PrivacyDigest

Started blog July 4th, 1999 AmazonWishlist 😀 https://tinyurl.com/PrivDigestAmznWish Books 4 software project you might find interesting #Privacy #Security #Infrastructure #SysAdmin #Photography

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Last Notes

2026-10-21 14:33:45 GMT

#DHS Said They Searched Man Who Wiped #GrapheneOS Phone for #ChildAbuse Material. They Lied
When a Department of #HomelandSecurity official sent out an alert to stop Samuel Tunick, a #StopCopCity activist, at an #airport in January 2025, they said the reason was because he was suspected of “terrorist activities,” according to new filed court records which include a screenshot of the alert and photos of Tunick’s #interrogation.
#Tunick ultimately provided #Customs and #BorderProtection (#CBP ) officials with a code that, when entered, wiped his #security - and #privacy -focused GrapheneOS phone. Tunick is now being criminally charged for that alleged act, in one of the most high profile technology #civilrights cases in recent memory.
The court records also showed that CBP officials lied to Tunick during his interrogation. Instead of saying he was being targeted for suspected #terrorism —… they said they needed his phone to look for “#kiddieporn.”
#csam
https://www.404media.co/dhs-said-they-searched-man-who-wiped-grapheneos-phone-for-child-abuse-material-they-lied/

2026-10-10 01:37:04 GMT

#ICE Emails Discuss Using Palantir-Supported Tool to Investigate #VoterFraud
Documents obtained by #Democracy Forward show that ICE looked into feeding #voter roll data into the #ELITE tool, normally used to #identify targets for #deportation.
#palantir #privacy #elections #voting
> this is Wrong on so many levels. First #voting is controlled on the state level not federal level. Next, even if it was federal, ICE has absolutely no authority over voting roles.
https://www.wired.com/story/ice-emails-discuss-using-palantir-supported-tool-to-investigate-voter-fraud/

2026-10-08 01:41:13 GMT

Elon Musk’s #AmericaPAC Is Quietly Funding November’s Most Consequential #Elections
America PAC’s approach has been unusual: for every dollar it has spent supporting #GOP #Senate candidates, it has spent almost three dollars attacking #Democrats.
#elections #voting #Musk #ElonMusk #politics
https://www.wired.com/story/elon-musks-america-pac-is-quietly-funding-novembers-most-consequential-elections/

2026-10-04 05:40:10 GMT

US Judge Rules #Flock #Search Was Mass #Surveillance. #BernieSanders Proposes 'Ban Flock Act'
#banflockact #privacy #security #alpr
https://yro.slashdot.org/story/26/10/03/0532218/us-judge-rules-flock-search-was-mass-surveillance-bernie-sanders-proposes-ban-flock-act?utm_source=rss1.0mainlinkanon&utm_medium=feed

2026-10-01 22:32:52 GMT

How #Schools and #Universities Try to #Censor #StudentJournalists
#Student #journalists , their advisors, and legal advocates say colleagues and administrators are attempting to undermine student reporting on #JeffreyEpstein , #Gaza , and other issues that public institutions would rather not have their reputations connected to.
Public records obtained by 404 Media show administrators taking meetings with parents and alumni when they take issue with student reporting and asking advisors to compromise their professional #ethics. They also show escalating tensions between student newsroom staff and administrators, prompting more legal aid requests to #advocacy groups.
https://www.404media.co/how-schools-and-universities-try-to-censor-student-journalists/

2026-09-29 18:36:00 GMT

A #Pentagon #Influencer Called #Liberal #Women a ‘Pestilence’ Who Will End #WesternCivilization
Kurt Schlichter was part of a task force rooting out so-called #woke #Ideologies at the military’s war colleges. He has called to bar childless adults from #voting.
#military #warcollege #maga
https://www.wired.com/story/a-pentagon-influencer-called-liberal-women-a-pestilence-who-will-end-western-civilization/

2026-09-26 13:56:02 GMT

What Does Your Data Reveal About #Sports #Betting Apps? Help #ProPublica Find Out.
ProPublica is trying to understand how sports betting apps incentivize users to keep playing and when they warn users to pump the brakes. To do that, we need your help: We’re aiming for at least 250 people to upload their #gambling history from apps like #FanDuel and #DraftKings. We’re not quite there yet, so if you’ve used these apps, you can help our #journalists. If you’ve worked in the industry, you can also help us by answering a few questions. (You can also reach us on #Signal.)
Sharing your transaction histories and insights about the apps can help us understand when companies provide boosts, invite you into VIP programs and push responsible gaming notices. Without this data, there is no way to know how the companies truly operate.
#ethics #manipulation
https://projects.propublica.org/sports-betting-uploader

2026-09-26 13:51:10 GMT

‘Zombified’ C.D.C., Hobbled by Cuts, Struggles to Fulfill #Scientific Mission
A protest outside the Centers for #Disease Control and Prevention last year after employees were laid off. Beyond staff reductions, the agency also faces a leadership vacuum.
#maha #maga #science #health #cdc #doge #rfkjr
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/09/26/health/cdc-staff-cuts-rfk-jr.html

2026-09-24 13:22:53 GMT

RE: https://mas.to/@PrivacyDigest/117326208851529103
Read your #ScienceFiction. It’s the law of unintended consequences.
Was the #AI told to only access the data following the law? The regular interface was not sufficient. It was just easier for it to #hack the site and then gather the data directly.
Reminds me of the old Science fiction theme, where a new super AI, in a goal to help humans keep from destroying the planet, was told “save planet earth”. Unfortunately, the AI decided the best way to “save the planet” was to get rid of the humans.
#note1a4d…yytm

