Attachment to smart devices and biometric surveillance leaves Americans more vulnerable to police searches than ever. Left unchecked it will only get worse.

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Your Body Is Betraying Your Right to Privacy

systemd adds an optional “birthDate” field to user records, letting Linux apps access sensitive age data for compliance 📄
Critics warn this creates privacy risks, centralizes sensitive user info, and could be misused if poorly secured, making Linux systems a potential target for data leaks 🔐

🔗 https://itsfoss.com/news/systemd-age-verification/

#TechNews #Linux #Systemd #Privacy #OpenSource #Security #Data #DigitalRights #Compliance #Tech #Software #Freedom #Cybersecurity #Policy #DataProtection #AgeVerification

Fedora Asahi Remix 43 adds Mac Pro support, improved Apple Silicon hardware features, and ships DNF5 with RPM 6 ahead of mainline Fedora 🖥️
It includes Linux kernel 6.17, KDE Plasma 6.6, unified DNF5 package management, and security upgrades like OpenPGP v6 and post-quantum cryptography 🔐

🔗 https://itsfoss.com/news/fedora-asahi-remix-43-release/

#TechNews #Linux #Fedora #OpenSource #Apple #Mac #AsahiLinux #KDE #GNOME #Software #Security #FOSS #Tech #Computing #DigitalRights

FBI director Kash Patel confirmed the agency buys commercially available location data to track Americans, bypassing warrants and raising constitutional privacy concerns 📍

🔗 https://techcrunch.com/2026/03/18/fbi-is-buying-location-data-to-track-us-citizens-kash-patel-wyden/

#TechNews #Privacy #Surveillance #Cybersecurity #Data #Security #DigitalRights #Freedom #Law #Government #BigData #Tech #Policy #Rights #DataProtection

Meta will remove end-to-end encryption from Instagram DMs on May 8, restoring its ability to scan message content for moderation and legal compliance 🔍.

Privacy advocates warn the shift marks a retreat from private messaging, while Meta cites user safety and fraud prevention as justification 🔒.

🔗 https://fortune.com/2026/03/17/tiktok-meta-no-privacy-controls-why-explainer/

#TechNews #Meta #Instagram #Privacy #Encryption #Security #Data #Safety #AI #Moderation #Compliance #SocialMedia #UserRights #Transparency #DigitalPolicy

The Online ID Check Situation is Crazy #Privacy #Security #Surveillance #AgeIDCheck #MetalOutlaw #yt

https://youtu.be/hiMqdYh9LNU

The age of quantum computing has brought significant changes to how encryption and legal frameworks are approached. Experts like Nick Sullivan highlight the importance of adapting to new challenges. In complex divorce cases, digital concealment tactics pose a major threat. Discover how Google, IBM, and industry leaders are rethinking encryption strategies to stay ahead of emerging threats.

Read more: https://steelefortress.com/fortress-feed/how-google-ibm-and-experts-like-nick-sullivan-are-rethinking-encryption-and-legal-frameworks-in-the-age-of-quantum-computing

#CyberSecurity #Privacy #InfoSec #Security #DataProtection #Tech #Technology

🎥 Watch Teaser: https://steelefortress.com/jjhkxv

#SystemD Adds Optional 'birthDate' Field for #AgeVerification to #JSON User Records

"The systemd project merged a pull request adding a new #birthDate field to the JSON user records managed by #userdb in response to the age verification laws of #California , #Colorado , and #Brazil ,"
#linux #privacy #security

https://linux.slashdot.org/story/26/03/21/0424203/systemd-adds-optional-birthdate-field-for-age-verification-to-json-user-records?utm_source=rss1.0mainlinkanon&utm_medium=feed

Gizmodo: Concerns Over Meta’s Smart Glasses Have Reached the U.S. Senate. “Consternation about smart glasses is ramping up, and it looks like those fears are officially hitting the national stage. This week, U.S. Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley (both D-Ore) officially inquired about Meta’s plans to add facial recognition to its Ray-Ban smart glasses, painting the idea as an existential […]

Cloud dependency: Almost half of companies have no plan B

83 percent of companies consider unilateral shutdown by cloud providers realistic. Almost half have no exit strategy.

https://www.heise.de/en/news/Cloud-dependency-Almost-half-of-companies-have-no-plan-B-11219951.html?wt_mc=sm.red.ho.mastodon.mastodon.md_beitraege.md_beitraege&utm_source=mastodon

#CloudComputing #DigitaleSouveränität #EU #IT #Security #Wirtschaft #news

https://www.theregister.com/2026/03/19/fbi_patel_location_data/

#FBI buys tracking data?

