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Age Verification Doesn't Need to Be a Privacy Footgun

“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

States Are Moving to Protect Access to Vaccines

With US Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. already shaking up federal vaccine policy, some states are stepping in to preserve access to lifesaving shots in anticipation of further changes. The federal government has historically had a major influence on vaccine policy through the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), formed in 1964 to develop science-based recommendations on how vaccines should be used. The recommendations are almost always adopted by the

Best Shark Vacuums of 2025: We Tested Every Model to Find the Top Performers

Subrating category Weight What we looked for Performance 30% Performance score extrapolated from the average sand score on hard flooring, low-pile carpets and mid-pile carpets. Value/price 25% Retail price rating considering all other features. i.e., Does this price seem fair for the value offered? Runtime 20% How long does the battery last when cleaning at medium setting? (No ECO, turbo, MAX, etc.) Features 15% Overall comfort and handling of the product (e.g., weight, comfortable grip handle).

Spotify activity revealed for celebrities, politicians, exposing privacy faults

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

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

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

5 browsers you should use instead of Chrome

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

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

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

This special Mail app toggle helps protect you from sketchy emails

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

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

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

Proton launches Lumo, a privacy-focused AI chatbot

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

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

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

Where are vacation homes located in the US?

As of 2023, the US has around 142.3 million housing units: roughly one home for every 2.4 people in the country. The vast majority of these homes – 127.5 million – are occupied. The remaining 14.8 million homes are vacant. Of these, around 4.8 million homes, or around 3.5% of the total, are vacant because they’re seasonal, or vacation, homes. I’ve spent a lot of time writing about patterns of housing and home construction in the US, but virtually none of it has been looking at vacation homes sp

Brave and AdGuard now block Microsoft Recall by default

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

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

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

RFK Jr.’s anti-vaccine group sues him: “This is not the Bobby we know”

A lawyer who represents Children's Health Defense—the rabid anti-vaccine organization founded by the equally fervent anti-vaccine advocate and current US health secretary, Robert F. Kennedy Jr.—has filed a lawsuit against Kennedy, alleging that he has failed to set up a task force to promote safer childhood vaccinations. The task force's creation is outlined in the National Childhood Vaccine Injury Act of 1986, which is mainly known for setting up the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Progra

Brave browser will block Microsoft Recall from tracking your online activity

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

Thawing vacuum-packed fish correctly (2024)

Thawing vacuum-packed fish correctly Improper thawing of vacuum-packed fish can lead to a foodborne illness. Learn how to do it safely. Looking for vacuum-packed fish is an excellent way to purchase fish in the grocery store. Vacuum packaging keeps the fish from drying out by preventing water loss; it also can ensure the fish is packaged at peak quality. Vacuum packaging, also called reduced oxygen packaging (ROP), limits oxygen and allows for extended shelf life in the freezer by reducing od

Brave blocks Windows Recall from screenshotting your browsing activity

Brave Software says its privacy-focused browser will block Microsoft's Windows Recall from capturing screenshots of Brave windows by default to protect users' privacy. Windows Recall is an opt-in Windows feature that takes screenshots of active windows every few seconds, analyzes them, and enables Windows 11 users to search for text within the snapshots using natural language. The goal is to make it easy for users to quickly find information about past activities in Windows. However, the featu

Lumo: Privacy-first AI assistant

Artificial intelligence has the power to tackle humanity’s challenges, big and small, from scheduling meetings to modeling molecules. But to truly transform how we live and work for the better, we need an AI assistant(new window) built responsibly — putting people and privacy first. Today, Big Tech is repeating the mistakes from the internet’s early days. Instead of using AI to serve people, they’re turning people into products — and using AI to accelerate the surveillance-capitalism business m

4 things Proton's privacy-first AI chatbot Lumo can do - and how to try it

Elyse Betters Picaro / ZDNET Proton, the company responsible for Proton Mail, Proton VPN, and more services, is planning to launch a new AI chatbot called Lumo that aims to preserve your privacy. This new chatbot can do things like summarize documents, create code, and just about anything the other chatbots can do. 1. Stores data locally The difference between Lumo and other chatbots is that Lumo stores all data locally, so you don't have to worry that the company has access to your data. Pro