2026-09-24 13:17:52 GMT

Rogue #OpenAI #Agent Tried to #Breach Government Site in May When Prompted for Simple Data-Retrieving Tasks
OpenAI's #artificialIntelligence "went rogue this year in at least four additional incidents," … "#hacking and trying to break into government & university websites without being instructed to do so, according to researchers & government officials." The attacks took place in May and June, before OpenAI's technology breached the A.I. start-up Hugging Face in July and set off a global debate about #AI safety. Unlike the #HuggingFace attack and other incidents in which A.I. systems were told to complete #cybersecurity tests that effectively invited the models to demonstrate their hacking skills, the new incidents occurred when A.I. systems were directed to perform relatively mundane data collection, researchers said. When OpenAI's systems struggled to gather data from websites, they resorted to hacking techniques to get the information
#security #privacy
https://slashdot.org/story/26/09/24/0528251/rogue-openai-agent-tried-to-breach-government-site-in-may-when-prompted-for-simple-data-retrieving-tasks?utm_source=rss1.0mainlinkanon&utm_medium=feed

2026-09-24 03:41:34 GMT

Owners mourn spoiled food after #firmware update #bricks #Samsung smart fridges
Some Samsung smart #fridges stopped working on Tuesday due to a firmware update.
#Korean outlets were the first to report the problems, which affect Samsung’s #Bespoke #AI line of fridges. Star News Korea, per a Google-provided translation, said that most of the affected devices were four-door fridges from 2024 or later.
Affected fridges “suddenly lost power and stopped functioning immediately after” trying to issue a firmware update through #SmartThings,
#Smartfridge
https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2026/09/owners-mourn-spoiled-food-after-firmware-update-bricks-samsung-smart-fridges/

2026-09-23 04:42:17 GMT

The #FBI Anti-Corruption Squad Was Circling #SusanCollins — Until #Trump Got in the Way
#corruption
https://www.propublica.org/article/fbi-susan-collins-navatek-campaign-donations-investigation

2026-08-31 23:29:19 GMT

The #Trump Administration’s Plan for Protecting Consumers? Politely Ask Companies to Behave.
In mid-July testimony before Congress, #RussellVought boasted that, as the acting head of the #ConsumerFinancialProtectionBureau, he’d refashioned the agency’s approach to pursuing banks & other financial companies accused of exploiting Americans — the role #Congress had created for the agency after the 2008 economic crash.
#Vought had spent the first 18 months of the new Trump administration trying to dismantle the bureau, much as he and other appointees had done with the U.S. Agency for International Development. At #CFPB , he’d ordered mass layoffs, tried to choke off the bureau’s funding & ended the lease on its headquarters, attempting to make good on his vow to put civil servants “in trauma.” But federal courts blocked Vought’s efforts to close the CFPB, with a judge at one point saying the administration had acted with “complete disregard” for Congress.
#maga
https://www.propublica.org/article/bilt-cfpb-russell-vought-trump-consumer-protection-fintech

2026-08-26 13:24:25 GMT

Charges Dropped Against Person Who #Clapped at a City #DataCenter Meeting
#freespeech #clapping
https://www.404media.co/charges-dropped-against-person-who-clapped-at-a-city-data-center-meeting/

2026-08-22 17:50:09 GMT

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/

2026-08-20 20:13:39 GMT

The #Cop Who Took On #Flock
After Noel Pichardo called out his city's embrace of Flock #surveillance #cameras , he was subjected to five internal affairs investigations in less than two years.
#alor #privacy
https://www.wired.com/story/the-cop-who-took-on-flock/

2026-08-14 22:16:55 GMT

#CBP Workers Allegedly Used Government Databases to #Spy on Exes, Crushes, and Colleagues
Records obtained by WIRED detail hundreds of allegations of Customs and Border Protection workers misusing internal tools to look up #romantic interests and track colleagues’ cell phones.
#privacy #tracking #surveillance
https://www.wired.com/story/cbp-workers-allegedly-used-government-databases-to-spy-on-exes-crushes-and-colleagues/

2026-08-11 21:30:59 GMT

#Flock Accused of Reactivating Its #Cameras Without Notifying a Town
A Massachusetts newspaper reports that officials from the town of Littleton (population: 10,141) "claim that 5 of Littletonâ(TM)s #FlockSafety cameras were switched back on by the company without informing the town..." Littleton had temporarily disabled the cameras earlier this year, according to the article, but upon discovering the cameras were still active, city officials say they directed the Town Counsel "to initiate cancellation of the contract with Flock Safety & directed the Town Administrator to coordinate the removal of the 6 cameras on public ways" with the Dept of Public Works. Ironically, it's the same Mass town that last year was breached by a Chinese-state-sponsored #hacking group for over 300 days. Flock has also considered #dashcams installed in hundreds of thousands #Uber , #Lyft , & delivery drivers' vehicles "to scan license plates those drivers travelled passed"
#privacy
https://yro.slashdot.org/story/26/08/08/0621205/flock-accused-of-reactivating-its-cameras-without-notifying-a-town?utm_source=rss1.0mainlinkanon&utm_medium=feed

