⚡ Why I Started Above Phone
@takebackourtech

On 7Sees, I was asked what led me to start a phone company—and it really began during my time working with the Freedom Cell Network. We were building solutions rooted in decentralization and autonomy… but still using Big Tech devices that completely went against those values.

I wanted to contribute something that was part of the solution. I had already been using Linux, and when I came across the Pixel phone, I saw the potential to build something better. With my team, we created Above Phone—privacy tech that empowers, not exploits.

📺 Full interview: Big Tech’s Billion Dollar Spy Industry
🔗 https://above.sh/7hBaQd

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🫶 @takebackourtech
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Dear peeps,

I've been traveling the mountains of Japan for the past week or so and for that reason the #TBOT show is delayed by a few days - we will likely publish Monday. In exchange, here's a picture about 2000 meters up on one of my favorite mountains - far far away from civilization :D

⚡️TBOT Show Episode #6: Big Tech Power Plays, WiFi Sense Tingling, ICE See You, Going Back IRL

Welcome back to the TBOT Show (now with a little positive news 💘)

Watch on Substack

This week’s stories:

Big Tech Makes Power Plays – Data centers across the US are securing first dibs on energy, consuming massive power and destroying the environment. Learn which companies and where.

Is Your WiFi sense tingling? – Comcast’s new “WiFi-Motion” tracks movement in your home using WiFi signals. It can literally see through walls.

ICE See You – An app that tracks ICE gains 240K users. Now the dev is under political fire. Legal? Moral? You decide.

Going back IRL – Youth in the Netherlands are ditching phones for “Offline Club.” The digital detox movement is here.

Solution – Convert units easily with ConverterNOW, a FOSS app on F-Droid.

🪧 Follow the show on Substack
📝 Follow our blog

⚡ How Much of Your Life Is Spent on a Screen?

At The People's Reset in Morelia this past January, I shared some eye-opening data: studies show that teenagers today are spending the equivalent of nearly 3 months per year in front of their phones. That’s not just screen time—that’s life being siphoned into devices designed for distraction and data extraction.

It’s time we reevaluate our relationship with technology.

🎥 Watch my full talk “Breaking Free of Abusive Technology” along with other powerful presentations on Empowering Technology: https://above.sh/Eqfrvk

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🫶 @takebackourtech
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Colombia seizes first unmanned narco-submarine with Starlink antenna
Article, Comments

⚡️Big Tech Makes Power Plays, own 50% of New Renewable Energy Projects

Google, Meta, Oracle, and Microsoft are draining power and water to feed hyperscale AI data centers—some the size of Manhattan. These companies now own half of all new renewable energy deals, and they’re eyeing nuclear as their next move.

They’re building data centers in poor towns, draining local aquifers, and making everyday people shoulder the energy burden. All to train AI and record society in real time.

It’s not just power—it’s control.

📚Read the article
🪧 Watch this full episode
💻 Get private phones, laptops, and tablets
📖 SIM Swap Survival Guide Webinar

🙏 Android’s Silent Data Collection

Modern Android phones are doing more behind the scenes than most people realize—automatically connecting to AI services, scanning incoming photos locally, and in many cases, sending that data straight to Google. I also gave a quick Above Phone demo to show the contrast: a phone that doesn’t assume control over your information.

📺 This clip comes from our webinar *What’s Your Privacy Score?* — watch the full webinar here.

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🫶 @takebackourtech
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⚡️What a SIM Swap Really Looks Like

A friend of mine got SIM swapped—and lost access to everything.
Bank. Crypto. Business. Email. Even his Wi-Fi.

It started with a fake eSIM prompt on his iPhone. He clicked Accept, and just like that, hackers took over his number and locked him out of his life.

No help from Apple, Google, police, or even the FBI.

We just did a webinar showing exactly how SIM swaps happen—and how to protect yourself.

Check it out: SIM Swap Survival Guide

Want real protection? Learn more and shop privacy-first tech

—
🫶 @takebackourtech
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📱What They’re Not Telling You About Your Phone

I joined Man in America to talk about how smartphones and other “smart” tech are being used to build a global surveillance state. We got into Palantir, remote access, forced updates, and the hidden costs of convenience—and what it really means to reclaim your privacy in a digital age.

Watch the full episode now: https://above.sh/QumZK5

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🫶 @takebackourtech
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⚡️ICE See You: ICEBlock Crowdsources Reports on the Location of Immigration Officials

An app called “ICE Block” is going viral for crowdsourcing police and immigration enforcement sightings—racking up 240,000 users in just weeks.

Read full article on Substack

The app works like an “early warning system,” sending alerts if ICE is spotted nearby. U.S. ICE officials claim it puts agents at risk—but offer no data to back that up.

Legal experts say the app is protected under free speech. Still, ICE Block is iOS-only and relies on Apple’s location services, meaning Apple could potentially identify its users.

Crowdsourced apps like ICE Block may help people avoid unjust enforcement, but they’re still centralized tools. Because they’re not open-source or decentralized, we have no choice but to trust the developers—and in a surveillance age, that’s a lot to ask.

👀 Watch this full episode
📱 Get private phones, laptops, and tablets
📅 Use private communications - full privacy tools for $15/month

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#TBOT is now part of GeopoliticsLive, a collection of channels covering geopolitics, politics, global news, economy, and more. All English speaking! Stay informed.

