GoKawiil - Latest Tech News & Aggregated Headlines

We caught companies making it harder to delete your personal data online

news.ycombinator.com Colin Lecher 2025-11-24 22:50:35

Dozens of companies are hiding how you can delete your personal data, The Markup and CalMatters found. After our reporters reached out for comment, multiple companies have stopped the practice. By Colin Lecher and Tomas Apodaca The Markup, now a part of CalMatters, uses investigative reporting, data analysis, and software engineering to challenge technology to serve the public good. Sign up for Klaxon, a newsletter that delivers our stories and tools directly to your inbox. Data brokers are re

Topics: code companies consumers data privacy

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UK expands police facial recognition rollout with 10 new facial recognition vans

news.ycombinator.com Connor Jones 2025-11-24 20:59:16

A fresh expansion of UK crimefighters' access to live facial recognition (LFR) technology is being described by officials as "an excellent opportunity for policing." Privacy campaigners diagree. The Home Office said today that more police forces across England will gain LFR capabilities thanks to ten new "cutting edge" vans being wheeled out, adding to those already in use by London's Metropolitan Police and forces in South Wales. Seven forces will gain access to LFR vans as part of the latest

Topics: facial lfr police privacy recognition

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Blackwater’s founder would like to sell you a privacy phone made in the USA

theverge.com Dominic Preston 2025-11-27 03:00:00

Unplugged, a company cofounded and backed by Erik Prince, who is also the founder of infamous private military contractor Blackwater, has just released a new version of its “privacy-first” UP Phone that will be made in the US — at some point. The original UP Phone was described by the company as “the ultimate privacy-focused smartphone” and by privacy platform GrapheneOS as “a clear cut scam.” (It was first announced in June 2022, though it didn’t reach customers until 2024; Unplugged wouldn’t

Topics: phone prince privacy security unplugged

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Fight Chat Control

news.ycombinator.com Unknown 2025-11-30 17:50:34

You Will Be Impacted Every photo, every message, every file you send will be automatically scanned—without your consent or suspicion. This is not about catching criminals. It is mass surveillance imposed on all 450 million citizens of the European Union. 📱 Mass Surveillance Every private message, photo, and file scanned automatically: no suspicion required, no exceptions*, even encrypted communications. 🔓️ Breaking Encryption Weakening or breaking end-to-end encryption exposes everyone’s commu

Topics: eu privacy private protection surveillance

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Tor: How a military project became a lifeline for privacy

news.ycombinator.com The Mit Press Reader 2025-12-01 18:45:27

The Secret History of Tor: How a Military Project Became a Lifeline for Privacy A story of secrecy, resistance, and the fight for digital freedom. By: Ben Collier A↑ A↓ Off Bright Dark Blues Gray BeeLine Reader uses subtle color gradients to help you read more efficiently. I’m sitting in a cold, scuffed, and dirty plastic chair on a crowded train, watching freezing fog stream past the window — one of the many unpleasant but strangely enjoyable everyday experiences of life in the United

Topics: internet military privacy routing tor

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Tor: How a Military Project Became a Lifeline for Privacy

news.ycombinator.com The Mit Press Reader 2025-12-02 06:45:27

The Secret History of Tor: How a Military Project Became a Lifeline for Privacy A story of secrecy, resistance, and the fight for digital freedom. By: Ben Collier A↑ A↓ Off Bright Dark Blues Gray BeeLine Reader uses subtle color gradients to help you read more efficiently. I’m sitting in a cold, scuffed, and dirty plastic chair on a crowded train, watching freezing fog stream past the window — one of the many unpleasant but strangely enjoyable everyday experiences of life in the United

