Black belt in Mikado, Photo model, for the photos where they put under ‘BEFORE’

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Joined 4Y ago
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Cake day: Apr 25, 2021

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Yes, when it was still Anakim Skywalker leading the company



A court ordered Google to pay $425 million after finding the company misled 98 million users about data collection through its "Web & App Activity" setting[^1]. The case revealed Google continued gathering user data via Firebase, a monitoring database embedded in 97% of top Android apps and 54% of leading iOS apps, even after users disabled data collection[^1]. Google's internal communications showed the company was "intentionally vague" about its data collection practices because being transparent "could sound alarming to users," according to district judge Richard Seeborg[^1]. This ruling adds to Google's recent privacy settlements, including: - $392 million paid to 40 states in 2023 for location tracking violations - $40 million to Washington state for similar location tracking issues - $1.38 billion to Texas in 2025 over location tracking and incognito mode claims[^1] Google plans to appeal the $425 million verdict, with spokesperson Jose Castaneda stating "This decision misunderstands how our products work" and asserting that Google honors user privacy choices[^1]. [^1]: [Malwarebytes - Google misled users about their privacy and now owes them $425m, says court](https://www.malwarebytes.com/blog/news/2025/09/google-misled-users-about-their-privacy-and-now-owes-them-425m-says-court)
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You are free to compile it for yourself if you are masochist enough to compile a browser from source, only you can’t do it legally distributing it under an other brand than Vivaldi. That is the only limit.


Because Andi is until now the most privacy centric and reliable one of all I’ve tested since almost 3 years, it was the first ever search AI on the market, 5 Years ago, former called Lazyweb.ai, years before. Own LLM not biased by big companies. Developed by a small startup of 2 devs.

Statement:

…We’re a small team of two founders (Angela and Jed) and some friends. We’re on a mission to unbreak the Internet and save the world from spam, misinformation and ad tech.

Search is broken because of misinformation, SEO spam and ads, and surveillance capitalism. It hasn’t changed in 20 years. Things are getting worse. The rise of GPT-based chatbots that confidently generate accurate-sounding “BS” with made-up sources is driving misinformation through the roof.

Privacy policy


I asked Andi

Recent advances in facial recognition technology have sparked development of various counter-surveillance clothing and accessories. These anti-surveillance methods fall into several key categories:

Physical Alterations and Clothing

  • Patterned clothing with complex designs that confuse facial recognition algorithms[1]
  • Reflective materials that bounce back infrared light used by security cameras[1:1]
  • Special scarves and hoodies designed to break up facial features[1:2]
  • The “Camera Shy Hoodie” with embedded IR LEDs that overexpose security camera footage[2]
  • Cap_Able brand clothing with patterns designed to deceive recognition systems[3]

Technical Solutions

  • Infrared LED glasses that blind facial recognition cameras while remaining invisible to human eyes[1:3]
  • Anti-surveillance devices that emit signals to interfere with camera sensors[1:4]
  • Reflectacles privacy eyewear that blocks IR cameras[4]

Professional Applications

  • Small reflective dot stickers used for motion tracking and high-speed camera detection[5]
  • Camera obscura techniques used by photographers and artists[6]

Law Enforcement Concerns

  • Police forces are expanding use of facial recognition vans and technology[7][8]
  • Civil liberties groups argue the technology shows racial bias and privacy concerns[9]
  • West Yorkshire’s Crime Commissioner states that facial recognition data “will not be stored”[7:1]

Sources:


  1. Luxand - How to Fool and Avoid Facial Recognition in Public Places ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎

  2. Mac Pierce - The Camera Shy Hoodie ↩︎

  3. Maker Faire Rome - Fabric to deceive facial recognition systems ↩︎

  4. Reflectacles - Ghost Privacy Eyewear & Sunglasses ↩︎

  5. Amazon - Golf Club & Golf Ball Reflective Dot Stickers ↩︎

  6. Wikipedia - Camera obscura ↩︎

  7. BBC - ‘Facial recognition can make mistakes, it’s not a decision-maker’ ↩︎ ↩︎

  8. Facebook - Digital face recognition camera van in Albany Rd ↩︎

  9. Yahoo/Telegraph - Facial recognition cameras at Notting Hill Carnival ‘are racially biased’ ↩︎


Students like Vivaldi and it’s WebPanel and Split Screen.