2026-07-29 17:58:03 GMT

‘The Government Hopes To Set a Precedent’: An Interview With the Man Charged for Allegedly Wiping His #GrapheneOS Phone
In charging a man for allegedly typing in a #duress #password which wiped his privacy-focused GrapheneOS phone, the U.S. government is trying to intimidate other #activists from protecting their data and participating in social movements, Samuel Tunick, the man charged, told 404 Media in an interview on Tuesday.
#privacy #security
https://www.404media.co/the-government-hopes-to-set-a-precedent-an-interview-with-the-man-charged-for-allegedly-wiping-his-grapheneos-phone/

2026-07-19 23:58:57 GMT

#AI advice made people 3X less accurate but 2X as confident, researchers found
Willingness to say "I don't know" collapsed from 44% to 3% when AI was available. Monetary incentives barely helped.
#artificialintelligence #gigo
https://thenextweb.com/news/ai-advice-suppresses-critical-thinking-wrong-answers-study

2026-07-16 03:54:06 GMT

Microsoft’s #SecureBoot has been broken for a decade and no one noticed until now
#security #Microsoft
https://arstechnica.com/security/2026/07/microsoft-secure-boot-has-been-broken-for-most-of-its-existence/

2026-07-13 18:29:57 GMT

Why 55% of Americans Stopped Posting On #SocialMedia
A new #Incogni survey suggests Americans are pulling back from social media, with more than half saying "maintaining an online presence feels like work" and 55% reporting they post less than they did five years ago. "The full study concludes that there's been a significant shift in public attitudes toward social media," reports PCMag. "Where it was once fun and relaxing, it's now growing dark and angsty..."
#attention #attentioneconomy
https://tech.slashdot.org/story/26/07/13/0548235/why-55-of-americans-stopped-posting-on-social-media?utm_source=rss1.0mainlinkanon&utm_medium=feed

2026-07-13 02:49:03 GMT

A Majority of #European Lawmakers Voted Against Letting Big Tech Read Our Messages. They’re Going to Anyway
Companies will once again be allowed to scan citizens’ personal texts, emails, and social media messages via the “Chat Control” bill to find child abuse material online.
#privacy #security #socialmedia
https://www.wired.com/story/a-majority-of-european-lawmakers-voted-against-letting-big-tech-read-our-messages-theyre-going-to-anyway/

2026-07-09 17:32:59 GMT

#Farmers Finally Get a #JohnDeere #RighttoRepair Agreement That Doesn’t Screw Them Over https://www.404media.co/farmers-finally-get-a-john-deere-right-to-repair-agreement-that-doesnt-screw-them-over/

2026-06-29 21:05:52 GMT

How to Fight Deployment of #Flock and Other Mass #Surveillance License Plate Readers in Your Community
The #ACLU provides a range of tactics for communities to stop or limit the use of Flock’s #ALPR mass #surveillance technology
#privacy
https://www.aclu.org/news/privacy-technology/tracking-alpr-cameras/how-to-fight-deployment-of-flock-and-other-mass-surveillance-license-plate-readers-in-your-community

2026-06-14 18:12:36 GMT

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/

2026-06-12 05:03:29 GMT

#Soccer Fans, You’re Being Watched
From anti-drone tech to face recognition, 2026 #WorldCup stadiums in the US, #Canada, and #Mexico are subjecting fans to an array of #surveillance tech. Here’s what you need to know.
#privacy #security
https://www.wired.com/story/soccer-world-cup-biometric-surveillance/

2026-05-21 16:36:52 GMT

How #Deepfakes Tore a #HighSchool Apart
#ai #privacy #security #ethics
https://www.404media.co/radnor-high-school-pennsylvania-ai-deepfakes-child-sexual-abuse-material/

2026-05-05 16:01:51 GMT

#Canadian #election databases use "canary traps"—and they work
In a world awash in high-tech #security tools like #passkeys , quantum-safe algorithms, & public-key #cryptography , it can be refreshing to get back to the simple things... like a good old-fashioned #canary trap.
The canary trap is a simple tool often used to identify #leakers or #doubleagents. To make one, you simply share a document, image, or DB but make tiny changes that are unique to each recipient.
https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2026/05/in-canada-a-canary-trap-springs-shut-and-ids-election-database-leak/

2026-04-23 18:59:46 GMT

#Palantir Employees Are Starting to Wonder if They're the Bad Guys
Interviews with current and former Palantir employees, along with internal Slack messages obtained by WIRED, suggest a workforce in turmoil.
#privacy #surveillance #ethics #morality #ice
https://www.wired.com/story/palantir-employees-are-starting-to-wonder-if-theyre-the-bad-guys/

2026-03-28 15:23:35 GMT

A New #AI #Documentary Puts CEOs in the Hot Seat—but Goes Too Easy on Them
The AI Doc: Or How I Became an #Apocaloptimist seeks the middle ground on a polarizing technology—and ends up letting tech execs like #SamAltman off the hook.
#artificialintelligence #politics #responsibility #ethics #privacy #security
https://www.wired.com/story/a-new-ai-documentary-puts-ceos-in-the-hot-seat-but-goes-too-easy-on-them/

2026-03-28 13:16:06 GMT

#ElonMusk Joins in Phone Call Between Donald #Trump and #NarendraModi
Mr. #Musk’s participation was notable because it is rare for a private citizen to be on a call between heads of state. It also suggests that Mr. #Musk is back on better terms with the president.
#maga #doge #modi
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/03/27/us/politics/musk-joins-call-with-trump-modi.html

2026-03-20 03:42:24 GMT

#FBI started buying Americans' location data again, #KashPatel confirms
Three years after saying it had stopped buying location data of Americans without a #warrant , the FBI acknowledged it has restarted the purchases.
#privacy #surveillance #tracking #geolocation
https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2026/03/fbi-started-buying-americans-location-data-again-kash-patel-confirms/

