Google, Digital Privacy, and Online Surveillance with Dr. Robert Epstein
Get Obsessed : With Living Your Best Life
06/23/26
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In this episode of the Get Obsessed podcast, Dr. Robert Epstein, psychologist, author, and Senior Research Psychologist at the American Institute for Behavioral Research and Technology, joins hosts Julie Lokun and Mika Altidor to discuss the growing influence of Google and other technology companies on privacy, behavior, and society.
Drawing from years of research, congressional testimony, and investigations into online manipulation, Dr. Epstein explains how search engines, online surveillance, and algorithmic systems can shape decisions without users realizing it. The conversation explores digital hygiene, election interference, artificial intelligence (AI), internet addiction, and practical ways individuals can protect their data privacy in an increasingly connected world.
In this episode, we discuss:
- How Dr. Epstein's research initially showed Google's unexpected power to shift voters
- Why Google's reach extends far beyond search and what that means for everyday users
- Practical digital hygiene habits and tools that can help protect privacy online
- Research showing how search results can influence opinions, decisions, and elections
- How phones, smart devices, and connected technology contribute to online surveillance
- Why artificial intelligence may increase the power of tech companies to monitor and influence behavior
- Concerns about children, internet addiction, AI-generated content, and the future of digital autonomy
ABOUT THE GUEST:
Dr. Robert Epstein is an author, editor, professor, and Senior Research Psychologist at the American Institute for Behavioral Research and Technology. A former Editor in Chief of Psychology Today, he has spent decades researching human behavior, technology, and online influence.
He earned his PhD in psychology from Harvard University and is the founder and Director Emeritus of the Cambridge Center for Behavioral Studies. His research has appeared in Science, Nature, and the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, and he is widely known for identifying the Search Engine Manipulation Effect (SEME), which explores how search rankings can influence opinions and voting behavior.
Dr. Epstein has testified before the United States Congress on election interference, Big Tech influence, and digital manipulation. He has authored or edited 15 books and has appeared on major media platforms including The Joe Rogan Experience, NPR, Voice of America, and SiriusXM.
MENTIONED IN THE EPISODE:
- (Podcast) The Joe Rogan Experience featuring Dr. Robert Epstein (2022) - https://EpsteinOnRogan.com
- (Podcast) The Joe Rogan Experience featuring Dr. Robert Epstein (2023) - https://EpsteinOnRogan2.com
- (Video) Dr. Epstein's 2023 Congressional Testimony - https://2023EpsteinTestimony.com
- (Video) Dr. Epstein's 2019 Congressional Testimony - https://EpsteinTestimony.com
- (Website) My Digital Hygiene - https://MyDigitalHygiene.com
- (Website) America's Digital Shield - https://americasdigitalshield.com/
- (Website) My Privacy Tips - https://myprivacytips.com/
- (Website) Epstein Addiction Inventory - https://areyouaddicted.org/
- Website: https://drrobertepstein.com/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/DrREpstein
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-robert-epstein-drrepstein-0658b2/
ABOUT GET OBSESSED
Website: www.getobsessedpodcast.com
Be a Guest! http://www.getobsessedguest.com
Reach Out To Us! hello@getobsessedmedia.com
The Get Obsessed podcast is dedicated to exploring the passions, mindsets, and habits that drive high performers. We believe that what you obsess over defines your future.
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Previous Episode
Host Mika Altidor continues a Get Obsessed podcast conversation with Stefano Siciliano, using the life of 1800s abolitionist John Brown to question claims that today is the worst time in history. Mika notes Brown endured extreme hardship, high child and maternal mortality, and fought slavery despite being white, ultimately giving his life for the cause. Stefano argues that while methods and appearances change, the fundamental “mechanic” remains: the pursuit of freedom from what is not true, with modern slavery expressed through deception, banking, and corrupt political systems. He says fear of loss drives greed and manipulation until people hit a crisis point where nothing works, creating the opportunity to be “available” for what’s possible. Availability depends on how one responds to adversity, like river water smoothing resistance in rocks.
00:00 Welcome Back Part Two
00:37 John Brown And Hard Times
03:29 Freedom Then And Now
05:19 Fear Loss And Corruption
05:47 Hitting The Wall
06:34 Choosing Availability
07:47 River Rocks Metaphor
08:43 Modern Comforts Still Misery
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Next Episode
In this episode of the Get Obsessed podcast, David Toborowsky and Annie Suwan of 90 Day Fiancé join Julie Lokun and Mika Altidor for a candid 90 Day Fiancé cast interview about love, resilience, family, and the realities of life beyond reality television.
From their unconventional beginning to becoming one of the most recognizable couples in the franchise, David and Annie share the experiences that shaped their relationship both on and off screen.
The conversation explores the challenges and rewards of cross-cultural marriage, navigating public scrutiny as TLC reality TV personalities, and overcoming the doubts that surrounded their relationship from the very beginning. David and Annie also open up about their IVF journey, becoming parents later in life, raising their daughter in Thailand, and the lessons they have learned about commitment, growth, and staying connected through every stage of life after 90 Day Fiancé.
In this episode, we discuss:
- Building a lasting relationship despite cultural differences and early challenges
- Life in Thailand and the lifestyle changes that came after leaving the United States
- Looking back at their difficult beginnings on 90 Day Fiancé and the doubts surrounding their relationship
- The realities of fame, online criticism, and living life in the public eye
- Sharing their IVF journey and becoming parents later in life
- Why they continue sharing their lives with fans and the impact of the 90 Day Fiancé community
- Parenthood, future family plans, and building a life together beyond 90 Day Fiancé
ABOUT THE GUESTS:
David Toborowsky and Annie Suwan are best known for their appearances on TLC's 90 Day Fiancé, where viewers followed their international love story from Thailand to the United States. Despite skepticism surrounding their age difference, financial struggles, and cultural differences, they became one of the franchise's most beloved and enduring couples.
Since their debut, David and Annie have appeared across the 90 Day Fiancé universe, including Pillow Talk and David & Annie: After the 90 Days. Today, they share their experiences with marriage, family, travel, and parenthood while raising their daughter, Minthira, and splitting their time between Thailand and the United States.
MENTIONED IN THE EPISODE:
- (Video) David and Annie's 90 Day Fiancé Episode - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SUjEDGI2kTM
- Website: https://david-annie.com/ & https://cookingwithdna.com/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Real.DavidandAnnie.page/
- David’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/toborowsky_david/
- Annie’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/annie_suwan_toborowsky/
- Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@toborowsky_david
- Website: www.getobsessedpodcast.com
- Be a Guest! http://www.getobsessedguest.com
- Reach Out To Us! hello@getobsessedmedia.com
LISTEN, RATE, REVIEW AND SUBSCRIBE - Get Obsessed : With Living Your Best Life - Podcast - Apple Podcasts
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Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
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