No, Blink is the render engine of Chromium, same as Gecko in Firefox. Blink is one of the forks of KHTML, made by KDE, same as WebKit. It is used by Google use it in the Chrome browser and also EDGE, Opera, Brave, Vivaldi and other, forks of Blink are Qt browsers, eg. Otter browser or Falcon. Goanna is an fork from Gecko, used by eg. Pale Moon, Basilisk and K-Melon. But these forks only making sense for older devices and OS with few sys specs, due to limited functionality and compatibilities with certain web contents. Qt engines because of this more used in auxiliar app, eg. mail clients.

There are only this three engines + the 2 forks, which can be used by the current browsers, apart of some basic engines used by text only browsers, like eg Lynx or Links


It’s very difficult to get away from YT, too long time with free hands converted it to a monoply with all its abuses. Yes, there are alternatives like Odysee, PeerTube and some others, but they lack of contents, front ends, like Invidious, PokeTube, etc are getting killed more and more by Gargle. For music there isn’t such a big problem, most content can be listen in Bandcamp and other streaming sites, but for other contents only can be found, eg. in the homepages of the Public TV (Movies, Live streams, Documentals,…). Another possibility are Desktop clients, but eg. FreeTube relays on Invidious and with this most Videos are blocked, VLC or SMplayer still working mostly. It’s certainly a Mess and it will take years to be able to substitute really YT. Only manner until now is to use protection against the profiling and tracking (VPN, Proxies, ad/tracker blocker anyway mandatory, etc).


Yes, something like this, despite not fully OpenSource, it’s pretty trustworth because of this, there is nothing shady or hidden in Vivaldi.


You can, part of the script corresponding to its UI is proprietary, but UI code is written in plain, accessible code for those who read HTML, CSS and JS and even moddeable by the user, but can’t be forked legally by Chrome or EDGE (🖕) nor by other browsers. It`s something like open proprietary freeware. There are no logs, tracking or any other crap. nor third party investors. Sync ee2e no-knowledge. The rest is OpenSource with several different licenses, specificated in the source package. As all other browser, collecting anonym statistical data (country for lenguage settings, OS, needed tecnical data)

https://vivaldi.com/source/


I use Vivaldi and Zen as second. I need the sync function and I don’t want an Mozilla account, nor an third party solution. Vivaldo offers full sync ee2e no knowledge in the own server in Iceland.


The Portmaster with its SPN is a good approach, apart of the encrypted DNS which Portmaster use, the SPN permits a difference to an Normal VPN, to use simultaneous different servers for different websites


It is always needed to check well an soft (Exodus Privacy, reading PP/TOS, permissions in the phone…), independing from where you download it, but certainly apps from Google Play are not the same as from F-Droid or their corresponding homepage. eg.I mencioned InviZible Pro, which from Google Play is an castrated version, without the original adblock function, same also in other privacy apps. Google Play is the worst place to download an app, always use it as last option if possible. Adding also the need to use an AV in the phone, eg.BitDefender is a good choice, even the free version, because the Google Playprotect is absolute trash, which protect against nothing. Apk from the Play store with malware are only removed after claims from affected users.


Mobile phones are never really secure, but any other than the stock Android is an advance. The worst privacy breaches are the used apps, if they are from Google Play, always check the app permissions in the phone settings, use WiFi only if needed, never store sensitive data in the phone, desactivate localisation/GPS if not needed, usw VPN or at least DNScrypt (InviZible Pro from F-Droid, never from Google Play), check apps with Exodus Privacy, use private chats (Matrix or similar instead of Whatscrap & cia), storing photos in a privacy respecting cloud instead of Google Photos, eg. https://ente.io/, especially always common sense, PEBCAK.


In essence any de-googled Android fork is valid (/e/OS, LinageOS…). You can also use any Linux for Mobile, eg. Ubuntu mobile and similar, but there is the problem of compatibility if you need certain Android apps.



I simply desactivate localisation in the phone settings by default. If you aditional use an VPN even better


Portmaster is mandatory nowadays, like also InviZible Pro in Android



As said, I’ve the Bank and ATM at 5 minutes from home. No need of any app.


