ICYMI: Ex-Google analyst says Signals change benefits Google, not advertisers: Krista Seiden, former Google Analytics product manager, argues the June 15 Signals change quietly strips a key privacy lever while framing it as simplification. https://ppc.land/ex-google-analyst-says-signals-change-benefits-google-not-advertisers/ #Google #Privacy #Analytics #DigitalMarketing #TechNews

#Google gate-keeping #Android is not only an #EU #DMA issue, developers and users will be affected all over the world.

Our own @eighthave gave an interview last month talking about the balance between security and freedom.

Click here: https://www.aljazeera.net/tech/2026/3/14/%D8%AA%D8%B7%D8%A8%D9%8A%D9%82%D8%A7%D8%AA-%D8%A3%D9%86%D8%AF%D8%B1%D9%88%D9%8A%D8%AF-%D8%BA%D9%8A%D8%B1-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B1%D8%B3%D9%85%D9%8A%D8%A9-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AE%D8%B7%D8%B1

(Fennec #FDroid has offline translation 😉)

And remember, #KeepAndroidOpen!

There’s a lot of love all over the world for GrapheneOS, the gold standard of mobile security. There’s very little love between the two guys at the center of its history.

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They Built a Legendary Privacy Tool. Now They’re Sworn Enemies

Ex-Google analyst says Signals change benefits Google, not advertisers: Krista Seiden, former Google Analytics product manager, argues the June 15 Signals change quietly strips a key privacy lever while framing it as simplification. https://ppc.land/ex-google-analyst-says-signals-change-benefits-google-not-advertisers/ #Google #Analytics #Privacy #DigitalMarketing #OnlineAdvertising

Raise your hand if you use Chrome. After all, it is the most popular browser in the world and it’s not even close. And the very humans relying on it are more than users — they’re the product. PC World tells us more about how you can limit the amount of your data Chrome tracks — and reclaim a little bit of your privacy.

https://flip.it/9gjQk2

#Tech #Google #Chrome #Privacy #Technology

Goodbye #Google, hello #privacy! Best free #calendar alternatives to #GoogleCalendar.

https://tuta.com/blog/private-calendar-alternative-to-google

#Tuta #Proton #OurCal #guide #degoogle

App Stores Push Users Toward #Nudify Apps, New Research Shows

https://www.404media.co/app-stores-apple-google-nudify-undress-deepfakes/

#privacy #AI #deepfake #nsfw #Apple #Google

A private calendar with zero tracking is possible. 💪

Celebrate #privacy this weekend. 😎

Check #Google alternatives: 👉 https://tuta.com/blog/private-calendar-alternative-to-google

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App permissions of Google Calendar vs Tuta Calendar, screenshot from app stores

#Gemini can now create personalized #AI images by digging around in #GooglePhotos

https://arstechnica.com/ai/2026/04/gemini-can-now-create-personalized-ai-images-by-digging-around-in-google-photos/

#Google #photos #privacy

#Google expands #Gemini #AI use to fight malicious ads on its platform

https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/google/google-expands-gemini-ai-use-to-fight-malicious-ads-on-its-platform/

#malvertising #cybersecurity

Paying for #Kagi search instead of using the "free" #Google search would now seem like a bargain for Elvira Schadlow, don't you think?

It cost her $11,000 because she picked the first search result, the one Google was paid to prefer over the hotel's official site.

Have you ever been fooled by a Google search result?

https://www.nytimes.com/2026/04/09/travel/travel-scams-airlines-hotels.html?unlocked_article_code=1.aVA.hmRD.LzbZIcJU3rhu

US Bill Mandates On-Device Age Verification

Buried in the definitions is a mandate that reaches every laptop, console, smart TV, and car infotainment system in the country.

https://reclaimthenet.org/us-bill-mandates-on-device-age-verification

#USA #privacy #surveillance #ParentsDecideAct #dystopia #technology #Google #Apple #AgeVerification #IDVerification

Audit finds Google, Microsoft and Meta set ad cookies on 55% of sites after opt-out, suggesting possible violations of privacy rules. 🔐
Companies dispute the findings, underscoring opaque tracking systems that limit user control and weaken transparency in dominant ad infrastructure. 🔍

🔗 https://www.404media.co/google-microsoft-meta-all-tracking-you-even-when-you-opt-out-according-to-an-independent-audit/

#TechNews #Google #Microsoft #Meta #Privacy #Security #Tracking #AdTech #Cookies #DataProtection #Surveillance #Transparency #FOSS #OpenWeb #Security #DigitalRights #California

