New WhatsApp Lockdown Feature protects High-Risk Users from Attackers.

Meta has started rolling out a new WhatsApp lockdown-style security feature designed to protect journalists, public figures and other high-risk individuals from sophisticated threats, including spyware attacks.

⁉️Known as "Strict Account Settings," this new feature builds on already existing end-to-end encryption by adding extreme safeguards for users who require heightened protection beyond standard security measures.⁉️

⚠️Users can enable these new extreme privacy and security controls only from their primary device by toggling on the "Strict account settings" option under Settings > Privacy > Advanced.⚠️

http://blog.whatsapp.com/whatsapps-latest-privacy-protection-strict-account-settings

#whatsapp #privacy #security #feature #tech #media #news

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👾Once enabled, it will apply the most restrictive privacy controls, automatically turning on two-step verification, blocking media and attachments from unknown senders, silencing calls from unknown people, turning off link previews, locking access to the users last seen and online information, profile photo, About details and profile links, and limiting other features that could expose users to attacks.👾 "We will always defend that right to privacy for everyone, starting with default end-to-end encryption. But we also know that a few of our users – like journalists or public-facing figures – may need extreme safeguards against rare and highly-sophisticated cyber attacks," WhatsApp said in a blog post. "This feature is built for the very few users who may be the target of such attacks. Therefore, you should only turn this on if you think you may be a target of a sophisticated cyber campaign. Most people are not targeted by such attacks," it added in a separate support document. <https://faq.whatsapp.com/846698564598022/> ⁉️WhatsApp said that the feature it's also slowly migrating to the Rust programming language behind the scenes to boost protection against spyware targeting photos, videos and messages.⁉️

age verification - aka id verification at the OS level?

that's what US lawmakers are proposing...

https://www.osnews.com/story/144501/us-lawmakers-push-for-age-verification-at-the-operating-system-level/

#ageverification #privacy #surveillance #security

The Privacy Cloud's monthly news roundup for February is available to read now. See the privacy headlines that I caught throughout the month.

https://theprivacycloud.substack.com/p/february-2026-privacy-news-roundup

#privacy #security #technology #news

Al Gore Invented the Internet.
Joe Biden invented PGP encryption.
Cypherpunks write code.

Joe Biden gifted humanity with PGP encryption (in a roundabout way). Phil Zimmermann created PGP in response to a anti-privacy bill clause proposed by Senator Joe Biden.

https://www.americanscientist.org/article/cypherpunks-write-code

"In 1990, the FBI launched an over-the-top crackdown on computer hackers, known as Operation Sundevil. This was swiftly followed, in early 1991, by a proposed piece of U.S. Senate legislation that would force electronic communications service providers to hand over people’s personal data. (The key clause, S.266, was pushed by the then chairman of the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee, Senator Joe Biden.)"

"On learning of Biden’s S.266 clause, Zimmermann feverishly set out to complete the project, almost losing his house in the process. When he finished his software in 1991, he published it all online, free for anyone who wanted to use it. He called it “Pretty Good Privacy,” or PGP for short, and within weeks it had been downloaded and shared by thousands of people around the world. “Before PGP, there was no way for two ordinary people to communicate over long distances without the risk of interception,” said Zimmermann in a later interview. “Not by phone, not by FedEx, not by fax.” It remains the most widely used form of email encryption to this day."

https://www.congress.gov/bill/102nd-congress/senate-bill/266

"SEC. 2201. COOPERATION OF TELECOMMUNICATIONS PROVIDERS WITH LAW ENFORCEMENT. It is the sense of Congress that providers of electronic communications services and manufacturers of electronic communications service equipment shall ensure that communications systems permit the government to obtain the plain text contents of voice, data, and other communications when appropriately authorized by law."

#Biden #JoeBiden #PGP #Cypherpunks #Cypherpunk #PhilZimmermann #Privacy #Cybersecurity #Cryptography #GPG #Email #Senate #Law #Government #Panopticon #Hackers #Hacking #Security #Encryption

Video doorbells are handy, but they’re a threat to privacy. I spoke to experts about why you might ditch your doorbell, and how to safeguard your video.

