Episode 607 • • 43:55 - 48:46
607: Big Sandy
Venture Capital, Intelligence Agencies, and the Skype Acquisition
A theory is presented suggesting that intelligence agencies use venture capital to "acqui-hire" and neutralize technologies that threaten government surveillance, such as encrypted email. The hosts discuss eBay's 2005 purchase of Skype, led by Pierre Omidyar, as a potential example of a bungled acquisition that eventually led to Microsoft's involvement. They argue that many promising privacy tools are intentionally shelved by VC firms with ties to the NSA.