I don’t use any pay apps, less because I don’t thist these, but I don’t thrust the privacy of mobiles with banking data. Apart I don’t need these, I have all shops, malls, banks and all what I need in a radio of less than 1 km arround my home. I always pay in the most private way, with cash. Anyway, If I need one day such app, probably I would use one of my bank, not a third party one.


No, at least if you don’t desactivate the filter before. Better to convince your mother to use another app.


Yes, would be nice, the problem is the family and friends which are using Fakebook, Whatscrap and other and you in their contact list, than you are also in the Zuckerbot To Do list, irrelevant if you’ve an account or not. Than you can’t do other as block completly Facebook from your internet as I do.


Minimum, better using Portmaster and block anything from Fakebook in both directions, but than also you can’t access, avoiding to click accidentaly on a link, irrelevant of which from it’s apps or services

This cause


Yes, but I don’t believe that now in 2025 are less logged images, but more, because improved AI since than. If you use Meta or any other Zuckerbot crap, you can request that it’s AI redact an Curriculum Vitae with photo from you with a simple click, complete for free, as nice service.


In Spain a lot of baanks offers paying apps, apart there are also a lot of free EU paying apps, eg.

You can find more in AlternativeTo, there you can filter also by the country of origen.

https://alternativeto.net/software/paypal/?license=free&origin=eu


Someone with selfies on a chat? Congrats, you are part of 30 billion winners 🏆


Clearview AI built a massive facial recognition database by scraping 30 billion photos from Facebook and other social media platforms without users' permission, which law enforcement has accessed nearly a million times since 2017[^1]. The company markets its technology to law enforcement as a tool "to bring justice to victims," with clients including the FBI and Department of Homeland Security. However, privacy advocates argue it creates a "perpetual police line-up" that includes innocent people who could face wrongful arrests from misidentification[^1]. Major social media companies like Facebook sent cease-and-desist letters to Clearview AI in 2020 for violating user privacy. Meta claims it has since invested in technology to combat unauthorized scraping[^1]. While Clearview AI recently won an appeal against a £7.5m fine from the UK's privacy watchdog, this was solely because the company only provides services to law enforcement outside the UK/EU. The ruling did not grant broad permission for data scraping activities[^5]. The risks extend beyond law enforcement use - once photos are scraped, individuals lose control over their biometric data permanently. Critics warn this could enable: - Retroactive prosecution if laws change - Creation of unauthorized AI training datasets - Identity theft and digital abuse - Commercial facial recognition systems without consent[^1] Sources: [^1]: [Business Insider - Clearview AI scraped 30 billion images from Facebook and other social media sites](https://www.businessinsider.com/clearview-scraped-30-billion-images-facebook-police-facial-recogntion-database-2023-4) [^5]: [BBC - Face search company Clearview AI overturns UK privacy fine](https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-67133157)
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# Meta Malvertising Campaign Spreads Android Crypto-Stealing Malware A sophisticated malvertising campaign targeting Meta's ad network has expanded from Windows to Android users worldwide, deploying an advanced version of the Brokewell malware disguised as TradingView's premium app[^1]. Since July 22, 2025, cybercriminals have launched over 75 malicious Facebook ads, reaching tens of thousands of users across the European Union[^1]. The campaign tricks victims into downloading a malicious APK from fake domains that mimic TradingView's official website. The malware, an enhanced strain of Brokewell, functions as both spyware and a remote access trojan (RAT) with capabilities including: - Cryptocurrency theft (BTC, ETH, USDT) - SMS interception for banking and 2FA codes - Google Authenticator data extraction - Screen recording and keylogging - Camera and microphone activation - Remote command execution via Tor and WebSockets[^1] The attackers have localized their ads in multiple languages including Vietnamese, Portuguese, Spanish, Turkish, Thai, Arabic and Chinese to maximize reach[^1]. While the Android campaign currently focuses on impersonating TradingView, the Windows version has mimicked numerous brands including Binance, Bitget, Metatrader, and OKX[^1]. [^1]: [Bitdefender - Malvertising Campaign on Meta Expands to Android, Pushing Advanced Crypto-Stealing Malware to Users Worldwide](https://www.bitdefender.com/en-us/blog/labs/malvertising-campaign-on-meta-expands-to-android-pushing-advanced-crypto-stealing-malware-to-users-worldwide)
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“You have the right to remain silent, because everything you think can be used against you in a trial…”




That is an recurrent problem of ancient lawmakers which confuse an remote control with an smartphone and think that all social networks are centralized like Facebook or X, while the only search is made by Google or even use still an FAX.


