Imagine you're entering a country at the airport. The border agents seize your laptop and force you to unlock it so that they can violate your #privacy, treat you like a criminal, and insult your humanity. Is that the world you want to live in?

Whether you use #Windows, #macOS or #Linux, now there's a tech solution for better privacy: #HiddenVM.

HiddenVM is a simple, one-click, free and #open-source Linux application that allows you to run Oracle's open-source #VirtualBox software on the #Tails operating system.

This means you can run almost any OS as a VM inside the most anti-forensic computing environment in the world. Works where Tails does.

The VM will even connect to full-speed pre-Tor Internet by default, while leaving the #Tor connection in Tails undisturbed.

github.com/aforensics/HiddenVM

Texas accuses WhatsApp of lying about message privacy

https://www.courthousenews.com/texas-accuses-whatsapp-of-lying-about-message-privacy/

> Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton says that, contrary to WhatsApp's claims about its encrypted messages, the messaging giant can in fact view nearly all communications sent through its platform.

#WhatsApp #technology #privacy

"Firefox is working on a rounded redesign with easy-to-find controls for privacy and AI"

"Firefox is getting a drastic visual overhaul with a redesigned Settings section that will make it easier to find and use privacy settings, including the switch for turning off all present and future AI features."

https://www.theverge.com/tech/935631/firefox-project-nova-redesign

#Firefox #Privacy #Mozilla

Amazon, Facebook, ICE have access to Seattle police intelligence-sharing network

https://prismreports.org/2026/05/20/seattle-shield-private-companies-surveillance/

> Seattle Shield requests suspicious activity reports from companies, which are then circulated with members as part of surveillance apparatus

#privacy #technology

Prism reports that Seattle police operate "Seattle Shield," a private intelligence-sharing network that includes Amazon, Facebook, ICE, the FBI, and other public and private partners. Records reviewed by Prism indicate the network circulated suspicious activity reports, protest-related alerts, traffic warnings, and internal police updates between 2020 and 2025, raising accountability and surveillance concerns. Seattle police did not respond to Prism's questions, and the article says it remains unclear what oversight exists or what public counterterrorism benefit the program has delivered.

https://prismreports.org/2026/05/20/seattle-shield-private-companies-surveillance/

#InfoSec #Surveillance #Privacy #PoliceTech

🚨 Your encrypted drive is not encrypted. Not really.

Ep.27 of Impractical Privacy, Sudo unpacks "YellowKey," an insane new zero-day vulnerability in Microsoft's BitLocker.

Discovered by Chaotic Eclipse, it bypasses default TPM-only setups in seconds using just a USB stick and the Windows Recovery Environment.

Tune in to learn how adding a Pre-Boot PIN or switching to VeraCrypt can save your digital life.
Listen: ImpracticalPrivacy.com

#InfoSec #Privacy #Windows11 #Microsoft #Surveillance

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Image generated with AI.

#FBI seeks #US-wide access to #licenseplate cameras, wants “data in near real time”
FBI will pay vendors to help it track and search for vehicles nationwide.
The FBI said the winning bidder or bidders “must provide law enforcement and/or commercial license plate reader data provided through the Contractor’s existing platform.” The system must cover 75 percent of locations, the FBI said.
https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2026/05/fbi-seeks-us-wide-access-to-license-plate-cameras-wants-data-in-near-real-time/
#privacy #surveillance #ALPR

🛡️ Your Boss's Software is Sending Your Data to Meta and Google

A study reveals nine workplace monitoring apps share employee data with platforms like Meta and Google, raising privacy concerns.

https://www.byte-pulse.net/article/your-boss-s-software-is-sending-your-data-to-meta-and-google

#privacy #datasharing #surveillance #meta

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Your Boss's Software is Sending Your Data to Meta and Google

Privacy is online safety ✊️

That's why the UK government gets it so wrong with ever more online ID checks.

Either sensitive data gets stockpiled for attack, or people are driven to riskier parts of the Internet. It's lose-lose.

⏰️ We have the chance to tell them in the consultation by 26 May.

Have your say ➡️ https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/growing-up-in-the-online-world-a-national-consultation

#onlinesafety #privacy #digitalID #ageverification #consultation #ukpolitics #ukpol

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Image: Vector illustration of an eye with a red pupil, white dotted lined circle iris on black with a grey checkerboard for tthe white of the eye. Rotating tapes with red and white stripes stetch out from around the eye. A grided grey background of content boxes, ie image icons, profile icon, video play icon and lines. Text: Have your say – No Online ID Checks! Respond to the consultation.

