No, #Google isn’t killing ad blockers: #AdGuard's CTO Andrey Meshkov on the #ManifestV2 panic

https://adguard.com/en/blog/no-google-isnt-killing-ad-blockers-adguard-cto-andrey-meshkov-on-the-manifest-v2-panic.html

#AdBlocker #advertising #Chrome #ManifestV3 #manifest #privacy #cybersecurity

Android 17 is here 🚀

Android shifts toward an “intelligence system” with AI-driven AppFunctions, mandatory adaptive layouts, and Compose-first development.

Big changes: bubbles, multitasking upgrades, stronger privacy + major performance boosts.

More: https://android-developers.googleblog.com/2026/06/Android-17.html?m=1

#Android17 #AndroidDev #Google #JetpackCompose #AI

Google Chrome update will close the door on ad blockers

https://9to5google.com/2026/06/15/google-chromes-next-update-will-mark-the-end-of-popular-ad-blockers/

#HackerNews #Google #Chrome #adblockers #update #adtech #privacy #changes

Google just called its new AI Search the "biggest upgrade in 25 years" but really, it's killing the open web.  😡

The open web was built by millions of people sharing knowledge freely → Now, Google who owns the monopoly on Search is ruining it. 

We wrote about what's really happening, and what you can do about it 👉 https://tuta.com/blog/why-google-ai-search-is-bad

#AI #AISearch #Google 

Alt...

Image of old Google with the title "How it started" and an image of the new Google with AI titled, "How it's going" and a text with an arrow pointing at Google's new AI search saying, "This is killing the open web"

Bra at noen fører det videre. Jeg har klaget til vipps for noen år siden men fikk bare til svar at det er pga. "sikkerheten" og de ikke kan gjøre noe med det.

#bankid #vipps #betaling #Norge #google #android

A growing number of young consumers are turning to analog and single-purpose devices like cyberdecks and e-readers as a form of resistance to AI-first platforms and increasingly automated digital systems. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/commentary/2026/06/15/world/gen-z-tech-trend-anti-ai/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #commentary #worldnews #ai #analogartificialintelligence #ai #cyberdeck #alphabet #google #ebay #siliconvalley #microsoft #siliconvalley #genz

Oh, my. Well, this is awkward. Here I thought I'd become a daddy, all-knowing AI.

From Google:

You may have recently received an email from us with the subject line "Your child’s new privacy settings for Search services."

This email may have been sent to you in error. This communication was intended only for parents who manage their child’s Google Account. If you do not manage a child's account, no action is required on your part.

Thank you for your understanding, and we apologize for any confusion or concern this may have caused.

#Google #AI

⚠️ The FSFE has submitted its position to the @EUCommission's Android interoperability consultation under the #DMA

The FSFE is calling for the following, among other things:

🔹 the right to fully uninstall AI-based features from Android devices,

🔸 and access to interoperability functions for developers free from #Google verification requirements

https://fsfe.org/news/2026/news-20260615-01.en.html

#SoftwareFreedom #FreeSoftware

A #German Court Has Ruled That #Google Is Liable for False Statements Generated by #AIOverviews

The ruling holds that a company that designs, trains, operates, and manages an #AI system must assume legal #liability for any damages caused by the responses it generates.

https://www.wired.com/story/a-court-has-ruled-that-google-is-liable-for-false-statements-generated-by-ai-overviews/

#Google sues Chinese #cybercrime network that used #Gemini to automate scams

https://arstechnica.com/google/2026/06/google-sues-chinese-cybercrime-network-that-used-gemini-to-automate-scams/

#AI #cybersecurity

According to the court, correcting misinformation is not the responsibility of third parties. Google is the only entity with the ability to modify the technology underpinning its AI-generated summaries and, therefore, “must be held accountable.” Furthermore, the court found that Google's line of defense lacked merit, since the challenged summary “contains statements that do not appear at all in the search results.”

https://www.wired.com/story/a-court-has-ruled-that-google-is-liable-for-false-statements-generated-by-ai-overviews/

#google #ai #germany #court

#Authoritarian tech policy:

- #ChatControl,
- #Ageverification,
- #Google / #Apple #control,
- #Digital #app use etc

If you missed this and you're still using Google for some reason, know that it's privacy-unfriendly and also blocks uBlock Origin and ad blockers.

