Dearest Listener,

Every time I use Amazon Prime I feel incredibly conflicted and wonder if my order just:

A) put another exhaust-spewing truck on the highway
B) pushed my local bookstore one step closer to financial insolvency
C) perpetuated appalling warehouse workplace practices
D) added yet more data to the personal profile Amazon will use to track my spending habits for the rest of my life
E) all of the above

The answer is E) and F-me, it's a good thing there's that One-Click button to keep us from an existential crisis every time we order toilet paper. 

Kidding! But seriously, since you subscribe to this newsletter, I'm guessing you've asked yourself these uncomfortable questions too. Being a consumer with a conscience is hard in 2019! And it's not just Amazon.

Many of our products--from "smart" TVs to period-tracking apps--require that we hand over very personal information and contribute to an economy that prioritizes shareholders over shoppers.

So, what do we do? Well, if you're the founder of Craigslist, you give away your money to Consumer Reports. And then come on our podcast, ZigZag, to talk about it...
 

On today's special episode, billionaire philanthropist Craig Newmark and Marta Tellado, the CEO of Consumer Reports, announce their plans to test all our apps and connected devices with a new set of criteria: one that takes people's personal privacy and the collective good into account.

You'll also hear my Stable Genius Productions co-founder Jen Poyant (if you're new here, that's her on the right in the photo at the very top) poke fun at me for my personal obsession with privacy. 

This was a good but intense week. There was no school for the kids on Tuesday OR today. Argh. How about you? Email me at hello@stableg.com or just hit reply to this newsletter. 

Manoush x

P.S. I'll be talking the Art of Podcasting at Slate Day 2019 with Mike Pesca and Adam Davidson on Saturday. Would love to see you there!