Stupid Sexy Privacy

Hi! Welcome to our educational and hopefully funny miniseries about how to protect yourself from fascists and weirdos.Just a note before we begin that Stupid Sexy Privacy is sponsored by DuckDuckGo. So if you like the show, go check them out and let them know we sent you.In today’s episode, comedian Rosie Tran explains why you should get a privacy notebook.Rosie also shares the first thing you'll want to put inside your privacy notebook. Hint: It’s your master password for your password manager — 1Password or something similar, like the free, open-source equivalent KeePassXC. For most people listening to this show, we recommend 1Password because it’s easier to use and less cumbersome than KeePassXC; however, KeePassXC is more secure because it stores everything offline. So, if you’re more technically inclined, KeePassXC is for you. (Here’s the guide on how to set it up.)If you can't tell your Linux from your Ubuntu, please go with 1Password.Also in this episode: We share with you more from B.J. Mendelson's first book on privacy, "Privacy: And How We Get It Back." Roger Wayne, the narrator of the world-famous "The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck," is the voice actor who narrated the audiobook.Listen to this episode to learn: Why you should have a physical notebook to manage your most important passwords.Why you should care about who has access to your data — and what they do with it (hint: they make a lot of money while you get stalked.)What the end goal of all this privacy stuff is (and no, it’s not necessarily getting completely off the grid. Although, if you’re looking to do that, we can’t recommend Alaska enough.Key Episode Takeaways-Get a physical notebook (and spend some money on it, too): When you have a physical notebook that you’ve actually spent a bit of money on, like the Leuchtturm — it creates a bit more of a commitment because of the way our brain chemistry typically works. You made a decision to buy it. You paid money to do so. And now it’s a physical object for you to hold. All of this makes you more committed to using it, so go on, treat yourself. -Create a 1Password account: Write down your master password in the privacy notebook. Don’t make it easy for fascists and weirdos to hack you. In most cases, big hacks occur because of bad password management. Make sure to write your new master password from 1Pass on the inside cover of your privacy notebook.Episode Highlights💡 Our goal is to educate & entertain so, we may sound a bit ridiculous. Some might say snarky even.We want you to remember what we’re saying, so we will say it multiple times and in many different ways, including some which may be aggressive or hilarious. We’re trying to find an inroad into the deepest pathways of your brain and your memory so you’ll remember what we say. 💡 This is a realistic take on what data privacy can look like for all of us.By using the Internet, intrinsically, we give up some of our data and to use so many of our favorite services a bit more. But we probably aren’t ever going to stop using them completely, and so all of this advice is given within that framework. We can minimize the amount of data being collected by doing simple things like taping over our camera and using browsers like Brave and DuckDuckGo instead of Chrome and Safari. 💡 It’s about respect and fair compensation when companies are making billions off your dataWe’re beyond the point where we should be compensated for the personal data we’re sharing. In BJ’s first book, we advocated for a solution that includes something like an annual license fee or small daily payment for companies in exchange for our data. We’ve since come around on this. While you should still be compensated for your data, what’s become more important in recent years (since the first privacy book was published) is establishing a global framework for every country to join that would regulate who gets your data, how they use it, and what your rights are concerning the elimination of that data when needed.Once that’s in place, THEN we can talk about getting people compensated in exchange for their data.Top Quotes[4:51] “Just imagine how much fun Instagram would be if you didn’t have any friends on there.”[6:50] “What makes this book compelling and unique among other books on privacy is that it deals exclusively with things that are entirely within our power to fix. That is, dealing with the use and abuse of our data.” [7:10] “If I’m successful, I’ll have helped motivate you to contact your state, not federal, representatives to push for legislation and regulations that will hold these companies accountable for how they use your data.”**This book was written during the Trump years. So, not that things are totally normal, but we feel safer today in 2023, recommending you ALSO contact your federal officials and ask for them to pass new rules and regulations concerning the use and sharing of our data.[8:44] “Your data is worth a fortune. Whether you actively use the Internet or not, the odds are solid that there’s a data file on you out there, and companies and criminals will stop at nothing to get that data.” Support The ShowOur Sponsor: DuckDuckGo*Affiliate Link: 1Password.com*Affiliate Link: Delete Me*Affiliate Link: Marshall Rosenberg's book, Non-Violent CommunicationGet Your Privacy Notebook: Get your Leuchtturm1917 Official Bullet Journal here.BJ’s First Privacy Book: Audible*You don’t need to use these affiliate links. They don’t cost you anything extra to use. But. IF you do use these links, it’ll kick a couple of dollars our way to help support this project.For more news and tips concerning maintaining your privacy and security, we recommend listening to our friends at Smashing Security. Reserve Your SeatBJ Mendelson and Amanda King are the authors of the upcoming book, "How to Protect Yourself From Fascists and Weirdos." They are designing an email-based course around the topics discussed in the book and...