Great

Oh look in the same day
#Microsoft #teams says it is helpfully updating #location

#surveillance #privacy #security #snooping #sneakyBarStewards

Disable this in settings > privacy now:

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Privacy Your data We gather required diagnostic data to keep Teams secure, up-to-date and performing as expected on the device it's installed on. This data doesn't include your name, messages or other personal content. Learn more Microsoft Privacy Statement Location settings Insights for IT admins OFF Your location is used to help troubleshoot things like connection issues. Share location in chat » OFF Allows you to send your specific location to people in chat.

"The lasting damage was knowing it could happen at all: that a single contributor with no stated organizational backing could submit compliance infrastructure for surveillance law directly into the software that boots your computer, get it merged by two Microsoft employees, and have the creator of systemd personally block the removal."

Sheesh.

https://www.sambent.com/the-engineer-who-tried-to-put-age-verification-into-linux-5/

#ArchLinux #linux #microsoft #privacy #security #systemd #Ubuntu

A Top #Democrat Is Urging Colleagues to Support Trump’s #Spy Machine

Congressman #JimHimes claims a sweeping #surveillance authority should stay intact because he hasn't seen abuses by #KashPatel 's #FBI , according to internal messaging obtained by WIRED.
#privacy #security

> an #authoritarian administration loves to #abuse surveillance. Either he’s not looking or I start wondering if they have something on him

https://www.wired.com/story/a-top-democrat-is-urging-colleagues-to-support-trumps-spy-machine/

The FBI is buying data that can be used to track the whereabouts of U.S. citizens. The federal agency purchases location data from the same companies that power the online advertising ecosystem, potentially giving them the location of citizens with a phone connected to the internet. Read more from @Engadget:

https://flip.it/Y8GUq9

#Tech #FBI #Privacy #USA #Technolgy #Security

Don't let SQL injection attacks leave your client records vulnerable to cyber threats. Learn how robust encryption protocols, access controls, and continuous monitoring can help mitigate this significant risk. Discover the top tools for implementing effective security measures and stay ahead in a rapidly changing landscape.

Read more: https://steelefortress.com/fortress-feed/dont-get-left-behind-take-action-now-to-ensure-success-in-a-changing-landscape

#CyberSecurity #Privacy #InfoSec #Security #DataProtection #Tech #Technology

Don't let outdated security measures put your business at risk. Traditional compliance vs AI-driven regulatory navigation: which path will you choose? Cross-border data transfers remain vulnerable to attacks due to inadequate encryption. Implement comprehensive cybersecurity measures now to protect your business and ensure regulatory compliance.

Read more: https://steelefortress.com/fortress-feed/traditional-compliance-vs-ai-driven-regulatory-navigation-which-path-will-you-choose

#CyberSecurity #Privacy #InfoSec #Security #DataProtection #Tech #Technology

Predator Spyware hooks iOS SpringBoard to hide Mic & Camera Activity.

The malware does not exploit any iOS vulnerability but leverages previously obtained kernel-level access to hijack system indicators that would otherwise expose its surveillance operation.

⁉️Researchers at mobile device management company Jamf analyzed Predator samples and documented the process of hiding the privacy-related indicators.⁉️

https://www.jamf.com/blog/predator-spyware-ios-recording-indicator-bypass-analysis/

#apple #ios #predator #spyware #it #security #privacy #engineer #media #infosec #tech #news

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👾According to Jamf, Predator hides all recording indicators on iOS 14 by using a single hook function (‘HiddenDot::setupHook()’) inside SpringBoard, invoking the method whenever sensor activity changes [upon camera or microphone activation].👾 By intercepting it, Predator prevents sensor activity updates from ever reaching the UI layer, so the green or red dot never lights up. ⁉️“The target method _handleNewDomainData: is called by iOS whenever sensor activity changes - camera turns on, microphone activates, etc.,” Jamf researchers explain. “By hooking this single method, Predator intercepts ALL sensor status updates before they reach the indicator display system.”⁉️

