Earl Dietrich, Technology & Digital Freedom Correspondent

A former network administrator who saw too much during his 22 years in IT, Earl now dedicates his retirement to warning others about Big Tech surveillance. He was configuring networks before most people had email and understands how these systems were designed to track you. Earl uses a flip phone, pays exclusively in cash, and has hardened his digital footprint to near-invisibility. He lives off-grid (mostly) in a location he prefers not to specify, with a wife who tolerates his precautions and a laptop with tape over the webcam.