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Video Doorbell Advice and Settings for Opting Out of the Surveillance State

The Tumbler Ridge Shooting Was Tragic. Making it an Excuse for Government Surveillance Would Be Too

OpenAI has been in the news here in Canada for a while thanks to the Tumbler Ridge shooting and how much it should disclose to the government.

https://www.freezenet.ca/the-tumbler-ridge-shooting-was-tragic-making-it-an-excuse-for-government-surveillance-would-be-too/

#News #Privacy #Security #AI #BC #Canada #government #LawfulAccess #LLM #OpenAI #TumblerRidge #WarrantlessWiretapping

Ars Technica: OpenClaw security fears lead Meta, other AI firms to restrict its use. “A Meta executive says he recently told his team to keep OpenClaw off their regular work laptops or risk losing their jobs. The executive told reporters he believes the software is unpredictable and could lead to a privacy breach if used in otherwise secure environments. He spoke on the condition of anonymity […]

RTL en WhatsApp in dit bericht. Laadt de foto's in een nieuwe browser tab en je kunt het woord WhatsApp er terug in zien en datum en tijd. De EXIF data is wel verwijderd.

Betekent dit dat RTL niet zoveel om E2EE geeft ?
Of waren deze foto's direct van het kattencafe uit Leiden en dan bijvoorbeeld via email binnen gehaald ?
Dat laatste lijkt me wel wat logisch.

https://www.rtl.nl/nieuws/binnenland/artikel/5572727/kattencafe-voert-leeftijdsgrens-van-12-jaar-te-veel-spanning-bij

#DoucheGedachten #privacy #security

The madness continues …

#OpenAI reaches deal to deploy #AI models on US Department of #Defense #classified network

#SamAltman said Friday OpenAi reached an agreement with the #DoD.

"In all of our interactions, the DoW displayed a deep respect for safety & a desire to partner to achieve the best possible outcome," Altman posted on X using the #Trump admin’s BS name for the DoD.

#law #tech #surveillance #AutonomousWeapons #privacy #security #InfoSec #military
https://www.reuters.com/business/openai-reaches-deal-deploy-ai-models-us-department-war-classified-network-2026-02-28/?utm_source=braze&utm_medium=notifications&utm_campaign=2025_engagement

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Altman post: Tonight, we reached an agreement with the Department of War to deploy our models in their classified network. In all of our interactions, the DoW displayed a deep respect for safety and a desire to partner to achieve the best possible outcome. AI safety and wide distribution of benefits are the core of our mission. Two of our most important safety principles are prohibitions on domestic mass surveillance and human responsibility for the use of force, including for autonomous weapon systems. The DoW agrees with these principles, reflects them in law and policy, and we put them into our agreement. We also will build technical safeguards to ensure our models behave as they should, which the DoW also wanted. We will deploy FDEs to help with our models and to ensure their safety, we will deploy on cloud networks only. We are asking the DoW to offer these same terms to all AI companies, which in our opinion we think everyone should be willing to accept. We have expressed our strong desire to see things de-escalate away from legal and governmental actions and towards reasonable agreements. We remain committed to serve all of humanity as best we can. The world is a complicated, messy, and sometimes dangerous place.

…The ultimate winner could now prove to be Elon #Musk’s #xAI [great /s], which #defense ofcls say has already agreed to the #Pentagon’s terms for working on #classified systems. The entrepreneur jumped on Emil Michael’s social media Friday [the DoD’s technology chief] saying “#Anthropic hates Western Civilization.” [ridiculous idiot.]

#Trump #RevengePolitics #law #AI #tech #surveillance #AutonomousWeapons #SupplyChainRisk #privacy #security #InfoSec #military

Earlier in the week, Jeff Dean, #Google’s chief #AI scientist, said he was opposed to the #technology being used for #surveillance & repeated his long-standing opposition to #AutonomousWeapons.

