Cover of Means of Control

Book · 2024 · Business & Economics

Means of Control

How the Hidden Alliance of Tech and Government Is Creating a New American Surveillance State

by Byron Tau · Brought up by 2 people on 1 podcast

Means of Control by Byron Tau has been mentioned in 2 episodes across 1 podcast (1 episode recommends it and 1 episode discusses it), through . Most frequently brought up by Erik Prince (1 episode) and Shawn Ryan (1 episode) on The Shawn Ryan Show (2 episodes).

episodes
2
podcast
1
people
2
episode recommends it
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There is a fantastic book written by Byron toao called the means of control.
Erik Prince · The Shawn Ryan Show · Jul 2024 Listen at 1:09:04

The best things said about it

1 of 3 · every mention
Discussed
You're the author of Means of Control, which focused on servicing the intersection of corporate data gathering and government surveillance.
Shawn Ryan The Shawn Ryan Show · Sep 2026

Why people recommend it

Means of Control by Byron Tau explores the intricate intersection of corporate data gathering, the data broker industry, and government surveillance practices. Erik Prince brought up the work on The Shawn Ryan Show, describing it as a fantastic publication that reveals how modern surveillance infrastructure was built. Shawn Ryan also discussed the book during an interview with the author, specifically mentioning its insights into how the government acquires private information and highlighting corporate entities like Glacier that operate within the data surveillance ecosystem. The book sheds light on the opaque mechanisms through which personal information is harvested, bought, and utilized by various powerful institutions. Podcast guests and hosts recommended the text for individuals seeking to understand modern privacy violations, digital tracking, and the evolving relationship between private corporations and state surveillance agencies. By examining the commercialization of personal data, the book provides a thorough investigation into how ordinary citizens are monitored in the digital age without their explicit awareness or consent.

Every mention

3 quotes from 2 episodes · 4 passing or ad reads below
Erik Prince there is a fantastic book written by Byron toao called the means of control 1
Recommended
“there is a fantastic book written by Byron toao called the means of control”
Shawn Ryan You're the author of Means of Control, which focused on servicing the intersection of corporate data gather… 1
Discussed
“You're the author of Means of Control, which focused on servicing the intersection of corporate data gathering and government surveillance.”
Discussed
“So, I'll tell you about that. So, you wrote about a company called Glacier in your in your book.”
Other mentions (4: passing, ad reads, own books)
Plugged
“Yeah, I mean, it's something I'm I'm interested in cuz it it grows out of my book.”
Plugged
“Cuz like you mentioned, I I did talk to Glacier in writing this book and and a few other people who made hardened phones.”
Plugged
“And I even detail in my book my attempts a few years ago to try to go buy a car without without a data connection.”
Plugged
“...and I think I found Glacier and I found the people at it as someone who was trying to solve this problem both for the private sector as well as having government clients and and at the time I was I was kind of thinking about the fact that privacy was be becoming something of a luxury good...”

Portraits from Wikimedia Commons: Erik Prince, Gage Skidmore / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0); Shawn Ryan, 總統府/Taiwan Presidential Office / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 4.0).