions.

This is what Trudie Mason and I discussed on CJAD 800 AM. Listen in right here.

Mitch Joel · More On Canada’s Crackdown On The Business Of TikTok

Before you go… ThinkersOne is a new way for organizations to buy bite-sized and personalized thought leadership video content (live and recorded) from the best Thinkers in the world. If you’re looking to add excitement and big smarts to your meetings, corporate events, company off-sites, “lunch & learns” and beyond, check it out.

Brigid Schulte On Transforming The Daily Grind Into A Better Life – This Week’s Six Pixels of Separation Podcast

Episode #957 of Six Pixels of Separation – The ThinkersOne Podcast is now live and ready for you to listen to:

Brigid Schulte is an award-winning journalist and bestselling author who has spent her career delving into the intricacies of modern life, particularly the challenges of balancing work, love, and play. With nearly 17 years at The Washington Post, where she was part of a team that won The Pulitzer Prize, Brigid has written for a myriad of publications including The Atlantic, The Guardian, Time, and Slate. Her work often focuses on the unsustainable pace of our always-on culture and the societal narratives that shape our perceptions of success and fulfillment. In this conversation, Brigid discusses her latest book, Over Work – Transforming The Daily Grind In The Quest For A Better Life (her first book was, Overwhelmed – Work, Love, And Play When No One Has Time). She explores how, despite advancements meant to make life easier, many of us feel more pressed for time than ever. The pandemic, she notes, has been a catalyst in reshaping our understanding of work and its true value. It has highlighted stark disparities between knowledge workers who can work remotely and low-wage workers who often face systemic barriers to advancement. Brigid challenges the long-held belief that longer hours equate to better work, emphasizing that this narrative is flawed and detrimental. Workers today are increasingly seeking meaningful and dignified work, and leadership plays a crucial role in shaping a culture that supports this. We delve into how technology, while disruptive, also has the potential to create new job opportunities – but only if we rethink how we value different types of work. If you’re interested in understanding the complexities of modern work culture and exploring actionable ways to create a more balanced and fulfilling life, Brigid’s insights are both enlightening and timely. Enjoy the conversation…

You can grab the latest episode of Six Pixels of Separation here (or feel free to subscribe via Apple Podcast or whatever platform you may choose):  #957 – Six Pixels of Separation – The ThinkersOne Podcast.

Before you go… ThinkersOne  is a new way for organizations to buy bite-sized and personalized thought leadership video content (live and recorded) from the best Thinkers in the world. If you’re looking to add excitement and big smarts to your meetings, corporate events, company off-sites, “lunch & learns” and beyond, check it out.

SPOS #957 – Brigid Schulte On Transforming The Daily Grind Into A Better Life

Welcome to episode #957 of Six Pixels of Separation – The ThinkersOne Podcast.

Brigid Schulte is an award-winning journalist and bestselling author who has spent her career delving into the intricacies of modern life, particularly the challenges of balancing work, love, and play. With nearly 17 years at The Washington Post, where she was part of a team that won The Pulitzer Prize, Brigid has written for a myriad of publications including The Atlantic, The Guardian, Time, and Slate. Her work often focuses on the unsustainable pace of our always-on culture and the societal narratives that shape our perceptions of success and fulfillment. In this conversation, Brigid discusses her latest book, Over Work – Transforming The Daily Grind In The Quest For A Better Life (her first book was, Overwhelmed – Work, Love, And Play When No One Has Time). She explores how, despite advancements meant to make life easier, many of us feel more pressed for time than ever. The pandemic, she notes, has been a catalyst in reshaping our understanding of work and its true value. It has highlighted stark disparities between knowledge workers who can work remotely and low-wage workers who often face systemic barriers to advancement. Brigid challenges the long-held belief that longer hours equate to better work, emphasizing that this narrative is flawed and detrimental. Workers today are increasingly seeking meaningful and dignified work, and leadership plays a crucial role in shaping a culture that supports this. We delve into how technology, while disruptive, also has the potential to create new job opportunities – but only if we rethink how we value different types of work. If you’re interested in understanding the complexities of modern work culture and exploring actionable ways to create a more balanced and fulfilling life, Brigid’s insights are both enlightening and timely. Enjoy the conversation…

Running time: 1:01:17.Hello from beautiful Montreal.Subscribe over at Apple Podcasts.Please visit and leave comments on the blog – Six Pixels of Separation.Feel free to connect to me directly on Facebook here: Mitch Joel on Facebook.Check out ThinkersOne.or you can connect on LinkedIn.…or on Twitter.Here is my conversation with Brigid Schulte.Over Work – Transforming The Daily Grind In The Quest For A Better Life.Overwhelmed – Work, Love, And Play When No One Has Time.Follow Brigid on X.Follow Brigid on LinkedIn.This week’s music: David Usher ‘St. Lawrence River’.