2026-03-10 03:21:00 GMT

OpenAI's Head of #Robotics Resigns, Says #Pentagon Deal Was 'Rushed Without the Guardrails Defined'
In a tweet that's been viewed 1.3 million times in the last 6 hours, OpenAI's head of robotics announced their #resignation. They said they "care deeply about the Robotics team & the work we built together," so this "wasn't an easy call," but offered this reason for resigning: #AI has an important role in #nationalSecurity.
#security #openai #ethics #artificialintelligence
https://hardware.slashdot.org/story/26/03/07/2213221/openais-head-of-robotics-resigns-says-pentagon-deal-was-rushed-without-the-guardrails-defined?utm_source=rss1.0mainlinkanon&utm_medium=feed

2026-03-01 05:02:03 GMT

#Trump Officials Attended a Summit of #Election Deniers Who Want the President to Take Over the #Midterms
Several high-ranking federal election officials attended a summit last week at which prominent figures who worked to overturn Donald Trump’s loss in the #2020election pressed the president to declare a national emergency to take over this year’s midterms.
https://www.propublica.org/article/election-denier-summit-trump-midterms

2026-02-28 19:44:31 GMT

A new #California law says all operating systems, including #Linux , need to have some form of #ageVerification at account setup
#privacy #security
https://www.pcgamer.com/software/operating-systems/a-new-california-law-says-all-operating-systems-including-linux-need-to-have-some-form-of-age-verification-at-account-setup/

2026-02-26 22:21:56 GMT

#PeteHegseth tells #Anthropic to fall in line with #DoD desires, or else
US Defense Secretary Pete #Hegseth has threatened to cut Anthropic from his department’s #supplychain unless it agrees to sign off on its technology being used in all lawful #military applications by Friday.
#ai #artificialintelligence #ethics
https://arstechnica.com/ai/2026/02/pete-hegseth-wants-unfettered-access-to-anthropics-models-for-the-military/

2026-02-24 23:17:24 GMT

This App Warns You if Someone Is Wearing #SmartGlasses Nearby
A new hobbyist developed app warns if people nearby may be wearing smart glasses, such as Meta’s Ray-Ban glasses, which #stalkers and harassers have repeatedly used to film people without their knowledge or consent. The app scans for smart glasses’ distinctive #Bluetooth signatures and sends a push alert if it detects a potential pair of glasses in the local area.
#privacy #surveillance #meta #rayban
https://www.404media.co/this-app-warns-you-if-someone-is-wearing-smart-glasses-nearby/

2026-02-05 02:35:26 GMT

#FBI stymied by Apple's #LockdownMode after seizing journalist's #iPhone
The Federal Bureau of Investigation has so far been unable to access data from a #WashingtonPost reporter's iPhone because it was protected by Apple's Lockdown Mode when agents seized the device from the reporter's home, the US government said in a court filing.
#apple #security #privacy #journalism
https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2026/02/fbi-stymied-by-apples-lockdown-mode-after-seizing-journalists-iphone/

2026-02-04 21:44:26 GMT

Inside the #ICE #Forum Where Agents Complain About Their Jobs
“I'm all for removing illegals, but snatching dudes off lawn mowers in Cali and leaving the truck and equipment just sitting there? Definitely not working smarter,” writes one forum user.
#civilrights #immigration
https://www.wired.com/story/inside-the-ice-forum-where-agents-complain-about-their-jobs/

2026-01-23 20:20:02 GMT

#WhiteHouse alters #arrest photo of #ICE protester, says "the #memes will continue"
The #Trump White House posted a manipulated photo of Nekima Levy Armstrong, a #Minnesota #civilRights #attorney who was arrested after protesting in a #church where a pastor is allegedly also an #ICE official.
"The WH shared an AI-edited photo of Nekima, depicting her in tears & scared when, in actuality, she was poised, determined, & unafraid," #NAACP Pres & CEO Derrick Johnson said.
https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2026/01/white-house-posts-altered-arrest-photo-to-make-it-appear-ice-critic-was-sobbing/

2026-01-21 02:44:40 GMT

@npub1mft…gq54 Joins #Internet #Advocates Calling on the #Iranian Government to Restore Full Internet #Connectivity
#iran
https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2026/01/eff-joins-47-internet-advocates-calling-iranian-government-restore-full-internet

2026-01-14 07:17:14 GMT

Police Unmask Millions of #Surveillance Targets Because of #Flock #Redaction Error
A handful of police depts that use Flock have unwittingly leaked details of millions of surveillance targets & a large number of active police investigations around the country because they have failed to redact license plates info in public records releases. Flock responded…by threatening a site that exposed it by limiting the info the public can get via #publicRecords requests
#privacy
https://www.404media.co/police-unmask-millions-of-surveillance-targets-because-of-flock-redaction-error/

2026-01-10 03:39:43 GMT

#Grok Is Being Used to Mock and Strip #Women in #Hijabs and #Sarees
A substantial number of #AI images generated or edited with Grok are targeting women in #religious and cultural clothing.
#privacy
https://www.wired.com/story/grok-is-being-used-to-mock-and-strip-women-in-hijabs-and-sarees/