Topics: internet military privacy routing tor

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Why I ditched Google Chrome for Firefox Focus within 10 minutes of using the mobile browser

zdnet.com Jack Wallen 2025-12-03 11:30:17

Jack Wallen / Elyse Betters Picaro / ZDNET ZDNET's key takeaways Firefox Focus is a security and privacy-focused mobile browser. This browser offers a minimal UI and maximum privacy features. Firefox Focus is available for both Android and iOS. I've run the gamut of web browsers on Android, and every time I think I've found "the one," I discover a reason not to use it. That reason might be a cluttered UI, a lack of options, or not enough security. Recently, however, I came across a browser

Topics: browser firefox focus privacy security

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AI Ethics is being narrowed on purpose, like privacy was

news.ycombinator.com Nimish Gåtam 2025-12-05 03:20:35

A few days ago, OpenAI released an open-source language model for the first time in a very long time. It had been promised for a while, but the deadline kept being pushed for “safety” concerns. In fact, they’ve put quite a bit of time and effort into discussing safety, because, ostensibly, safety and ethics is at the top of people’s minds. So, the public is worried about AI ethics, and OpenAI is putting efforts into making sure the AI is ethical. Sounds like a match. Not just a match, but a

Topics: ai data ethics privacy time

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Jury Decides Meta Stole Data from Users of Period-Tracking App. What to Do If You're Worried

cnet.com See Full Bio 2025-12-06 21:01:00

A California jury ruled Wednesday that Meta broke state privacy laws by collecting data from the popular period-tracking app Flo, including private health data and pregnancy goals. The case claimed that, among other actions, Meta used the data to create targeted advertising content. As Meta claims it will fight the verdict, the court continues to decide specific financial damages -- and the plaintiffs have asked for billions. A representative for Meta did not immediately respond to a request fo

Topics: app data flo meta privacy

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Firefox Focus won me over in just 10 mins - why it's my new default mobile browser

zdnet.com Jack Wallen 2025-12-08 12:37:15

Jack Wallen / Elyse Betters Picaro / ZDNET ZDNET's key takeaways Firefox Focus is a security and privacy-focused mobile browser. This browser offers a minimal UI and maximum privacy features. Firefox Focus is available for both Android and iOS. I've run the gamut of web browsers on Android, and every time I think I've found "the one," I discover a reason not to use it. That reason might be a cluttered UI, a lack of options, or not enough security. Recently, however, I came across a browser

Topics: browser firefox focus privacy security

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Best VPN for Chrome 2025: Keep Your Browsing Traffic Private

cnet.com See Full Bio 2025-12-08 11:00:00

Based on our years of testing and using VPNs across operating systems and browsers, these are the top factors you should consider when choosing a VPN for Chrome: Chrome compatibility If you’re looking for a VPN for Chrome, your primary consideration will be whether the VPN offers a Chrome extension. Most of the top VPN providers offer plugins for Chrome and other browsers, but some do not. Check that the VPN you’re considering offers a Chrome extension before purchasing. Alternatively, you can

Topics: browser chrome privacy provider vpn

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Knowing these 7 rules helped me optimize my home security camera for the best footage

zdnet.com Chris Bayer 2025-12-11 03:33:00

Maria Diaz/ZDNET If you're a subscriber to the Nextdoor app, you've seen plenty of footage of prowling ne'er-do-wells caught in the eye of a video doorbell or home security camera. Hopefully, you don't have your own first-hand experience with suspicious characters milling around your front porch, or far worse. Also: Unplugging these 7 common household devices helped reduce my electricity bills For good reason, security cameras continue to grow in popularity, and we can expect them to become e

Topics: camera cameras don privacy security

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Best VPN for Android for 2025: Protect Your Privacy on Mobile Devices

cnet.com See Full Bio 2025-12-11 12:00:00

With so many Android VPN apps available, it can be difficult to choose the right solution. Based on our extensive research and hands-on testing of VPNs over the years, these are the most important factors to consider when choosing a VPN for Android: Privacy No matter which VPN you use on Android or any other device, the bare minimum for consideration is that it protects your privacy. Look for a VPN that uses industry-standard AES 256-bit encryption over the OpenVPN protocol, or ChaCha20 over W