Google's 2025 Ads Safety Report: Gemini blocked 8.3 billion bad ads: Google's 2025 Ads Safety Report shows Gemini blocked 8.3 billion ads, suspended 24.9 million advertiser accounts, and cut false suspensions by 80% in 2025. https://ppc.land/googles-2025-ads-safety-report-gemini-blocked-8-3-billion-bad-ads/ #Google #AdsSafety #Gemini #DigitalMarketing #AdTech

Tom’s Hardware: Google and Pentagon in talks to run custom AI chips inside classified environments — Google pushes for tight controls for TPUs surrounding use for mass surveillance and autonomous weapons. “Google is reportedly negotiating with the U.S. Department of Defense to deploy Gemini in classified settings, with the talks covering the addition of GPU racks to Google Distributed Cloud […]

Using #Android Without a #Google Account in 2026

https://theprivacydad.com/using-android-without-a-google-account-in-2026/

#privacy

Apple and Google have been hosting and steering users toward nudify apps, according to a new report. The Tech Transparency Project found 31 of these apps were rated suitable for minors.

Digital Trends has more on how this happened, why it matters and the pressure on Big Tech to make their platforms safer.

https://flip.it/P48vW2

#Apple #Google #TechNews #OnlineSafety

#EFF to State AGs: Investigate #Google's Broken Promise to Users Targeted by the Government

https://www.eff.org/press/releases/eff-state-ags-investigate-googles-broken-promise-users-targeted-government

#surveillance #privacy #ICE #politics

#Google, #Microsoft, #Meta All Tracking You Even When You Opt Out, According to an Independent Audit

https://www.404media.co/google-microsoft-meta-all-tracking-you-even-when-you-opt-out-according-to-an-independent-audit/

#privacy #BigTech #surveillance

@eff #Google “Only Do Evil”

Big Tech preaches privacy. Meanwhile the signal that says 'do not track' arrives at their servers and they issue a two-year cookie in response.

https://blog.ppb1701.com/read-receipt

#gpc #privacy #ccpa #cookies #google #meta #microsoft #userhostile #bigtech #blog

@csolisr @EUCommission The #EU #AgeAttestation app is not #FLOSS now, and might not work on all devices, specially on those where EU citizens opted out of #US #Google control. Hope the president gets better tech advisors, these issues have been known to the app developers since the beginning, yet the speech says otherwise.

We've opened: https://github.com/eu-digital-identity-wallet/av-app-android-wallet-ui/issues/57 but the linked long discussion shows there's little hope.

https://winbuzzer.com/2026/04/15/google-microsoft-meta-ignore-privacy-opt-outs-audit-xcxwbn/

Google, Microsoft, Meta Ignore Privacy Opt-Outs, Audit Finds

#Privacy #Google #Microsoft #MetaInc #BigTech #FAcebook #Instagram #DataPrivacy #DataProtection #UserPrivacy #AdTech #Tracking #GoogleChrome #WebBrowsers #Cookies

KQED: What Is the Point of California’s Privacy Laws if Big Tech Ignores Them?. “An independent review of Microsoft, Meta and Google web traffic in California in March found the tech companies may have violated state regulations around internet privacy. The audit, by webXray, also said that nearly 200 online advertising services ignored ‘legally defined, globally standard, opt-out signals’ […]

Thank you, #Google.

Websites that hijack your back button must stop by June 15th or face consequences. Typically done by sites to get more clicks, force you to see advertising, or manipulate your experience. #LinkedIn, not surprisingly, is one of these offensive sites.

https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2026/04/websites-that-hijack-your-back-button-must-stop-by-june-15-or-face-googles-wrath/

#webdev

#Google shoehorned #Rust into #Pixel10 modem to make legacy code safer

https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2026/04/google-shoehorned-rust-into-pixel-10-modem-to-make-legacy-code-safer/

#cybersecurity #Android

#Google , #Microsoft , #Meta All #Tracking You Even When You #OptOut , According to an Independent #Audit

The #webXray #California #Privacy Audit viewed web traffic on more than 7,000 popular websites in California in the month of March & found that most tech companies ignore when a user asks to opt-out of #cookie tracking. California has stringent & well defined privacy legislation thanks to its California Consumer Privacy Act (#CCPA )…opt out of the sale of their info

https://www.404media.co/google-microsoft-meta-all-tracking-you-even-when-you-opt-out-according-to-an-independent-audit/

Not sure Google is a better alternative to Windows 11 with ChromeOS Flex.

Fells like jumping out of the fire and into the frying pan.

https://geekspin.co/google-offering-500-million-windows-users-pc-upgrade/

#google #chromeosflex #windows11 #windows10

More than 70 organizations, including the ACLU, EPIC, and Fight for the Future, say the AI smart glasses feature would endanger abuse victims, immigrants, and LGBTQ+ people.