Chapters:

(00:00) – Introduction to Overwork and Its Context.(03:02) – The Impact of the Pandemic on Work Culture.(05:52) – The Reality of Low-Wage Work.(08:53) – The Illusion of Job Abundance.(12:00) – The Disconnect Between Work and Wages.(15:10) – The Role of Technology in Future Work.(17:53) – Rethinking Work and Value.(23:51) – The Future of Work: Possibilities and Challenges.(27:13) – The Importance of Meaningful Work.(29:56) – Cultural Perceptions of Work.(36:06) – The Role of Leadership in Work Culture.(41:58) – The Question of Economic Growth.(48:09) – Grassroots Movements for Change.(50:51) – The Power of Stories in Work Culture.(56:56) – Conclusion and Reflections on Change.

Download the Podcast here: Six Pixels of Separation – The ThinkersOne Podcast – Episode #957.

Before you go… ThinkersOne  is a new way for organizations to buy bite-sized and personalized thought leadership video content (live and recorded) from the best Thinkers in the world. If you’re looking to add excitement and big smarts to your meetings, corporate events, company off-sites, “lunch & learns” and beyond, check it out.

Six Links That Make You Think #750

Is there one link, story, picture or thought that you saw online this week that you think somebody you know must see?

My friends: Alistair Croll (Solve for Interesting, Tilt the Windmill, Interesting Bits, HBS, chair of Strata, Startupfest, FWD50, and Scaletechconf; author of Lean Analytics and some other books), Hugh McGuire (Rebus Foundation, PressBooks, LibriVox) and I decided that every week the three of us are going to share one link for one another (for a total of six links) that each individual feels the other person “must see.”

Check out these six links that we’re recommending to one another: 

Again – Harper Reed. “I’m on a train back from FWD50, a digital government conference I run each year. On Tuesday night, we hosted an afterparty for public servants to watch the election results come in. One of the folks who spoke in between broadcasts was Harper Reed, who was CTO on the 2012 Obama campaign. As the attendees rolled in for the final day on November 6th, many were shellshocked, wondering what the next US Administration’s changes will mean for the rest of the world. Harper captured what many were feeling in this post. It’s not fun, but it’s pragmatic.” (Alistair for Hugh). Ethan Mollick On Zoom And AiI – X . “Ethan Mollick is a great chronicler of advances in AI. He’s also, sometimes, a superb troll. On learning that a new startup, HeyGen, had now created interactive ‘influencers’, he invited one to a Zoom, instructing it to be the most generic Zoom participant on a team call ever. Hilarity ensued – so of course, he invited a second one and let them interact. If you want to know what the Dead Internet looks like, and understand why the future of content relies on legitimacy and verification, look no further. And if your team calls sound like this, quit your job.” (Alistair for Mitch). Eliminating The Human – David Byrne – MIT Technology Review . “David Byrne of the Talking Heads muses on the side-effects of removing in-person human interaction (with strangers) through the logic techno-efficiency that underpins Silicon Valley.” (Hugh for Alistair). Just Evil Enough: Subversive Marketing Strategies For Startups – Alistair Croll (Author, Advisor, Entrepreneur) – Lenny’s Podcast . “A certain Alistair Croll on the wonderful Lenny’s Podcast, talking about his new book: Just Evil Enough, about how true success comes from great go-to-market strategies that subvert the system.” (Hugh for Mitch). How To Sell A Million Copies Of Your Non-Fiction Book – Charlie Hoehn . “I have many thoughts about the state of business books and non-fiction reads. I know that you are on the cusp of releasing your new book, Just Evil Enough. With that, I was also on a webinar this week with Charlie Hoehn. I was super impressed with his thinking and strategy around what authors can do to sell more books. One of the articles that was referenced in the meeting is this one. While it came out nearly five years ago, the sentiment remains. I might even argue that the market has become tougher, making his main points even more relevant and profound. I’m not sure what to make of the other side of this all, which is the people who will buy… and hopefully read your book. I am starting to think that that marketplace is dwindling as well. I am open to be proven wrong. It would make me really happy to hear that the numbers of readers for books like this isn not dwindling. In the meantime, if anyone is thinking about writing a book… start here…” (Mitch for Alistair).  The Deepest Healing, Stop Thinking Too Much, Eliminate Stress, Anxiety And Calm The Mind – Deep Healing Energy – YouTube . “I’ll be the first to admit that this ’shared’ link is more projection than anything else. I’ll assume like me, this has been a week… a month… a year… I have YouTube Premium, so having access to this 12 hour long video (which I downloaded as well) has been VERY helpful in my darkest hours… or when I just need a mini ‘escape’ from the doom scrolling and endless news cycle. Get some rest, take a break, get a better night’s sleep… please… Listen… enjoy… and deep breaths… it will all work out just fine…” (Mitch for Hugh).

