https://xcancel.com/H1BeesNuts/status/2002194641551307199#m

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Political_abuse_of_psychiatry_in_the_Soviet_Union?wprov=sfla1

PrivacyGuide.net mostly has US providers for these and given the current situation with the US, let's say using US services doesn't feel very private at all, regardless of how strong the claims are.

I'm not looking for total privacy, but just to start being more private until the EU gets its ducks a row regarding payment systems (VISA and Mastercard still dominate and make you transparent or at least translucid).

This is in India, but coming soon to a country near you (or the one you are in already).

I'm considering the switch to GrapheneOS, so I watched this interview with one of the members of the GrapheneOS team, and honestly, I feel it was a great general introduction to it and touched on common features and misconceptions.

For those who don't know, it's one of the most secure and private mobile operating systems out there. Some things that I took away:

1. They touched upon MAC randomization. I researched a bit on my own about what the need for it is. Apparently, it's standard practice to randomize MAC addresses when scanning WiFi connections. However, GrapheneOS (and Pixel firmware) are even better at this, as they make sure they don't leak any other identifiers when doing so. They also allow you to get a new random MAC for every connection that you make (not sure whether this is very useful, as this can cause problems). On a related note, even when WiFi/Bluetooth are "off," stock Android can still scan in the background to improve location accuracy (by matching visible networks/devices against Google's database). So basically, even with WiFi/Bluetooth off, Google still knows where you are. In GrapheneOS, this option is off by default.

2. They have their own reverse proxies that they use to talk to Google on your behalf when needed.

3. Apparently, in the USA you can be compelled to provide a fingerprint or Face ID. Courts have ruled this doesn't violate the 5th Amendment because it's physical, not testimonial. BUT you cannot be compelled to provide a password/PIN. That's considered testimonial evidence, protected by the 5th Amendment. GrapheneOS has a two-factor system where, after using your fingerprint, you still need to enter a PIN, so it helps with this. They also have a BFU state after reboot, which is the safest and requires you to enter your full passphrase.

I haven't finished watching it, but it has some very interesting data points on privacy and how your privacy is being exposed even when you think it isn't.

EU ministers have agreed to launch negotiations on an agreement that would grant US border agencies direct access to personal data stored in EU member state databases, and give EU agencies similar access to US data. The US is demanding access to the databases of all states that are part of its Visa Waiver Programme, for “immigration screening and vetting activities.” This is part of a broader plan to massively increase the amount of sensitive data gathered on travellers.

OQB @unicornBro@sh.itjust.works

Want to buy online without handing over all your personal details? This sketch shows how to use privacy tools so you do not share unnecessary details with every merchant you interact with. Think email aliases, VOIP numbers, PMBs, and masked cards.

NBTV is a project of the Ludlow Institute, a 501c3 non profit whose mission is to advance freedom through technology.

Ordering without revealing your name? With a PO box, virtual card, temporary email, etc.

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.cafe/post/28583067

LibreWolf is one of the best browsers for people who don't like generative AI.

Here is the statement posted on Mastodon:

As there seems to have been recent confusion about this, just a quick "official" toot to then pin: we haven't and won't support "generative AI" related stuff in LibreWolf. If you see some features like that (like Perplexity search recently, or the link preview feature now) it is solely because it "slipped through". As soon as we become aware of something like this / it gets reported to us, we will remove/disable it ASAP.

The renewed contract will see Palantir continue to provide the DGSI agency with its "proprietary software platform, as well as the integration, support and assistance services that are necessary for... deployment and operational use," it said in a statement.

cross-posted from: https://programming.dev/post/42502992

Mozilla Corporation has named its new CEO in replacing interim CEO Laura Chambers.

Anthony Enzor-DeMeo has been named the new CEO of Mozilla Corporation. Anthony Enzor-DeMeo was SVP of Firefox from 2004 to July 2005 and then from July until now was the GM of Firefox at Mozilla. He's written a public message today in his first day serving as the new chief executive for Mozilla.

Third: Firefox will grow from a browser into a broader ecosystem of trusted software. Firefox will remain our anchor. It will evolve into a modern AI browser and support a portfolio of new and trusted software additions."

Nanogram is designed for the enthusiest who wants complete data sovereignty on their social media platform.

Spin up your own instance on termux for Android.

Demo here.

Install instructions are at the bottom of the readme.

Disclaimer: I'm a paid customer of Infomaniak's KSuite (a Swiss 'ethical' cloud offering). Next to the cloud storage and email and a few other extra, I recently noticed they have a 'privacy respecting' AI called Euria (which they also claims to be green-ish): https://www.infomaniak.com/en/euria

Overall, I'm very satisfied with their services but I'm also not much into using AI and don't plan to change that, and I was wondering: how does one make sure an AI is indeed privacy-respecting? I mean, is there an independent audit of some sort like there are for VPNs?

Urban VPN is a particularly bad offender. It intercepts all your conversations with ChatGPT, Claude, and other AI bots (glad I don't use any), and sends them to the VPN vendor for resale. This is nuts.