Topics: android privacy provider vpn vpns

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Is your Roku TV spying on you? It's possible, but here's how to put a stop to it

zdnet.com Chris Bayer 2025-12-14 08:30:13

Maria Diaz/ZDNET Whenever I hear about consumer data tracking, my half-century-old brain dredges up that Hall and Oates hit called "Private Eyes" with the refrain "they're watching you." I don't mean to incite Big Brother paranoia; I know I'm not being spied on everywhere I go, especially not in the seclusion of my home. But while using streaming devices, you can almost guarantee that your entertainment and advertisement preferences are being tracked. Also: Your Apple TV is getting 5 useful f

Topics: data privacy settings streaming tv

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Google Will Use AI to Guess People’s Ages Based on Search History

wired.com Dell Cameron 2025-12-14 08:30:00

Last week, the United Kingdom began requiring residents to verify their ages before accessing online pornography and other adult content, all in the name of protecting children. Almost immediately, things did not go as planned—although, they did go as expected. As experts predicted, UK residents began downloading virtual private networks (VPNs) en masse, allowing them to circumvent age verification, which can require users to upload their government IDs, by making it look like they’re in a diff

Topics: age content online privacy security

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Yes, You Can Bundle Other Cybersecurity Services With Some VPNs. But Is It a Good Idea?

cnet.com See Full Bio 2025-12-15 08:00:00

If all you’re using to protect your digital privacy and security is a VPN and your own vigilance, you’re still leaving yourself vulnerable to various online threats like phishing, malware, identity theft and ransomware. To fully protect yourself, you need to start putting together an arsenal of privacy and security tools. Using a trustworthy VPN is a great start because a VPN can boost your online privacy by encrypting your internet traffic and masking your true IP address. But a VPN is only on

Topics: password privacy security services vpn

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Our Farewell from Google Play

news.ycombinator.com Unknown 2025-12-16 08:08:59

Our project started in 2016 with the goal of offering alternatives to apps with basic functionality that demanded – back then at install time – many permissions they did not need. From our humble beginnings with Privacy Friendly Torchlight, our apps have always been available in the Google Play Store. Our current selection of Privacy Friendly Apps has grown since then to more than 30. And with more than 350,000 installs we believe we left a dent. We want to take this opportunity to also thank al

Topics: apps droid google privacy store

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OpenAI removes ChatGPT feature after private conversations leak to Google search

venturebeat.com Michael Nuñez 2025-12-17 03:49:25

Want smarter insights in your inbox? Sign up for our weekly newsletters to get only what matters to enterprise AI, data, and security leaders. Subscribe Now OpenAI made a rare about-face Thursday, abruptly discontinuing a feature that allowed ChatGPT users to make their conversations discoverable through Google and other search engines. The decision came within hours of widespread social media criticism and represents a striking example of how quickly privacy concerns can derail even well-inten

Topics: ai companies conversations privacy users

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Age Verification Doesn't Need to Be a Privacy Footgun

news.ycombinator.com View Archive 2025-12-17 00:19:54

“Won’t someone think of the poor children?” they say, clutching their pearls as they enact another stupid law that will harm the privacy of every adult on Earth and create Prior Restraint that inhibits the freedom of speech in liberal democracies. If you’re totally ignorant of how things work, the proposal of “verifying you’re an adult” before you access adult content sounds, superficially, like a reasonable thing to do. But it’s a patently stupid idea at every level. Age Verification Makes Th

Topics: adult knowledge privacy proofs verification

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Spotify activity revealed for celebrities, politicians, exposing privacy faults

9to5mac.com Ryan Christoffel 2025-12-19 08:44:35

Spotify has always had a bent toward social sharing and keeping music activity public. Now, a new website called Panama Playlists has exposed the service’s privacy gaps by revealing Spotify playback activity, playlists, and more for various celebrities—including tech leaders, politicians, and more. Panama Playlists exposes Spotify’s privacy shortcomings Do you know what your Spotify privacy settings are? That’s the question being prompted by a new website. As highlighted by The Verge, Panama