Feel free to share these links and add your picks on X, Facebook, in the comments below or wherever you play.

Before you go… ThinkersOne  is a new way for organizations to buy bite-sized and personalized thought leadership video content (live and recorded) from the best Thinkers in the world. If you’re looking to add excitement  and big smarts to your meetings, corporate events, company off-sites, “lunch & learns” and beyond, check it out.

Emma Anzai From Evanescence And Sick Puppies On This Month’s Groove – The No Treble Podcast

“Wait… did I miss something? Why is there an article about a bass podcast on Six Pixels of Separation?”

Here’s why:
In the late nineties my first job was as a music journalist (actually, my first interview was with Tommy Lee from Motley Crue right before the band released Dr. Feelgood).
I spent many years interviewing musicians and artists for local weekly alternative newspapers, national and international magazines (and even published three music magazines – before we had the Internet).
I also studied and played the electric bass (in high school and post-secondary) and always felt like bass players never really had a chance to tell their stories.
So, about ten years ago, Seth Godin introduced me to Corey Brown (founder of No Treble – one of the world’s biggest bass platforms – and he also worked on Squidoo with Seth).
From there, Corey and I decided to try this monthly podcast where I would interview bass players and talk about their music, art, creativity and more.
I’m hopeful that these conversations will inspire your work, creativity and innovation as much as they do for me…

Emma Anzai from Evanescence and Sick Puppies is this month’s conversation on Groove – The No Treble Podcast.

You can listen the new episode right here: Groove – The No Treble Podcast – Episode #119 – Emma Anzai.

Emma Anzai, known for her dynamic bass playing with both Sick Puppies and, more recently, Evanescence, reflects on her evolution as a musician, her unexpected path to bass, and the impact of viral YouTube moments on her career. Her musical journey began in high school, where watching other bands perform piqued her interest in the electric bass. Emma’s career took off with Sick Puppies, propelled by the viral “Free Hugs” campaign that featured their song ‘All the Same’. This viral moment, which gathered millions of views on YouTube (almost 80 million views), played a huge role in the band’s success and remains a cherished memory for Emma, who values its power to connect with fans on a profound level. Joining Evanescence in 2022, Emma navigates the balance between her commitments to both bands. Her relationship with Evanescence dates back to their shared tours, where she connected with Amy Lee (singer), leading to her eventual recruitment. The transition has been seamless, with Emma’s approach to Evanescence’s music respectful of the band’s legacy. For her, adapting to the gothic, choral-driven style of Evanescence presents a new challenge that complements her rock roots from Sick Puppies. Emma highlights the distinct yet enduring appeal of rock music, observing how live performances remain crucial in keeping the genre vibrant, despite its shift away from the mainstream charts. She embraces the ebb and flow of the industry, maintaining optimism for rock’s place in music culture. For Emma, playing bass is more than a role – it’s a connection to the music and a constant evolution, balancing technical skill with heartfelt expression. Enjoy the conversation…

What is Groove – The No Treble Podcast?

