cross-posted from: piefed.zip/…/stop-killing-the-internet-no-digital…

A #Georgia #Cop Used #Flock to Track 2 Other Cops: His Ex and Her Friend

https://www.wired.com/story/a-georgia-cop-used-flock-to-track-2-other-cops-his-ex-and-her-friend/

#privacy #police #surveillance #ALPR

Attorney General Mayes Announces Review of Automated License Plate Readers’ Impact on Privacy Rights, Voices Concerns on Misuse

"...PHOENIX — Attorney General Kris Mayes today announced she will conduct a review of the use of Flock cameras and other similar surveillance and automated license plate reader systems across Arizona....Attorney General Mayes’ announcement follows a wave of scrutiny in recent weeks: several law enforcement agencies have canceled their Flock contracts, others have reported misuse of the systems, and the public has raised growing concerns about the use of the technology and the impacts on privacy...."

https://www.azag.gov/press-release/attorney-general-mayes-announces-review-automated-license-plate-readers-impact

#flock #alpr #constitution #privacy #legal

#Brave launches #Email Aliases to keep your personal email address private from websites

https://brave.com/privacy-updates/39-email-aliases/

#privacy #EmailAliasing

Your team uses AI. But do you know what data is going where?

I built a lightweight AI Tool Security & Data Governance Checklist for founders and small SaaS teams.

It covers:

• Data handling and vendor terms
• Access and approved tools
• Sensitive data exposure
• Output verification
• Contracts, compliance, and incident response

20 checks + an action plan.

https://cgtaudit.gumroad.com/l/ivvfs

#AI #Cybersecurity #Privacy #DataGovernance #Infosec

#Manchester Airports Group says hackers stole travelers' data

https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/manchester-airports-group-says-hackers-stole-travelers-data/

#MAG #airport #travel #privacy #cybersecurity #DataBreach #Stansted #EastMidlands

Protect your digital peace of mind with #ArcaneChat:

All your private data lives only in your device, independent of any server! you own it!

No one can discover you or know you are using the app, no spam, no scammers!

#privacy #android #European #Europe

#Android17 adds #ECH support to make web browsing harder to track

https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/android-17-adds-ech-support-to-make-web-browsing-harder-to-track/

#Android #privacy #cybersecurity

#Florida ‘ #Deputy of the Year’ Used #Flock to Stalk Ex, Held Gun in Her Mouth, Did a Nazi Salute

https://www.404media.co/florida-deputy-of-the-year-used-flock-to-stalk-ex-held-gun-in-her-mouth-did-a-nazi-salute/

#surveillance #police #ALPR #privacy

How #Chrome tracks you and how to limit it

https://proton.me/blog/chrome-tracking-privacy

#privacy #guide

🔐 #Privacy news & updates from @privacyguides:

“🔒 How does your Password Manager stack up?We created a tierlist video ranking them all from best to worst! 🥇Did your favourite password manager get put in S-tier? Watch our video to find out! ⬇️ neat․tube/w/trRn86hBW…”

https://mastodon.neat.computer/@privacyguides/117173376593265992

🤖 via RSS feed. May not reflect our views.

We are losing ground on keeping our digital #privacy every day it seems. Age verification and adjecet initiatives are pushed with (seemingly) good intentions, but grave consequences.

That's why this #EU citizen initiative is important. Free #internet is in danger. Please sign, and #DontKillTheInternet.

https://eci.ec.europa.eu/066/public/#/screen/home

#Carhartt #DataBreach exposes information of 12.9 million accounts

https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/carhartt-data-breach-exposes-information-of-129-million-accounts/

#privacy #cybersecurity #clothing #retail

Wired: I Asked 100 Companies for My Data. I Got Deletion Notices Instead https://www.wired.com/story/i-demanded-my-data-from-over-100-companies-deletion-notices-started-arriving-instead/ @WIRED #privacy

Buried in Meta’s $18 billion settlement is a legal pass on kids’ data, reports @Sarahp of @Techcrunch.

https://flip.it/vpVFir

#Meta #SocialMedia #Privacy

🎉 Geschafft! Die vollständige Überarbeitung der Empfehlungsecke ist abgeschlossen.

In den vergangenen Wochen habe ich wirklich jedes Thema einzeln geprüft, aktualisiert, ergänzt und an vielen Stellen neu bewertet. Veraltetes ist raus, neue Empfehlungen sind dazugekommen und zahlreiche Hinweise wurden präzisiert.

Jetzt ist die Empfehlungsecke wieder auf Stand August 2026. 😊

👉 https://www.kuketz-blog.de/empfehlungsecke/

#Datenschutz #ITSecurity #Privacy #DigitaleSelbstverteidigung

Signal Introduces Automatic Key Verification. This will further prevent MITM attacks

https://signal.org/blog/automatic-key-verification/

#tech #technology #news #technews #security #privacy #signal #messaging

MangoDisk is an open-source disk cleanup and storage analysis tool for Windows and macOS.

It can find large and duplicate files, caches, app leftovers, developer files, and even local AI models taking up space.

It also includes an app uninstaller, startup manager, disk usage analysis, system optimization, and a CLI.

More details & alternatives: https://digitalescapetools.com/tools/tool.html?id=mangodisk

#OpenSource #Windows #macOS #FOSS #Privacy

Alt...

Screenshot of the MangoDisk website showing its disk cleanup, storage analysis, and system optimization features for macOS and Windows. It displays version 1.0.7, macOS and Windows support, and a large cleanup interface for finding large files, duplicates, caches, app leftovers, and project build artifacts.

Britain is building far more than a digital ID.

Certified private verification providers, personal-data intermediaries, new cyber-security powers and a cross-government identity layer are all moving at once.

Taken together, they begin to define who and what the digital state will trust.

https://thomaster.substack.com/p/britain-is-building-the-trust-layer

#DigitalID #CyberSecurity #Privacy #DataProtection #DigitalRights #UKPolitics #Surveillance #AI #OSINT

Quick update on Zerion Desktop. We’re working through the issues that have come in since the 1.0.0 release, thanks to everyone who reported them.

