Which? Investigates podcast: Season Two - Tech and Security

Season 2 of the Which? Investigates podcast explores the growing world of technology and the risks that come with it.

As tech gets 'smarter' and more integral to our day to day lives, it's more important than ever to choose what we use carefully, and take into account the increasing risks to our privacy and safety.

The Which? Investigates podcast is now a fortnightly show - Get all our latest episodes here

Listen to the latest podcast episode, asking 'How much is too much tech?' or read on for more details.

Join science journalist and producer Greg Foot and our own Which? experts as we discuss whether these technologies and platforms are really doing enough to keep us safe, and how we can all be safer online.

If you enjoy the podcast, please do remember to rate and review us, and wherever you get your podcasts.

Missed season one? Catch up with all the sustainability investigations from Which? Investigates.

Want to know if a mobile phone, laptop, router or tablet you own or are looking to buy is still receiving important security updates? Find out more about our range of free security support tools.

Which? Investigates

Episode 8: How much is too much tech?

Technology offers us convenience, freedom, and a way to improve not just our health, but also the planet's. But it can also collect our personal data and share it without our permission. We're told it can harm our health. And that by buying & using it we're damaging the environment. So how much is too much tech?

In this final investigation of our tech & security season, Greg Foot turns his attention to our own digital lives. He asks whether we are indeed 'addicted' to smart tech, and what - or who - can do something about it? He discusses concerns about surveillance in future digital cities and learns of a novel way we could handle our personal data. And he asks whether the tech giants would ever allow us to start a 'digital detox' in the first place?

Episode 7: Is technology making life easier for scammers?

Scam texts asking you to pay a fake delivery fee. Emails claiming to contain links to book vaccines or covid passports. The list goes on. Frustratingly, more and more of us are being scammed, in more and more ingenious ways, and it looks like advances in tech are enabling it.

In this Which? Investigation Greg Foot speaks to experts in fraud, fake news and consumer rights to find out some of the latest, most popular scams, and hear how legitimate-looking companies & social-media campaigns get away with running them. He asks who is most affected by scammers and hears a surprising answer, and asks if technology could not only be the cause of the problem, but also potentially it's solution.

Episode 6: Are we being tracked online?

As we explore the internet we leave digital footprintsu2026 but who is able to see them, follow them, and why do they want to?

In this Which? Investigation Greg Foot asks the experts if we should indeed 'Accept all cookies?', he hears the importance of our choice of browser, learns of 'Surveillance Capitalism', and asks if we weren't being tracked, would we be missing out on something?

Episode 5: Is your smart speaker always recording you?

Alexa, do you record our chats? Siri, what do you know about me? Hey Google, how come I'm being shown an advert for something I've never searched for... but talked about in the kitchen yesterday?

In this Which? Investigation Greg Foot tackles one of your biggest tech and security concerns: we appreciate smart assistants are always listening, but are they always recording? And what are the privacy and data implications of having them in our homes?

Mid-Season Bonus: Live Listener Q & A

We know that being at the top of the search results on Amazon is prime real estate for sellers. Good sales and good reviews help get you there, but some sellers are gaming the algorithm themselves with fake reviews. But how big of a problem is it - and have you been duped?

A recording of our first-ever, live panel event. u201cWhich? Investigatesu201d Producer & Host Greg Foot puts your tech & security questions to Which? experts Kate Bevan, Andy Laughlin & Marianne Calnan, as well as Prof. Gavin Brown from the University of Liverpool. From whether our panellists would ever put a smart camera inside your home? to which products are most likely to appear with a fake review? Hear more on how the rise of technology is impacting our lives and what we can do to protect ourselves, our families, and our homes in a digital world.

We've got a new investigation coming next week so make sure you follow us to get notified. And if you've been enjoying the podcast please do rate & review us - thanks!

Episode 4: Are you being misled by fake reviews?

We know that being at the top of the search results on Amazon is prime real estate for sellers. Good sales and good reviews help get you there, but some sellers are gaming the algorithm themselves with fake reviews. But how big of a problem is it - and have you been duped?

In this Which? Investigation Greg Foot speaks to Which? experts about their recent investigations: setting up a fake company on Facebook Business to find out how much fake reviews cost, discovering that an 'Amazon Choice' badge is not a badge of approval, and the uncovering of a new type of con that you may have been a victim of - 'brushing'.

Episode 3: How safe is your digital money?

With tales of contactless cards being 'skimmed' by hackers, and occasions where online bank services drop out for hours on end, where should we be keeping our money? As the use of cash continues to decline, will it soon be a thing of the past? And how safe really is cryptocurrency?

In this Which? Investigation Greg Foot is joined by Lucia Ariano and the Which? Money team to find out more about how to protect our digital money. We find out who controls it, what our use of it tells them about us, and we explore the future of money - will it be in the hands of banks, bitcoin, or someone else entirely?

Episode 2: Could someone take control of your car?

It's not just the smart tech inside your home that could be at risk from hackers. With modern technology making new cars often more computer than combustion engine, we look at whether someone could take control of your vehicle... while you're driving!

In this Which? Investigation, Greg Foot speaks to experts to find out whether making our cars smarter makes hacking more likely, what digital techniques thieves use to steal connected cars, and what you can do to protect yours.

Episode 1: How hackable is your home?

We start our new season with a look at whether the smart devices more of us are installing in our homes could give hackers easy access to our private lives and our data.

Host and Producer Greg Foot speaks to experts and Which? journalists to discover how vulnerable we really are, and quickly learns that any connected device could leave your home open to cyber attack - from your TV, to your doorbell, your printer, and even a baby monitor.

Greg asks, if a casino across the Atlantic was hacked through a smart fish tank, should we be worried about our own smart devices at home, and what changes can we make to get the most from our tech but ensure we're protected?

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More on tech and security from Which?

• Why you need to consider security when buying a smart device
• Discover why phones over two years old could be a security risk
• Find out how long wireless routers are supported with security updates
• See if your security camera is at risk of being hacked
• Could your smart video doorbell let hackers into your home?