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⚡️WiFi Sensing Sees Through Walls

Comcast rolled out “WiFi Motion” to millions of routers. Once enabled, it tracks movement inside your home using signal strength between your router and devices.

Read full article on Substack

Xfinity admits it shares this motion data with law enforcement—no notice required.

This tech, called WiFi sensing, has been around for over a decade. It can track movement through walls, detect gestures, and monitor activity—originally used for breath tracking in hospitals.

Verizon and Google Nest offer similar tools. While sold as “security,” it opens the door to surveillance and EMF exposure—linked to anxiety, fatigue, and more.

Now’s the time to go wired.

🪧 Watch this full episode
📱 Get private phones, laptops, and tablets
🔒 Webinar replay — EMR awareness w/ Geophilia

⚡️How SIM Swaps Actually Work

Hackers don’t need your password—they just need your phone number.

Once they SIM swap you, every text and call goes to their device. Then they reset your accounts using 2FA codes sent by text.

It’s that easy to lose everything.

But the good news? You can protect yourself.

Watch the webinar now: SIM Swap Survival Guide

Want real protection? Learn more and shop privacy-first tech.

—
🫶 @takebackourtech
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⚡ From Skype to Surveillance: What’s Really Going On

On The Daily Pulse with Zeee Media, we talked about how Skype has quietly been shut down and users are now being funneled into Microsoft Teams—a platform with deeper integration, more data collection, and less transparency.

Meanwhile, Zoom records everything, and it’s no secret that your calls are being logged, stored, and potentially analyzed. But there are solutions. I shared some private, open-source alternatives that don’t treat your conversations like products.

You don’t have to settle for surveillance.

Watch the full show here: https://above.sh/GHXveM

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🫶 @takebackourtech
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⚡️Offline Club Brings Young Adults Back To Real Life

In searching for positive news for the #TBOT show, I came across an ‘Offline Club’ in the Netherlands. Younger people are self-aware enough to realize how bad social media has been for well… socializing.

This Dutch social movement holds local events where phones aren’t allowed, and creates containers in cafes for offline based interaction.

People get together to play board games, talk, and read! Amazing!

The British Standards Institution put out a recent survey to those under 21 years old, almost half said they would prefer to be young in a world without internet.

There’s hope still yet, don’t pre-judge the next generations. Now we just need to create offline spaces for the rest of us.

Take the charge! Let us know what offline spaces you are creating in your community.

👀 Watch this full episode
📱 Get private phones, laptops, and tablets
📅 Use private communications - full privacy tools for $15/month

#TBOT Show Takes a Break, Back with Episode 7 Next Week

Hey friends,

After a few weeks of travel I need to take some time to catch up with my day to day work! I’ll be taking this week off to focus and will be back with Episode 7 next week.

Watch full show on Substack

The #TBOT show is the most regular piece of content I’ve done and the community’s response has been so uplifting and motivating. Thank you for tuning in and giving me a reason to go down rabbit holes 🐇

Some more updates:

We have decided to publish on Mondays as it seems most of you crave the info throughout the week, no one wants to think about technology on the weekends. 😅

Also I’m working on an interview series for #TBOT, if you have any suggestions for who I should interview, leave a comment.

📱 Get private phones, laptops, and tablets
📅 Use private communications - full privacy tools for $15/

⚡ Finding Service After Ditching Big Carriers

One of our community members asked where to go for service after switching to an Above Phone—and I shared why we created the Above DataSIM. It’s a seamless way to stay connected without compromising on privacy, and it works great with your new setup.

📺 This clip comes from our webinar *What’s Your Privacy Score?* — watch the full webinar here.

—
🫶 @takebackourtech
🎥 VIDEOS| 📩 NEWSLETTER | XMPP | SUBSTACK

⚡️How at-risk are you for a SIM swap?

Here’s a quick test:
Search your texts for 6-digit codes. Every login code you find is a service tied to your phone number. That’s your risk score.

Most people have 8+ accounts relying on text-based 2FA—making them easy targets.

Your info might already be out there. But you can lower your risk and lock things down.

Watch the webinar now: SIM Swap Survival Guide

Want real protection? Learn more and shop privacy-first tech.

—
🫶 @takebackourtech
📩 WEBSITE & NEWSLETTER | 🎥 VIDEOS| XMPP | SUBSTACK

⚡️The Digital You: Built From Your Data
@takebackourtech

In this clip, I explain how your actions online—likes, searches, purchases—are constantly being tracked and used to build a digital profile of you. Not to serve you, but to predict, influence, and profit from your behavior.

They don’t need your permission. They already have your data.

📺 Learn how this system works—and what you can do to opt out.

Watch the full webinar here.
—
🫶 @takebackourtech
📩 WEBSITE & NEWSLETTER | 🎥 VIDEOS| XMPP | SUBSTACK

📂 Want alternative news? Check out these channels 📢

#TBOT is now part of GeopoliticsLive, a collection of channels covering geopolitics, politics, global news, economy, and more. All English speaking! Stay informed.

Whether you're seeking in-depth analysis, breaking news, or expert insights, our catalog has got you covered.

👉 ADD CHANNELS