#SamAltman, #OpenAI’s chief executive, said Friday that it was important for AI companies to find ways to work with the #Pentagon but that he had concerns similar to those of his rival #Amodei.

#Trump #RevengePolitics #law #Anthropic #tech #SupplyChainRisk #privacy #security #InfoSec #military

…The #SupplyChainRisk designation issued by #Hegseth late Friday was an extraordinary escalation, ranking a leading #US #AI company alongside the likes of Chinese & Russian firms seen as a danger to the #UnitedStates.

It was unclear how easy it would be for government departments to move away from #Anthropic’s #technology, or for the company’s partners that do business with the #Pentagon to cut ties.

#Trump #RevengePolitics #law #surveillance #AutonomousWeapons #privacy #security #military

The company wrote that, “Designating #Anthropic as a supply chain risk would be an unprecedented action—one historically reserved for US adversaries, never before publicly applied to an American company.” The unsigned blog post added: “We are deeply saddened by these developments.”

#Trump #RevengePolitics #law #AI #tech #surveillance #AutonomousWeapons #privacy #security #InfoSec #military

#Anthropic said it would fight the blacklisting in court. In a blog post late Friday, the company said that it believed the wide-reaching ban #Hegseth described was not permitted by federal #law & that the designation of the company as a #SupplyChainRisk was “legally unsound.” [pretty good bet]

#Trump #RevengePolitics #law #AI #tech #surveillance #AutonomousWeapons #privacy #security #InfoSec #military

Late Friday, #Defense Secy Pete #Hegseth followed #Trump’s unhinged post, saying in his own post that he was declaring #Anthropic a #SupplyChainRisk. “Effective immediately, no contractor, supplier, or partner that does business with the United States military may conduct any commercial activity with Anthropic,” Hegseth wrote.

#RevengePolitics #law #AI #tech #surveillance #AutonomousWeapons #privacy #security #InfoSec #military

So much for holding back. GMAFB.

#Pentagon declares #Anthropic a threat to #NationalSecurity

#Defense Secretary Pete #Hegseth declared Anthropic a “#SupplyChainRisk,” blocking all federal agencies & contractors from doing business with the company.

#Trump #RevengePolitics #law #AI #tech #surveillance #AutonomousWeapons #privacy #security #InfoSec #military
https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2026/02/27/trump-anthropic-claude-drop/

Will this force the US Government to actually reckon with the actual domestic terrorists?

I think not.

Lawmakers Demand DHS Define ‘Domestic Terrorist’ As It Uses Vast Array of Surveillance Tools

https://www.404media.co/lawmakers-demand-dhs-define-domestic-terrorist-as-it-uses-vast-array-of-surveillance-tools/

#Lawmakers #US #DHS #ACAB #DomesticTerrorist #Surveillance #Privacy #Security #Tech

#Anthropic had sought guarantees that its #AI would not be used for fully #AutonomousWeapons or for mass #domestic #surveillance - applications in which the #Pentagon claimed it had no interest [wink wink nudge nudge].

#law #privacy #security #InfoSec #Trump #fascism

Trump's decision stopped short of #threats issued by #Hegseth & the #Pentagon, including that it could invoke the Defense Production Act to require Anthropic's compliance. The Pentagon had also said it considered designating #Anthropic a #SupplyChain risk, a step previously only used against businesses tied to foreign adversaries.

But #Trump vowed further action if Anthropic did not cooperate with the phaseout.

#law #AI #surveillance #AutonomousWeapons #privacy #security #InfoSec

Just like all #rapists, #Trump really doesn’t like being told no.

Trump says he is directing federal agencies to cease use of #Anthropic #technology in a petty whiny social media post.