This is an ambitious effort. This will be a fascinating conversation. Our goal at Groove is to build the largest oral history of bass players. Why Groove? Most of the content about the bass revolves around gear, playing techniques, and more technical chatter. For us, bassists are creative artists with stories to tell. They are a force to be reckon with. These are the stories and conversation that we will capture. To create this oral history of why these artists chose the bass, what their creative lives are like, and where inspiration can be found.

Listen in:  Groove – The No Treble Podcast – Episode #119 – Emma Anzai.

Are you interested in what’s next? How to decode the future? I publish between 2-3 times per week and then the Six Pixels of Separation Podcast comes out every Sunday. Feel free to subscribe (and tell your friends). 

Tik-ing Time Bomb – Canada’s Crackdown On The Business Of TikTok

Yesterday afternoon, the Canadian government ordered TikTok to shutter its business operations in the country.

There’s not a lot of information about why this is happening and what the expected outcome will be (more on this right here: Canada orders shutdown of TikTok’s Canadian business, app access to continue).
The government is citing national security concerns over potential spying and data access by the Chinese government.
TikTok claims otherwise.

Users can still access the app, watch and create content as normal – nothing is changing on this front.

The business operations (which, basically, sells ads to Canadian advertisers) is being forced to close.
If someone is spying on Canadians… is it happening in the app or in the office that sells advertising space?
Why close the ad sales offices but leave the entire platform as it is, if it is such a threat?
Also, the threat of surveillance and data harvesting isn’t limited to TikTok… don’t all social media platforms do this to their users?
Shouldn’t all media platforms have to adhere to same security, privacy and data laws?

Banning the local advertising operations does nothing in this case.

TikTok has become an increasingly vital channel for businesses, creators, and consumers.
And let’s not forget the broader impact on the Canadian media and advertising ecosystem.
Shutting down the company’s local operations could disrupt the livelihoods of countless media professionals and small-to-medium enterprises.
What’s to stop TikTok from simply selling ads in the US to Canadian advertisers and geo-targeting the messages to Canadians?
Can Canadian brands simply build their own TikTok channels and advertise/market directly to Canadian consumers?
Is this an algorithm problem?

Where’s the transparency?

As Canadian citizens, aren’t we entitled to understand the real motivations behind this decision?
How does it align with broader data privacy and security efforts across all media/social media platforms?
What is the balance between individual privacy and public interest, and the ability of citizens to access diverse sources of information?
As this continues to unfold, let’s hope that policymakers will provide a clear and comprehensive explanation why selling media in Canada must be banned, but leaving the entire platform accessible as it is makes sense.

And let’s hope for an answer that truly serves the best interests of all Canadians.

This is what Andrew Carter and I discussed on CJAD 800 AM. Listen in right here.

Mitch Joel · Tik-ing Time Bomb – Canada's Crackdown On The Business Of TikTok – The Andrew Carter Morning Show – CJAD 800

Before you go… ThinkersOne is a new way for organizations to buy bite-sized and personalized thought leadership video content (live and recorded) from the best Thinkers in the world. If you’re looking to add excitement and big smarts to your meetings, corporate events, company off-sites, “lunch & learns” and beyond, check it out.

Running Circles Around Security – When Your Fitness Tracker Knows Too Much

How safe is your fitness tracker?

Strava, the fitness app beloved by runners and cyclists worldwide (over 125 million active users), has become a surprising security risk for military personnel and the protective teams of high-profile leaders.
Known for its social sharing features and expansive activity maps, Strava’s reach has inadvertently exposed sensitive locations and patterns, from military bases to the daily routines of security personnel guarding figures like Emmanuel Macron and Joe Biden.
Which is weird, because at the heart of Strava’s appeal is its ability to create a community for fitness enthusiasts willing to share this kind of data.
Users can track their exercise metrics, compare their progress with friends, and establish public routes.
Still, these same features reveal user locations and routines, creating a potential security breach when used by individuals in sensitive roles.

How did this all happen?