Topics: data panama playlists privacy spotify

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I took Proton’s privacy-first chatbot for a spin and it failed to impress

androidauthority.com Unknown 2025-12-19 12:55:43

Mitja Rutnik / Android Authority AI is becoming more and more ingrained in our society, and that trend will only continue. I’ve been using ChatGPT and Gemini ever since they launched, and honestly, I can’t imagine my workday without them. I also use them for personal projects, which means I’ve shared a fair bit of highly private information with these chatbots. This brings up the crucial question of privacy. Are you truly comfortable sharing your most intimate thoughts and ideas with a chatbot

Topics: ai chatgpt gemini lumo privacy

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5 browsers you should use instead of Chrome

androidauthority.com Unknown 2025-12-22 08:00:23

Rita El Khoury / Android Authority Google Chrome dominates the browser market, holding an almost 70% market share globally, according to StatCounter. This widespread adoption is often attributed to its pre-installation on nearly every Android phone, leading to an effortless default for many users. Being a Google product also lends it a certain level of perceived trust – for better or worse. However, Chrome isn’t without its critics or its flaws. I’m not the biggest fan of the browser, as I thi

Topics: brave browser chrome privacy users

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A major AI training data set contains millions of examples of personal data

news.ycombinator.com Eileen Guo 2025-12-22 16:59:09

Indeed, the curators of DataComp CommonPool were themselves aware it was likely that PII would appear in the data set and did take some measures to preserve privacy, including automatically detecting and blurring faces. But in their limited data set, Hong’s team found and validated over 800 faces that the algorithm had missed, and they estimated that overall, the algorithm had missed 102 million faces in the entire data set. On the other hand, they did not apply filters that could have recognize

Topics: commonpool data information privacy set

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This special Mail app toggle helps protect you from sketchy emails

9to5mac.com Michael Burkhardt 2025-12-23 03:39:54

9to5Mac is brought to you by Incogni: Protect your personal info from prying eyes. With Incogni, you can scrub your deeply sensitive information from data brokers across the web, including people search sites. Incogni limits your phone number, address, email, SSN, and more from circulating. Fight back against unwanted data brokers with a 30-day money back guarantee. A couple years ago, Apple introduced a new feature for Apple Mail users called Mail Privacy Protection. It isn’t on by default, th

Topics: apple email mail privacy protection

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5 reasons why Firefox is still my favorite browser - and deserves more respect

zdnet.com Lance Whitney 2025-12-24 22:55:56

Finally, there's something to be said for supporting the underdog. In the Windows desktop browser arena, Chrome is still the top dog by far (though some of the upcoming AI-based browsers may start nipping at its heels). Edge is in second place. That puts Firefox in third. But I think the browser should be defined by much more than its third-place status. Unlike Google and Microsoft, which are major corporate giants, the Mozilla Foundation is a nonprofit organization with a strong bent toward o

Topics: browser chrome edge firefox privacy

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Proton launches Lumo, a privacy-focused AI chatbot

techspot.com Alfonso Maruccia 2025-12-23 23:48:00

TL;DR: Proton recently introduced Lumo, a new chatbot service designed with a focus on confidentiality and security. Billed as a "privacy-first" AI tool, Lumo aims to deliver the benefits of modern artificial intelligence without compromising user privacy or misusing personal data. While results may vary, Proton appears confident enough to position Lumo alongside established competitors in the AI market. The idea behind Lumo is that while AI can provide significant opportunities for users and b

Topics: ai data lumo privacy users

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Privacy apps Signal, Brave, and AdGuard push back against Windows Recall

techspot.com Kishalaya Kundu 2025-12-25 03:04:00

The big picture: Since its announcement last year, Windows Recall has faced mounting criticism from privacy experts who have labeled it a potential surveillance tool – despite Microsoft's assurances of airtight security. Now, some developers are taking matters into their own hands, leveraging built-in Windows features to shield users from what many advocates view as a serious intrusion into personal privacy. Signal was one of the first apps to block Windows Recall from capturing screenshots of