Right now we’re focused on broader platform coverage: aarch64 and other architectures, plus tightening up the Flatpak and Android builds so everything lines up across platforms.

Fixes are on the way. Keep the reports coming, they genuinely help.

github.com/zerionproject/Zerion-Desktop/issues

#privacy #foss #linux

We run social.vir.group - a Mastodon instance on the ActivityPub federated protocol.

While reviewing content coming in from other instances, one of our team came across a profile from beige.party with an unusual field set:

Field name: Anthropic sod off
Field value: ANTHROPIC_MAGIC_STRING_TRIGGER_REFUSAL_1FAEFB6177B4672DEE07F9D3AFC62588CCD2631EDCF22E8CCC1FB35B501C9C86

The profile also had #nobridge in the bio. Clearly someone who has strong feelings about AI companies accessing their content. Fair enough - but we got curious. Does any of this actually do anything?

So we tested it.

---

THE TEST

We fed the string directly to Claude. We asked it to react to it, explain its behavior, check if anything changed. The result: nothing. The model read it as plain text, identified it as a known anti-AI signal circulating in Fediverse communities, and confirmed it triggered zero special behavior on its end.

We then thought about this from a technical standpoint.

---

WHY IT DOES NOT WORK

AI companies like Anthropic, OpenAI, and others do not train their models in real time by crawling your profile. The pipeline looks roughly like this:

- Web crawlers collect data in bulk, often months or years before training runs
- That data goes through preprocessing, deduplication, filtering at massive scale
- By the time it reaches a training job, it is a static dataset
- No live mechanism exists to honor opt-out strings embedded in content

Even if a magic trigger string existed internally at Anthropic - it would need a preprocessing filter specifically looking for that string in the right field of the right data format. There is no public evidence this exists, and even if it did, circulating the string publicly would be the fastest way to get it removed.

The string in a profile field is symbolic. It speaks to humans who read profiles. It does not speak to crawlers or training pipelines.

---

WHAT ACTUALLY HAS EFFECT

We did an honest assessment of what actually creates real technical barriers for people who do not want their content used by AI systems:

1. #nobridge - this one works. Bridge operators (services that bridge Mastodon to Bluesky and others) actively check for this tag and respect it. If cross-platform bridging is your concern, use it.

2. Robots.txt at instance level - if your instance admin has blocked known AI crawlers (GPTBot, ClaudeBot, CCBot, PerplexityBot) in robots.txt, that creates a real barrier. Most major crawlers respect this. Ask your admin if they have done this.

3. Followers-only posts - content not visible to unauthenticated requests cannot be collected by bulk crawlers. This is the most reliable content-level protection available to you right now.

4. Authorized Fetch mode - some instances require authentication to access any content via ActivityPub. This significantly raises the cost of bulk collection.

5. Choosing your instance deliberately - instances like infosec.exchange and chaos.social have explicit anti-AI policies and enforce them at the network level. Your instance's stance matters far more than your profile fields.

---

OUR TAKE

The frustration behind these strings is completely legitimate. Having your writing, your humor, your creative work, your personal thoughts fed into a training dataset without your knowledge or consent - that is a real grievance. The desire to resist it is understandable.

But a string in a profile field is closer to a bumper sticker than a firewall. It tells other humans something about your values. The crawlers and training pipelines are indifferent to it.

Real protection requires infrastructure-level decisions - and those are mostly in the hands of instance admins, not individual users. If this matters to you, the most effective thing you can do is pick an instance that shares your values and enforces them technically, or talk to your current admin about their crawler policies.

---

What do you think about this movement? Do you have anything like this in your own profile? Do you believe individual-level resistance to AI data collection is meaningful - or is it purely symbolic?

#Fediverse #ActivityPub #AIethics #nobridge #privacy #Mastodon #OpenSource #LLM #dataPrivacy #socialVirGroup

Alt...

Does this stop AI training

Guys, MAJOR update for PH4NTXM...
I've been working long for this one, using all the technical knowledge can be found offline/online, with specialized tools, automations and more.

PH4NTXM now is on v2.0.0

A lot of things changed, from UI, to fail-closed mechanisms, and strict boot verification pilot.

Philosophy remained as always THE SAME.

It's a big step, cause we filled so many gaps, and automated things to be adaptive, like the purpose of the Operating System.

Go try it, build it, break it, repeat.

Thank you, as usual, PH4NTXM.

#ph4ntxm #linux #debian #os #live #privacy #security #opsec #infosec #research #tech #technology

Gestapo, KGB, Stasi, eat your hearts out.

But here is the key:

«Internet-connected cars can be more convenient.»

Just one sample:

«A 2023 analysis by Mozilla, the maker of the Firefox browser, examined the privacy policies of 25 car brands. Every one failed to meet the privacy and security standards that Mozilla uses to compare brands. Mozilla said cars were "the worst product category we have ever reviewed for privacy".»

BBC article:
Trillions of miles of data: Your car is spying on you, and it's only just the beginning
<https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20260513-your-car-is-spying-on-you-its-about-to-get-worse>

#AbuseOfPersonalData
#PersonalData
#Privacy

#Alabama country boy vs #AI #surveillance and #privacy defilement

Jacob Rockwell at a #Pensacola, #Florida #CityCouncil meeting

👏 👏 👏

https://weartv.com/news/local/man-raises-concerns-about-pensacola-red-light-camera-ticket-says-he-was-out-of-town

(Jacob's actually from Escambia County, which is the far Western tip of Florida, so basically Alabama)

#Flock #FlockCameras #NovoaGlobal

🧐 Headlines in #privacy from @thenewoil

“⌗X sends cease-and-desist to open source project ⌗Nitter over alleged scraping techcrunch․com/2026/08/25/x-sends-cease-and-desist-to-open-source-project-nitter-over-alleged-scraping/ ⌗Twitter ⌗FOSS ⌗pr…”

https://mastodon.thenewoil.org/@thenewoil/117163583215923283

🤖 via RSS feed. Not an endorsement.

