Flock CEO: "Unfortunately, there’s terrorist organizations like DeFlock whose primary motivation is chaos. They’re closer to Antifa than they are anything else." #privacy #JoinAntifa
https://deflock.org/
privacy
This week's net.wars, "The absurdity card", can't believe the UK is doing ID cards all over again: https://netwars.pelicancrossing.net/2025/09/26/the-absurdity-card/ #NetWars #privacy #UKPolitics
I was talking with a friend about dating apps, privacy, security and safety.
They are using Feeld, which lets you tag specific kinks -- and which changed their TOS about 2 years ago (IIRC) to specify that they sell user data. (In a massive betrayal of the trust and safety of their user base.)
My friend's response was that they aren't ashamed of who they are and if an app wants to sell their data, no big deal.
My position was that in a time of rising fascism, it's really worth thinking about how in the 1930's, IBM set up the systems to tag and sort people by "undesirable" qualities. In Germany.
I fear for people with all my heart.
For the reading comprehension impaired, let me be clear: I'm not telling anyone not to live their life. I'm saying be smart, raise your game on privacy and security, and keep yourself and your people as safe as you can in a brutal world.
@Em0nM4stodon wrote a great article on data privacy and dating apps (with a focus on queer apps but also relevant to any dating apps).
Read it, share it with your people, and act on it.
https://www.privacyguides.org/articles/2025/06/24/queer-dating-apps-beware-who-you-trust/
#Dating #QueerDating #DatingApps #SurveillanceCapitalism #DataBrokers #DatingApp #Privacy #PrivacyGuides #Feeld #SocialMedia #Technology
Edited 342d ago
If you are the tech-savvy person within your family or friends group 
:
Never ever shame someone for coming to you for advice after being the victim of a scam, malware, or for using an unsecure product.
If you do this,
they might never come back to you later. They might just feel so ashamed they will just stay alone with their tech problems.
Instead, always tell them:
1. It was a good idea to come to you with this. Be empathetic with them 💚
2. Give them advice on how to minimize the damage now. Actionable advice 🚑
3. Help them harden their security for now and for the future. Recommend better products to them. But be careful not to overwhelm them with advice. One step at the time 🔒
4. Talk to them with respect and empathy. Tell them how the people who abused their trust are horrible and anyone can fall for the right scam. Remind them there are things to do to reduce the risks of being victimized again in the future, and help them slowly implementing these 💪
5. Be thankful they trusted you with this. It means they think highly of you 🥰
Edited 2y ago
#ICE amps up its #surveillance powers,
targeting #immigrants & the nonexistent group #antifa
Iris scanners, facial-recognition apps, phone-hacking software & cellphone location data are among the agency’s recent technological purchases.
#Trump #law #privacy #immigration #tech #SurveillanceState #MilitaryState #fascism #tyranny #NoKings
Edited 328d ago
Just got doxxed to within 15 miles by a vision model, from only a single photo
----
- 19 minutes ago | 10 points | 4 comments
- URL: https://twitter.com/arithmoquine/status/1785834410312454389
- Discussions: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=40233248
- Summary: A user was located within 15 miles accuracy by a vision model using only a photo of trees, raising privacy concerns. The user expressed surprise at the advancements leading to this outcome. (#Privacy #Technology)
🇦🇹 Austria's Armed Forces have replaced MS Office with LibreOffice on 16,000+ workstations 📄
This shift began in 2020 to avoid mandatory cloud reliance ☁️
Their goal? Digital sovereignty—not cost saving 🔒
They even contributed 5+ person-years of code 🛠️
EU trend toward open-source grows 🇪🇺
🔗 https://news.itsfoss.com/austrian-forces-ditch-microsoft-office/
#TechNews #LibreOffice #Linux #OpenSource #Privacy #FOSS #Security #Europe #EU #Microsoft #Cloud #DigitalSovereignty #Government #Defense #Innovation #Technology
Edited 344d ago
If everyone was refusing to provide official IDs to verify their identity and age on social platforms, and just let their account rot there unused instead, we would soon see platforms themselves starting to advocate against these invasive laws to recover their users.
Just saying.
They need you more than you need them.
Stop complying with invasive requests.
Fighting for privacy rights is fighting against fascism. In case there were any doubts that mass surveillance is a fascist's tool.
Privacy isn't some secondary luxury, it's fundamental to democracy and civil liberties.
Laws are only as strong as their enforcement.
This is the core problem with most privacy laws. We need to demand better laws, with stronger, faster enforcement mechanisms.
Mass surveillance doesn't make us safer. We need to deconstruct this false notion.
Mass surveillance is only a tool for control and oppression, it is not for protection.
Even if Germany opposes Chat Control on October 14th, this is still only a blocking minority. If your country is still undecided or is supporting Chat Control, keep the pressure on! 💪🇪🇺
👉 Use this tool to contact your MEPs: https://fightchatcontrol.eu/
📰 Contact your local media
🗣️ Keep talking about it on social media!
