The #Signal App gets only a 9 out of 10 for #Privacy protection, and it's not just because it requires a phone number.

"While most of Google’s analytics are turned off in the Signal app, it still uses the Google Maps API to handle location data. Calls to Google Maps turn over a bunch of metadata, including the IP you’re connecting from. For a project that’s so invested in privacy, it’s surprising that Signal doesn’t use an open source alternative such as Open Street Map."

They call a Google API with location data and hand over the IP? Seriously?

mozillafoundation.org/en/nothi…

#cybersecurity

Signal App Review 2025: Privacy, Pros and Cons, Personal Data

Read our privacy expert's review of the messaging app Signal. Signal is widely regarded as the “best in class” private messenger app. Unlike most messaging apps, Signal takes a completely hands-off approach to your data.

^{Mozilla Foundation}

Microsoft Office 2016 and Office 2019 are no longer receiving software updates, technical support, or bug and security fixes.

Consider migrating to LibreOffice.

Microsoft recommends migrating to a Microsoft 365 subscription.

LibreOffice supports the features that a majority of users need for free.

Website: libreoffice.org
Mastodon: @libreoffice

4/4

#Microsoft #Office2016 #Office2019 #Office #LibreOffice #Privacy #InfoSec #CyberSecurity #Encryption #FOSS #FreeSoftware #OpenSource

If every country starts requiring that people provide official ID in order to "verify their age" to use social media, there will be no way to use any social media without associating the account with a legal identity.

This is horrible for democracy,
and should terrify everyone.

It doesn't matter if platforms use third-parties or not. It doesn't matter if they use some special encrypted code, the result is the same. This gatekeeps open discussions and government criticisms free from reprisals.

This is bad.
This is China "free-speech" bad.

#Democracy #AgeVerification #Privacy

Somewhat misleading headline.

I would argue that the *German populous* saved privacy. There is a difference...

#privacy

We've just fought #ChatControl - now Ireland 🇮🇪 wants its own backdoor law. 🔓

But we, together with ~40 orgs, are saying no.

#NoToBackdoors 💪

Read our open letter to Ireland: 👉 globalencryption.org/2025/10/o…

#backdoor #encryption #privacy #security

This is your yearly reminder to #contribute to the apps you depend daily and still respect your #privacy are #free and #opensource. Demonstrate your love for them, help them do what they do best.

Today I contributed to @kunzisoft and @davx5app.

@keepassxc, @signalapp and @thunderbird will next.

We're trying to use @Tutanota for our email needs, but it seems like our email address is getting marked as spam by Gmail. Hopefully it's something we can overcome soon as we try to recruit members!

#Privacy #Security #TutaMail #Tutanota

We’re launching our second donation campaign to raise 💲1 million to:
- Fund new features, like robust group calls on all platforms, a web version, advanced diagnostics, and better mobile performance
- Secure Jami’s long‑term independence and maintenance 🛠️.

🔗 Read our 2025 Manifesto to learn how you can help defend your freedom to communicate: jami.net/manifesto-2025/

#Manifesto2025 #Jami #FOSS #Privacy #DigitalFreedom #Decentralisation

Manifesto 2025: the freedom to communicate belongs to us

Never has humanity had more tools to speak, yet communicating freely has rarely been harder.

^{jami (Jami)}

Google is Killing Open Source Android Apps

#privacy #fdroid #android

youtube.com/watch?v=wRvqdLsnsK…

Google is Killing Open Source Android Apps (Here's Why)

Google's new developer verification requirements starting September 2026 will force ALL Android app developers to register with Google - even those avoiding ...

^YouTube

Chat Control is one of the most important issue for human rights and democracy in the West right now.

There is little time left to fight back!🚨

❓If you don't know what it is: read this article

🇪🇺 If you are in the EU: Contact your MEPs NOW

🇪🇺 If you already contacted your MEPs: Contact your local media TODAY to ask them to report and inform on the dangers of Chat Control.