Tom's Guide: Google just changed a major privacy setting — here's the switch I turned off immediately https://www.tomsguide.com/ai/google-just-changed-a-major-privacy-setting-heres-the-switch-i-turned-off-immediately @TomsGuide #privacy #Google

RE: https://mastodon.social/@Pettet8/116742131579090788

“Google was a different company 9 years ago.”

Hmm… was it, though? 🤔

https://ar.al/talks/#free-is-a-lie

#google #BigTech #peopleFarming #SiliconValley #surveillance #capitalism #meaCulpa

Peet Tetteroo » 🌐 2026-06-13
@Pettet8@mastodon.social

Waarom ik gedwongen wordt om weg te gaan bij Google - Het Google management heeft zijn morele kompas verloren.

"..Why I’m Forced to Say Farewell: Google Management Has Lost Its Moral Compass.."

Professor René Mayrhofer

https://www.mayrhofer.eu.org/post/leaving-google/

Collect BT/WiFi data on a stalker/harasser to prove my case in court which only captures beacons? May violate surveillance devices act.

Set up a business to collect data on everyone, everywhere, so I can data mine it and sell the result? Entirely legal.

The only reason the #govt doesn't protect you, your #PII and #data is because they buy it. #OSINT is how they obtain data that should require a warrant and spy on you.

#surveillance by #google #apple #amazon

"I am a pacifist [...] Proactively harming people is not something that I can or will be involved with. I am also a European academic. That means the current US government has become hostile to me, and “any lawful purpose” in this sense will absolutely include mass surveillance of EU citizens. This deal implies that Google (AI) products will likely be used directly against me and mine. In this recent environment, I don’t see how I could not resign."

https://www.mayrhofer.eu.org/post/leaving-google/

#google #ai

This week in #FDroid (TWIF) is live:

* 2.0 is as ready as possible, test now!
* #Google spreading FUD about #Android #FLOSS apps
* #Fedilab #Mastodon 'Collections'
* more #ReFra gallery goodies
* more categories
+ 34 new apps
& 293 updates

Grab all your devices from the drawers: https://f-droid.org/2026/06/12/twif.html

#KeepAndroidOpen

Several police officers arrested for using controversial Flock AI license plate reader system to stalk romantic partners, says report — investig…

Tens of officers have been fired, and some even arrested, for abuse of the Flock license plate reader system used by police departments throughout the US, according to a new report.

https://www.tomshardware.com/software/security-software/several-police-officers-arrested-for-using-controversial-flock-ai-license-plate-reader-system-to-stalk-romantic-partners-says-report-investigators-have-unearthed-at-least-18-such-cases-in-the-us-over-recent-years

#Tech #Technology #TechNews #AI #Gadgets #Software #Cybersecurity #Apple #Google #Microsoft #Startup #OpenSource #TomsHardware [Tom's Hardware]

Massachusetts lawmakers advanced a privacy bill to Gov. Maura Healey requiring tech firms to delete sensitive personal data and stop selling location data. 🔒
The Senate-backed measure would limit data brokerage and targeted ads by firms including Meta and Google for 7 million residents. 🏛️

🔗 https://www.inc.com/moses-jeanfrancois/tech-giants-may-soon-be-forced-to-wipe-your-data-if-you-live-in-this-state-heres-why/91357761

#TechNews #Massachusetts #DataPrivacy #Meta #Google #Location #Data #Privacy #DataProtection #Surveillance #Transparency #DigitalRights #Security #Technology #Policy #Law

When I saw clips of mobs of youngsters running rampant through public and non-public spaces with cellphones held out in front of them recording as they went, my initial thought was some kind of ulterior 'mapping' was going on. Like, this is how they're augmenting Google Maps and "Street View" with data they can't capture from vans driving around public streets.

After all, the concept of #PokémonGo originated from the Google Maps: Pokémon Challenge, an April Fools' Day project released by Google Maps on April 1, 2014, that was created by Google engineer Tatsuo Nomura.

But it didn't occur to me until now, of course this dataset would be something quite valuable for the police and military to co-opt.

#Pokemon #CovertOps #Maps #Google #PokemonGo #Mapping #Surveillance #EFF #Military #Drones

You could always just drop Google and get on with it.