Episode SummaryIn today’s episode of Stupid Sexy Privacy, a WAYWO.TV Special Report sponsored by DuckDuckGo, Comedian Rosie Tran explains why you should regularly update the software on the devices inside your home (but especially, your router.) Than, Rosie explains how to keep the username and passwords for these household devices by ... You guessed it. Keeping them in your Privacy Notebook.Show Notes From 2022 (Slightly Revised for 2024)Hi! Welcome to our educational and hopefully funny miniseries about how to protect yourself from fascists and weirdos.Just a note before we begin that Stupid Sexy Privacy is sponsored by DuckDuckGo. So if you like the show, go check them out and let them know we sent you.In today’s episode, comedian Rosie Tran explains why you should practice good privacy hygiene. This is especially important for your Internet-connected devices. Otherwise, your fancy robot vacuum cleaner may start shouting racial slurs at you. No. We’re not joking.Also in this episode: We share more from B.J. Mendelson’s first book on privacy, “Privacy: And How We Get It Back.” Roger Wayne, the narrator of the world-famous “The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck,” is the voice actor who narrated the audiobook. This week’s excerpt features a fun history lesson about World War 1. Great to know because World War 3 looks like it’s just around the corner!Listen to this episode to learn: Why you should set aside a dedicated time each month to ensure that all the software on your most important devices is up to date.Why you should keep your most important passwords offline (and how to decide if it’s important and what’s not.)How and when the American government started invading the privacy of its citizens. Key Episode Takeaways-Investing in security to protect your devices and information is not a top priority for most companies. So once a month, you need to set up some time to make sure your software is up to date. -If the device is important (like your router and modem) you want to keep those passwords offline, in your privacy note book. You bought one already, right? -All other passwords can be kept in a password manager like KeepassXC (for advance listeners) and 1Password (for everyone else.)Episode Highlights💡 Our goal is to educate & entertain so, we may sound a bit ridiculous. Some might say snarky even.We want you to remember what we’re saying, so we will say it multiple times and in many different ways, including some which may be aggressive or hilarious. We’re trying to find an inroad into the deepest pathways of your brain and your memory so you’ll remember what we say. 💡 This show features a realistic take on what data privacy can look like for all of us.By using the Internet, intrinsically, we give up some of our data and to use so many of our favorite services a bit more. But we probably aren’t ever going to stop using them completely, and so all of this advice is given within that framework. We can minimize the amount of data being collected by doing simple things like taping over our camera and using DuckDuckGo instead of Chrome and Safari. 💡 Most companies don’t invest in good cyber security, meaning that customers are, unfortunately, responsible for protecting themselves and their data through practicing good privacy hygiene. That means building good habits is important to keep yourself safe from facists and weirdos. We recommend setting aside some time, once a month, to make sure your software is up to date for your most important devices.Top Quotes[2:30] “If you access the service through your phone or laptop, you can put the passwords into your Password Manager. There are exceptions, like for your One Password Master Password, but almost everything else can go into One Password online.”[2:54] “So, why do you want to keep track of these Internet-enabled devices? They're easy to hack. That's really the bottom line here.And that's because most people just use the default username and password for those devices and then forget to update the software on a regular basis. [5:05] “For most Americans, the government collecting data en masse and doing who knows what with it, is less than desirable. But this government collection of data has also been occurring for over 100 years, longer than you and I have been alive.[8:25] “If you're an American, World War I is usually a blip on the radar screen of history class. This is because America didn't get involved in the global conflict until near the end of the war, and also because most history teachers are stuck teaching to tests generated by large for-profit companies that have swindled their way into completely dominating the American education system.”Support The ShowOur Sponsor: DuckDuckGo Recommended Password Manager: 1Password.com*Affiliate Link: Delete MeGet Your Privacy Notebook: Get your Leuchtturm1917 Journal here.*Recommended book on building good habits: “Atomic Habits”BJ’s First Privacy Book: Audible*You don’t need to use these affiliate links. They don’t cost you anything extra to use. But. IF you do use these links, it’ll kick a couple of dollars our way to help support this project.For more news and tips concerning maintaining your privacy and security, we recommend listening to our friends at Smashing Security. Reserve Your SeatBJ Mendelson and Amanda King are the authors of the upcoming book, “How to Protect Yourself From Fascists and Weirdos.” They are designing an email-based course around the topics discussed in the book and on our show. So, if you want more information on how to protect yourself from fascists and weirdos, complete with step-by-step details and tutorials, we recommend reserving a seat for the course.All you need to do is email us at BJMendelson@Duck.com with “Privacy Course” in the subject line.We’ll let you know when this course becomes available for purchase.Did You Know?There’s an audio error in this episode where Rosie reads the same line twice. You’re not losing your mind. It was a mistake BJ made in writing the episode.This episode was originally posted in October of 2022. The story about the Internet-connected vacuums shouting racial epithets at their owners? Yeah, tha...