🌎 If you are not European: Spread the word! Talk about it on social media. Contact your local media. Contact your representatives to share your concerns about similar proposals and the loss of privacy rights. This would affect you too!

This is an urgent matter. We cannot let the West slip in this authoritarian dystopia.
We must stop Chat Control ✊🛑

#ChatControl #Privacy #HumanRights #Democracy #DigitalRights #EUpol #UKpol #USpol #CanPoli

Chat Control Must Be Stopped, Act Now!

Chat Control is back to undermine everyone's privacy. There's an important deadline this Friday on September 12th. We must act now to stop it!

^{Privacy Guides}

Mass surveillance doesn't make us safer. We need to deconstruct this false notion.

Mass surveillance is only a tool for control and oppression, it is not for protection.

#MassSurveillance #Privacy #HumanRights

Fighting for privacy rights is fighting against fascism. In case there were any doubts that mass surveillance is a fascist's tool.

Privacy isn't some secondary luxury, it's fundamental to democracy and civil liberties.

#Privacy #Democracy #Fascism

If everyone was refusing to provide official IDs to verify their identity and age on social platforms, and just let their account rot there unused instead, we would soon see platforms themselves starting to advocate against these invasive laws to recover their users.

Just saying.
They need you more than you need them.
Stop complying with invasive requests.

#Privacy #AgeVerification

RE: mastodon.social/@chatcontrol/1…

I love the ending quote (translated by me):

When Russia implements mass surveillance, we shake our heads and call Russia a dictator ruled country. When EU wants to do the same, it is "for the children" and it is expected that everyone nods their heads in approval.

This is so spot-on!

I'm happy they have received over 55.000 votes so far. 50.000 votes from citizens who can vote in Danish parliament elections are needed to get this proposal processed in the Danish parliament.

Now I just hope those 55.000+ votes so far are 100% valid votes. And I hope this proposal will double in the days to come.

#chatcontrol #denmark #eu #surveillance #privacy #politics

Fight Chat Control

2025-09-21 11:09:37

Opposition to Chat Control within Denmark is growing. Fast. If you are a Danish citizen, please consider signing the Chat Control petition: borgerforslag.dk/se-og-stoet-f…

At 50 000 signatures, it is automatically submitted to the parliament and undergoes the standard legislative process, including potential debates, review, and vote.

Nej til EU’s “Masseovervågning” beskyt vores privatliv, digitale sikkerhed og ytringsfrihed.

Vi beder Danmark om at stemme nej til EU’s “Chatkontrol” en lov, der pålægger masseovervågning af alle borgere ved at scanne private beskeder, e-mails

^{borgerforslag.dk}

🚨 Denmark keeps pushing for Chat Control - but we keep pushing back!

Join us in our fight for #privacy ✊

Check why #Germany is the deciding factor 🇩🇪 and learn how to stop #Chatcontrol (including email addresses of German politicians): 👉 tuta.com/blog/chat-control-cri…

The 'small tech' map - it's great to see that so many good alternatives to #bigtech unethical #datarape products exist.

Which will you switch to?

(This map appears on this page of our website: rebeltechalliance.org/stopusin… , and all these products are linked to in the Alternatives sub-menus)

#privacy #surveillancecapitalism

God help us

“A new report from Senate Democrats claims members of Elon Musk’s DOGE team have access to the Social Security Numbers of all Americans in a cloud server lacking verified security measures, despite an internal assessment of potential “catastrophic” risk. The report, released by Sen. Gary Peters (D-MI), cites numerous disclosures from whistleblowers, including one who said a worst-case scenario could involve having to re-issue SSNs to everyone in the country.

As outlined in the report, DOGE staffers moved a live copy of Americans’ personal information to a cloud server despite an internal risk assessment done by the Social Security Administration (SSA) that determined the impact could be “catastrophic” without the proper safeguards. The report notes that this information is considered “production data,” potentially allowing DOGE to “directly manipulate” it.”