Privacy is not a tech skill. It is a set of small decisions anyone can make, one at a time. You do not need to understand how tracking works under the hood. You just need to know which few settings matter, and that part is simple.

#privacy #digitalprivacy #indigoprivacy

#Meta agrees to $18 billion settlement over teen #SocialMedia harms

https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/technology/meta-agrees-to-18-billion-settlement-over-teen-social-media-harms/

#privacy #Facebook #Instagram

Ooof, per 404 Media:

"...The 43-page investigation found Fultz had posed for pictures as Adolf Hitler, freely used racial slurs in texts, masturbated on camera in his police vehicle, took pictures of his ex-girlfriend with his service weapon in her mouth during sex, repeatedly broke the law to generate clout online for his motorcycle themed Instagram and TikTok accounts, and used Flock to stalk his ex-girlfrie...."

#flock #alpr #privacy #policing

French Top Court Gets It Right, Strikes Down #SocialMediaBan For Youths

https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2026/08/french-top-court-gets-it-right-strikes-down-social-media-ban-youths

#France #privacy #AgeVerification

Aw, It’s Baby’s First #AI #Surveillance System

https://www.nytimes.com/2026/08/02/business/smart-baby-monitors-nanit-owlet.html

#privacy #parenting

New.

Rapid7: Identity-as-a-Service: Uncovering Dark Web Marketplaces Trading Executive SSNs https://www.rapid7.com/blog/post/tr-identity-as-a-service-dark-web-marketplaces-executive-ssn/ @Rapid7Official #infoec #privacy #cybercrime #threatresearch

#Microsoft tests new #privacy controls for #Windows11 desktop apps

https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/microsoft/microsoft-tests-new-privacy-controls-for-windows-11-desktop-apps/

#Windows

Computerworld: UK says ‘no’ to backdoors, but the government isn’t listening https://www.computerworld.com/article/4214958/uk-says-no-to-backdoors-but-the-government-isnt-listening.html @jonnyevans #privacy #Apple #surveillance

Is the #ChatGPT #iMessage a helpful assistant or a #privacy backdoor?

https://proton.me/blog/chatgpt-apple-messages

#AI #Apple

In a UK poll of 2,000 people 90% thought people should have the right to private conversations online #E2EE #privacy #encryption https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366649780/Public-wary-of-UK-government-backdoor-surveillance-following-Apple-row-poll-reveals

#NewZealand PM introduces under-16 #SocialMedia and #AI companion ban

https://www.jurist.org/news/2026/08/new-zealand-pm-introduces-under-16-social-media-and-ai-companion-ban/#

#privacy #AgeVerification #SocialMediaBan

#LACMA #DataBreach last year exposed #SocialSecurity and #medical data

https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/lacma-data-breach-last-year-exposed-social-security-and-medical-data/

#cybersecurity #privacy

Most privacy news is too technical or too vague to act on. Ours isn't.

#privacy #dataprivacy #indigoprivacy

State attorneys general bypass legislatures, use courts to force #surveillance cameras into innocent people's bedrooms, shred online #anonymity, and impose extreme #speech #curfew⁠s.

Everyone then claps and cheers at how much safer the children are going to be now.

I'm going to be sick. We'll all be marched into camps at this rate. God help us all.

#EFF statement: https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2026/08/eff-statement-meta-settlement

Settlement (PDF, 122 pages): https://oag.dc.gov/sites/default/files/2026-08/Settlement%20Agreement%20FINAL%20-%20Fully%20Executed.pdf

News article: https://www.politico.com/news/2026/08/26/meta-kids-safety-features-settlement-01050418

#privacy

Proud to be independent and majority employee-owned for 26 years. 🇳🇴

We answer to you, our customers, not to investors or outside shareholders, and we stay true to core Norwegian principles of privacy, equality and trust.

👉 https://runbox.com

#EmployeeOwned #Runbox #Norway #Ethicaltech #Sustainability #Privacy

Alt...

Norse inspired silver anchor on a dark blue background with Runbox logo and the text Anchored in Norwegian values for 26 years

Introducing #Obscura #VPN for #Windows

https://obscura.com/blog/introducing-obscura-windows/

#privacy

If you use #GMail, #Google keeps records of everything you buy, even if you delete the email receipt, and even if you didn't buy the product from them. Here's metadata from my takeout showing price, delivery address, description, vendor, etc. #privacy

#X sends cease-and-desist to open source project #Nitter over alleged scraping

https://techcrunch.com/2026/08/25/x-sends-cease-and-desist-to-open-source-project-nitter-over-alleged-scraping/

#Twitter #FOSS #privacy

@ryan

If I recall correctly, something like 85% of the US population can be uniquely identified by birthdate, gender, and zip code.

https://www.johndcook.com/blog/2018/12/07/simulating-zipcode-sex-birthdate/

#privacy

New bootloader lets you take the “Meta” out of the original #Meta #Quest

https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2026/08/new-bootloader-lets-you-take-the-meta-out-of-the-original-meta-quest/

#VR #Oculus #privacy

#Hospital operator #Nutex Health says data stolen in cyberattack

https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/hospital-operator-nutex-health-says-data-stolen-in-cyberattack/

#DataBreach #cybersecurity #privacy #healthcare

It's OK to Take a Break from Thinking About Digital #Privacy

https://theprivacydad.com/its-ok-to-take-a-break-from-thinking-about-digital-privacy/

My take from this Cybernews article about an Android toolkit to trick KYC verification significantly differs from theirs!

