Privacy

This is a concept still in the making. I came across a few people discussing it, and I found next to nothing about it online. I thought it is important and I post it here to give it some traction.

The core idea that appealed to me is that it extends the idea that the processing power and bandwidth of modern devices is not used for our own sake, but to better funnel behavioral data to corporations.

So it is not just "so stupid design" that "we don't even feel devices are 10x faster than 15 years ago", but deliberate design to use the hardware capabilities for the sake of other people's computers.

The countercomputing philosophy asks, down to the chipset, what is the most repairable, reusable component, that can help the user fortify their computing and harness it as independently as possible.

It is obviously a thought that resonates with the right-to-repair movement, privacy, and other politics related with renewable energy, but with a particular focus in selecting each and every component so that we own the hardware and we can use it as we see fit. Other links can be drawn to the smallnet initiatives such as gemini protocol, alternative nets like Reticulum, and of course open hardware.

The retro angle can offer flexibility to movements to rely on simpler components and adjust their needs, something that will also lead to greater independence >from Nvidia and the like.

As I said, there are very few people discussing this idea right now, and you can't find much online, but it is worth to "look out for" possible developments in the future.

Author @whydudothatdrcrane@lemmy.ml

I found this, it's about the data broker loophole. The problem is, in the US we have 4th Amendment protection against warantless searches. Many other nations, have a similar right, by another name. Canada has Section 8 of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

These are more and more bypassed by data brokers. The government purchases data from data brokers. Data it could not get without a warant in the past.

Maybe this is not as much a problem yet in Canada as in the US? I'm not sure, hope some Canadians can say how it is? But here in the US, it's a massive prob now.

Related: We Built a Surveillance State: What Now?

I'd like to procure some fitness tracking devices for myself and my partner. Something like FitBit to track heart rate, sleep schedule, etc. Ideally, they do not require 3rd party data collection or services in any way. I'm open to manual steps and/or self-hosting software as needed.

Can anyone here recommend specific brands or devices?

Reason number 5,386 to delete your Reddit account and encourage your friends & loved ones to do the same.

The European parliament has blocked the extension of a law that permits big tech firms to scan for child sexual exploitation on their platforms, creating a legal gap that child safety experts say will lead to crimes going undetected.

The regulatory gap has created uncertainty for big tech companies, because while scanning for harms on their platforms is now illegal, they still remain liable to remove any illegal content hosted on their platforms under a different law, the Digital Services Act. Google, Meta, Snap and Microsoft said they would continue to voluntarily scan their platforms for CSAM, in a joint statement posted on a Google blog.

Privacy advocates argue that big tech scanning messages for child abuse threatens fundamental privacy rights and data security for EU citizens, equating these measures to “chat control” that could lead to mass surveillance and false positives.

“There are claims of surveillance or infringement of privacy,” Swirsky said. “Blocking CSAM is not an evasion of privacy. Free speech does not include sexual abuse of children.”

I never cared that much about it, but it is a shame that another alternative is going down.

The EU’s so-called Chat Control plan, which would mandate mass scanning and other encryption breaking measures, has had some good news lately. The most controversial idea, the forced requirement to scan encrypted messages, was given up by EU member states. And now, another win for privacy: the EU Parliament has dealt a real blow to voluntary mass-scanning of chats by voting to

Immigration and Customs Enforcement is using spyware tools that can intercept encrypted messages as part of the agency's efforts to disrupt fentanyl traffickers, according to a letter sent last week by the agency's acting director, Todd Lyons.

Lyons' letter, which was reviewed by NPR, said ICE's Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) is using various tools as part of its mission to disrupt and dismantle foreign terrorist organizations, "particularly those involved in the trafficking of fentanyl."

Read the whole thread

However, we don't have a "hardened security" approach, we aren't developing a phone for pedo(censored) so they can evade justice.

This is a shoutout to the app QuickTiles and the developer and contributors thereof.

While at first glance it may not seem like a privacy focused app, however, ultimately, improving digital privacy is more often than not a balance between convenience/ease of use and, well, privacy^[There will always be know-it-alls and above-it-alls in the privacy community who trashtalk normies and/or beginners, acting like this and that is never a tradeoff. If you happen to be one of those, think about whether your attitude helps or hampers our efforts.]

I was almost about to let out a big sigh, thinking do I have to learn kotlin and java for this...? and then I found this app. It has some neat "add-ons" for the quick tiles panel on Android systems. Personally, I was looking for a quick setting to enable/disable data saver. This app had a "data usage" tile, which reduces the amount of requires "clicks" from 5 to 2.

EU will require all member states to have digital profiles of citizens with birth certs and IDs

Ireland is getting a new, universal 'Digital Wallet' app that will collect info, including birth certs, driving licences and PPS numbers for individual citizens - as per European Union requirements for 2027.

And the Government is asking for volunteers to take part in testing and trial runs. The Digital wallet will be used to access a range of public services, including welfare support, such as the Working Family Payment. It could also store data such as health profiles, along the lines of the so called 'vaccine passports' that were in use during the Pandemic.

The digital wallet aims to allow people to securely access documents such as birth certificates or driving licences and register for key welfare support, such as the working family payment. It has also been suggested as an age-verification tool by Tanaiste Simon Harris, who has said children under the age of 16 should not be on social media in the wake of the Grok AI controversy. The Government is legally obliged, under EU regulations, to ensure there is a digital wallet for accessing public services by the end of the year, and for private services by the end of 2027. The public testing phase of the wallet is to begin in early April and is seen as “critical” to ensure it is designed “to satisfy user needs and expectations”, the Department said. The first stage, for which people can opt in, gives people the chance to view the design of the wallet, understand its proposed features, provide feedback and sign up for further testing. The second stage allows people aged 16 or older to download the wallet and test limited functions. People can register to be part of the testing phase at gov.ie/DigitalWallet.

Minister for Public Expenditure and Public Service Reform Jack Chambers said the app would “make it simpler” for people to verify their identity, apply for support and access entitlements, as he launched the public consultation on Friday.

He said: “The wallet is designed so that all personal data is fully protected, and the user stays in control of what information they put in the wallet and choose to share,” he said. "Only the details needed for a service will be shared, and nothing more. Big life events, such as having a baby, moving home, or starting a new job often require dealing with several different public service providers. The digital wallet aims to reduce that administrative burden, making it easier, faster and more secure to access the supports people need. This testing and consultation phase is an important step in building a digital wallet that genuinely works for people. We want to hear the public’s ideas, concerns and expectations. The public’s feedback will directly shape how the wallet looks, how it works, and how it supports everyday life.”

LinkedIn is using hidden JS to scan your browser for over 6,000 specific extension IDs via a known Chromium vulnerability. By inventorying your local software, they can infer highly sensitive "Special Category" data like health status, religion, and political advocacy without consent.

I’ve joined the dots on why Chromium-based "Shields" fail here and how to harden your home lab/network to stop the leak.

From Devuan themselves, as follows:

"Groundbreaking OSINT investigation shows how three decisions by individuals with undisclosed financial interests permanently altered the identity infrastructure of every major GNU/Linux distribution running systemd"

They provide two links:

https://tboteproject.com/systemdfindings/

Mirror: https://isoc-sig.freifunk.net/systemd/systemd%20birthDate%20Merge_%20Corporate%20Filings%20&%20Governance%20Failure%20-%20TBOTE%20Project.html

The UK is moving forward with its efforts to ban social media for young people. Ahead of this week’s House of Lords debate on the topic, we’re getting you situated with a primer on what’s been happening and what it all means.