Sand in Trump's Gears: Lessons from America

Sand in Trump's Gears: Lessons from America

From Technology Pill by Privacy International

February 13, 2026 · 53 min

About this episode

The episode discusses the ACLU's activities during Trump's second term with guest Ben Wizner.

This week we're talking to Ben Wizner from the American Civil Liberties Union about what the ACLU have been doing in the first year of Trump's second term, what the difference is between this time and last time, and how an earth they can keep up. Links ACLU report: https://www.aclu.org/campaigns-initiatives/aclu-vs-trump Kyllo case: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kyllo_v._United_States Underground Empire book: https://henryfarrell.net/underground-empire-2/ Swift work between PI and ACLU: https://privacyinternational.org/blog/1355/pi-and-aclu-show-swift-auditor-has-extensive-ties-us-government Yale lectures on National Security law: https://epe.yale.edu/videos/above-law-or-beneath-it-how-national-security-law-subverts-accountability-and-weakens-0 Asylum for White South Africans: h ttps://www.nytimes.com/2025/10/30/us/politics/trump-refugee-admissions-white-south-africans.html FISA reauth: https://theintercept.com/2026/01/29/nsa-702-fisa-surveillance/

People in this episode

Host: Privacy International

Guest: Ben Wizner

Topics covered

  • Trump's second term
  • civil liberties
  • ACLU actions
  • national security
  • surveillance
  • asylum policies

Keywords

  • ACLU
  • Trump
  • civil liberties
  • surveillance
  • national security
  • asylum
  • Kyllo case

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: American Civil Liberties Union, Privacy International, ACLU

Books & works: Underground Empire

Places: United States

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