Computerworld: How to opt out of Google’s new AI training default https://www.computerworld.com/article/4183788/google-ai-training-opt-out.html #Google #privacy #LLM #Gemini

Latest #LT3 talks about Proton's brush with supporting the far-right, Google AI Overviews are liable for lies, Meta up to its usual surveillance tricks, and Starbucks' marketing department relies way too hard on AI.

https://buttondown.com/willrc/archive/lets-talk-tech-thursday-33/

#newsletter #tech #technews
#Proton #ProtonMail #Google #Meta #Starbucks #AI #GenAI

Google is overhauling DV360: 12 changes coming by August 2026: Display & Video 360 is rolling out 12 platform changes through August 2026, affecting audience targeting, brand safety, deal creation, and reporting systems. https://ppc.land/google-is-overhauling-dv360-12-changes-coming-by-august-2026/ #Google #DV360 #DisplayVideo360 #DigitalMarketing #AdTech

#Mozilla, why are you playing along with Google's devious game and #betraying the #principles of #free #software?

source: omgubuntu.co.uk/2026/06/mozill…

Nonetheless, the appearance of ‘device attestation’ in Firefox’s mobile codebase has raised eyebrows in the #FOSS #community, including from #mobile projects based on the #Android Open Source Project (AOSP) codebase, like #LineageOS and #GrapheneOS, which omit Play services.

Given that Firefox’s entire USP on Android is that it’s an open-source, privacy-respecting alternative for those avoiding #Google (and open-source, privacy-conscious users often run non-stock Android) it’s a move that, short of further explanation, rubs some the wrong way.

#news #software #security #ai #technology #cybersecurity #Firefox #browser #future #smartphone #api #evil #economy #bigtech #fail #floss #opensource #principle #opensource #ethics #surfing #web #www #freedom #alphabet surveillance #tracking #power #privacy #root #rooted #question #aosp

#Apple says its #AI is still private, even when it’s running on #Google’s servers

https://arstechnica.com/apple/2026/06/apple-says-its-ai-is-still-private-even-when-its-running-on-googles-servers/

#Siri #Gemini #privacy

#Google patches new #Chrome zero-day flaw exploited in the wild

https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/google-patches-fifth-chrome-zero-day-bug-exploited-in-attacks-this-year/

#cybersecurity

https://winbuzzer.com/2026/06/10/apple-builds-ai-architecture-around-google-gemini-models-xcxwbn/

Apple has added Google Gemini-derived models to Apple Intelligence through Private Cloud Compute, targeting a fall 2026 rollout after privacy hardening for Siri AI.

#AI #AppleIntelligence #GoogleGemini #Apple #Google #PrivateCloudCompute #AppleFoundationModels #SiriAI #Xcode #AIModels #AIPrivacy

The UK just announced they'll scan every photo on your phone to "protect children." The problem? "Proof of age" isn't defined. No legislation. No spec. No limits. This is surveillance infrastructure with no defined end state.

https://thomaster.substack.com/p/the-uk-is-about-to-scan-every-photo

#Privacy #UK #Surveillance #DigitalRights #OnlineSafety #KeirStarmer #Labour #Apple #Google #BigBrother

WARNING: Apple MacOS 27 is reportedly loaded with massive, non-disableable Google Gemini AI SLOP

Presumably Apple is paying Google a fortune for access to their
misinformation SLOP machine Gemini AI, and Apple wants to make sure you can't opt-out. That's how the billionaire Big Tech CEOs operate. They stuff this garbage DOWN YOUR THROAT like they own you. DISGUSTING.

Reports so far -- subject to change as I learn more -- are that unlike in previous versions of macOS there is no simple way to disable "Apple Stupidity" -- oops, I meant "Apple Intelligence" which is wedded at the hip to Siri. Also, reports are that the AI crap alone is taking 10s of gigabytes of space and comes right back when deleted. If you don't have a big storage Mac, this is going to hurt. Does Apple care? OF COURSE NOT. Like Google, it's all about keeping their billionaire CEOs living the lifestyle to which they've become accustomed and we could never dream of.

You might let Apple know how you feel about this, for whatever good it does.

If I learn more that changes any of this, I'll let you know.

L

#google #apple #gemini #ai

This is the script of my national network radio report yesterday on users abandoning Google services due to concerns about their AI policies. It also includes discussion of related AI issues. As always, there may have been minor wording variations from this script as I presented this report live on air.

