#TBOT Show 4: Android Open Source Still Alive, Trump Phone, XMR Based DarkNetMarket Taken Down, Big Tech Execs Now Colonels, Find Your Phone Privately

#TBOT Show 4: Android Open Source Still Alive, Trump Phone, XMR Based DarkNetMarket Taken Down, Big Tech Execs Now Colonels, Find Your Phone Privately

Author: The most important weekly tech news + solutions. June 20, 2025 Duration: 24:28

You ready for the download? Today we cover why Android Custom ROMs can push through lack of support, how Trump phone could never be made in the US, the new big tech executives sworn into the army, and how to find your phone privately.

šŸŽŠ Welcome to the #Take Back Our Tech show with Hakeem Anwar. Every Friday, tune into tech news that could change your life. Well-researched and with solutions - all in 20 minutes.

⭐ PLUS - Each story comes with recommendations and there’s one cool tech trick or open-source solution every week.

Stories in this episode:

Android Open Source Is Alive - Panic this week for privacy phones, as Google stopped releasing important components of their new Android release. How will alternative operating systems cope with these changes? We’ll find out.

Trump Phone - The sitting President launches yet another company, this time a mobile service and a gold phone. Is all that glitters gold, or are you going to be tracked by AI if you use this service? Find out more.

Biggest DarkNetMarket Takedown - ArcheTyp market, one of the biggest illegal drug markets that exist on Tor was just taken down and its moderator arrested. Estimated at $300M of revenue in Monero, we’ll look at how the players got caught.

Big Tech Executives Turned Colonels? Earlier this week, big tech executives from Meta, OpenAI, and Palantir were sworn in as Lieutenant Colonels. Learn more about the acceleration of the military’s AI transformation.

Find Your Phone and Friends, Privately? Hakeem will look into a new app that lets you share your location with contacts without needing a big tech connection.

🪧 Follow the show on SubstackšŸ“ Follow our blog #TBOT related news:

* Get a deep dive into SIM swapping on our Above webinar

* 5 Must-Change Privacy Settings on iPhone & Android

* Get privacy gear



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Hakeem Anwar hosts The #TBOT Show, a weekly podcast dedicated to cutting through the noise of the tech world. Instead of just reporting headlines, this show focuses on the technology news that actually shapes your daily routine, privacy, and digital freedom, explaining why it matters in clear terms. Each episode is designed to be concise and actionable, wrapping up in under twenty minutes. You’ll hear informed analysis and straightforward recommendations on how to navigate the week’s developments. True to its mission, every installment also provides a practical takeaway: this might be a powerful open-source tool you can use, a privacy-enhancing skill to learn, or a sustainable tech solution to implement. It’s a blend of necessary context and usable insight, making it a resource for anyone who wants to understand and take back control of their tech life. Tune in for a focused, efficient update that prioritizes depth over duration, ensuring you stay informed without being overwhelmed. This podcast delivers exactly what its author promises: the most important weekly tech news paired with tangible solutions.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 80

The #TBOT Show with Hakeem Anwar
Podcast Episodes
Live Demo of All Above Phone Privacy Features [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 4:50
For those new to Above products, Above CEO Hakeem Anwar provides a live demo of the Above Phone for total transparency of the device. Notably, GrapheneOS allows for total restriction of the microphone and camera on the A…
How iPhone and Android Leak Data Every 5 Minutes [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 4:23
Hakeem Anwar from Above Phone & Take Back Our Tech and Nicole Sauce from Living Free in Tennesee speak on the sharp uptick in interest of Android phone adoption, particularly in developing countries. The reason? Hakeem p…
Privacy and Social Media: Can They Coexist? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:12
Hakeem Anwar from Above Phone & Take Back Our Tech and Nicole Sauce from Living Free in Tennesee have a nuanced discussion about alternative social media platforms in the post-Telegram era that can genuinely respect our…
Cooperation between the surveillance state and Tech Giants [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 33:51
Hakeem Anwar of Above Phone and Take Back Our Tech on the surveillance state, growing Big Tech encroachments, and the tech alternatives in hot demand as people look to hang on to basic privacy: https://realitycheck.radio…
The Weaponization of Surveillance Pricing [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 5:15
Following the rise of e-commerce in the 2000s, surveillance pricing has emerged as a potent weapon wielded by corporations and tech giants to maximize profits at the expense of consumer privacy. This invasive practice ha…
Your Social Security Number Leaked on the Dark Web [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 5:33
In a year already marked by massive cybersecurity incidents, another major data breach has come to light, affecting millions of Americans. National Public Data (NPD), a background check company owned by Jerico Pictures I…
Police Officers Use AI Chatbots To Write Crime Reports [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 3:56
The Oklahoma City Police Department is experimenting with an AI tool called Draft One, developed by Axon, to generate initial drafts of incident reports. This system utilizes the audio recorded by officers' body cameras…
VIDEO: Making Up Security Vulnerabilities for Clicks [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 5:52
Earlier this month, major tech outlets picked up on findings from iVerify, a security company who claimed they discovered a malicious Android package (ā€˜Showcase.apk’) on millions of phones."The app vulnerability leaves m…
Telegram Plays Ball and Commits To Moderation [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 10:32
Last week on Telegram, chats were ablaze with rumors that direct messaging on the platform lost its encryption, after CEO Pavel Durov posted bail from a French jail and Telegram made a quiet update to their FAQ. Below yo…
The Technology Cold War: Russia & China Can’t Get Rid of Windows [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 11:02
The news cycle today indicates we’re moving through another Cold War, and despite the heightened tensions with Russia and China, neither country has shown significant progress in kicking Microsoft out of their countries.…