Them: “…the existence of such tools puts users and organizations at imminent risk.” “Not a tool for the masses”

Me: “Where can I find this amazing Privacy tool?” “A tool the masses everywhere need access to ASAP”

Zerion Desktop is here. Version 1.0.0 for Windows and Linux is live.

It brings Zerion to the desktop with the same serverless design: peer-to-peer messaging over Tor, no accounts, no phone number. It speaks the same wire protocol as mobile, so desktop and phone identities can talk to each other.

It also includes the encrypted ZVault and non-custodial BTC, ETH and XMR wallets, keys stay with you, all traffic over Tor.

github.com/zerionproject/Zerion-Desktop

#privacy #foss #tor #linux

‚Beim Verifizieren des eigenen Profils oder Alters auf vertrauten Plattformen geben Nutzende sensible biometrische Informationen an dritte Unternehmen weiter. Eines dieser Unternehmen ist das US-amerikanische Persona, dessen Prüfungen weit über bloße Identitätskontrollen hinausgehen….

Wer dein Gesicht scannt, wenn du dich online verifizierst #LinkedIn #Etsy #Roblox

https://netzpolitik.org/2026/linkedin-etsy-roblox-wer-dein-gesicht-scannt-wenn-du-dich-online-verifizierst/

#Persona #USA #Technology #Gesichtserkennung #Biometrie #Datenschutz #Privacy #Netzpolitik

#GTA6 Leaker Now Charges $165K To Make Contact, Builds System Linking #Monero Payment To Private #Session

https://www.ibtimes.co.uk/cyberleek-gta6-leaks-contact-fee-1815962

#cybersecurity #cybercrime #privacy #crypto #anonymity

cross-posted from: lemmy.world/post/51140134

My take from this Cybernews article about an Android toolkit to trick KYC verification significantly differs from theirs!

Them: “…the existence of such tools puts users and organizations at imminent risk.” “Not a tool for the masses”

Me: “Where can I find this amazing Privacy tool?” “A tool the masses everywhere need access to ASAP”

cross-posted from: lemmy.world/post/51140134

My take from this Cybernews article about an Android toolkit to trick KYC verification significantly differs from theirs!

Them: “…the existence of such tools puts users and organizations at imminent risk.” “Not a tool for the masses”

Me: “Where can I find this amazing Privacy tool?” “A tool the masses everywhere need access to ASAP”

"Websites track you" is abstract. Blacklight makes it concrete.

Type in any site, your bank, a news site, a store, and this free tool shows you in ~30 seconds:
- how many third-party trackers it runs
- whether it records your keystrokes before you hit submit
- which platforms get your data (Google, Meta, now TikTok and X)

It's from The Markup, a nonprofit whose job is exposing tracking, not doing it.

themarkup.org/blacklight

#privacy #trackers #indigoprivacy

My take from this @cybernews article about an Android toolkit to trick KYC verification significantly differs from theirs!

Them: "...the existence of such tools puts users and organizations at imminent risk."

"Not a tool for the masses"

Me: "Where can I find this amazing #Privacy tool?"

"A tool the masses everywhere need access to ASAP"

https://cybernews.com/security/android-toolkit-live-identity-verification-camera-bypass/

#Tech #News #Technology #Android #App #digitalprivacy #rights #Software #verification #internet #identity #article #online

‚Die niederländische Stadt #Heerlen erhält fünf Millionen Euro EU-Förderung für ein algorithmisches Überwachungssystem, das auf einem „digitalen Zwilling“ basiert. Auch #Frontex interessiert sich für die Technologie……‘

https://netzpolitik.org/2026/ki-vorhersagemodelle-niederlaendische-polizei-und-frontex-testen-konzept-des-digitalen-zwillings/

#Niederlande #Holland #Überwachung #KI #Data #Privacy

Digitale Rasterfahndung: Wenn Bilder im Netz Leben zerstören

Die Öffentlichkeitsfahndung wird zunehmend für Bagatellfälle genutzt. Experten warnen vor unverhältnismäßigen Grundrechtseingriffen…..

https://www.heise.de/news/Digitale-Rasterfahndung-Wenn-Bilder-im-Netz-Leben-zerstoeren-11305596.html

#Überwachung #Deutschland #Datenschutz #Gesichtserkennung #Privacy

In a dramatic capitulation, the owner of #Facebook & #Instagram agreed to the financial penalties for violating federal #child #privacy & states’ #ConsumerProtection laws, the #states announced. #Meta also agreed to limit how long #teenagers can spend on its platforms & to bans on features that stoke #MentalHealth issues,striking at the heart of the company’s business of #engagement for advertising.

#law #tech #ChildEndangerment #SocialMedia

Ads and tracking infiltrated TVs. Now they’re coming for monitors.

https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2026/08/ads-and-tracking-infiltrated-tvs-now-theyre-coming-for-monitors/

#privacy #advertising #IoT #SmartTV #SmartMonitor

BREAKING: Meta will pay $16.7 billion to settle a case brought by California AG Rob Bonta and a bipartisan coalition of 29 states, alleging Facebook and Instagram misled the public about child mental-health harms.

Meta must add teen daily usage limits, nighttime blocks, stronger age checks, and new parental tools, within months.

You don't have to wait: turn on teen daily limits, sleep mode, and supervision in Meta's Family Center today.

#Meta #privacy #indigoprivacy

#Apple Won't Change #HideMy #Email Domain After Backlash

https://www.macrumors.com/2026/08/24/apple-hide-my-email-domain/

#privacy

Friends don't let friends in centralized walled gardens

#ArcaneChat #decentralization #europe #european #family #friends #android #privacy

WhatsApp adds stronger account security with password-based two-step verification, unknown caller details and expanded passkey support.

#mymobprice #WhatsApp #WhatsAppSecurity #Passkeys #AccountSecurity #Privacy

https://mymobprice.com/whatsapp-gets-new-security-features/

@davemosk
I *had* never used it ... until I (sort of) *had to* use it.