A Bipartisan Amendment Would End #Police License Plate Tracking Nationwide

https://www.wired.com/story/a-bipartisan-amendment-would-end-police-license-plate-tracking-nationwide/

#ALPR #privacy #surveillance

Midori 11.8 aggiorna il browser con supporto alle estensioni Chrome, VPN desktop, miglioramenti privacy e nuove funzioni per sviluppatori hardware. #Midori #Linux #Browser #Privacy #OpenSource #Chromium

https://www.linuxeasy.org/midori-11-8-privacy-prestazioni-estensioni-chrome/?utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=jetpack_social

#Tails 7.8

https://tails.net/news/version_7.8/

#anonymity #privacy #Tor #FOSS

A whistleblower exposed mass surveillance years ago. One person. One choice. Huge ripple. Who watches the watchers now? https://thereader.mitpress.mit.edu/the-whistleblower-who-uncovered-the-nsas-big-brother-machine/ #privacy #scifi #tech

#Mullvad: Exit IP fingerprinting between #VPN servers

https://mullvad.net/en/blog/2026/5/20/exit-ip-fingerprinting-between-vpn-servers

#privacy

#Grafana says stolen #GitHub token let hackers steal codebase

https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/grafana-says-stolen-github-token-let-hackers-steal-codebase/

#privacy #cybersecurity #DataBreach #analytics #TeamPCP #npm #ShaiHulud

"Discord just made your voice and video calls more private and secure than ever — but age verification privacy concerns haven't been dispelled"

"All of Discord's voice and video calls will now feature end-to-end encryption by default, but there are still two major privacy concerns for users."

https://www.techradar.com/computing/social-media/discord-just-made-your-voice-and-video-calls-more-private-and-secure-than-ever-but-age-verification-privacy-concerns-havent-been-dispelled

#Privacy

Customers say #TrumpMobile is leaking their personal information

https://techcrunch.com/2026/05/20/customers-say-trump-mobile-is-leaking-their-personal-information/

#Trump #privacy #DataBreach

Man jailed for posting #Trump meme wins $835,000 settlement

https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2026/05/man-wins-835k-after-sheriff-jailed-him-for-a-month-over-charlie-kirk-post/

#privacy #FreeSpeech #politics

After Town Bans #Flock, Councilmember Crashes Out, Proposes Internet and Phone Ban

https://www.404media.co/after-town-bans-flock-councilmember-crashes-out-proposes-internet-and-phone-ban/

#privacy #surveillance #politics

Hoodline San Francisco: SF Lawyers Say Hisense TVs Turn Your Living Room Into a Spy Den. “San Francisco lawyers say Hisense USA has turned millions of its smart TVs into always-on surveillance tools, according to a federal class-action lawsuit filed last Tuesday. The complaint alleges the sets’ automatic content recognition, or ACR, can grab snapshots of what is on a screen as often as every […]

"Leaving Facebook: Why People Are Logging Off" --

"a) Privacy Concerns & Data Misuse" --
"b) Overwhelming Ads & Algorithmic Feeds" --
"c) Toxicity, Drama, and Negativity" --
"d) Unwanted Recommendations & Forced Follows" --
"e) Time & Mental Health"

https://dev.to/therabbithole/leaving-facebook-why-people-are-logging-off-and-where-theyre-going-33lm

#facebook #leaving #delete #privacy #misuse #data #personaldata #algorithm #algorithms #feed #toxicity #drama #unwanted #wasteoftime #time #mentalhealth #health #psychology

Data Brokers’ and #AI Firms’ Opt-Out Forms Are Built to Fail, Report Finds

https://www.wired.com/story/data-brokers-and-ai-firms-opt-out-forms-are-built-to-fail-report-finds/

#privacy #DataBroker #DarkPattern

RE: https://infosec.exchange/@catsalad/116610862473296034

This, among other things, had me interrogate Gemini in Google search. For giggles.

