Andrew Gold

Journalist and podcaster Andrew Gold has been on “What the Hack with Adam Levin” before to discuss the relationship between magicians, conmen and scammers. He’s back this week to talk about something with much more weight.

After a trip to Germany where he was investigating the way potential sex crimes against children are seen by government agencies, Gold had very mixed feelings. We examine the ethics of the findings of that investigative reporting, with a focus on the government’s use of catfishing to coax potential sex offenders into seeking treatment. 

This is a difficult topic but an important look at how data privacy, crime prevention and the protection of minors give rise to an ethics dilemma. 

This week’s Tin Foil Swan will help you disable location tracking on your phone. 

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Read the episode transcript.