That is the point, or change direct o EU alternatives to store your photos and data, eg. Filen, 10 GB for free, client-side encrypted, no-knowledge, redundant storing, OpenSource, selfhosteable. All servers are located in Tier III-IV, ISO 27001-certified data centers within Germany.


Next you can’t go online without the web cam on, your ID card and a newspaper of the day visible in it, including an retina scan. Naturally to protect our childrens. Naturally accounts on any site only with full real name, direction, Phone, CC and social security number. Safety first.



Mastodon, the decentralized social network, stated it cannot comply with age verification laws like Mississippi's recent legislation because it lacks the technical capability to do so[^1]. While Mastodon's software allows server administrators to specify a minimum age of 16 for sign-ups, the age-check data is not stored, and the nonprofit has no way to verify users' ages[^1]. The organization emphasizes that individual server owners must decide for themselves whether to implement age verification, noting that Mastodon was founded specifically "to allow different jurisdictions to have social media that is independent of the U.S."[^1] This stance follows Bluesky's decision to block service in Mississippi over similar age verification requirements[^1]. Mastodon's position highlights the unique challenges decentralized platforms face with regional compliance, as there is "nobody that can decide for the fediverse to block Mississippi," according to Mastodon founder Eugen Rochko[^1]. [^1]: [TechCrunch - Mastodon says it doesn't 'have the means' to comply with age verification laws](https://techcrunch.com/2025/08/29/mastodon-says-it-doesnt-have-the-means-to-comply-with-age-verification-laws/)
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That is the point, not a big deal to block this in the EU, due to the GDPR, but for users in the US it’s sadly different, there Google can almost do what it want.


Portmaster for the Desktop and InviZible Pro in Android. Mandatory


Not against your will, you accepted this and more in the TOS of your account. But you can avoid it in the permission settings in your phone.

The second biggest lie in Internet: “I’ve read the Privacy Policies and Terms of Service” the first one “We respect the privacy of the user”.

https://neal.fun/dark-patterns/


The differences of speed between current browsers are minimal, it’s more the question how fast you can work with it for your daily tasks, the handling and features it has. Start and page loading time depends more on other than on the browser (bandwidth, memory of the device, weight of the page you visit,…)


I use Vivaldi, synced with Desktop. It’s pretty private, but more important for privacy is the search engine you use. It don’t make sense if you use an privacy respecting browser using Google for searches. Anyway it’s important to look the permissions which every app has in the settings of your phone and blockig those which have nothing to do with its function. Also a good idea is to install InviZible Pro in your Phone


