
The App That Sparked a Manhunt
About this episode
Two weeks ago, as wildfires burned north of Los Angeles, the crime app Citizen offered $30,000 for information that would lead to the arrest of a suspected arsonist. They had the wrong guy.
Why is Citizen offering bounties in the first place? And what does this bounty debacle say about the app’s aspirations for the future?
Guest: Joseph Cox, reporter at Motherboard
Host
Henry Grabar
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