Let's change this blocking minority into a blocking majority! ✊🔒
RE: https://mastodon.social/@eff/115345214105078622
And, let me just remind everyone that —
Wireless telecommunications companies (i.e., your mobile provider) collects and sells this data, too.
And, this is not something you can block from your phone. It is not something you can opt-out of.
...
Of course, it doesn't mean you shouldn't prevent others from collecting this data. (You probably should.)
So, what the EFF wrote here is good advice.
But, while doing what they wrote makes you safer — you are not completely safe.
"We take your privacy seriously"
👇
"We fake your privacy, seriously"
This week's net.wars, "The bottom drawer", finds Keir Starmer's ID card rhetoric weirdly archaic and worries he will not learn the right lessons for studying India's Aadhar: https://netwars.pelicancrossing.net/2025/10/17/the-bottom-drawer/ #NetWars #privacy #DigitalID
Phishing targets LastPass & Bitwarden users with fake breach alerts, pushing malware that installs remote access tools 🔐
LastPass confirms no hack; attackers exploit social engineering and outdated app fears ⚠️
Users should verify alerts on official sites and avoid unsolicited downloads. 🛡️
Syncro MSP platform abused, but not compromised 🤔
#TechNews #Cybersecurity #Phishing #DataSecurity #PasswordManager #Privacy #UserSafety #Infosec #OnlineSecurity #SecurityAwareness
Safety Reminder:
Although the Fediverse is much better than Big Tech for your privacy, no communication here is end-to-end encrypted, and all your Mastodon public and quiet-public posts can be seen by anyone on the internet.
For sensitive communications, you should only use trustworthy applications using end-to-end encryption.
Stay safe 💚
Edited 335d ago
The #Trump #EPA Followed Up on an Unusual Request About #Abortion Pills
Scientists at the Environmental Protection Agency found that they could develop methods to identify traces of the #medication in #wastewater — a practice long sought by the anti-abortion movement.
#law #surveillance #medicine #healthcare #ReproductiveRights
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/10/10/us/politics/epa-abortion-wastewater.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share&referringSource=articleShare
I have drafted an email critical of the #digitalomnibus proposal in #EU from a wide-reaching privacy, #technology sector protection and #geopolitical risk standpoint.
Read here:
https://nx82858.your-storageshare.de/s/sBFL5CxHY7Yf3XC
Send to EU representatives with this list of emails:
https://nx82858.your-storageshare.de/s/xQogH6dXKifXfS6
If you care about #souvereignty #security and #privacy, please boost and take part in this #campaign !
My Rayhunter is live! All clear, so far. We'll see if it finds anything at this weekend's festivities. 🤔
This was pretty painless to get going (<$50 hardware, <5min setup).
#Rayhunter #CellSiteSimulator #Stingray #privacy #surveillance
Go European — Discover European products and services https://lobste.rs/s/btrxft #culture #privacy
https://www.goeuropean.org/
Europe needs its own social media platforms to safeguard sovereignty
Social media has emerged as the central nervous system of global communication, shaping politics, culture, and identity. Yet, Europe’s digital public square is not its own. Over 80% of the continent’s social media activity flows through platforms headquartered in the United States—Meta (Facebook, Instagram), Alphabet (YouTube), and X (Twitter)—creating a dependency that undermines Europe’s autonomy.
Recently, it has become increasingly clear that European companies urgently need to build Europe’s own sovereign social media ecosystem to counter disinformation, protect democratic integrity, preserve cultural diversity, and reclaim control from US corporate and geopolitical interests. Europe’s sovereignty in the 21st century is at stake.
The threat of US interference: Disinformation as a geopolitical weapon
The 2016 Brexit referendum exposed how US-based actors exploited European vulnerabilities. For example, Cambridge Analytica harvested data from 87 million Facebook users—including millions of Europeans—to micro-target voters with divisive ads. Leaked documents revealed campaigns designed to inflame anti-EU sentiment, demonstrating how US corporate tools can destabilize European unity.
Moreover, false narratives about voter fraud propagated by US politicians on Twitter and Facebook flooded European networks, bolstering extreme movements. In Germany, the “Querdenker” movement leveraged these claims to protest COVID-19 measures, while in other countries, several disinformation groups backed by US billionaires amplified baseless accusations about election rigging.
It is important to understand that US platforms optimize for engagement and their owners interests, not truth. During France’s 2022 presidential race, YouTube’s algorithm disproportionately recommended far-right candidate Éric Zemmour, boosting his visibility despite his marginal polling. Researchers found that 60% of French-language election content on YouTube contained misinformation, much of it algorithmically amplified.