#law #AI #surveillance #AutonomousWeapons #privacy #security #InfoSec
https://www.reuters.com/world/us/trump-says-he-is-directing-federal-agencies-cease-use-anthropic-technology-2026-02-27/?utm_source=braze&utm_medium=notifications&utm_campaign=2025_engagement

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Trump post: THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA WILL NEVER ALLOW A RADICAL LEFT, WOKE COMPANY TO DICTATE HOW OUR GREAT MILITARY FIGHTS AND WINS WARS! That decision belongs to YOUR COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF, and the tremendous leaders I appoint to run our Military. The Leftwing nut jobs at Anthropic have made a DISASTROUS MISTAKE trying to STRONG-ARM the Department of War, and force them to obey their Terms of Service instead of our Constitution. Their selfishness is putting AMERICAN LIVES at risk, our Troops in danger, and our National Security in JEOPARDY. Therefore, I am directing EVERY Federal Agency in the United States Government to IMMEDIATELY CEASE all use of Anthropic's technology. We don't need it, we don't want it, and will not do business with them again! There will be a Six Month phase out period for Agencies like the Department of War who are using Anthropic's products, at various levels. Anthropic better get their act together, and be helpful during this phase out period, or I will use the Full Power of the Presidency to make them comply, with major civil and criminal consequences to follow. WE will decide the fate of our Country - NOT some out-of-control, Radical Left Al company run by people who have no idea what the real World is all about. Thank you for your attention to this matter. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!

Anthropic rejects Pentagon’s revised AI deal, saying terms still risk enabling mass surveillance or autonomous weapons. ⚖️

The $200M contract would make Claude the first AI model in classified defense networks—now stalled over ethical limits and state control. 🧭

🔗 https://edition.cnn.com/2026/02/26/tech/anthropic-rejects-pentagon-offer

#TechNews #AI #Ethics #Privacy #Accountability #Defense #Policy #Anthropic #Security #Transparency #BigTech #Surveillance #Freedom #Governance #Innovation #Pentagon #US #USA #Trump #Weapons #Claude

#Border #Surveillance Technology with #BerkeleyCenter for New Media

March 19, 2026 - 5:00pm to 6:30pm PDT
#Berkeley , CA

In pursuing its agenda of #security theater, the U.S. government has turned the border into the main stage for debuting new and invasive surveillance technologies. These technologies are ineffective and wasteful, but borderland communities ultimately pay the highest price with their #civilLiberties and #humanRights
#rights #privacy #cbp

https://www.eff.org/event/virtual-tour-surveillance-technology-us-mexico-border

How my side project got banned from the internet via @fanf https://lobste.rs/s/wbpjmd #security
https://trysound.io/how-my-side-project-got-banned-from-the-internet/

Trump Regime Declares War on International Privacy Laws

A longstanding weakness in Canada and strength in Europe could soon come under heavy fire from the Trump regime.

https://www.freezenet.ca/trump-regime-declares-war-on-international-privacy-laws/

#International #News #Privacy #Security #Canada #diplomacy #Europe #GDPR #PIPEDA #Trump #US

New AirSnitch attack breaks Wi-Fi encryption in homes, offices, and enterprises

That guest network you set up for your neighbors may not be as secure as you think.

🛜 https://arstechnica.com/security/2026/02/new-airsnitch-attack-breaks-wi-fi-encryption-in-homes-offices-and-enterprises/

#airsnitch #wifi #encryption #home #itsecurity #it #itsec #network #office #enterprise #security #wifibreach

Effective cybersecurity requires more than just data privacy measures. New technologies demand thorough privacy impact assessments (PIAs) to ensure regulatory compliance and operational security. Don't view PIAs as mere "compliance theater" – they're a crucial step in protecting your organization from security breaches and reputational damage. Get the inside scoop on why effective PIAs are essential for tech development and how to implement them successfully.

Read more: https://steelefortress.com/fortress-feed/forget-what-youve-heard-the-overemphasis-on-data-privacy-in-tech-development-leads-to-misguided-assessments

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

Because Amazon has really shown that they really care about yours and everyone else's privacy.