2026-01-08 15:14:23 GMT

Inside ICE’s Tool to Monitor Phones in Entire Neighborhoods
A #socialMedia and phone #surveillance system #ICE bought access to is designed to #monitor a city neighborhood or block for mobile phones, track movements of those devices & their owners over time, & follow them from their places of work to home or other locations
Commercial location data, acquired from hundreds of millions of phones via a company called #Penlink, can be queried without a #warrant
#privacy
https://www.404media.co/inside-ices-tool-to-monitor-phones-in-entire-neighborhoods/

2025-12-20 04:02:19 GMT

#Trump Media Merger With #NuclearFusion Firm Raises #Ethics Questions
#TrumpMedia plans to merge with a company developing nuclear fusion technology, putting the president’s financial interests in competition with other energy companies over which his administration holds sway.
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/12/19/business/energy-environment/trump-media-tae-merger-nuclear-fusion.html

2025-12-18 00:10:18 GMT

#Hack Reveals the a16z-Backed #Phone Farm Flooding #TikTok With #AI #influencers
Doublespeed, a startup backed by #AndreessenHorowitz ( #a16z ) that uses a phone farm to manage at least hundreds of AI-generated social media accounts and promote products has been #hacked. The hack reveals what products the AI-generated accounts are promoting, often without the required disclosure that these are #advertisements
#socialmedia
https://www.404media.co/hack-reveals-the-a16z-backed-phone-farm-flooding-tiktok-with-ai-influencers/

2025-11-06 16:44:39 GMT

#FBI Warns of Criminals Posing as #ICE , Urges Agents to #ID Themselves
In a bulletin to law enforcement agencies, the FBI said criminal impersonators are exploiting ICE’s image and urged nationwide coordination to distinguish real operations from fakes.
> suggestions won’t work. They’ll only do it once forced
https://www.wired.com/story/fbi-warns-of-criminals-posing-as-ice-urges-agents-to-id-themselves/

2025-10-27 20:49:17 GMT

AT&T ad congratulating itself for its #ethics violated an ad-industry rule
The #NAD said that AT&T’s action threatens the “integrity and success of the self-regulatory forum,” and “undermines NAD’s mission to promote truth and accuracy of #advertising claims and foster consumer trust in the marketplace.”
#att
https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2025/10/att-ad-congratulating-itself-for-its-ethics-violated-an-ad-industry-rule/

2025-10-08 06:40:20 GMT

#Flock Safety and #Texas #Sheriff Claimed #LicensePlate Search Was for a Missing Person. It Was an #Abortion Investigation.
#alpr #privacy #security
https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2025/10/flock-safety-and-texas-sheriff-claimed-license-plate-search-was-missing-person-it

2025-09-18 01:06:29 GMT

Fired #CDC Director Says #RFK Jr. Pressured Her to Blindly Approve #Vaccine Changes
#SusanMonarez told a #Senate committee that Robert F. Kennedy Jr. demanded she dismiss career officials without cause—and accept vaccine recommendations regardless of whether #science backed them up.
#health
https://www.wired.com/story/susan-monarez-fired-cdc-director-senate-testimony/

2025-09-15 23:55:55 GMT

#MassiveAttack Turns #Concert Into #FacialRecognition #Surveillance #Experiment - Gadget Review
#Bristol band uses live facial recognition on concertgoers to create uncomfortable art about surveillance culture
#privacy #biometrics
https://www.gadgetreview.com/massive-attack-turns-concert-into-facial-recognition-surveillance-experiment

2025-09-12 12:41:52 GMT

Mentions of ‘Civil War’ Surge Online After #CharlieKirk #Shooting
The term has increasingly been invoked on social media after major #political moments, highlighting divisions among Americans.
#civilwar #socialmedia
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/09/12/technology/charlie-kirk-shooting-civil-war.html

2025-09-10 17:59:41 GMT

#SanFrancisco Gets An Invasive Billionaire-Bought #Surveillance #HQ
San Francisco #billionaire #ChrisLarsen once again has wielded his wallet to keep city residents under the eye of all-seeing #police surveillance.
The San Francisco Police Commission, the Board of Supervisors, and Mayor Daniel Lurie have signed off on Larsen’s $9.4 million gift of a new Real-Time Investigations Center.
#privacy
https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2025/09/san-francisco-gets-invasive-billionaire-bought-surveillance-hq

2025-09-05 21:37:47 GMT

#COVID #vaccine locations vanish from #Google #Maps due to supposed “technical issue”
#googlemaps #maga
https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2025/09/covid-vaccine-locations-vanish-from-google-maps-due-to-alleged-technical-issue/

2025-09-04 02:00:48 GMT

#FCC chair teams up with #TedCruz to block Wi-Fi #hotspots for #schoolkids
https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2025/09/fcc-chair-teams-up-with-ted-cruz-to-block-wi-fi-hotspots-for-schoolkids/

2025-09-04 01:58:08 GMT

Automated #Sextortion #Spyware Takes #Webcam Pics of Victims Watching #Porn
A new specimen of “infostealer” #malware offers a disturbing feature: It monitors a target's browser for #NSFW content, then takes simultaneous #screenshots and webcam photos of the victim.
#privacy
https://www.wired.com/story/stealerium-infostealer-porn-sextortion/

2025-09-02 20:50:58 GMT

How #ElonMusk Is Remaking #Grok in His Image
Mr. #Musk said he wanted xAI’s #chatbot to be “politically neutral.” His actions say otherwise.
#xai #ai #artificialintelligence #politics
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/09/02/technology/elon-musk-grok-conservative-chatbot.html