US billionaire oligarchy problem
American billionaires, including tech billionaires, wield outsized influence over European discourse. Elon Musk’s acquisition of Twitter (rebranded as X) led to the reinstatement of 62,000 banned accounts, including extremists, far-right figures like Germany’s Nikolai Nerling, who had spread anti-vaccine conspiracies, persons who committed several serious crimes in Europe, and persons who promote illegal activities such as rape and dehumanization of others. Meanwhile, Meta’s content moderation policies routinely ignore EU directives; in 2023, the European Commission accused Meta of failing to curb disinformation campaigns. Recently, several disinformation campaigns linked to US billionaires attacked EU officials on social media platforms, spreading false narratives and encouraging committing crimes (e.g., murdering officials or overthrowing governments in the EU). It has become clear that these platforms operate as extensions of US corporate power and the new US administration, prioritizing profit and political gains over Europe’s stability and safety.
Data colonialism: US platforms exploit Europe
GDPR vs the US surveillance state
While the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) enshrines privacy as a fundamental right, US platforms remain bound by laws like the CLOUD Act, which grants American authorities access to data stored anywhere in the world. In 2022, the European Data Protection Board fined Meta for transferring EU user data to US servers, citing risks of NSA surveillance. Despite the EU-US Data Privacy Framework, experts warn that European data remains vulnerable to US intelligence overreach.
Economic extraction
US platforms siphon billions from Europe’s digital economy. In 2022, Meta reported €4.3 billion in EU revenue but paid an effective tax rate of 8.5% through Irish loopholes—€2.5 billion less than standard EU corporate rates. Google and Apple similarly route profits through tax havens, depriving European governments of funds needed for tech innovation. This financial drain perpetuates Europe’s dependency, stifling homegrown competitors.
Erasing Europe’s diversity
US platforms homogenize culture by privileging English-language content aligning with the worldview of the current US presidential administration and US billionaires. More than 70% of trends on social media originate in the US, overshadowing local creators. European journalists and influencers struggle to compete with US influencers, while platforms like Instagram algorithmically promote American beauty standards, marginalizing Europe’s diverse cultural identities. The shrinking visibility of local users and their regional languages also threatens linguistic heritage of Europe.
Europe is facing digital sovereignty crisis
The US tech cold war has turned data into a strategic asset, yet Europe remains a digital colony. US platforms dominate critical infrastructure: 92% of European governments use Facebook for public communication, while Google’s search monopoly shapes access to information. This dependency leaves Europe exposed to geopolitical coercion. For instance, US platforms are involved in limiting and censoring pro-European content but promoting anti-European narratives that are aligned with US interests. Developing sovereign European platforms, including social media platforms and search engines, would ensure the sovereignty in technology, economy, information space, security and defense.
Building on European strengths: The fediverse and beyond
European companies and communities already host decentralized alternatives like Mastodon, a federated network powered by the homegrown Mastodon software. These GDPR-compliant tools allow users to control data and interconnect across servers—a model echoing the EU’s federalist values. However, fragmentation, lack of user-friendly UI and underfunding limit their reach. A unified EU initiative could fund these projects while the alliance of European companies and communities could merge these projects into a public-private platform.
It is in the best interest of the European Union to provide funding for European-owned social media platforms to ensure their development and European digital sovereignty.
Network effects and innovation
Critics often argue that Silicon Valley’s dominance is insurmountable, citing global statistics of Meta-owned platforms (Facebook, Instagram, Threads) and X. Yet Europe’s 450 million affluent users offer a critical mass. Moreover, Europe attracts people from other regions such as Asia, Africa and South America. Case studies from China (WeChat, Weibo, Xiaohongshu) show that sovereign platforms can thrive and expand globally.
Moreover, the EU is a regulatory superpower which can use legislation to support homegrown social media platforms. For example, the EU can mandate US “gatekeeper” platforms (per the Digital Markets Act) to interconnect with European alternatives, allowing cross-platform interactions. In addition, the EU could introduce EU-wide tax breaks for creators using European platforms in the form of “cultural exceptions”.
Europe’s digital destiny
The choice is stark: continue as a digital colony of US tech giants or forge a sovereign future. European social media platforms are not just a tool—they shield against disinformation, act as guardian of cultural diversity, and a pillar of strategic autonomy. By combining support and strategic interests with cutting-edge innovation, the EU can support the development of the homegrown social media ecosystem. The time to act is now, before the algorithms of Meta and X platforms write Europe’s next chapter for it.
#Europe #EU #digitalsovereignty #technology #tech #fediverse #socialmedia #privacy #data
I'm old enough to remember when having your photo and fingerprints taken by the authorities was reserved to convicted criminals.
Now it will eventually be all of us.
All of us constantly tracked by governments and corporations alike, requiring our biometric data for anything they feel like.
Our privacy rights are going down the drain under the pretext of security.
But it will not make us safer, on the contrary.
Don't believe their authoritarian lies.