Episode SummaryIn today's episode of Stupid Sexy Privacy, comedian Rosie Tran talks about how your SmartTVs spy on you through a technology called Automatic Content Recognition. We'll tell you how to turn off ACR (hint, look at the links below), and we'll also cover Silent Pocket's privacy stickers. Leave no internet connected camera uncovered!All this and more from BJ's first book on Privacy, as read by Broadway Actor, Roger Wayne. Resources Mentioned In Today’s ShowHere's how to turn off ACR in your SmartTVSilent Pocket Web camera and Smartphone privacy stickers.Our Sponsor: DuckDuckGoAffiliate Link: 1Password.com Get Your Privacy Notebook: Get your Leuchtturm1917 Official Bullet Journal hereBook Your Privacy Audit: Email BJMendelson@Duck.com. Privacy Audits are free if you pre-order the “How To Protect Yourself From Fascists & Weirdos” book bundle. Click here to get $100 off your purchase with this exclusive coupon. 

Episode SummaryIn today's episode of Stupid Sexy Privacy, comedian and WAYWO.TV Reporter, Rosie Tran, talks about how much data your car is collecting on you. The bad news is, in the US, legislation to limit the collection and sale of this data to data brokers from car manufacturers is non-existent. There are still things you can do to protect yourself, like getting a cheap auxiliary cable and using that to connect to your car's entertainment system. Rosie explains. All this and more from BJ's first book on Privacy, as read by Broadway Actor, Roger Wayne. Resources Mentioned In Today’s ShowMic-Lock sells microphone blockers that you can purchase here.Our Sponsor: DuckDuckGoAffiliate Link: 1Password.com Get Your Privacy Notebook: Get your Leuchtturm1917 Official Bullet Journal hereCover Your Internet-Connected Cameras: Use Silent Pocket's Web Cam and Smartphone StickersBook Your Privacy Audit: Email BJMendelson@Duck.comPrivacy Audits are two, one-hour consultations with B.J. Mendelson that are done via Signal. The first consultation walks you through each of the 23 Privacy Tips (and some bonus ones depending on your device). The second consultation occurs one week later to make any adjustments and answer any additional questions.

Episode SummaryIn today's episode of Stupid Sexy Privacy, comedian and WAYWO.TV Reporter, Rosie Tran, talks about how to keep our data (and ourselves) safe while traveling domestically here in the United States. It involves a USB Condom and a hidden camera detector. Also this week: Author B.J. Mendelson speaks with Twitch's Chief Product Officer, Tom Verrilli, about the future of live streaming, what steps streamers can take to better protect themselves, and what the platform is doing to help. So if you have any interest in getting on Twitch or just live streaming your hijinks, this episode is for you.Resources Mentioned In Today’s Show-Hidden Camera Detector-USB Condom-Proton VPNOur Sponsor: DuckDuckGoAffiliate Link: 1Password.com Get Your Privacy Notebook: Get your Leuchtturm1917 Official Bullet Journal hereCover Your Internet-Connected Cameras: Use Silent Pocket's Web Cam and Smartphone StickersBook Your Privacy Audit: Email BJMendelson@Duck.comPrivacy Audits are two, one-hour consultations with B.J. Mendelson that are done via Signal. The first consultation walks you through each of the 23 Privacy Tips (and some bonus ones depending on your device). The second consultation occurs one week later to make any adjustments and answer any additional questions.