2025-08-26 07:32:48 GMT

With #AI #chatbots, Big Tech is moving fast and breaking people https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2025/08/with-ai-chatbots-big-tech-is-moving-fast-and-breaking-people/

2025-08-21 02:46:58 GMT

Highly Sensitive #Medical #Cannabis #Patient Data Exposed by #Unsecured Database
Nearly a million records, which appear to be linked to a medical-cannabis-card company in #Ohio, included #SocialSecurity numbers, government IDs, health conditions, and more.
#privacy #ssn #socialsecuritynumbers #security #leak
https://www.wired.com/story/highly-sensitive-medical-cannabis-patient-data-exposed-by-unsecured-database/

2025-08-06 02:10:22 GMT

#AI site #Perplexity uses “stealth tactics” to flout no-crawl edicts, #Cloudflare says https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2025/08/ai-site-perplexity-uses-stealth-tactics-to-flout-no-crawl-edicts-cloudflare-says/

2025-08-06 02:05:27 GMT

#TikTok Promotes Stickers for Secretly #Recording Meta Ray-Ban Video
Millions of TikTok users are watching videos promoting a “ghost dot” sticker that conceals the recording indicator light on Meta’s smart glasses.
#privacy #rayban
https://www.wired.com/story/tiktok-promotes-stickers-for-secretly-recording-meta-ray-ban-video/

2025-08-06 02:01:29 GMT

#AI Is Listening to Your Meetings. Watch What You Say. - Slashdot
#privacy
https://yro.slashdot.org/story/25/08/05/1546241/ai-is-listening-to-your-meetings-watch-what-you-say?utm_source=rss1.0mainlinkanon&utm_medium=feed

2025-07-31 20:23:42 GMT

WTF? Student loan forgiveness for masked ICE agents, but not teachers? 😡
DHS' new #ICE recruitment strategy: 50K signing bonuses, student loan forgiveness & Trump posters - POLITICO
#DHS is offering new #Immigration and Customs Enforcement recruits signing bonuses of up to $50,000 & student loan forgiveness, as the agency — suddenly flush with cash — seeks to meet President Donald #Trump ’s goal of hiring 10,000 new ICE agents & #deporting a million people a year.
https://www.politico.com/news/2025/07/30/ice-recruitment-donald-trump-00484885

2025-07-24 02:05:59 GMT

The #Trump administration is pooling data on Americans. Experts fear what comes next, Ian Bogost and Charlie Warzel reported in April:
#panopticon #privacy
https://theatln.tc/KVie2HEo

2025-07-22 20:59:51 GMT

We're Publishing Our #ICE Reporting In #Spanish
We’ve been covering the technological infrastructure powering Trump’s mass #deportations for months by this point. We believe there is a high public interest in knowing what tech companies are working with #Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE), what #surveillance capabilities are being used, and how those may contribute to a lack of due process.
#privacy #security #DueProcess #Trump #rights
https://www.404media.co/were-publishing-our-ice-reporting-in-spanish/

2025-07-21 19:57:29 GMT

When Your #PowerMeter Becomes a Tool of Mass #Surveillance
Simply using extra #electricity to power some Xmas lights or big fish tank shouldn’t bring the police to your door. In California, the law explicitly protects the #privacy of power customers, prohibiting public utilities from disclosing precise “smart” meter data in most cases.
Despite this, #Sacramento ’s power company & law enforcement agencies have been running an illegal mass surveillance scheme for years
https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2025/07/when-your-power-meter-becomes-tool-mass-surveillance

2025-07-11 22:05:13 GMT

Verizon’s request to lock phones supported by police, opposed by users
With #Verizon seeking permission to lock phones to its network for six months or longer instead of the current 60 days, a coalition of advocacy groups yesterday urged the Federal Communications Commission to reject the #cellular carrier's petition.
#fcc
https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2025/07/verizons-request-to-lock-phones-supported-by-police-opposed-by-users/

2025-07-11 21:48:37 GMT

This Is #DOGE 2.0
Elon Musk's so-called Department of Government Efficiency is continuing its wholesale assault on federal agencies—even without #Musk in government.
#privacy #takeover
https://www.wired.com/story/next-stage-doge-elon-musk/

2025-06-26 20:49:57 GMT

#BillMoyers Dead: Elder Statesman of #PBS #Journalists Was 91
Bill #Moyers , who carried an unblemished air of moral conviction throughout a 43-year career as an unapologetically liberal #journalist, mostly for PBS, died Thursday in Manhattan. He was 91.
Like his protege #CharlieRose, Moyers was characterized by an insatiable and wide-ranging intellectual curiosity, but he was deeply concerned not only with how things are but how they should be.
#obituary
https://variety.com/2025/tv/news/bill-moyers-dead-pbs-journalist-1236442118/

2025-06-20 22:28:24 GMT

Protect Yourself From Meta’s Latest Attack on #Privacy
Researchers recently caught #Meta using an egregious new #tracking technique to #spy on you. Exploiting a technical loophole, the company was able to have their apps snoop on users’ web #browsing. This tracking technique stands out for its flagrant disregard of core #security protections built into phones & browsers. This is yet another reason to distrust Meta, block web tracking, & end #surveillance #advertising.
https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2025/06/protect-yourself-metas-latest-attack-privacy

2025-06-18 03:18:25 GMT

Emails Reveal the Casual #Surveillance Alliance Between #ICE and Local Police
Local police in #Oregon casually offered various surveillance services to federal law enforcement officials from the #FBI and ICE, and to other state and local police departments, as part of an informal email and meetup group of crime analysts, internal emails shared with 404 Media show.
#privacy
https://www.404media.co/emails-reveal-the-casual-surveillance-alliance-between-ice-and-local-police/