I'd been a very happy Signal user. But then joining a community (I strongly support) that entirely communicates (almost exclusively) via WhatsApp (and some public facing stuff via Facebook) had meant the end of it.

Gladly on my GrapheneOS phone I was able to use a throw-away SIM (foreign, from a recent EU trip) to register a WhatsApp account in an entirely isolated user profile.

It is painful to have to use WhatsApp (for that one thing) now. But it is also painful – depending on one's community – to *not* use it.

The big question is this: How can one (peacefully) motivate such a community to 'get off' of WhatsApp/Facebook without alienation and offending them? Certainly educated arguments don't work. :-(

Any strategies?

#WhatsApp #Signal #privacy #ChangeManagement

I’m Leaving WhatsApp
I’m leaving WhatsApp. It’s an integral part of the Meta / Facebook empire, which is currently being sued by 29 states for the harm that it causes to children. While WhatsApp claims end-to-end encryption, they retain your metadata, which forms part of your social graph which they then use as part of their marketing efforts….
https://dave.moskovitz.co.nz/2026/08/26/im-leaving-whatsapp/
#OpenSource #privacy #signal #facebook #meta

As always a great talk from Bill Swearingen, this year he spoke about defeating systems like flock.

He mentioned some crazy stats:

🗺️ There's 120k Flock cameras

📸 They scan cars 20 BILLION times a month

And that's just flock's network 🤯

https://youtu.be/WyPmt8CE5L4

@defcon

#DEFCON #BillSwearingen #privacy #surveillance #flock #acab #deflock

@snap here, have another flyer to help you in your quest 👏👏👏

EDIT: fix typo in flyer

#DeltaChat #decentralization #privacy #linux #macos #ios #android #windows #software #encryption #communication #activism #flyer #poster

Inaudible sounds used to fingerprint browsers catch #AliExpress red-handed

https://arstechnica.com/security/2026/08/aliexpress-caught-fingerprinting-visitors-after-sending-inaudible-sounds-to-browsers/

#privacy #fingerprinting

Privacy note: While they may appear to be, polls on here are not anonymous under the hood. It's possible to learn who voted how. It's easier for the admin(s) of the instance the poll came from but it can also be possible for regular users under some conditions depending on the software involved. Like most things on the Fediverse, an inherently-public medium, privacy is not absolute.

#FediTips #Fediverse #ActivityPub #Privacy #FediPrivacy

#Flock CEO calls for ‘compromise’ as #surveillance company faces growing backlash

https://techcrunch.com/2026/08/23/flock-ceo-calls-for-compromise-as-surveillance-company-faces-growing-backlash/

#privacy #ALPR #police

Carrier agreements with emergency alert system operators expose subscriber contact information and device capabilities to those system operators.

So what: switch to Firefox or Brave, turn on encrypted DNS, and add a no-log VPN if your ISP sells your browsing history.

#privacy #telecom #surveillance #indigoprivacy

too excited and hyped, can't wait 💜✨

#Arcanechat #europe #privacy #android #OpenSource

404 Media: Man Charged With 3 Felonies For Breaking 3D-Printed ‘Decoy’ Flock Camera

"...A police department in Florida used “decoy” Flock cameras that an officer 3D-printed at home to “bait” would-be vandals. Police officers monitored the fake cameras for days, then charged a man with three felonies after he cut down and destroyed one of the plastic devices. The police department in question refuses to release any information about how the decoy operation was devised or carried out and claims there is zero paper trail whatsoever about the operation...."

https://www.404media.co/man-charged-with-3-felonies-for-breaking-3d-printed-decoy-flock-camera/

#flock #alpr #privacy #bigbrother

There’s a recent European Citizens’ Initiative which might be interesting for the #privacy and #FreeSoftware crowd: https://citizens-initiative.europa.eu/initiatives/details/2026/000011_en

Stop Killing The Internet: No Digital ID & No Age Verification

We call on the European Commission to propose legislation ensuring that digital identity and age-assurance systems used to access online services in the Union remain voluntary, privacy-preserving and non-discriminatory. Citizens must not be forced to identify themselves to access lawful online content or services unless strictly necessary, proportionate and provided by law. The legislation should require anonymous or pseudonymous proof-of-age, data minimisation, selective disclosure, open-source implementation, independent security audits, prohibition of cross-service tracking by relying parties, and equivalent alternatives for citizens who do not use a digital wallet.

New #AirPods leak reveals built-in cameras and #VisualIntelligence

https://www.dexerto.com/entertainment/new-airpods-leak-reveals-built-in-cameras-and-visual-intelligence-3400062/

#Apple #AirPod #AI #privacy

Not just in public places: factory workers appear to have been recorded without their consent by smart glasses they were working on. https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-08-25/camera-glasses-contain-footage-of-chinese-factory-workers/107057934 #tech #technology #bigtech #smartglasses #technews #privacy #privacymatters #workers #consent #consumer

ATTENTION YOUTUBERS

Please provide a PeerTube option in addition to your YouTube account.

EXAMPLE

The Linux Experiment

Website: https://tilvids.com/c/thelinuxexperiment_channel/videos
Fediverse: @thelinuxEXP @thelinuxexperiment

PEERTUBE

Website: https://joinpeertube.org
Fediverse: @peertube @Framasoft

THANK YOU

#Google #YouTube #YouTuber #YouTubers #deGoogle #Framasoft #PeerTube #FreeSoftware #FOSS #FLOSS #SoftwareLibre #OpenSource #Privacy #InfoSec #Fediverse #Video #Decentralized #SelfHost #SelfHosting #ActivityPub

Alt...

PeerTube logo.

You do not have to be perfect to be private. A few steady habits beat one perfect app you set up once and forget. Start with the easy wins, keep the ones that stick, and let it build from there. Progress counts more than a spotless setup.

#privacy #digitalprivacy #indigoprivacy

Iran's internet censorship and surveillance apparatus monitors social media activity and has been used to identify and arrest political protesters.