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[ImageSource: Jamf] Function targeting the SBSensorActivityDataProvider. ⁉️The hook works by nullifying the object responsible for sensor updates [SBSensorActivityDataProvider in SpringBoard]. In Objective-C, calls to a null object are silently ignored, so SpringBoard never processes the camera or microphone activation, and no indicator appears.⁉️ Because SBSensorActivityDataProvider aggregates all sensor activity, this single hook disables both the camera and the microphone indicators. 👾The researchers also found “dead code” that attempted to hook ‘SBRecordingIndicatorManager’ directly. However, it doesn’t execute, and is likely an earlier development path that was abandoned in favor of the better approach that intercepts sensor data upstream.👾 In the case of VoIP recordings, which Predator also supports, the module responsible lacks an indicator-suppression mechanism, so it relies on the HiddenDot function for stealth.

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[ImageSource: Jamf] iPhone cam/mic activation indicators. Apple introduced recording indicators on the status bar in iOS 14 to alert users when the camera or microphone is in use, displaying a green or an orange dot, respectively. While its ability to suppress camera and microphone activity indicators is well known, it was unclear how the mechanism worked. 👾Jamf further explains that camera access is enabled through a separate module that locates internal camera functions using ARM64 instruction pattern matching and Pointer Authentication Code [PAC] redirection to bypass camera permission checks.👾 Without indicators lighting up on the status bar, the spyware activity remains completely hidden to the regular user. ⁉️Jamf notes that technical analysis reveals the signs of the malicious processes, such as unexpected memory mappings or exception ports in SpringBoard and mediaserverd, breakpoint-based hooks, and audio files written by mediaserverd to unusual paths.⁉️

https://proton.me/blog/pokemon-go-ai-robots

Pokémon Go data including pictures, are now being used to train AI systems that help robots navigate cities with high precision.

This highlights serious privacy issues around how user-generated data is repurposed, whether consent was truly informed, and how location data can be used beyond its original intent.

#Privacy #AI #Surveillance #DigitalRights #Security

Canada’s Politicians Hate You: Passes Party Privacy Immunity Law

The pillaging of personal information by political parties just became quite a bit easier with the passage of Bill C-4.

https://www.freezenet.ca/canadas-politicians-hate-you-passes-party-privacy-immunity-law/

#News #Privacy #Security #BillC4 #Canada #GreenParty #PersonalInformation #politicians

Microsoft Exchange Online outage is blocking customer access to mailboxes, calendars, and Outlook services via multiple connection methods 📧.

🔗 https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/microsoft/microsoft-exchange-online-outage-blocks-access-to-mailboxes/

#TechNews #Microsoft #Exchange #Outage #M365 #Cloud #Office365 #Privacy #Security #Enterprise #IT #Software #Reliability #Data #Business #Technology #Mailbox #Calendar #Outlook

Ageless Linux, a "technical provocation disguised as Linux distro," circulates among developers and privacy activists 🧩.
Built on Debian, it rejects age verification laws to defend open-source freedom from regulatory overreach 🔒.

https://agelesslinux.org/

🔗 https://gigazine.net/gsc_news/en/20260316-agelesslinux-noncompliance-age-verification/

#TechNews #Linux #Privacy #OpenSource #FOSS #Debian #AgeVerification #Regulation #Security #Freedom #Software #DigitalRights #UserFreedom #Technology #Innovation

Google's Developer Verification mandates real-identity registration for app developers starting September 2026 on certified Android devices 📱.

F-Droid, EFF, and FSF warn it threatens open-source repos, centralizes Google control, and endangers developer privacy 🔒.

@fdroid
@eff
@fsf

🔗 https://itsfoss.com/news/android-developer-verification/

#TechNews #Android #Google #Privacy #OpenSource #FOSS #Developers #Security #Freedom #Sideloading #EFF #F-Droid #UserChoice #Regulation #DigitalRights

Now that there's quite a few HTTP auth methods, has anyone put together a one page comparing and contrasting them?

IANA list of them:
https://www.iana.org/assignments/http-authschemes/http-authschemes.xhtml

#HTTP #InfoSec #Security