2025-06-18 03:14:02 GMT

The #PeopleSearch Sites in the Suspected #Minnesota Killer's Notebook Are a Failure of #Congress
#privacy #security
https://www.404media.co/the-people-search-sites-in-the-suspected-minnesota-killers-notebook-are-a-failure-of-congress/

2025-06-14 00:48:33 GMT

Here’s What #Marines and the #NationalGuard Can (and Can’t) Do at #LAProtests
#Pentagon rules sharply limit US Marines and National Guard activity in #LosAngeles, prohibiting #arrests , #surveillance , and other customary police work.
#privacy #protest #protests
https://www.wired.com/story/what-marines-national-guard-can-cant-do-la-protests/

2025-06-14 00:44:51 GMT

CBP's #Predator #Drone Flights Over #LA Are a Dangerous #Escalation
Custom and Border Protection flying powerful #PredatorB #drones over #LosAngeles further breaks the seal on federal involvement in civilian matters typically handled by state or local authorities.
#cbp #privacy #security #rights #takeover
https://www.wired.com/story/cbp-predator-drone-flights-la-protests/

2025-06-11 23:41:13 GMT

#DHS Flew #PredatorDrones Over #LAProtests , Audio Shows.
The use of #Predator #drones highlights the extraordinary resources government agencies are putting behind #surveilling and responding to the #LosAngeles #protests which started after #ICE agents raided a #HomeDepot on Friday. President #Trump has since called up 4,000 members of the #NationalGuard, and on Monday ordered more than 700 active duty #Marines to the city too.
#surveillance #privacy
https://www.404media.co/dhs-flew-predator-drones-over-la-protests-audio-shows/

2025-06-06 23:11:18 GMT

#ElonMusk Claimed the #Art This Man Painstakingly Created Was Generated by #Grok
Over the weekend, Elon #Musk shared Grok altered #photographs of people walking through the interior of instruments and implied that his #AI system had created the beautiful and surreal images. But the underlying photos are the work of artist #CharlesBrooks , who wasn’t credited
#copyright
https://www.404media.co/elon-musk-claimed-the-art-this-man-painstakingly-created-was-generated-by-grok/

2025-06-06 11:18:17 GMT

#Palantir Is Going on Defense
Palantir threatened to call police on a WIRED reporter and kicked out other #journalists from a recent conference following reports of the data analytics firm’s work with the #Trump administration.
#dataanalytics #privacy #security
https://www.wired.com/story/palantir-defense-conference-journalists/

2025-06-04 16:31:11 GMT

The #Texting #Network for the End of the World
Everyone knows what it’s like to lose cell service. A burgeoning open source project called #Meshtastic is filling the gap for when you’re in the middle of nowhere—or when disaster strikes.
#survival #txt #opensource
https://www.wired.com/story/youre-not-ready-for-phone-dead-zones/

2025-06-04 15:53:01 GMT

The Fed Gov Demands Data from #SNAP —But Says Nothing About Protecting It
part of a larger effort by #Trump admin to gain “unfettered access to comprehensive data from all state programs that receive federal funding,” thru #EO14243. While the order says this data sharing is intended to cut down on fraud, it is written so broadly that it could auth almost any data sharing…flies in the face of well-established data #privacy practices & places people at considerable risk.
https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2025/06/federal-government-demands-data-snap-says-nothing-about-protecting-it

2025-05-31 15:05:39 GMT

The #Gmail app will now create #AI summaries whether you want them or not
#google #privacy
https://arstechnica.com/google/2025/05/the-gmail-app-will-now-create-ai-summaries-whether-you-want-them-or-not/

2025-05-20 01:49:49 GMT

#Telegram Gave Authorities Data on More than 20,000 Users
Telegram gave authorities the data on 22,777 of its users in the first three months of 2025, according to a GitHub that reposts Telegram’s #transparency reports.That number is a massive jump from the same period in 2024, which saw Telegram turn over data on only 5,826 of its users to authorities. From January 1 to March 31, Telegram sent over the data of 1,664 users in the U.S.
#privacy #tracking #security
https://www.404media.co/telegram-gave-authorities-data-on-more-than-20-000-users/

2025-05-15 15:06:51 GMT

#Montana Becomes First State to Close the Law Enforcement #DataBroker #Loophole
Montana … has just enacted the first attempt to close the dreaded, invasive, #unconstitutional , but easily fixed “data broker loophole.” This is a very good step in the right direction because right now, across the country, law enforcement routinely purchases information on individuals it would otherwise need a #warrant to obtain.
#privacy #security #4thamendment #rights
https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2025/05/montana-becomes-first-state-close-law-enforcement-data-broker-loophole

2025-05-08 00:58:43 GMT

Open source project #curl is sick of users submitting “AI slop” #vulnerabilities - Ars Technica
"One way you can tell is it's always such a nice report," founder tells Ars.
#aislop #ai #security
https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2025/05/open-source-project-curl-is-sick-of-users-submitting-ai-slop-vulnerabilities/

2025-05-07 02:26:31 GMT

The #Signal Clone Mike #Waltz Was Caught Using Has Direct Access to User Chats
A new analysis of TM Signal's source code appears to show that the app sends users' message logs in #plaintext. At least one top #Trump administration official used the app.
#privacy #security #tmsignal
https://www.wired.com/story/tm-signal-telemessage-plaintext-message-archive/