Episode SummaryIn today's episode of Stupid Sexy Privacy, comedian and WAYWO.TV Reporter, Rosie Tran, talks about how to keep your data, and yourself, safe when traveling internationally. It involves using old stuff, and we'll also explain why you'll want to turn off facial recognition on your phone before crossing any borders.You will also hear more from BJ's first book on privacy, as narrated by Broadway actor, Roger Wayne. In this episode Roger explains why your data is so valuable in the first place. You'll never guess what the answer is. Or maybe you have, but you'll enjoy hearing Roger tell you about it just the same.Resources Mentioned In Today’s ShowOur Sponsor: DuckDuckGoAffiliate Link: 1Password.com Get Your Privacy Notebook: Get your Leuchtturm1917 Official Bullet Journal hereBook Your Privacy Audit with BJ: Email BJMendelson@Duck.comIn this confidential, one on one call (conducted through Signal), BJ will walk you through all 23 steps that you should file to better protect yourself from fascists and weirdos on the Internet. Then, a week later, he will follow-up to answer any questions you might have and troubleshoot if/as needed.

Episode SummaryBreaking up is hard to do. Sure. But when you're leaving a relationship where you shared a device with your partner, it might be time to get a new device. And we mean like NEW. Not refurbished. It's expensive, but there's a good reason to take this step, as Rosie explains.You will also hear more from BJ's first book on privacy, narrated by Broadway actor Roger Wayne. In this week's excerpt, Roger talks about the perils of the Internet of Things.*Just a note: After recording this episode, Apple announced they were going to improve the security of iCloud. We need to evaluate this further, but for now, we still recommend avoiding it for now.Resources Mentioned In Today’s ShowiMazingHidden Camera Detector***Our Sponsor: DuckDuckGoAffiliate Link: 1Password.com Get Your Privacy Notebook: Get your Leuchtturm1917 Official Bullet Journal hereBook Your Privacy Audit with BJ: Email BJMendelson@Duck.comIn this confidential, one on one call (conducted through Signal), BJ will walk you through all 23 steps that you should file to better protect yourself from fascists and weirdos on the Internet. Then, a week later, he will follow-up to answer any questions you might have and troubleshoot if/as needed.

Episode SummaryThis week is super simple. There are four programs everyone should have.  3 of which you can use on both your laptop and phone, and one that's desktop only (ClamAV).So, when you're done listening to today's episode, you're going to want to download and use these.Pro-Tip: Always activate your VPN if you're out and about. You can't trust every public Wi-FI spot that's out there. And while many are legit, it's just as easy to activate your VPN before connecting to any of them on your phone.Resources Mentioned In Today’s ShowSignal <-- FreeDuckDuckGo Browser <-- FreeClamAV <--Free.  (Here are visual directions on how to install and use ClamAV on your Mac. )ProtonVPN <-- Free plan available ***Our Sponsor: DuckDuckGoAffiliate Link: 1Password.com Get Your Privacy Notebook: Get your Leuchtturm1917 Official Bullet Journal hereBook Your Privacy Audit with BJ: Email BJMendelson@Duck.comIn this confidential, one on one call (conducted through Signal), BJ will walk you through all 23 steps that you should follow to better protect yourself from fascists and weirdos on the Internet. Then, a week later, he will follow up to answer any questions you might have and troubleshoot if/as needed.Today's Photo is by Kerin Gedge on Unsplash

Episode SummaryIt's Part 1 of our two-part Digital Detox! In this week's episode, we give you a two-step exercise to help you get rid of unused apps and think critically about how you use the ones you keep.Once a month, make sure you grab some time to remove any of the unused apps on your phone. Each one represents a potential opportunity for fascists or weirdos to access your information and maybe even your microphone.Here are some excellent tips from The Washington Post on how to greyscale your phone and use the Digital Wellness features to place timers on the apps you decide to keep.All this, and Roger returns to explain a vicious cycle between tech companies who "borrow" your data, and the media that covers their borrowing. Plus! Kelly Carlin joins us to talk about her recommendations for living mindfully and managing the digital clutter that's attempting to consume our lives.Resources Mentioned In Today’s ShowA good explainer on  the Joffe v. Google case***Our Sponsor: DuckDuckGoAffiliate Link: 1Password.com Get Your Privacy Notebook: Get your Leuchtturm1917 Official Bullet Journal hereBook Your Privacy Audit with BJ: Email BJMendelson@Duck.comIn this confidential, one on one call (conducted through Signal), BJ will walk you through all 23 steps that you should follow to better protect yourself from fascists and weirdos on the Internet. Then, a week later, he will follow up to answer any questions you might have and troubleshoot if/as needed.Photo by Joe deSousa on Unsplash

It's time for the second part of our two-part Digital Detox spiel. Rosie returns with a simple exercise you can do every time you find yourself holding your smartphone, and explains why you need to make your bedroom a phone free bone zone.Bonus: BJ interviews werables reviewer at The Verge, Victoria Song, to talk about privacy and ghosts. (Look, it can't all be serious privacy stuff all the time, you know?)Photo by Mahrael Boutros: https://www.pexels.com/photo/photo-of-two-women-1215709/