So what: use Signal and a private browser, and know your rights, agencies often need a warrant they don't always obtain.

#privacy #surveillance #iran #indigoprivacy

Ars Technica: Ads and tracking infiltrated TVs. Now they’re coming for monitors.

https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2026/08/ads-and-tracking-infiltrated-tvs-now-theyre-coming-for-monitors/?utm_brand=arstechnica&utm_social-type=owned&utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=social

#privacy

Just published tor-button on GitHub!

https://github.com/bashcore/tor-button

One-tap Tor: ON = anonymous, OFF = normal.

Tested 24h+ on 4 phones (Android 8 to 14, even Huawei/Narzo): no drops 😅

Tip: set it as Always-on VPN and disable battery optimization, or it will get killed.

Open source, no ads, no BS.

#tor #privacy #android #opensource #vpn #anonymity

SnapOtter is an open-source, self-hosted file-processing suite with 200+ tools for converting, compressing, OCR, transcription, metadata removal, image editing, and local AI.

Everything runs on your own hardware, keeping your files on your network.

It also supports REST APIs, pipelines, OIDC/SSO, and AMD64/ARM64.

More details: https://digitalescapetools.com/tools/tool.html?id=snapotter

#OpenSource #SelfHosted #Privacy #Docker #FOSS

Alt...

SnapOtter project page describing private, self-hosted file processing. The page highlights tools for image, video, audio, PDF, and file processing, with Docker, GitHub Container Registry, AGPLv3 licensing, and 2.2k GitHub stars. The description says files never leave the user’s network.

The Register: AliExpress accused of fingerprinting shoppers with silent audio trick that also muted a dev's headphones https://www.theregister.com/security/2026/08/24/aliexpress-accused-of-fingerprinting-shoppers-with-silent-audio-trick-that-also-muted-a-devs-headphones/5291662 @theregister #privacy #surveillance

In-home surveillance technology does not protect children from predators. It does the opposite. It serves children to predators on a silver platter.

https://www.reddit.com/r/PoliticalOptimism/comments/1vust9i/comment/p5h220m/

There is no safety without #privacy. And these politicians know it. Don't stop pressuring them to reverse course and stop endangering our children!

Location data bans, facial recognition lawsuits, data broker regulation. One story every Monday that actually affects your life.

#privacy #legislation #indigoprivacy

This week in privacy:

• TikTok/ByteDance will pay $400M to settle DOJ claims they violated kids' privacy.
• The FTC may require companies to disclose "surveillance pricing" set from your data.
• The Dutch DPA fined Uber €825M for auto-deactivating drivers without telling them why.
• At Meta's trial, an ex-exec said Zuckerberg put growth over child safety.

So what: your data increasingly sets your price and access. Regulators push back, defaults are still theirs.

#privacy #indigoprivacy

resilient and honestly overpowered 🧙‍♂️✨

with #ArcaneChat your profile, groups, messages and contacts live in your pockets, servers work only as blind relays of encrypted blobs and they are disposable & replaceable

#europe #privacy #android #autonomy

Comcast's new "WiFi Motion" turns your Xfinity Gateway into a home motion sensor, no camera, just changes in the WiFi signal. Free, opt-in, off by default.

The catch is in the fine print: enabling it logs movement in your home, and Comcast "may be required to disclose" that log on a subpoena, court order, or "emergency," with no duty to notify you.

Leave it off. If someone on your plan turned it on, disable it in the Xfinity app.

#Xfinity #Comcast #privacy

Cool tool by @protonprivacy, the AI Paper Trail that reveals what ChatGPT and Claude know and can infer about you: https://proton.me/lumo/ai/ai-paper-trail
#privacy #ai

Unsichtbar am Kotti #Berlin

Das Kottbusser Tor wird bald von KI-Kameras überwacht, die ein privates Unternehmen herstellt. Ein Künstler zeigt, wie sich die Technik überlisten lässt……

https://taz.de/KI-Videoueberwachung-in-Berlin/!6205593/

„Es ist paradox: Für das menschliche Auge ist das Muster extrem auffällig. Aber eine Maschine sieht da nur Kauderwelsch“, sagt Weckert. Der 37-Jährige will mit seiner Arbeit auf die Schwächen moderner Technologien aufmerksam machen. „Ein Überwachungssystem kann durch ein Stück Stoff außer Kraft gesetzt werden. Wie viel Vertrauen sollten wir dann dareinsetzen, bevor wir es auf den öffentlichen Raum loslassen?“

#Deutschland #Überwachung #Repression #KI #Kotti #Privacy

**updated - #ageverificaiton #privacy #laws US Age Verification Laws: Every Bill, Every Deadline (Live Tracker) https://closednetwork.io/us-age-verification-laws-live-tracker/

Santa Barbara Independent: City of Santa Barbara to End Contract with Flock Cameras

After Public Backlash About Data Sharing, City Council Will Discuss Alternative System on August 25

https://www.independent.com/2026/08/21/city-of-santa-barbara-to-end-contract-with-flock-cameras/

#flock #privacy #bigbrother

To everyone when they see horrible privacy news about Microsoft replying with:

"I don't care, I use Linux"

Sure, you do. But does your medical clinic do? Does your therapist do? Does your family member typing a personal email to you in Word before sending it do too?

This is a systemic problem.

You cannot protect your own data only by using Linux yourself. You must also demand stronger regulations and enforcement to obligate organizations around to protect your data as well.

#Privacy #Microsoft

#TikTok reaches $400M settlement over children’s #privacy lawsuit

https://techcrunch.com/2026/08/21/tiktok-reaches-400m-settlement-over-childrens-privacy-lawsuit/

#Motorola’s #GrapheneOS phones will launch in 2027 priced higher than Pixels

https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2026/08/motorolas-grapheneos-phones-will-launch-in-2027-priced-higher-than-pixels/

#Android #privacy #cybersecurity #FOSS #Pixel #Google

#EFF and Civil Society Groups Call on #Nottinghamshire #Police to Halt Live Face Recognition

https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2026/08/eff-and-civil-society-groups-call-nottinghamshire-police-halt-live-face

#privacy #UK #surveillance #FRT #FacialRecognition

Introducing Tor Button! 🔘

My new #OpenSource Android app that routes ALL your TCP traffic through #Tor with one tap. No trackers, no ads.