#doge #tech #ssn #news #security #privacy
theverge.com/news/785706/doge-…

DOGE might be storing every American’s SSN on an insecure cloud server

A new report from Senate Democrats reveals that Elon Musk’s DOGE has moved sensitive information, including Social Security numbers, to a cloud server without verified security measures.

^{Emma Roth (The Verge)}

Development on our roadmap is progressing smoothly. Our next app and server releases are undergoing final testing before deployment.

We hope to make an announcement soon about what Android's recently announced developer verification requirements mean for Accrescent. Stay tuned!

#accrescent #android #appstore #security #privacy

@Tutanota Do you already have a policy in case such a request is addressed to you about one of your users?

theintercept.com/2025/09/12/pr…

#privacy

Proton Mail Suspended Journalist Accounts at Request of Cybersecurity Agency

The journalists were reporting on suspected North Korean hackers. Proton only reinstated their accounts after a public outcry.

^{Nikita Mazurov (The Intercept)}

🇷🇺 Russia wants China's Great Firewall

After Tuta Mail, it's now also blocking #Signal & #WhatsApp to stop its citizens from using #encryption

Together with @torproject, @fightforfuture and others we are standing up to say: Stop! ✊

Everyone deserves #privacy.

Read our open letter: 👉 tuta.com/blog/tutanota-blocked…

Does age verification really have to rely on face scans, document uploads, or other invasive methods? 🔍 Isn't there a way to do it that respects user privacy? 🛡️

I have an idea that - while it would need some adjustments - seems reasonable to me, especially when we're talking about such a sensitive topic. In my country, Poland, ID cards have an NFC chip 📲 that contains encrypted data, including the date of birth. Access to this data requires a PIN 🔐 that is set at the government office.

Wouldn't it be possible to create an app that reads this data from the ID when first launched, and then requires the PIN each time to decrypt the date of birth? The app could communicate with the browser locally and simply send a yes or no answer ✅❌ about whether the user meets the required age - without revealing any personal data.

Of course I know not every country has such ID cards, but if they truly care about protecting children 👶, they should first make sure to create proper, secure solutions - ones that respect human rights 🧭 and don't violate citizens' privacy.

That's my opinion - but I'm open to other perspectives if there's something wrong with this approach 💬

#Privacy #Freedom #AgeVerification #OnlineSafetyAct #Surveillance #HumanRights

Did you know monocles chat supports pinned messages? You can pin multiple messages, stacked so the most recent appears on top. In the next release you’ll also be able to jump straight to a pinned message’s location in the conversation and also pin images and files.

- Pinned messages stay visible and are easy to find later.
- You can pin multiple messages at once.
- Pins are useful for action items, decisions, and deadlines to keep conversations focused.
- Save frequently used links, instructions, images or files.

#monocles #monocleschat #privacy #messenger #xmpp #android

#Chatcontrol is OFF the table for now. 💪

But it will be back.

Danish Minister of Justice and chief architect of the current Chat Control proposal, Peter Hummelgaard:
"𝗪𝗲 𝗺𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗯𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗸 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗼𝘁𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗲𝗿𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗲𝗼𝘂𝘀 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗰𝗲𝗽𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗶𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆𝗼𝗻𝗲'𝘀 𝗰𝗶𝘃𝗶𝗹 𝗹𝗶𝗯𝗲𝗿𝘁𝘆 𝘁𝗼 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗼𝗻 𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗿𝘆𝗽𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗺𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗮𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘀𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗶𝗰𝗲𝘀."

We have to keep fighting for #encryption and our right to #privacy 🔒

The clock is still ticking: tuta.com/blog/chat-control-cri…

🤯 Instagram is testing new iOS push notifications that include a profile photo. Each time the notification is shown on your screen, it triggers a GET request to fetch that image, letting Meta track every on-screen impression.

The app still misuses push notifications to send detailed device analytics about the device (uptime, battery, volume, locale, timezone, memory, CPU, etc.)

#privacy #infosec #privacymatters #Apple #iOS #meta
More 👇🧵

It's a good step forward. But it's just a step.

This battle is far from over.