We're big fans of Tina Turner; what can we say? This week, we're talking about how to secure your email account. First, by using a hardware authentication device like a Yubikey (or Google's Titan Key if you prefer.) We also talk about utilizing Google's Advance Threat Protection Program for Gmail users who want additional security.A pretty straightforward episode this week, but no less an important one, so don't miss it!Resources Mentioned In Today’s ShowYubikey (For Apple customers, read this: "Security Keys are the Best Way to Protect Your Apple ID")Google's Advance Threat Protection Program***Our Sponsor: DuckDuckGoAffiliate Link: 1Password.com Get Your Privacy Notebook: Get your Leuchtturm1917 Official Bullet Journal hereBook Your Privacy Audit with BJ: Email BJMendelson@Duck.comIn this confidential, one on one call (conducted through Signal), BJ will walk you through all 23 steps that you should follow to better protect yourself from fascists and weirdos on the Internet. Then, a week later, he will follow up to answer any questions you might have and troubleshoot if/as needed.Episode photo provided by Ekaterina Belinskaya.

You need Proton Mail. Get on that immediately.Unless you use Gmail and you followed our previous advice about pairing your Gmail account with a Yubikey. In which case, you can do nothing.Unless ...This week, Rosie is going to show you how to send an encrypted email, using Proton Mail's free plan, to anyone who doesn't have an encrypted email account.This is especially useful if you ever need to send financial or health information to someone, and you can't get them to ride the Signal Bus.We're also going to explain in this episode why you should keep your most important email contacts stored offline, the way BJ's Boomer Dad does.For once, when it comes to technology, BJ's Dad is doing the right thing, and you should too. And later, Roger returns to talk about some recent data breaches, including North Korea's hacking of SONY, which is way crazier than you think it is.Resources Mentioned In Today’s ShowProton Mail and Proton VPN Recent example of a rogue employee causing a security breach.Another example of a serious hack caused by an employee's computer getting infected with malware.***Our Sponsor: DuckDuckGoAffiliate Link: 1Password.com Get Your Privacy Notebook: Get your Leuchtturm1917 Official Bullet Journal here.And before we go ...We're overwhelmed with requests for Privacy Audits thanks to the interview in Slate. So! We'd like to let you know BJ is recording a two-hour course that you can purchase. The course will include every step from the privacy audit and include examples of how to put those steps into practice.If you'd like to know when the course is available for purchase, email BJ at BJMendelson@Duck.com

This week we introduce the Stranger Danger Phone! This is a backup, pre-paid Smartphone we recommend you use when dating online. The Stranger Danger Phone is also great for content creators who maintain some kind of public-facing presence online and need to be accessible to their audience.These are easy to set up, and not expensive. Never give out your real phone number again! Rosie will explain why, and give you the steps you need to take to get one set up.Also featured in today's episode, BJ speaks with the author of "How to Disappear," Frank M Ahearn. Today, Frank helps the thousands of people who fall victim to blackmail, extortion, sextortion, and romance scams online. We talk about what steps you can take to better protect yourself, and why you should consider riding the bus the next time you want to make a break for it.***Resources Mentioned In Today’s ShowGoogle Voice <--Use this with your Stranger Danger Phone to create a Decoy Phone number. Burner (a paid alternative to Google Voice)Faraday Bag from Silent PocketEmergency Power Bank to keep your phone fully charged when out with a stranger.Mint Mobile <-- Have a trusted friend or family member buy your Stranger Danger Phone, in cash, along with a Mint Mobile sim card or three.***Our Sponsor: DuckDuckGoAffiliate Link: 1Password.com Get Your Privacy Notebook: Get your Leuchtturm1917 Official Bullet Journal here.And before we go ...Thanks to the interview in Slate, we're overwhelmed with requests for Privacy Audits. So! We'd like to let you know BJ is recording a two-hour video course that you can purchase. The course will include every step from the privacy audit and examples of how to put those steps into practice.If you'd like to know when the course is available for purchase, email BJ at BJMendelson@Duck.com