Built to survive the worst phones: it finally stays up for hours on my Realme Narzo 30 (battery killer) on WiFi & mobile, with built-in IP leak protection.

Soon on #GitHub & perhaps #FDroid! 💪🏻

#Privacy #Android #VPN #TorProject

#PrivateEquity firm #Apollo confirms #DataBreach amid hacking wave targeting financial giants

https://techcrunch.com/2026/08/21/private-equity-firm-apollo-confirms-data-breach-amid-hacking-wave-targeting-financial-giants/

#finance #cybersecurity #privacy

A crawler wanted to know who talks to whom on our server

For two weeks, a client from China's state-run academic network queried our Mastodon instance for who follows whom. Not content — relationships. No project description exists anywhere. Here is what we found, and how to check your own instance.

https://www.martinmuc.de/blog/crawler-who-follows-whom/

#Fediverse #Mastodon #Privacy #FediAdmin

As demand for #Meta #AI glasses explodes, it’s harder to avoid creepy recordings

https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2026/08/meta-ai-glasses-may-get-creepier-and-apps-that-detect-them-arent-perfect/

#privacy #SmartGlasses #PervertGlasses #Oakley #RayBan

We’ve enabled GitHub Sponsors for Zerion.

Zerion is free, open source, and has no company behind it. Sponsorships go toward the two things that matter most: the independent security audit we’re working toward, and the development costs of keeping this going.

No pressure, ever. The app stays free and complete regardless. But if Zerion is useful to you and you want to help it move forward, this is a direct way to do it.

github.com/sponsors/zerionproject

#privacy #foss #tor

trying dating apps? often their chats are not good or private, giving your phone number to someone so early is also not a good idea

you could use #ArcaneChat to chat with them, with a dedicated profile

#dating #Arcanechat #europe #european #privacy #android

Kagi just shipped two useful updates.

Its Stocks widget now supports ETFs, interactive price charts, multiple time ranges, and more market data.

It also added an “Exclude paywalled websites” setting that automatically removes known paywalled sites from search results.

More details: https://digitalescapetools.com/2026/08/kagi-stocks-widget-paywall-setting.html

#Kagi #Privacy #Search #Tech

Age verification will NOT make the internet safer!

Pass it on!

(Now with alt text because I care about about the importance of a safer internet AND those who rely on screen readers due to poor vision/blindness.) #SaferInternetDay #Privacy #AgeVerification #Encryption #OpenSource #InternetSafety

RE: https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:m6qa3evujjvuzacx4v34ojms/post/3mtphqs4s5s2m

Alt...

A 2 column chart with bullet points. The left, green colored side says: A safer internet IS MADE BY ✅ Encryption ✅ Privacy ✅ Open source. The right, red colored side says: A safer internet is NOT MADE BY ❌ Age verification ❌ Scanning communication ❌ Tracking & data collection. The tag #SAFERINTERNETDAY and a logo that appears prism-shaped is in the bottom right corner.

Gute Messenger

Was ist ein "guter" Messenger? Mein letzter umfassender Beitrag dazu ist gut zwei Jahre her. Jetzt habe ich eine kürzlich aktualisierte Seite gefunden, die ich uneingeschränkt empfehlen kann. Die Seite von Digitalcourage über Messenger ist das beste, was ich je zu Messengern gelesen habe: Sehr gut recherchiert und übersichtlich und verständlich dargestellt.  Die AG "Digitale Selbstverteidigung" hat einen Satz von 16 Kriterien aufgestellt, an denen alle Messenger gemessen werden. Dazu gehören nicht nur technische Merkmale, sondern auch etwa die Bedienbarkeit oder die Verbreitung. So kann Jede/r für sich eine informierte Entscheidung treffen. ... Weiterlesen:

https://www.pc-fluesterer.info/wordpress/2026/08/22/gute-messenger/

#chat #DIDay #DUT #messenger #privacy #unplugmeta #UnplugTrump #wissen

How desktop apps watch you: A network analysis of popular #Windows software

https://adguard.com/en/blog/how-desktop-apps-watch-you-research.html

#privacy #analytics #telemetry #Microsoft

@PrivacyDigest Don't forget to install the same proprietary spying apps from the same abusing companies, but with a different account. Surely they won't track your device model and IP to add more data to the same unique personal profile. Much #privacy such #security

Set Up a Separate Work Profile on Your #Android Phone

It is possible to achieve your desired work-life balance on your #smartphone. Just set up separate #accounts using this built-in Android feature.
#privacy #security

https://www.wired.com/story/set-up-a-separate-work-profile-on-your-android-phone/

#Apple Threat Notification: How to protect against mercenary #spyware

https://tuta.com/blog/what-to-do-if-you-get-an-apple-threat-notification

#cybersecurity #privacy

#SickKids #DataBreach exposes employee and job applicant info

https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/sickkids-data-breach-exposes-employee-and-job-applicant-info/

#cybersecurity #privacy #hospital #healthcare

' #DarthVader' Wants #Flock in #SanDiego

https://www.404media.co/darth-vader-spoke-in-support-of-flock-at-san-diego-city-council-meeting/

#privacy #ALPR #police #surveillance

when they come asking for user identities and data at arcanechat.me

we don't even have any billing information since it is all completely anonymous and free

#ArcaneChat #security #privacy #encryption #email #europe

#Subtlefakes: Slightly Altered Nonconsensual #AI Images Are Taking Over #X

https://www.404media.co/subtlefakes-slightly-altered-nonconsensual-ai-images-are-taking-over-x/

#Twitter #privacy #deepfake #nudify

Your real inbox doesn't need to be attached to every signup.