Politicians and law makers need to fully understand that technology itself is not the answer to enforce laws and policies which aims to protect citizens.

First then, such proposals will stop to surface.

And that's the challenge ahead of all #privacy fighters. To educate people about the fundamental difference between laws, policies and technology.

Technology is just a tool. It doesn't change what we think or what we do. Unless the chilling effect is the end goal.

Live Translation with AirPods is not going to be available in the EU. This means that it doesn't use on-device AI model and the microphones forward everything to remote servers 🤯

UPDATE: Before this post goes out of control. The DMA can also be a reason why this feature is not available in the EU:

infosec.exchange/@hacksilon/11…

#Apple #privacy #infosec

@EUCommission Understand this: people do not want this and will do whatever it takes to stop it. Here's an example - Tuta is making it clear. And I'm telling you myself: if force has to be used - so be it. Privacy is not something we will give up without a fight.

#ChatControl #FightChatControl #StopChatControl #Privacy

🚨Our governments are about to decide whether 450M Europeans deserve privacy - or not.

Help ensure your country says NO to Chat Control: Call you local representatives!

Privacy is not negotiable. Speak up now. ✊ #privacy

👉 More on how to stop Chat Control: tuta.com/blog/chat-control-cri…

Can you guess Hanna’s feelings about AI in email? 🤯 What are your thoughts on this?

#ai #rant #artificialintelligence #email #privacy #chatgpt

🚨 BREAKING: Google just got fined €325M for breaking privacy laws.

Let's celebrate this BIG WIN for #privacy 🔒

👉 tuta.com/blog/gmail-ads-annoyi…

But know this: You don't need ad-blockers to get an ad-free email. 😉

#France #Google #Gmail #Tuta

"For decades, the phrase “Year of the Linux Desktop” has been tossed around like a tech industry punchline. But now, it’s no longer a meme—it’s a movement.

This isn’t just about numbers—it’s about momentum. GNU/Linux’s desktop share hovered below 2% for years. But since 2020, it’s been climbing fast.

From the lens of @purism this shift is more than market share—it’s a cultural awakening."

puri.sm/posts/the-quiet-revolu…

#GNULinux #Linux #marketshare #yearofthelinuxdesktop #privacy #freedom #desktop

The Quiet Revolution: GNU/Linux Crosses 6% Desktop Market Share—And It’s Just the Beginning – Purism

Purism makes premium phones, laptops, mini PCs and servers running free software on PureOS. Purism products respect people's privacy and freedom while protecting their security.

^{Purism SPC}

Poll: How many screens do you work with? 🖥️

Vote + Boost 🔁 = ❤️

(Feel free to reply with how this setup helps you 👇)

#Linux #Arch #LinuxMint #Fedora #Debian #Ubuntu #Desktop #FOSS #Privacy #Security #OpenSource #Microsoft #Windows #TechNews #CyberSecurity #Tech #Technology #Apple #OS #iOS #MacOS #OperatingSystem #Monitor #Monitors #Screen #Screens #TV #OLED #2k #4k #HD #Job #Work #Productivity #Multitasking #Dev #DevOps #Development #Developers #DevLife #SysAdmin #TechCommunity

• 🧍 Just 1 screen (0 votes)
• 🧑‍💻 Dual setup (2) (0 votes)
• 🧠 Triple or more (0 votes)

ALERT for Bluesky Bridge Users 🚨 🦋

If you are using a Bluesky bridge on Mastodon, DO NOT TAG Mastodon accounts in your posts without prior informed consent from this person.

This could end up showing a preview of this person's profile picture and bio on Bluesky without their consent.

Additionally, be careful about how the upcoming Quote Post feature could behave with Bluesky bridges.

Some of us don't want our information shared with commercial platforms like Bluesky, and have not consented to this bridge.

This practice can even endanger some Fediverse users.

If you have chosen to share your
own data with commercial platforms, make sure you leave the same choice to others.

This is important.

#Privacy #Mastodon #Bluesky #BlueskyBridge #Fediverse #Consent