12 chapters across the catalog
The FCC chairman announces plans to reinstate Net Neutrality rules. The hosts argue that Net Neutrality actually "downgrades" internet speeds to a common mean and provides a pretext for governments to throttle "illegal traffic." They specifically identify Tor and BitTorrent protocols as the likely targets of deep packet inspection, which could be used to eliminate movie sharing and anonymous browsing under the guise of equal traffic.
Internet Holy Grails, Keyword Search Warrants
The evolution of the internet is discussed through three "holy grails": universal information access, targeted advertising, and customized news feeds. Current privacy concerns are highlighted by reports of the government using keyword search warrants to identify individuals based on Google search history.
California passed its own net neutrality law, which the hosts argue is misunderstood and primarily benefits large tech companies like Google and Netflix. They point out that the law allows ISPs to block "unlawful content," which could target torrents and Bitcoin. The discussion explores how the fragmentation of streaming services is leading to a resurgence in illegal downloading.
No Agenda Torrent, Historical Archive Seeding
A community-led effort has successfully created a high-speed torrent of the first 1,000 episodes of the show. Seeders from around the world are contributing to ensure the long-term survival of the show's historical archive in an indestructible format.
Subscriber Numbers, PayPal Issues and Financial Stability
The hosts admit that determining exact "subscriber" numbers is impossible due to the nature of podcasting, proxies, and BitTorrent distribution. They estimate their audience is between 50,000 and 400,000, though only about 1,500 people are active $5 monthly subscribers. They discuss technical issues with PayPal that often cause subscriptions to lapse, affecting the show's financial stability.
Net Neutrality Ruling, Title II and Illegal Traffic
A federal court upheld the FCC's net neutrality rules, reclassifying high-speed internet as a public utility under Title II. The hosts argue this is the "beginning of the end" for the free web, as it allows for the regulation of "legal" vs "illegal" traffic. They suggest this could eventually lead to the throttling of VPNs, torrents, and blockchain technologies under the guise of utility regulation.
The hosts conclude the discussion on net neutrality by explaining the technical difference between peering and transit. They preview upcoming topics for the Sunday show, including Singularity University and aviation news, before signing off for the episode.
New resources for listeners are announced, including a complete archive of all past episodes at a dedicated URL. A service called Bitlove.org is highlighted for automatically creating torrents of the show's RSS feed. Appreciation is again shown for the community members maintaining these technical tools and the art generator.
Department of Homeland Security, ICE Domain Name Seizures
The Department of Homeland Security's Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) unit reportedly seized approximately 70 domain names, including Torrent-Finder and Rap Godfathers, for alleged copyright violations. Technical analysis of the "seized" landing pages reveals tracking via Google Analytics and redirection to servers managed by the IMMIX Group under a $7.8 million federal contract. A spokesperson for ICE, Corey W. Bassett, confirmed the court-ordered warrants to the New York Times, though skeptics noted the timing coincided with annual holiday crackdowns on counterfeit goods.
The entire archive of the defunct GeoCities web hosting service has been made available as a one-terabyte torrent. The hosts discuss the importance of saving web pages as PDFs or local files to prevent information loss due to "404" errors and corporate shutdowns.
The hosts read more listener letters, including one from a woman who donated after recovering lost rings. They emphasize that the show's lack of traditional sponsors allows for total editorial freedom. The segment concludes with a discussion on the show's availability via torrents and the growth of the "No Agenda" producer ecosystem.
The hosts express disappointment that "The Hurt Locker" won the Academy Award for Best Picture, labeling it as "bogus" pro-war propaganda. Having spent time in Iraq, one host argues the film bears no resemblance to the actual lives of soldiers on the ground. They also note that despite the critical acclaim, the movie was a commercial failure and heavily pirated via BitTorrent.