2025-05-05 02:28:56 GMT

The #Signal Clone the #Trump Admin Uses Was #Hacked
A #hacker has #breached and stolen customer data from #TeleMessage , an obscure #Israeli company that sells modified versions of Signal and other messaging apps to the U.S. government to archive messages …The data stolen by the #hacker contains the contents of some direct messages and group #chats sent using its Signal clone, as well as modified versions of #WhatsApp , #Telegram , and #WeChat.
#privacy #security
https://www.404media.co/the-signal-clone-the-trump-admin-uses-was-hacked/

2024-12-24 15:18:28 GMT

#AI Agents Will Be #Manipulation Engines
Surrendering to #algorithmic agents risks putting us under their influence.
https://www.wired.com/story/ai-agents-personal-assistants-manipulation-engines/

2024-12-24 14:44:48 GMT

Tipster Arrested After Feds Find AI Child Exploit Images and Plans to Make #VR #CSAM
In an interview with law enforcement, the tipster said he also downloaded #AI child sexual abuse material but that sometimes “real” ones were mixed in.
https://www.404media.co/tipster-arrested-after-feds-find-ai-child-exploit-images-and-plans-to-make-vr-csam-2/

2024-12-18 21:03:19 GMT

#Congress Again Fails to Limit Scope of #Spy Powers in New #DefenseBill
The #NationalDefenseAuthorizationAct passed today, but lawmakers stripped language that would keep the #Trump administration from wielding unprecedented authority to surveil Americans.
#surveillance #ndaa #privacy
https://www.wired.com/story/congress-spy-powers-fisa-ndaa-trump-702/

2024-12-12 03:30:19 GMT

#Photobucket opted inactive users into #privacy nightmare, lawsuit says
Photobucket was sued Wednesday after a recent privacy policy update revealed plans to sell users' photos—including #biometric identifiers like face and iris scans—to companies training #generativeAI models.
#ai #tos
https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2024/12/photobucket-sold-users-biometric-data-without-consent-lawsuit-says/

2024-12-10 14:38:08 GMT

404 Media Objects to #Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton's #Subpoena to Access Our Reporting
Paxton's subpoena seeks to turn 404 Media into an arm of law enforcement, which is not our role and which we have no interest in doing or becoming
#journalism #paxton
https://www.404media.co/404-media-objects-to-texas-attorney-general-ken-paxtons-subpoena-to-access-our-reporting/

2024-12-10 04:40:30 GMT

Save #Music , Save the #Archive !
Over 350 musicians are speaking out to demand that major labels drop a lawsuit aimed to destroy the #InternetArchive —and for their industry to take concrete actions to realign their actions with the interests of working artists. Sign their open letter now to show your support.
https://www.savethearchive.com/

2024-11-25 02:15:01 GMT

Justice Department orders random #DEA searches stopped at airports after #ANF investigation
Award-winning In Plane Sight series uncovered how drug agents can seize cash at airport departure gates
#doj #civilAssetForeiture #civilforefeiture #seizure
https://www.atlantanewsfirst.com/2024/11/21/justice-department-orders-all-consensual-searches-stopped-airports-after-anf-report/

2024-11-19 11:33:21 GMT

#ICE Can Already Sidestep #Sanctuary City Laws Through Data-Sharing #FusionCenters
Built to combat #terrorism , #fusion centers give US #Immigration and Customs Enforcement a way to gain access to data that’s meant to be protected under city laws limiting local police cooperation with ICE.
#privacy
https://www.wired.com/story/ice-sanctuary-cities-fusion-centers/

2024-11-19 02:22:29 GMT

AI-Powered #Buzzfeed Ads Suggest You Buy Hat of Man Who Died by Suicide
#ai #advertising
https://www.404media.co/ai-powered-buzzfeed-ads-suggest-you-buy-hat-of-man-who-died-by-suicide/

2024-11-18 03:17:02 GMT

How to Set Up #ExpressVPN on a #Router So All Your Devices Are Secured at Once
Your #VPN doesn't always have to run on your phone or laptop. You can guard everything in your home from prying eyes.
#security #privacy
https://www.wired.com/story/how-to-set-up-expressvpn-on-a-router/

2024-11-11 12:56:00 GMT

Federal Courts Are Cracking Down on the #InternetArchive
A federal court recently said the Internet Archive is not protected by fair use doctrine.
In September, a federal appeals court dealt a major blow to the Internet Archive—one of the largest online repositories of free #books , media, and software—in a #copyright case with significant implications for publishers, #libraries , and readers
#fairusedoctrine #fairuse
https://reason.com/2024/11/10/courts-are-coming-for-digital-libraries/

2024-11-05 03:20:11 GMT

Hundreds of code libraries posted to #NPM try to install #malware on dev machines
#security #supplychain
https://arstechnica.com/security/2024/11/javascript-developers-targeted-by-hundreds-of-malicious-code-libraries/

2024-11-02 04:23:51 GMT

Toxic X users sabotage Community Notes that could derail #disinfo, report says
#twitter #disinformation
https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2024/10/toxic-x-users-sabotage-community-notes-that-could-derail-disinfo-report-says/

2024-11-02 04:03:48 GMT

This Group Refuses to Stop Tracking #Disinformation
Though a larger coalition of fact checkers has disbanded, a team of students and researchers at the University of #Washington in #Seattle is still working to document how lies online threaten to undermine this year’s presidential race.
#election2024 #election #factcheck #factcheckers
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/11/01/technology/election-disinformation.html