YouTube will ban Premium accounts made through VPN
Based on recent reports, YouTube is actively restricting access to Premium accounts created through VPNs and cracking down on users accessing Premium content across different regions. According to user discussions, YouTube now detects and blocks VPN connections when attempting to stream Premium content[^6][^10]. Some key impacts: - Users report being unable to play YouTube Music through Sonos speakers when using a VPN, with the service becoming accessible only after bypassing VPN connections[^6] - Premium subscribers attempting to access content from different regions than their subscription face connection errors and service disruptions - The restrictions appear to be part of YouTube's broader strategy to enforce regional content licensing and subscription terms The crackdown coincides with YouTube's increased focus on Premium subscriptions, including showing longer unskippable ads to free users in 2025 to drive Premium adoption[^8]. [^6]: [Sonos Community - Unable to play YouTube Music](https://en.community.sonos.com/controllers-and-music-services-229131/unable-to-play-youtube-music-6882823) [^8]: [LateNode Community - Why are YouTube users experiencing extremely long, non-skippable advertisements?](https://community.latenode.com/t/why-are-youtube-users-experiencing-extremely-long-non-skippable-advertisements/16673) [^10]: [Reddit r/VPN - Getting around YouTube Premium](https://www.reddit.com/r/VPN/comments/11qmy08/getting_around_youtube_premium_it_looks_like/)
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YouTube secretly used artificial intelligence to modify creators' videos without notification or consent, making subtle changes to their appearance[^1]. According to Rick Beato, who runs a YouTube channel with over 5 million subscribers, he noticed strange alterations in his videos - his hair looked different and it appeared he was wearing makeup[^1]. The AI modifications included sharpening skin in some areas while smoothing it in others, defining wrinkles in clothing more clearly, and causing subtle warping of features like ears[^1]. YouTuber Rhett Shull, who investigated the changes, said "If I wanted this terrible over-sharpening I would have done it myself... I think that deeply misrepresents me and what I do and my voice on the internet"[^1]. The unauthorized AI enhancements represent a concerning trend where artificial intelligence increasingly mediates reality before it reaches viewers, potentially eroding authentic connections between creators and their audiences[^1]. [^1]: [BBC - YouTube secretly used AI to edit people's videos. The results could bend reality](https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20250822-youtube-is-using-ai-to-edit-videos-without-permission)
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Grok, Elon Musk's AI chatbot, has exposed hundreds of thousands of private user conversations through Google search indexing. When users click the "share" button to create a URL for sharing their chat, the conversation becomes publicly searchable - often without users realizing it[^1][^2]. Google has indexed over 370,000 Grok conversations, including sensitive content like medical questions, personal information, and at least one password[^2]. Unlike OpenAI's ChatGPT, which quickly removed a similar feature after backlash, Grok's share function does not include any warning that conversations will become public[^3]. According to Forbes, some marketers are already exploiting this feature by intentionally creating Grok conversations to manipulate search engine rankings for their businesses[^2]. [^1]: [TechCrunch - Thousands of Grok chats are now searchable on Google](https://techcrunch.com/2025/08/20/thousands-of-grok-chats-are-now-searchable-on-google/) [^2]: [Forbes - Elon Musk's xAI Published Hundreds Of Thousands Of Grok Chatbot Conversations](https://www.forbes.com/sites/iainmartin/2025/08/20/elon-musks-xai-published-hundreds-of-thousands-of-grok-chatbot-conversations/) [^3]: [Fortune - Thousands of private user conversations with Elon Musk's Grok AI chatbot have exposed on Google Search](https://fortune.com/2025/08/22/xai-grok-chats-public-on-google-search-elon-musk/)
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FreeVPN.One accused of secretly collecting users’ screenshots
Cybersecurity firm Koi Security revealed that FreeVPN.One, a Chrome VPN extension with over 100,000 users, has been secretly capturing and transmitting screenshots of users' browsing activity to remote servers[^1][^2]. The spyware functionality was introduced in July 2025 after earlier updates expanded the extension's permissions. According to researcher Lotan Sery from Koi Security, "FreeVPN.One shows how a privacy branding can be flipped into a trap"[^3]. When confronted, the developer claimed screenshots were only taken of suspicious sites and were encrypted, but researchers found evidence of capture on trusted sites like Google Photos[^5]. The extension's "AI Threat Detection" feature discloses taking screenshots, but Koi Security found most surveillance occurred silently in the background[^8]. The case highlights growing risks with free VPN services, particularly as demand increases due to new online safety regulations in the UK requiring age verification[^3]. [^1]: [GIGAZINE - Chrome VPN Extension Accused of Secretly Capturing User Screenshots](https://www.varindia.com/news/chrome-vpn-extension-accused-of-secretly-capturing-user-screenshots) [^2]: [It's FOSS - Google Verified FreeVPN Caught Red-handed Spying on its Users](https://news.itsfoss.com/freevpn-fiasco/) [^3]: [VARINDIA - Chrome VPN Extension Accused of Secretly Capturing User Screenshots](https://www.varindia.com/news/chrome-vpn-extension-accused-of-secretly-capturing-user-screenshots) [^5]: [It's FOSS - Google Verified FreeVPN Caught Red-handed Spying on its Users](https://news.itsfoss.com/freevpn-fiasco/) [^8]: [Instagram - Dhaka Chronicles post about FreeVPN.One spying](https://www.instagram.com/p/DNoteHNTwSQ/)