A striking example surfaced when an Australian student observed “glowing trails” over the Syrian desert on Strava’s activity map.
Further investigation revealed these trails represented routes frequently taken by military personnel, inadvertently highlighting the presence and layout of military installations.
More recently, Le Monde took these concerns to another level, noting that the bodyguards of global leaders are identifiable through their public posts on Strava.
The Pentagon and France’s Ministry of Armed Forces have down-played these risks, yet for years, fitness enthusiasts in sensitive positions have continued to share their activity publicly, despite protocols advising otherwise.

Who is responsible for privacy in this case?

Strava, on its end, has pledged to simplify privacy settings, but ultimately shifts responsibility to users, emphasizing that only publicly shared data appears on their maps.
This situation reveals a regulatory paradox regarding consumer data and location privacy.
Fitness apps like Strava generate revenue by collecting user data and often selling it to third parties, leaving sensitive information vulnerable to exploitation.
While consumers agree to data-sharing terms, they rarely understand the full implications, especially in professions requiring discretion.
The lack of government oversight around how apps manage and share location data has raised alarms among cybersecurity experts, who argue for stricter regulations to protect users from unintended exposure.
For the military and security agencies, the risks are complex.

Banning personal devices entirely might be unrealistic, highlighting the need for a balanced approach to safety and convenience.

Digital culture’s boundaries between public and private data are eroding.
Apps like Strava, initially designed for convenience and social sharing, now blur the lines of personal security.
The constant location tracking, while attractive to fitness buffs, exposes vulnerabilities that might not be fully appreciated until they’re exploited (like when might be a good time to rob your home).

For most users, this is a benign choice.

Strava’s security challenges are a reminder that digital tools enhance connectivity and community, but always require a level of awareness and caution – especially when personal safety and national security intersect.

Ultimately, for those in high-stakes roles, privacy settings alone may no longer be enough.

This is what Justine McIntyre and I discussed on CJAD 800 AM. Listen in right here.

Mitch Joel · Running Circles Around Security – When Your Fitness Tracker Knows Too Much – The Elias Makos Show – CJAD 800

Before you go… ThinkersOne is a new way for organizations to buy bite-sized and personalized thought leadership video content (live and recorded) from the best Thinkers in the world. If you’re looking to add excitement and big smarts to your meetings, corporate events, company off-sites, “lunch & learns” and beyond, check it out.

Ravin Jesuthasan On The Future Of Work – This Week’s Six Pixels of Separation Podcast

Episode #956 of Six Pixels of Separation – The ThinkersOne Podcast is now live and ready for you to listen to:

Ravin Jesuthasan is a global thought leader, futurist, and bestselling author who has dedicated his career to exploring the future of work, AI, and workforce transformation. As the Senior Partner and Global Leader for Transformation Services at Mercer, he has collaborated with some of the world’s most influential organizations to help them navigate the rapidly changing landscape of work. Ravin has led significant research projects for the World Economic Forum, focusing on topics like digital media’s impact on society, talent strategies in the fourth industrial revolution, and redefining the value of human capital in the new world of work. In this conversation, Ravin delves into his latest book, The Skills-Powered Organization – The Journey To The Next Generation Enterprise that he co-authord with Tanuj Kapilashrami (check out his other five books). He emphasizes that as AI, climate change, and geopolitical conflicts reshape our world, there’s an urgent need for organizations to transition from traditional job-based structures to skills-based models. This shift isn’t just a minor adjustment – it requires rethinking how work is organized and how talent connects to it. By focusing on skills as the new currency of work, organizations can become more agile, resilient, and adaptable. Ravin shares compelling examples of how AI is already transforming industries like healthcare and financial services. As AI takes over more technical tasks, transferable skills – like empathy, creativity, and critical thinking become increasingly important. The Skills-Powered Organization serves as a practical guide for leaders looking to navigate this transition. Ravin provides a step-by-step roadmap, discussing critical organizational capabilities, the transformative changes required, and the role of AI in accelerating this journey. He also examines how this shift enables a more seamless talent ecosystem, blending various types of employee and non-employee labor. Whether you’re a leader seeking to future-proof your organization or an individual aiming to stay relevant in a rapidly changing job market, Ravin’s insights offer valuable guidance on embracing the next generation of work. Enjoy the conversation…

You can grab the latest episode of Six Pixels of Separation here (or feel free to subscribe via Apple Podcast or whatever platform you may choose):  #956 – Six Pixels of Separation – The ThinkersOne Podcast.

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