- - -

Yeah, this is quite interesting and though it would be unwise to read too much into it at this point this seems to be yet another aspect of pushback against AI as firms like Google increasingly attempt to force users to use their Large Language Model generative AI systems whether those users want to or not. As Google has pushed more AI Overview results into searches and now has confusingly modified their main search page to try funnel users into their Gemini AI conversations -- where misinformation is rampant -- there are reports that significant numbers of Google users are moving to other platforms. These can be search engines that either don't have AI aspects or at least make it straightforward for users to avoid their search results being poisoned by AI hallucinations and other AI Slop.

One of the claims you'll frequently hear from LLM generative AI boosters and their various political supporters of those massive, grotesque, AI data centers is that if you stand in their way you will block progress toward new cancer cures and other medical breakthroughs and the like. But that's a smokescreen. The vast amount of this data center capacity is aimed not at machine learning types of AI useful for medical, weather, and other so-called Big Data analysis. Rather, the many hundreds of billions of dollars being spent on these data centers and related efforts to force their systems down users' throats are almost entirely about Large Language Model generative AI SLOP.

We're talking slop applications like creating sexualized and other deep fakes, automated phishing scams, misinformation-filled search query answers that starve source sites of views, agentic AI -- which I recommend you never use -- that can destroy your data and empty your wallet while the AI firms take no responsibility, AI chatbots that have reportedly urged users toward murder and suicide, cheating machines for kids in school, vibe coding systems that generate garbage code and create an excuse for mass tech layoffs -- and so on.

That's the reality of Big Tech LLM AI, and is what these horrific data centers tearing apart rural and other communities are mostly all about. Despite many politicians in both parties seemingly willing to cheerfully agree to whatever the Big Tech CEOs who control these AI firms want to do, the pushback from many communities and users -- in rural, urban, and suburban areas, is significant and rapidly growing.

It is important though to realize that we are really only at the beginning of these battles. For example, despite the impressive percentage increases in users we've seen at some Google competitors lately, in absolute terms these are still relatively low numbers and Google not only controls the vast majority of searches but is likely to continue doing so for the foreseeable future. Switching search and in particular affiliated services to another company -- like browsers, email, and more, can be a tough lift even for many tech-savvy users. So simply suggesting that users switch services probably isn't the best approach -- changes need to be required for services like Google's and those from the other giant AI firms, changes that will better serve society, not just those firms' bottom lines.

AI data centers can be environmental disasters for otherwise beautiful, unspoiled rural areas. The percentage of students found to be cheating using AI has reportedly gone through the roof and professors are giving out more F grades as a result. AI misinformation is contaminating fact-based knowledge causing ever more confusion and damage. Google just announced privacy policy changes seemingly designed to use even more of your personal data for training Google AI without your giving them any specific new permission to do so.

The EU will reportedly be requiring Google to give users and sites ways to opt-out of some AI aspects, but it's unclear if the U.S. will ever get the same controls, or how effective they'd actually be and what the consequences of using them would be.

It's all frankly an enormous mess in ways that we've never before seen in the history of technology, beginning with those first stone knives of our ancient ancestors long ago. The Big Tech CEOs seem to feel that they own us, and again there seem to be politicians in both parties who are more than happy to endorse that view. The ultimate responsibility is of course our own. We can elect politicians who could -- if they so choose -- pass the kinds of laws and regulations that are already desperately needed to reign in AI abuses, and are becoming more crucial and necessary every day. If we fail to elect politicians who will actually do this, then that's on us, and those billionaire CEOs will indeed be gleefully chuckling at our expense, watching as WE all get the proverbial AI shaft.

- - -

L

#google #ai #llm

#tech #technology #BigTech #IT #AI #ArtificialIntelligence #LLM #LLMs #ML #MachineLearning #GenAI #generativeAI #AIAgent #AISlop #FuckAI #Fuck_AI #enshittification #microslop #microsoft #copilot #meta #google #NVIDIA #gemini #OpenAI #ChatGPT #anthropic #claude

Alt...

Two-panel comic, showing a slick businessman in the first frame, grinningly pointing to a product promotion image, while saying "With AI image generation, we don't have to pay artists to advertise our product." In the second panel, a potential customer approaches the image, and says "Hmm, AI… Must be a cheap scammy product if they couldn't afford an artist."

"... If I sold Google some data cables, and months later sent them an email “btw in 5 business days your cables will start sending all the data going through them to me, even though you specifically told me not to enable this feature, unless you re-disable it”, I would go to jail for hacking."

#Surveillance #Panopticon #SpyWare #Google #Gemini #Privacy #Security #Email