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Ecosia, the tree-planting search engine from Berlin, and Qwant, France's privacy-focused search provider, announced a joint venture in November 2024 to develop their own European search index[^5][^6]. The partnership aims to reduce their dependence on Microsoft's Bing APIs, which both companies currently rely on for search results[^6]. The new venture, called European Search Perspective (EUP), is structured as a 50-50 ownership split between Ecosia and Qwant[^6]. Qwant's engineering team and existing search index development will transfer to EUP, with Qwant CEO Olivier Abecassis leading the joint venture[^6]. "The door is open and we are ready to talk to anyone," said Abecassis, while noting they want to "move as fast as possible" with their existing shareholders' support[^6]. The index will begin serving France-based search traffic for both engines by Q1 2025, expanding to cover "a significant portion" of German traffic by end of 2025[^6]. Rising API costs are a key motivator, following Microsoft's massive price hike for Bing's search APIs in 2023[^6]. However, neither company plans to completely stop using Bing or Google, instead aiming to diversify their technical foundation as generative AI takes a more central role in search[^6]. [^5]: [News](https://discuss.techlore.tech/c/privacy-and-security/news/14?page=12) [^6]: [TechCrunch - Ecosia and Qwant, two European search engines, join forces on an index to shrink reliance on Big Tech](https://techcrunch.com/2024/11/11/ecosia-and-qwant-two-european-search-engines-join-forces-on-building-an-index-to-shrink-reliance-on-big-tech/)
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(Above link with skipped Paywall) Summary by Andi: A teenage hacker named Reynaldo Vasquez-Garcia discovered that the Halo 3C vape detector, which looks like a standard smoke detector in school bathrooms, contained hidden microphones and security flaws that allowed it to be turned into a secret listening device[^1]. Working with another hacker known as "Nyx," Vasquez-Garcia found the device could be hacked by exploiting weak password controls and firmware update vulnerabilities. Once compromised, attackers could use it to eavesdrop on conversations in real-time, disable its detection capabilities, create fake alerts, or play audio through its speaker[^1]. The researchers revealed these findings at the 2025 Defcon hacker conference, demonstrating how any hacker on the same network could hijack a Halo 3C by brute-forcing passwords at 3,000 attempts per minute. The device's firmware could also be modified since its encryption key was publicly available in updates on the manufacturer's website[^1]. Motorola, which owns the Halo 3C's manufacturer IPVideo Corporation, said it developed a firmware update to address the security flaws. However, the researchers argue this doesn't solve the fundamental privacy concern of having microphone-equipped devices installed in sensitive locations like school bathrooms and public housing[^1]. [^1]: [Wired - It Looks Like a School Bathroom Smoke Detector. A Teen Hacker Showed It Could Be an Audio Bug](https://www.wired.com/story/school-bathroom-vape-detector-audio-bug/)
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Meta announced it will stop selling political, electoral and social issue advertising across its platforms (Facebook, Instagram, and Threads) in the European Union starting in early October 2025[^1][^2]. The decision comes in response to the EU's new Transparency and Targeting of Political Advertising (TTPA) regulation, which takes effect October 10, 2025. Meta called the rules "unworkable," citing "significant operational challenges and legal uncertainties"[^2]. The TTPA requires platforms to: - Label political ads with transparency information - Disclose who paid for ads and their costs - Show which elections or referendums ads target - Maintain ads in a public database - Follow strict conditions for user targeting[^3] Companies face fines of up to 6% of annual global revenue for violations[^2]. Google made a similar move in late 2024, also announcing it would stop serving political ads to EU users before the rules take effect[^4]. Meta emphasized that users can still discuss politics and politicians can share content "organically" on its platforms - they just cannot use paid advertising to amplify their messages[^2]. [^1]: [Bloomberg - Meta to Stop Selling Political Ads in the EU, Citing Regulation](https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-07-25/meta-to-stop-selling-political-ads-in-the-eu-citing-regulation) [^2]: [AP News - Meta will cease political ads in European Union by fall](https://apnews.com/article/meta-instagram-facebook-eu-european-union-political-89efeac96723308d2a0469740d24d433) [^3]: [Euronews - Meta halts political advertising in the EU due to 'unworkable' rules](https://www.euronews.com/next/2025/07/25/meta-halts-political-advertising-in-the-eu-due-to-unworkable-rules) [^4]: [Economic Times - Meta to halt political advertising in EU from October](https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/tech/technology/meta-to-halt-political-advertising-in-eu-from-october-blames-eu-rules/articleshow/122904166.cms)
