When was the last time you reviewed apps on your phone? Apps typically collect lots of data, if you don't need app right now, delete it you can install it later when you need it. It's a simple hygiene that will dramatically improve your privacy. #punkprivacy
Here is a good article on what happens if deal too good to be true: when buying all in one "streaming device" with promise to get access to streaming content. So best case scenario is device just part of a botnet that is for sale ...
Link:https://krebsonsecurity.com/2025/11/is-your-android-tv-streaming-box-part-of-a-botnet/
#cybersecurity
Interesting story from EFF, apparently school issued laptops may be spying on everything kids do at home. Not the first time, and won't be the last time. If you have kids beware and have a conversation with them about it and privacy.
Link:https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2025/11/eff-arizona-federal-court-protect-public-school-students-surveillance-and
#privacy
Do you use Echo devices by Amazon? Do you know that they typically come with Sidewalk bridge turned on by default? Amazon Sidewalk is a mesh network that uses LoRa among other things for long distance communication. Sidewalk device in a bridge mode will share it's Internet connection with some random device, sometimes half a mile away. While it's low bandwidth did you really signed up for that when you bought it? If not - disable it.
#punkprivacy
Data sovereignty is typically discussed in a context of a state nation, however we need to rethink approach and look at it from a standpoint of an individual to avoid situations where individuals is forced to give up on privacy just to participate in a society. Example often involve kids at school who forced to use educational systems that won't work without giving advertisement platforms access to their data.
#privacy
Authors of "AI 20227" paper were right in one aspect ... end of the story. Critics of the paper had only concern on time to reach super intelligence. However I'd suggest even if we never reach super intelligence and AI stagnates end of the story is inevitable: humans would always reach for a simplest solution and thus degrade own cognitive abilities over time. Check out research about writing essay using LLM vs search vs nothing. More we rely SOLELY on AI more we loose that game of life. Think!
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An iPhone has so many privacy and security features that it’s very easy to miss them. Now’s a good time to dive in and get to know them all. https://ssd.eff.org/module/how-to-get-to-know-iphone-privacy-and-security-settings
How do you distinguish 0 from O in your password manager? Well it has to be of a different color. Here is KeepassXC journey: dev introduced code in 2021 and it made it into release in 2024. Post on X https://x.com/WolframRoesler/status/1452928493549981696 and link to GItHub issue https://github.com/keepassxreboot/keepassxc/issues/4099
I have decided to have little browser war or showdown. I have heard of Brave being positioned as browser with built in tracker blocking capabilitiees, so I ran it along side Firefox with Wireshark analyzing DNS protocol. Results ... my network DNS server won blocking more than both of them :D but Brave held firm second place, where my DNS having less work when I went to cnn.com of all places.
It's been a while since I wrote on my own blog, I could name lot's of excuses as to why, but what's the point. So I've decided to go back to writing. Here is article about setting up noVNC, because I was not able to find any cohesive documentation on that online. https://sergeysh.com/2025/08/15/Setting-up-novnc-on-astrophotography-pc/
Here you go, proof that tracking won't stop until you delete "social media" apps off of your phone. Think again do you need app to communicate with your real friends instead of calling them? #punkprivacy #privacy
Meta and Yandex are de-anonymizing Android users’ web browsing identifiers - Ars Technica
https://arstechnica.com/security/2025/06/meta-and-yandex-are-de-anonymizing-android-users-web-browsing-identifiers/
And of course you can trust #Google silently installing an app called Android System Safetecore on your phone. It's for your own safety.
Sure, they might have your previous data.
But you know what they *don't* have?
They don't have your *future* data.
It's never too late to start improving your data privacy online. Every small step helps.
If you want to learn how Chinese phishing or "smishing" groups are turning phished card data into mobile wallets, check out today's story. The innovation coming out of these groups is remarkable, and includes mobile apps that let thieves relay "ghost tap" NFC transactions to a payment terminal from halfway around the world.
What I find most remarkable is how millions of businesses have spent years and billions of dollars upgrading payment terminals to use more secure chip-based cards. And now these phishers come along and just bypass all of that, creating Apple and Google mobile wallets with the phished card data and a one-time code.
Here's the lede:
Carding — the underground business of stealing, selling and swiping stolen payment card data — has long been the dominion of Russia-based hackers. Happily, the broad deployment of more secure chip-based payment cards in the United States has weakened the carding market. But a flurry of innovation from cybercrime groups in China is breathing new life into the carding industry, by turning phished card data into mobile wallets that can be used online and at main street stores.
https://krebsonsecurity.com/2025/02/how-phished-data-turns-into-apple-google-wallets/
The latest episode of The Phillip Wylie Show has dropped and features Ben Sadeghipour, aka @nahamsec!
YouTube: https://youtu.be/Wmb6O5-lblE
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/066V2AztFNlLGxpUZ68vh6?si=PMt0nQIYTQWUREMJriOZEA
Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/phillip-wylie-show/id1685564407?i=1000691203042
You nailed it @AuthorJMac ! 🖖
Edit : Original (and complete) post on March 29, 2024
« You know what the biggest problem with pushing all-things-AI is? Wrong direction.
I want AI to do my laundry and dishes so that I can do art and writing, not for AI to do my art and writing so that I can do my laundry and dishes. »
Cf. https://indiepocalypse.social/@AuthorJMac/112178826967890119
Do you enjoy privacy rights?
Because deregulation is how you lose them. Oh and also basic safety, and human rights.
Just so you know: https://www.huffpost.com/entry/elon-musk-regulations-default-gone_n_67a12742e4b09a02376043c7
Experienced technology entrepreneur on the quest for ethics and privacy. Follow #punkprivacy tag to get regular privacy tips. You can also follow @ethiork account to get information about progress of Ethiork project that enables people to own their data and protect their privacy.