AI Summary
5 min readShawn Ryan opens with a specific, personal story: while contracting for the CIA in a poor Middle Eastern country, he and his team were forced to use "black phones"—expensive, cumbersome devices with layers of encryption, required because China, Russia, Iran, and others were all running intelligence operations in the same permissive environment. That experience made him "extremely paranoid about what's being sucked out of my phone." Years later, running a podcast that now involves interviews with heads of state, intelligence professionals, and political figures worldwide—from Taiwan's vice president to the leader of the Afghan resistance—Ryan found himself needing that same level of protection for himself and his team. But commercial black phones cost $10,000 or more. So he partnered with former NSA and intelligence developers to create a consumer app called Glacier, designed to bring that level of security to anyone.
The core problem: your phone is a surveillance device
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What you'll learn
- 1 (00:08) **From Navy SEAL to CIA Contractor** - Shawn Ryan explains his background and how it made him paranoid about data security.
- 2 (01:36) **The Shift to Podcasting and High-Profile Guests** - Ryan's show grew from interviewing former colleagues to powerful global figures.
- 3 (02:59) **The Need for a Modern "Black Phone"** - The risk of contact exploitation led him to seek a secure communication solution.
- 4 (03:55) **Introducing the Glacier App** - The core product: a secure communication application with a standout feature.
- 5 (04:07) **How the Burner Number Works for High-Profile Contacts** - Practical use case for protecting personal numbers from powerful people.
- 6 (04:50) **How the Burner Number Protects Everyday Users** - Real-world application for the average person against spam.
- 7 (05:45) **Secure DNS: Stopping Phone Exploitation** - The second major feature that prevents your phone from being tracked.
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Guests on this episode
Show Notes
Glacier is officially here. Everything you need to take your privacy back, in one app: 🔒 Secure DNS 🚫 Data blocking and device protection 🇺🇸 All-American VPN 📱 Burner numbers Shawn built Glacier to make protecting your privacy simple. No complicated setup, no confusing settings. Just a few taps and you're covered. The app is currently available on iOS, with Android coming soon. How to sign up and download Glacier: 1. On your iPhone, go to theglacierapp.com and tap "Get Glacier." 2. Create your account. 3. Check your email for a confirmation code and enter it. 4. Choose your plan: Glacier on its own or bundled with Burner Numbers. 5. Complete your payment. 6. From your profile page, tap the download link in the top-left corner. 7. Download Glacier from the App Store. 8. Open the app and log in using the same account you purchased under. Get started at https://theglacierapp.com or download it on the app store. Privacy isn't paranoia. It's protection. Questions? Visit our Help Center - https://support.theglacierapp.com
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