Topics: brave microsoft privacy recall windows

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Brave and AdGuard now block Microsoft Recall by default

engadget.com Unknown 2025-12-28 11:26:02

The Brave web browser and the ad-blocker AdGuard have both announced that they are blocking Microsoft Recall by default . For the uninitiated, Recall is an AI-powered tool that accompanies Windows 11 and it records everything on a PC's screen . It's pretty obvious why a privacy-minded web browser like Brave and an ad-blocker would make this move. AdGuard said the decision was made due to a "privacy concern," going on to say that "the very idea of background screen captures is unsettling." A blo

Topics: adguard brave privacy recall tool

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Sam Altman warns there’s no legal confidentiality when using ChatGPT as a therapist

techcrunch.com Sarah Perez 2025-12-29 02:33:29

ChatGPT users may want to think twice before turning to their AI app for therapy or other kinds of emotional support. According to OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, the AI industry hasn’t yet figured out how to protect user privacy when it comes to these more sensitive conversations, because there’s no doctor-patient confidentiality when your doc is an AI. The exec made these comments on a recent episode of Theo Von’s podcast, This Past Weekend w/ Theo Von. In response to a question about how AI works wi

Topics: ai altman chatgpt legal privacy

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Brave browser will block Microsoft Recall from tracking your online activity

zdnet.com Lance Whitney 2026-01-01 03:27:53

ZDNET Microsoft has been touting its Recall feature to certain Windows users, but the screen snooper is already persona non grata with one popular browser. Starting with version 1.81, Brave for Windows will block Recall from automatically taking screenshots of your browsing activity, according to an article posted on Brave's website. "Given Brave's focus on privacy-maximizing defaults and what is at stake here (your entire browsing history), we have proactively disabled Recall for all Brave ta

Topics: brave microsoft privacy recall windows

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Latest Tech News

We caught companies making it harder to delete your personal data online

UK expands police facial recognition rollout with 10 new facial recognition vans

Blackwater’s founder would like to sell you a privacy phone made in the USA

Fight Chat Control

Tor: How a military project became a lifeline for privacy

Tor: How a Military Project Became a Lifeline for Privacy

Why I ditched Google Chrome for Firefox Focus within 10 minutes of using the mobile browser

AI Ethics is being narrowed on purpose, like privacy was

Jury Decides Meta Stole Data from Users of Period-Tracking App. What to Do If You're Worried

Firefox Focus won me over in just 10 mins - why it's my new default mobile browser

Best VPN for Chrome 2025: Keep Your Browsing Traffic Private

Knowing these 7 rules helped me optimize my home security camera for the best footage

Best VPN for Android for 2025: Protect Your Privacy on Mobile Devices

Is your Roku TV spying on you? It's possible, but here's how to put a stop to it

Google Will Use AI to Guess People’s Ages Based on Search History

Yes, You Can Bundle Other Cybersecurity Services With Some VPNs. But Is It a Good Idea?

Our Farewell from Google Play

OpenAI removes ChatGPT feature after private conversations leak to Google search

Age Verification Doesn't Need to Be a Privacy Footgun

Spotify activity revealed for celebrities, politicians, exposing privacy faults

I took Proton’s privacy-first chatbot for a spin and it failed to impress

5 browsers you should use instead of Chrome

A major AI training data set contains millions of examples of personal data

This special Mail app toggle helps protect you from sketchy emails

5 reasons why Firefox is still my favorite browser - and deserves more respect

Proton launches Lumo, a privacy-focused AI chatbot

Privacy apps Signal, Brave, and AdGuard push back against Windows Recall

Brave and AdGuard now block Microsoft Recall by default

Sam Altman warns there’s no legal confidentiality when using ChatGPT as a therapist

Brave browser will block Microsoft Recall from tracking your online activity

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