Amazon Change Means Wishlists Might Expose Your Address

https://www.404media.co/amazon-wishlist-address-private-third-party/

#Amazon #Wishlist #Address #Privacy #Security #Tech

Finally!

Smartphones are getting innovative again!

Galaxy S26 Ultra's Privacy Display is the best truly-new smartphone feature in years [Gallery]

https://9to5google.com/2026/02/25/samsung-galaxy-s26-ultra-privacy-display-demo-hands-on/

#Samsung #Galaxy #S26 #Privacy #Display #Security #Hardware #Mobile #Tech

I'd like to think the damage is already done, but I know that some people are settling back down now that this news is out.

Discord delay global rollout of age verification to improve transparency and add more options

https://www.gamingonlinux.com/2026/02/discord-delay-global-rollout-of-age-verification-to-improve-transparency-and-add-more-options/

#Discord #AgeVerification #Transparency #Privacy #Security #Surveillance #AI #Tech #Gaming

Age verification laws force platforms to collect IDs, biometrics or behavioral data, directly conflicting with data minimization principles. 🔍

Recurring checks and stored proof for regulators create breach-prone archives, exposing everyone—not just minors—to surveillance risks. 🔒

🔗 https://spectrum.ieee.org/age-verification

#TechNews #Privacy #Security #Surveillance #DataProtection #DigitalRights #BigTech #AI #Biometrics #KidsOnline #Profiling #Cybersecurity #EU #USA #AgeVerification #Law #Biometrics

Colorado’s SB26-051 would make OSes (Windows, Android, iOS, Linux) collect an “age signal” at setup and expose it via API to every app in broad age brackets 📊

Even if “minimal data” is promised, normalising OS‑level age tagging for all apps raises serious long‑term risks for privacy and user autonomy 🔒

🔗 https://itsfoss.com/news/colorado-age-attestation-bill/

#TechNews #Privacy #Security #Surveillance #DataProtection #DigitalRights #BigTech #AI #KidsOnline #AgeVerification #Profiling #Cybersecurity #US #USA #Colorado #Linux

EU’s Chat Control law is in the final stretch: countries dropped plans for mandatory mass scanning and explicit encryption backdoors, but “voluntary” scanning and broad risk rules remain on the table 📡

Age checks could tie private chats to IDs or face data, sidelining anonymous, secure communication for many people 🔒

@edri

🔗 https://edri.org/our-work/chat-control-is-in-the-final-stretch-but-it-could-be-a-marathon-not-a-sprint/

#TechNews #Privacy #Security #Encryption #Surveillance #AgeVerification #EU #Europe #BigTech #AI #DataProtection #HumanRights #Freedom #Internet

Discord Cuts Ties With Persona, Delays Global Age Verification

A second security incident has apparently prompted Discord to start rethinking their age verification strategy.

https://www.freezenet.ca/discord-cuts-ties-with-persona-delays-global-age-verification/

#Censorship #News #Privacy #Security #AgeVerification #DataLeak #Discord #Persona

The Age Verification Trap

Verifying user’s ages undermines everyone’s data protection

https://spectrum.ieee.org/age-verification

#security #privacy #tech #technology #news #technews #ageverification

Discord cuts ties with Peter Thiel-backed verification software after its code was found tied to US surveillance efforts

https://fortune.com/2026/02/24/discord-peter-thiel-backed-persona-identity-verification-breach/

#news #politics #uspol #uspolitics #GOPCult #ethics #corruption #maga #security #privacy #discord

The Age-Verification Trap — Verifying user’s ages undermines everyone’s data protection

Social media is going the way of alcohol, gambling, and other social sins: Societies are deciding it’s no longer kid stuff. Lawmakers point to compulsive use, exposure to harmful content, and mounting concerns about adolescent mental health. So, many propose to set a minimum age, usually 13 or 16.

🕵️ https://spectrum.ieee.org/age-verification

#ageverification #socialmedia #security #trap #dataprotection #privacy #youth