This week, the women of our show kick BJ to the curb and go deep on tips, tricks, and apps you can use to keep safe while going out on a date.There's A LOT covered in this episode, but some of the highlights of what's covered by Rosie and Amanda King (co-author of "How to Protect Yourself From Fascists and Weirdos) include: How to avoid getting blackmailed, why you should use all new photos for your dating profile and remove the EXIF data from them, what tools you should know like Garbo.io and Noonlight, and why you should break up with someone at a Walmart. (A Mendelson Family tradition.)Resources Mentioned In Today’s ShowRemove EXIF information from your photos here.California Consumer Privacy Act (Now in effect!)Virginia Consumer Data Protection Act <-- This page is not as helpful as the California one. We're looking for an alternative. GDPR Data Removal Request (UK and European Union only)Spot Infrared Imager to spot hidden camerasNoonlight appStop Apple AirTag stalking with: Light Blue (ios) AirGuard (Android)Garbo.io Background ChecksBurnerApp / Google Voice (see the previous episode for more!)TinEye.com Reverse Image SearchPimEyes Reverse Image SearchIf someone is trying to blackmail you online, read this.Our Sponsor: DuckDuckGoAffiliate Link: 1Password.com Get Your Privacy Notebook: Get your Leuchtturm1917 Official Bullet Journal here.Today's episode was NOT sponsored by Chena Hot Springs. We just love that place.And before we go ...Thanks to the interview in Slate, we're overwhelmed with requests for Privacy Audits. So! We want to let you know BJ and Amanda are recording a two-hour video course that you can purchase. The course will include every step from the privacy audit and examples of how to put those steps into practice. If you'd like to know when the course is available, email BJ at BJMendelson@Duck.com with Privacy Course in the subject line.

The "Cloud" has a bigger carbon footprint than the entire airline industry. It's also not secure. So if someone wants to mess with you, or worse, blackmail you after accessing your iCloud, GDrive, or Dropbox data? They absolutely can. Instead, we want you to go old school. So this week, Rosie explains why you want to get a nice external hard drive, encrypt a folder or the entire drive, and save your stuff there.Resources Mentioned In Today’s Show-Veracrypt (Wired's article on how to use it)-Toshiba Canvio Flex External HD (Portable)-Seagate Backup Plus Hub External HD (NOT portable. This drive needs to be plugged in.)-Tresorit-ProtonDrive (comes with a ProtonMail account, which we recommended here in a previous episode.)TP Link AX3000 Router-Additional Steps on how to secure your router.Also In This Episode ...This episode also contains the last part of BJ's first book on privacy — written back in 2017 —  as read by Broadway actor Roger Wayne. After this week, every remaining episode will include an interview with a privacy and security expert! Our Sponsor: DuckDuckGoAffiliate Link: 1Password.com Get Your Privacy Notebook: Get your Leuchtturm1917 Official Bullet Journal here.And before we go ...Thanks to the interview in Slate, we're overwhelmed with requests for Privacy Audits. So! We want to let you know BJ and Amanda are recording a two-hour video course that you can purchase. The course will include every step from the privacy audit and examples of how to put those steps into practice. If you'd like to know when the course is available, email BJ at BJMendelson@Duck.com with Privacy Course in the subject line.Photo Credit: Karolina Grabowska

You ever have a doctor take photos of your condition for further examination? How about an MRI? Have you had one of those? We like to think that HIPPA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) protects us here in the US. But increasingly ... It doesn't.So over the next few weeks, we'll talk about who's collecting your medical information, how they're using it, and who they're sharing it with. And this series is wild because we're not only talking about pictures of that funny-looking mole you have. We're talking about the neural patterns of your brain and how it acts as you make decisions in Virtual Reality.First things first, though: This week, we're going to look at services like MyChart, Phreesia, and the MANY doctor's offices that utilize Facebook's Tracking Pixel on their website. We'll tell you how to stop these companies from collecting and sharing your data, and then we'll explain why you want to do that. I mean, unless you want a generative AI like Chat GPT3 to be looking at photos of your favorite private parts and drawing some really interesting conclusions to share with others. (A real thing that's already happened.)Also, In Today's Episode ...BJ Speaks with Matthew D Green at John Hopkins University Information Security Institute to follow up on our previous episode concerning "The Cloud" and why you shouldn't put your important stuff in there.Resources Mentioned In Today’s Show-Email Privacy@Phreesia.com to opt out of their data collection -Call your doctor's office to see what data is being shared and collected on you by companies like My Chart and request to opt out.-Use the Tor Browser when visiting any websites related to managing your health care.-Use PimEyes to see who is using pictures of your face.-Use the pictures found by PimEyes to search HaveIBeenTrained.com to make sure your photos aren't being used to train generative AIs like ChatGPT3 -Request Clearview AI remove any pictures they have on you here.-BJMendelson.com's Data Opt-Out Request ListOur Sponsor: DuckDuckGo*Affiliate Link: 1Password.com *Affiliate Link: Delete MeGet Your Privacy Notebook: Get your Leuchtturm1917 Official Bullet Journal here.*Using these affiliate links helps to support the show and do not cost you anything extra to use. If you like the show, we encourage you to use these links to sign-up for must have services like 1Password and Delete Me.And before we go ...Thanks to the interview in Slate, we're overwhelmed with requests for Privacy Audits.So!We want to let you know BJ and Amanda are recording a two-hour video course that you can purchase.The course will include every step from the privacy audit and examples of how to put those steps into practice.If you'd like to know when the course is available, email BJ at BJMendelson@Duck.com with Privacy Course in the subject line. 