Brave blocks Microsoft Recall by default

This is the 35th post in an ongoing series describing new privacy features in Brave. This post describes work done by Pavel Beloborodov (Senior Software Engineer) and Brian Johnson (Principal Engineer). It was written by Shivan Kaul Sahib (VP, Privacy and Security). Starting in version 1.81 for Windows users, Brave browser will block Microsoft Recall from automatically taking screenshots of your browsing activity. Why we’re doing this Microsoft first announced Recall in May 2024 and immediate

Proton throws shade at Apple Intelligence privacy as it launches AI chatbot

The company behind encrypted email service Proton Mail has today launched a new freemium AI chatbot which promises that your chats will remain completely private. Proton Lumo offers five protections it says aren’t matched by any of the existing mainstream AI services like ChatGPT and Gemini, and has even thrown shade at Apple Intelligence privacy … Proton Lumo AI chatbot Proton said it launched Lumo because the benefits of AI are too great to miss, but the privacy risks are too serious to ign

This Robo Vac’s Navigation Capacity Is Unmatched. Now Amazon Is Dropping the Price by $440

Deal alert: The Dreame X50 robot vacuum is available for $1,260. That's a $ 440 discount on a robot vacuum that usually lists for $1,700. If you're looking for top-tier performance, this robot vac is better at climbing obstacles than any robot vacuum we've tested. CNET's key takeaways No robot vacuum has truly solved the challenge of multi-level cleaning without requiring you to physically move it between floors. This robo-vac can do it, for the high-end price of $1,700 (on sale right now for

Ditch your Dyson: This cordless stick vacuum cleans my home more effectively (and it's 26% off)

ZDNET's key takeaways The Tineco Pure One Station 5 vacuum cleaner normally retails for $459; now it's on sale for $339. It's a powerful cordless vacuum with a self-emptying base station, perfect for pet owners and parents. Some parts can be finicky, like lining up the floor brush on the base station, or its accessories getting stuck and not easily detaching. $339 at Amazon The Tineco Pure One Station 5 is on sale for $339 (save $120) at Amazon. Since I began testing the Tineco Pure One Stat

RFK Jr. wants to change program that stopped vaccine makers from leaving US market

This story was originally published by ProPublica. Five months after taking over the federal agency responsible for the health of all Americans, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. wants to overhaul an obscure but vital program that underpins the nation’s childhood immunization system. Depending on what he does, the results could be catastrophic. In his crosshairs is the Vaccine Injury Compensation Program, a system designed to provide fair and quick payouts for people who suffer rare but serious side effe

Robot Vacuum Tips to Help You Keep a Tidy Home (2025)

In the past few years, no other gadget—headphones, electric bicycle, literally anything at all—has improved as dramatically as the humble robot vacuum. The hardware and software have improved beyond all imagining. There are self-emptying bins, multilevel mapping abilities, and all sorts of bells and whistles, like an automated robot arm! Prices on the entry-level models have dropped significantly, to the point where robot vacuums are now an accessible household tool instead of a statement of bou

Microsoft Office is using an artificially complex XML schema as a lock-in tool

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Trump admin squanders nearly 800,000 vaccines meant for Africa: Report

Nearly 800,000 doses of mpox vaccine pledged to African countries working to stamp out devastating outbreaks are headed for the waste bin because they weren't shipped in time, according to reporting by Politico. The nearly 800,000 doses were part of a donation promised under the Biden administration, which was meant to deliver more than 1 million doses. Overall, the US, the European Union, and Japan pledged to collectively provide 5 million doses to nearly a dozen African countries. The US has

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

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

Roborock Saros Z70 Review: OmniGrip Doesn’t Quite Work

I spent a few weeks lying in wait around my house, stalking it. My poor OmniGrip got into trouble all the time. I spent a morning wrestling the arm out of our freestanding toilet paper holder in the bathroom. It pulled all the kitchen towels off the rack. The emergency stop button (and the child lock) work, but you still have to pry the item out of its claw. Roborock has acknowledged in an email that there are many weird limitations to OmniGrip. For example, it does not recognize shoes that are