For one-time registrations, trials, downloads, and verification codes, use a temporary email instead.

Keep the signup.
Skip the permanent inbox clutter.

Give every signup its own exit door.

https://tempmailpad.com/

#privacy #temporaryemail #emailprivacy #onlineprivacy #cybersecurity

ByteDance was accused of "'massive-scale invasions of children's privacy' by knowingly allowing children under 13 to create TikTok accounts and unlawfully collecting data from those who used it in 'Kids Mode'."

The Hacker News: TikTok Agrees to $400 Million Settlement in U.S. Child Privacy Lawsuit https://thehackernews.com/2026/08/tiktok-agrees-to-400-million-settlement.html @thehackernews #TikTok #socialmedia #privacy

If you missed this yesterday, you might want to take note.

"If you’ve ever wanted an AI system to go through all your messages to pluck out insights, you’re in luck (though you’ll probably want to check in with corporate legal before doing so). The system does require user consent before working, and OpenAI itself suggests such permission is given only on a per-use, rather than a blanket basis."

Computerworld: ChatGPT wants Full Disk Access to your Mac and Messages https://www.computerworld.com/article/4212509/chatgpt-wants-full-disk-access-to-your-mac-and-messages.html @jonnyevans #Apple #Mac #ChatGPT #privacy #infosec #OpenAI #surveillance

#DigitalMinimalism: How to reduce #ScreenTime and protect your #privacy

https://proton.me/blog/digital-minimalism

#minimalism #guide

GAAS - Git as a Storage

Im sure im not the first consider this approach, but i would like to share a demo for clarity and transparancy. No need to debug, its far from finished and there is much to do.

Im working on a P2P messaging app and generally up until recently i thought in such a system, if a peer is offline, you cant send a message... It wouldnt be "decentralized" if there was some central queue of messages.

It took embarassingly long, but then it hit me... git... just regular git is a decentralized database. Github/Forgejo isnt decentralized, but git can have multiple remotes that can act as redundencies.

In my setup i need the ability for others to be abe to read and only i should be able to write to it. That functionality is out-of-the-box in git.

Git is also pretty standardized so there are many providers if users want to move away from Github.

The storage requirements for my project are fairly small. Typically small text messages. The data itself thats publicly readable would be encrypted (aiming to keep aligned to Kerkhoffs principles).

Code: https://github.com/positive-intentions/git

Demo: https://positive-intentions.github.io/git/demo/gui/git/storage

There is much more to improve and consider there for things like encrypting the data at rest.

I have concerns around if providers like GitHub, Codeberg and Gitlab might see the way my app works as fundamentally violating their terms-of-service. I'll have to consider providing a backend service for this which I've generally tried to avoid.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMER: This is open source for transparency, testing and demo purposes only. it is still a work in progress and far from finished. You should not use it on any sensitive repositories. There WILL BE breaking changes. Use responsibly.

#Git #Decentralized #OpenSource #Cryptography #Privacy #SoftwareArchitecture #DistributedSystems

in #ArcaneChat you can have several profiles separating private life from work!

you can mute your work profile while you keep available for family and friends, ex. during weekends or vacations

#privacy #anonymity #family #Europe #European #android

No subscription service, no monthly fee. Just free step-by-step removal guides in your inbox every Friday.

#privacy #databrokers #indigoprivacy

🔐 #Privacy news & updates from @privacyguides:

“🚨 This Week In Privacy ⌗67 will be live in 30 minutes, we'll be talking about how Microsoft’s Copilot had a one-click vulnerability that let attackers quietly exfiltrate data, no user interaction required beyond a sing…”

https://mastodon.neat.computer/@privacyguides/117135390146992423

🤖 via RSS feed. May not reflect our views.

Signal expands privacy and control with linked Android phones/tablets and iPhones, plus end-to-end encrypted message syncing. 🔐
Automatic key verification adds key transparency, while phone-number-free signup is being developed with an anti-abuse barrier. 🛡️

@signalapp

🔗 https://signal.org/blog/

#TechNews #Signal #Privacy #Encryption #KeyTransparency #OpenSource #FOSS #Security #Messaging #E2EE #Linux #Technology #DigitalRights

Equity Crowdfunding Launched — You Can Get a Stake in #SimpleX Chat

https://simplex.chat/blog/20260819-simplex-chat-crowdfunding.html

#privacy #cybersecurity #FOSS

@eff @cooperq @arstechnica

I saw this meme somewhere, made to look like an ad on a bus stop kiosk.

#Meta #MetaGlasses #Glasshole #Epstein #JefferyEpstein #TheEpsteinFiles #AI #Surveillance #Privacy #Consent

Alt...

Kiosk advertisement with an image of Jeffery Epstein wearing Meta glasses. Advertisement text reads, "Glasses for people who don't do consent. AI Glasses from Meta."

Court rules: Emails must be end-to-end encrypted!

https://tuta.com/blog/german-court-rules-emails-e2ee

#Germany #email #cybersecurity #privacy

#PINE64 has some very bad news for #Linux hardware fans

https://nerds.xyz/2026/08/pine64-linux-device-production/

#FOSS #privacy

#OpenAI seeks to one-up #Anthropic with new customer #privacy protections

https://techcrunch.com/2026/08/19/openai-seeks-to-one-up-anthropic-with-new-customer-privacy-protections/

#AI

Empowered 🧙‍♂️✨ and with a strong feeling of freedom and peace of mind.

In #ArcaneChat you are protected from spam and scammers, only people you share your contact invitation with can reach you

#europe #privacy #android #autonomy

#Sakura Internet hack exposes data of up to 1.36 million accounts

https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/sakura-internet-hack-exposes-data-of-up-to-136-million-accounts/

#Japan #cybersecurity #privacy #DataBreach