Over the next three episodes (17, 18, and 19), we'll let our medical and privacy experts take center stage, so all of the tips in these three episodes will be super short.This week, BJ (with Rosie's assistance) interviewed Dr. Arthur Caplan, a professor of bioethics at New York University. Dr. Caplan is also the founding head of the Division of Medical Ethics at NYU Grossman School of Medicine.BJ's audio got jacked up, so Rosie re-recorded BJ's questions. Wasn't that nice of her?This discussion with Dr. Caplan is super important to listen to. That's because it sets the stage for our following interview with Brittan Heller, Senior Fellow of Democracy and Technology at The Atlantic Council, and Jen Caltrider from the Mozilla Foundation's Privacy Not Included initiative. All three of these interviews build off each other.Dr. Caplan explains how HIPPA is useless and doesn't protect you at all from the misuse of your health data by Big Tech.Brittan and BJ talk about how head-mounted displays used in AR and VR devices can be used to tell if you have Autism (as one example).And Jen talks to BJ's co-author, Amanda King, about the current state of pregnancy trackers, the device they collect, and who that information is being shared with.So, pretty important stuff. We hope you give these three episodes a listen. And don't worry. Rosie and BJ will be back with more tips and jokes in Episode 20!  Resources Mentioned In Today’s Show:-Set up a Google Alert for your name and any prominent usernames you use here.-If you are being stalked and harassed online, Hunchly can help you collect evidence of the harassment. You can use the information gathered by Hunchly to create an Incident Tracking Chart, which will help you and your attorneys strike back at harassers.-Page Vault is a more advanced program that offers similar features to Hunchly, but with one key difference: Information saved into Page Vault is admissible in a court of law. The downside? Page Vault is REALLY expensive.Our Sponsor: DuckDuckGo*Affiliate Link: 1Password.com*Affiliate Link: Delete MeGet Your Privacy Notebook: Get your Leuchtturm1917 Official Bullet Journal here.*Using the affiliate links supports the show and does not cost you anything extra. If you enjoy the show, we encourage you to use these links.And before we go ...BJ and Amanda are recording a two-hour video course that you can purchase based on this podcast and their upcoming book, "How to Protect Yourself From Fascists and Weirdos."The course will include every step from our privacy audits and examples of how to put those steps into practice.If you'd like to know when the course is available, email BJ at BJMendelson@Duck.com with Privacy Course in the subject line. 

This week, we're entering the metaverse. A place where few have legs and fewer still have functional head-mounted displays.Joining BJ on the show today is Brittan Heller. Brittan is a Senior Fellow at the Atlantic Council and Affiliate at Stanford Cyber Policy Center.Following-up on last week's discussion with Dr. Arthur Caplan, BJ and Brittan discuss how easy it is to identify someone just from their head movements, why that information isn't currently protected, and how to design a metaverse that's accessible and equitable to all.Rosie will also share with you this week's privacy tip, which this week is less of a tip and more of a book recommendation. As it turns out, with the coming explosion of Augmented Reality Glasses thanks to Apple later this year, we all need to take some time and learn non-violent communication. Rosie will explain why!This episode may seem future-facing, but the truth is, this is a privacy and security challenge we all face today. If data collected from a head-mounted display like the Meta Quest 2 can diagnose you with ADHD, you probably want to have that kind of information private.And if it's true your head movements are specific and unique to you, that kind of information is the stuff marketers and advertisers would kill to collect. Which ... is why we did this episode. These are conversations we need to have now, and as Brittan points out, our government is woefully unprepared to do so. Resources Mentioned In Today’s Show:Support your local bookstore and purchase a copy of Marshall Rosenberg's "Non-Violent Communication."*Our Sponsor: DuckDuckGo*Affiliate Link: 1Password.com*Affiliate Link: Delete MeGet Your Privacy Notebook: Get your Leuchtturm1917 Official Bullet Journal here.*Using the affiliate links, like the one for Bookshop.org above, supports the show and does not cost you anything extra. If you enjoy the show, we encourage you to use these links.And before we go ...BJ and Amanda are recording a two-hour video course that you can purchase based on this podcast and their upcoming book, "How to Protect Yourself From Fascists and Weirdos."The course will include every step from our privacy audits and examples of how to put those steps into practice.If you'd like to know when the course is available, email BJ at BJMendelson@Duck.com with Privacy Course in the subject line. 