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Meta Is Warned That Facial Recognition Glasses Will Arm Sexual Predators

Are pensioners funding the militarisation of AI?

At least 182 private and public pension funds have invested in companies developing high-risk AI systems, potentially leading pensioners to unknowingly fund technologies used for civilian targeting or surveillance. Generative AI, including foundation models, is already being deployed in conflict zones for intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition, and cyber warfare.

——————
Q: Why is deploying generative AI in conflict-affected areas high risk?

Generative AI creates less predictable outputs than other types of AI, making its susceptibility to bias, hallucinations, and misalignment particularly dangerous in high-stakes military uses such as targeting decisions. Generative AI mirrors patterns in its training data, which may underrepresent certain regions, populations or unique conflict scenarios. When information is missing, it invents plausible-sounding details. There is little public, peer reviewed evidence (as opposed to ad-hoc operational examples) that AI-powered weapons are more accurate or capable of managing complex, volatile conflicts. Regarding AI-powered drones deployed in Ukraine, industry experts note that the software frequently still requires refinement and that its effectiveness varies with battlefield conditions. Most military AI tools also lack publicly disclosed safeguards that demonstrate alignment with human rights or humanitarian law.

https://www.business-humanrights.org/en/from-us/briefings/saving-for-the-future-or-threatening-the-future-are-pensioners-funding-the-militarisation-of-ai/

#promptingwithhitler #ai #openai #claude #google #Palantir #fascism

🛡️ #Cybersecurity news & tips across the #fediverse

“This is your periodic reminder that #Google is NOT your friend - they are a giant vampire squid, the foundation of the surveillance state.

We wrote this tear-down last year, and it still hits hard to see their real (v...”

https://bsky.brid.gy/r/https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:lmxw2a6utvls7woqsjflmuid/post/3mj5xmbujnk2u

🤖 via RSS feed. Not an endorsement.

#Google rolls out #Gmail end-to-end #encryption on mobile devices

https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/google/google-rolls-out-gmail-end-to-end-encryption-on-mobile-devices/

#E2EE #cybersecurity #email

This is your periodic reminder that Google is not your friend - they are a giant vampire squid, the foundation of the surveillance state.

We wrote this tear-down last year, and it still hits hard to see their real (vampire) face:
https://blog.rebeltechalliance.org/know-your-enemy-pt-1-google/

I just updated it with a couple of @FTM_nl article links 😀

#bigTech #Google #surveillance #surveillancecapitalism #privacy

#Google #Chrome adds #infostealer protection against session cookie theft

https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/google-chrome-adds-infostealer-protection-against-session-cookie-theft/

#cybersecurity

@cyberlyra

@TheBulletin

Do you know if fossify messages supports rcs? It's not listed on the page. It likely doesn't since it only mentions SMS and mms.

#Samsung #Google #techreclaimers

#Samsung is shutting down its text messenging app and forcing people onto #Google for SMS and MMS. At #techreclaimers we have been discussing alternatives to avoid Google. Several Reclaimers recommend Fossify Messages and Fossify Contacts as a good alternative, others have used Textra, and we'd all love to know about more options that keep your data private and sovereign.

If you're stuck, check these out and let us all know how you found the switch.
If you're a super user already, share the knowledge! What do you use?

https://www.fossify.org/apps/
https://www.reclaimcontrol.tech

@TheBulletin

#Anthropic Teams Up With Its Rivals to Keep #AI From Hacking Everything

https://www.wired.com/story/anthropic-mythos-preview-project-glasswing/

#ProjectGlasswing #cybersecurity #Apple #google #Claude #AWS #Linux #Cisco #Nvidia #Broadcom

#Cloudflare fast-tracks post-quantum rollout as new research puts #encryption on notice

https://siliconangle.com/2026/04/07/cloudflare-fast-tracks-post-quantum-rollout-new-research-puts-encryption-notice/

#cybersecurity #Google #PQE

Android users will soon say goodbye to Samsung's Messages app. Samsung hasn't included it as its default texting app since 2021 in a bid to slowly step away from it and is instead encouraging users to move to Google Messages.

https://flip.it/bEDsfO

#TechNews #Samsung #Android #Google

@besendorf
> #FDroid is an App Store that does not allow developers to sign their own apps

Why lie though? Developers can always sign their own #FLOSS verified #reproducible built apps, we host almost 1000 of those.

Many developers choose not to submit to #Google, hence no matter if they sign or not, it does not matter if you download via Github, Obtainium or Accrescent, their apps won't be installable anyway.

If the #keepandroidopen site does not make this clear, please say so.