And Gemini suggests non-google services for privacy. 🤣

It was not a chase to get to it. It was the first response. 🤣

#Google #privacy

Cat 🐈🥗 (D.Burch) ⁠ [🐱] » 🌐 2026-05-21
@catsalad@infosec.exchange

RE: https://mstdn.social/@jschauma/116610268796045193

Any site that implements Google's QR reCAPTCHA goes on my PERMANENT block list.

Don't care what site it is...

Jan Schaumann » 🌐 2026-05-21
@jschauma@mstdn.social

Now what the fresh fuck is this, then?

Not today, Satan.

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Captcha challenge showing a QR code and asking the user to scan the code with their phone.

RE: https://mastodon.xyz/@privacyint/116611390751602426

At #CPDP2026, sponsored by Google (Alphabet) and Microsoft, companies complicit in the ongoing genocide of the Palestinian people according to the UN:

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/7/1/un-report-lists-companies-complicit-in-israels-genocide-who-are-they

If you can’t even abide by #BDS to show solidarity with the people of Gaza are you truly an ally?

https://bdsmovement.net/microsoft

https://bdsmovement.net/no-tech-oppression-apartheid-or-genocide

If you’re anti genocide you would be boycotting Microsoft and Google and thus boycotting #CPDP2026 which is sponsored by them.

#israel #genocide #ethnicCleansing #apartheid #settlerColonialism #privacyInternational #CPDP #BDS #complicity #privacy #humanRights #tech

Privacy International » 🔓 2026-05-21
@privacyint@mastodon.xyz

AI "decision support" tools are already shaping targeting decisions in Gaza and Ukraine. But who decides when a machine gets it wrong?

Join us Friday at CPDP2026 to interrogate the human rights stakes of militarised AI - and what tech companies owe us.

https://www.cpdpconferences.org/panels/data-driven-warfare-ai-civilian-risks-and-corporate-responsibility

Daily Digest | 21 May 2026

Your daily dose of Privacy, Data Protection, AI & Cybersecurity news.

5 stories you should not miss.

Read more: https://www.nicfab.eu/daily-digest/

#Privacy #AI #GDPR #Cybersecurity #TechLaw

Using Linux isn't about being a privacy lover, hardening every app, using free software only, and learning about programming and stuff.

It's about owning the hardware you paid for, it doesn't matter if you'll watch YouTube and use other Google or Meta apps on it. At least you will be able to choose.

That said, I do love privacy, harden apps, use free (or at least open source) software mostly and yes, I'm a developer. Haha 😂

#linux #linuxuser #privacy #foss #humour

The biggest threat to your privacy, security, civil liberties, rights, and justice is not Russia, China, the United States, or any other country. It is not nationalism, fascism, libertarianism, or any other political ideology.

Your greatest threat is also something everyone wants — including you: money.

Money changes incentives. Corporations will sell you out for it. Governments will look the other way when it benefits them. And in the right circumstances, even friends or family may turn against you for it.

Money — or more precisely, the pursuit of wealth — is one of the most powerful forces shaping human behavior, and often the one most capable of overriding trust, ethics, and principle.

#Money #Wealth #Privacy #Security #Government #Rights #Justice

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A small burlap sack overflowing with shiny gold coins sits against a transparent checkerboard background. The bag is made of rough woven fabric with a folded rim and tied loosely near the top with a drawstring. Dozens of bright metallic coins are stacked and scattered inside the sack, reflecting warm golden light. Several coins have spilled out onto the surface around the base of the bag, creating a scattered pile in front. The overall image has a rich, treasure-like appearance with strong gold tones contrasting against the textured tan fabric.

🚨 > According to the report, car companies reserve the right to collect details including your name, age, race, weight, financial details, facial expressions, psychological trends and more. Kia's privacy policy, for example, suggests the company may even collect details about your "sex life" and general health.

https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20260513-your-car-is-spying-on-you-its-about-to-get-worse

#privacy #surveillance #cars
#bbc #mozilla #lexisnexis
#federaltradecommission
#autoinsurance #datatracking
#generalmotors #honda #hyundai
#kia #infotainmentsystems
#UK #EU #US #NHTSA
#databrokers #drivingapps

Thinking about running AI models like Llama 3, Qwen, or Mistral on your own computer?

Two of the best local AI tools in 2026 are Ollama and LM Studio.

Both tools run models completely offline, which means more privacy, lower costs, and full control over your data.