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privacy.sexy - Maximize Your Privacy and Security
Privacy.sexy is an open-source privacy tool that helps users implement security and privacy best practices on Windows, macOS, and Linux operating systems[^4]. Key features include: - Hundreds of customizable privacy and security scripts - Free and transparent codebase - Reversible changes if issues occur - Web version requiring no software installation - Desktop version with additional direct script execution capabilities - Independent, portable scripts without cross-dependencies - Extensive testing and community verification[^4] The tool comes in two versions: 1. An online web version that runs without installing software 2. An offline desktop version with expanded functionality for running scripts directly[^4] The project is built using TypeScript and Vue.js, with the desktop application created using Electron[^8]. All aspects of the application, including infrastructure and deployments, are open-source and automated through a system called "bump-everywhere"[^4]. [^4]: [PrivacyTools - Enforce Privacy & Security Best-Practices on Windows and macOS](https://www.privacytools.io/guides/enforce-privacy-security-on-windows-and-macos) [^8]: [Made with Vue.js - privacy.sexy - Tool to support privacy on Windows, macOS & Linux](https://madewithvuejs.com/privacysexy)
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Link to the list of extensions at the end of the article
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What is DNS4EU? DNS4EU is an initiative by the European Commission that aims to offer an alternative to the public DNS resolvers currently dominating the market. Supported by the European Union Agency for Cybersecurity (ENISA), the European Union's DNS4EU secure-infrastructure project provides a protective, privacy-compliant, and resilient DNS service to strengthen the EU’s digital sovereignty and enhance digital security for European Union citizens, governments, and institutions. The program provides robust DNS security for public institutions and their employees, ministries, local governments or municipalities, healthcare, education, and other critical services such as telecommunications providers. By working with the latter, for example, it ensures DNS resolution service for all of a telco’s customers, with minimum manual overhead for their teams. Additionally, the DNS4EU solutions aid organizations in complying with regulatory requirements (such as GDPR) to keep data within European borders. As these organizations often face challenges to independently developing and maintaining high-level cybersecurity measures (such as election cycles or funding), the DNS4EU project solves these challenges by providing a Europe-based, centralized, scalable solution to ensure the highest standards of security and privacy, compliant with EU regulations.
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The research group SECUSO (@SECUSO_Research) at Karlsruhe Institute of Technology 🇩🇪 (@KIT_Karlsruhe) has an account in the Play Store and F-Droid where you can download lots of privacy-friendly apps
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Firefox now has Terms of Use! This’ll go over like a lead balloon
https://www.mozilla.org/en-US/about/legal/terms/firefox/
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[Andisearch](https://andisearch.com/) Writeup >A security researcher known as Brutecat discovered a vulnerability that could expose the email addresses of YouTube's 2.7 billion users by exploiting two separate Google services[^1][^2]. The attack chain involved extracting Google Account identifiers (GaiaIDs) from YouTube's block feature, then using Google's Pixel Recorder app to convert these IDs into email addresses[^1]. > >To prevent notification emails from alerting victims, Brutecat created recordings with 2.5 million character titles that broke the email notification system[^1]. The exploit worked by intercepting server requests when clicking the three-dot menu in YouTube live chats, revealing users' GaiaIDs without actually blocking them[^2]. > >Brutecat reported the vulnerability to Google on September 15, 2024[^1]. Google initially awarded $3,133, then increased the bounty to $10,633 after their product team reviewed the severity[^1]. According to Google spokesperson Kimberly Samra, there was no evidence the vulnerability had been exploited by attackers[^2]. > >Google patched both parts of the exploit on February 9, 2025, approximately 147 days after the initial disclosure[^1]. > [^1]: [Brutecat - Leaking the email of any YouTube user for $10,000](https://brutecat.com/articles/leaking-youtube-emails) [^2]: [Forbes - YouTube Bug Could Have Exposed Emails Of 2.7 Billion Users](https://www.forbes.com/sites/dimitarmixmihov/2025/02/12/youtube-bug-couldve-exposed-emails-of-27-billion-users/)
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I have never liked Apple and lately even less. F.... US monopolies
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Good example why it is important to avoid private Photos on internet, a lot of crap like this app out there.
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Happy Net Box by Ben Brown
Happy Net Box is an experimental internet social experience based on the arcane and near-forgotten retro internet protocol known as [FINGER](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finger_(protocol)). Finger is a command line tool that comes pre-installed on Macs and Windows and most Unix systems. It allows you to retrieve information about a "user" on "the internet" -- but it doesn't use the web!
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