Read the full guide:
https://www.panstag.com/2026/05/ollama-vs-lm-studio.html

#AI #LocalAI #Ollama #LMStudio #OpenSource #Privacy #SelfHosted #MachineLearning

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Ollama vs LM Studio

RE: https://mastodon.llyxx.me/@BenDoubleU/116608942735468303

“I don’t want to be the person who ships well-encrypted compliance and calls it sovereignty. Cypherpunk is not an aesthetic. Build tools, not empires is not a brand tagline.”

https://benwoodall.eth.limo/blog/putting-sigil-down/
#privacy #ethereum #encryption #CypherPunk

Ben W » 🌐 2026-05-20
@BenDoubleU@mastodon.llyxx.me

RE: https://mastodon.llyxx.me/@BenDoubleU/116608861187859613

Ben W » 🌐 2026-05-20
@BenDoubleU@mastodon.llyxx.me

RE: https://mastodon.llyxx.me/@BenDoubleU/116607258256214974

def assuming the case is because both apple and google are working on zero knowledge proofs for wallet digital identity as well

Ben W » 🌐 2026-05-20
@BenDoubleU@mastodon.llyxx.me

5 months later, https://thurin.id/ is still under review for Apple ID Verification.
Time to pivot

#privacy #ethereum #apple

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Set up ID verification © Sent for review on Jan 29 Your request form and domain are in review and may take 7 to 10 business days to complete. Steps (@ Add your brand The name and logo for this brand will display on a customer's iPhone when they share their ID in Wallet. Thurin.id (US) @ In Review

🚨 New Episode Live: Is BitLocker a Backdoor?

A new zero-day, "YellowKey," allows attackers to bypass default Windows encryption instantly. The discoverer claims it looks like an intentional flaw in the recovery environment.

We dive into the evidence, the "bug vs. backdoor" debate, and the critical steps you must take to secure your drive right now.

Don't wait for a patch. Fix it yourself.

Listen now: ImpracticalPrivacy.com

#BitLocker #Privacy #InfoSec #CyberSecurity #OpenSource #microsoft

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Image was generated with AI.

"An independent cybersecurity review has confirmed a critical Telegram vulnerability previously reported by OCCRP and its Russian partner Important Stories, finding that the messaging app exposes persistent device identifiers that could allow users to be tracked across networks and locations.

The review, conducted by Symbolic Software and obtained by Important Stories, found that Telegram clients transmit messages in a way that exposes an identifier known as ‘auth_key_id’ in cleartext or in a form that can be easily deobfuscated. The identifier remains stable across sessions, IP address changes, network switches, and geographic locations.

That means an internet service provider, network administrator, state surveillance system, or other actor with passive access to Telegram traffic could collect the identifiers without breaking encryption, intercepting certificates, or actively manipulating the connection.

The experts said such access could allow an observer to build a database linking specific devices to network locations, timestamps, and traffic patterns. If the user’s identity is known through other means, the same data could be used to track that person’s device over time."

https://www.occrp.org/en/news/review-confirms-telegram-tracking-vulnerability

#CyberSecurity #SocialMedia #Telegram #Russia #Privacy

Memos is a minimalist open-source note-taking app built for quick capture and full ownership of your data.

Self-hostable, lightweight, Markdown-native, Docker-friendly, and completely telemetry-free.

A great privacy-friendly alternative to Google Keep or lightweight Notion-style workflows.

👉 https://digitalescapetools.com/tools/tool.html?id=memos

#OpenSource #SelfHosting #Privacy #Notes #Markdown #DigitalMinimalism

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Screenshot of the Memos self-hosted note-taking app showing its minimalist Markdown-based interface, sidebar navigation, tags, and quick note capture workflow.

Mozilla warned the UK against targeting VPNs to enforce Online Safety Act age checks, calling them essential privacy and security infrastructure. 🔐
The Firefox maker said age-gating VPNs would expand surveillance while failing to address weak verification systems and platform design issues. 🌐

🔗 https://www.theregister.com/security/2026/05/18/mozilla-warns-uk-breaking-vpns-will-not-magically-fix-britains-age-check-mess/5241770

#TechNews #Mozilla #Firefox #VPN #Privacy #OnlineSafetyAct #Firefox #DigitalRights #Cybersecurity #Surveillance #Encryption #Security #OpenWeb #UK #DataPrivacy #AgeVerification