This week, BJ's co-author, Amanda King, speaks with Jen Caltrider, the Mozilla Foundation's "Privacy Not Included" project lead. Amanda and Jen discuss which pregnancy tracker is best for women to use right now when it comes to preserving and protecting their data. They also talk about other issues facing women as it relates to online data collection in our new, creepy, post-Roe world.This Week's Privacy TipIt's a short one this week, but an important one. Ensure you've deactivated biometric and facial recognition methods for unlocking your phone. We've covered that one already. But now, there's a trend where thieves are using a variety of ways to spy on their victims in an effort to observe their passcode. So, make sure you're using a long, alphanumeric passcode — write it down in your Privacy Notebook! — And make sure to obscure your screen whenever you need to unlock your phone. Only you should be able to see what you're doing.Also: We know most of you are not storing your photos in the cloud if you're listening to this show, but if you still have backups of your photos going to the cloud, make sure to delete any photos containing financial information. And if you're going to go out for a while, it doesn't hurt to remove any apps that provide access to that information in the event your phone is stolen. You can always re-download those apps when you get home.Support Stupid Sexy Privacy:Visit Our Sponsor: DuckDuckGo*Affiliate Link: 1Password.com*Affiliate Link: Delete Me*Affiliate Link: Marshall Rosenberg's book, Non-Violent CommunicationGet Your Privacy Notebook: Get your Leuchtturm1917 Official Bullet Journal here.BJ’s First Privacy Book: Audible**We recommend listening to our friends at Smashing Security for more news and tips concerning how to maintain your privacy and security after this miniseries concludes. *You don’t need to use the affiliate links above. They don’t cost you anything extra. But. If you do use these links, it’ll kick a couple of dollars our way to help support this project.**BJ's first book on privacy, "The End of Privacy" is badly dated in a few sections; however, it's still very funny and the rest of the book is still (sadly) current. We've included most of the book, for free, in this podcast miniseries. If you'd like to buy the unabridged version, you can do so here.Reserve Your Seat For Our Privacy CourseBJ Mendelson and Amanda King are the authors of the upcoming book, "How to Protect Yourself From Fascists and Weirdos." They are designing an online video-based course around the topics discussed in the book and on this show. So, if you want more information on how to protect yourself from fascists and weirdos, complete with step-by-step details and tutorials, we recommend reserving a seat for the course.All you need to do is email us at BJMendelson@Duck.com with "Privacy Course" in the subject line.We'll make sure to let you know when this on-demand course becomes available for purchase.P.S. When we were coming up with titles for this episode, we were going to go with a Jimmy Cagney impression. But then we realized everyone who would get that reference is probably dead. :-(Photo Credit: Shvartsman Dmitry

This week on Stupid Sexy Privacy: Killer Bosses. 120,000 workers die each year in the United States because of bad workplace management. With the popularity of Remote Work, "Bossware" lets your boss spy on you while you're at home and drive you crazy without you having to go to the office.Sound crazy? Talk to the Truck Drivers. Their Hell is our Future. If you work remotely, this episode is for you.This Week's Privacy TipWorking from home can be a great opportunity, but you need to take steps to protect both yourself and your employer from Ransomware and other shady attacks. In addition to following the steps explained in previous episodes of the show — You've listened to the other episodes, right? — We recommend keeping your hardware for work entirely separated from your hardware for life, running a VPN, and regularly running software updates. As far as the bigger issue goes with your boss spying on you at home, the United States doesn't have clear regulations (at this time) to stop them. But. You CAN (and should) talk to your Human Resources Director about what the company policy is about Remote Work, what data they're going to see and collect, and who that data gets shared with.Do you really trust Microsoft to be a good protector of your data? '90s Kids know better.Our Guest Is ... Dr. Karen Levy, associate professor in the Department of Information Science at Cornell University and author of the new book, "Data Driven: Truckers, Technology, and the New Workplace Surveillance."*Support Stupid Sexy Privacy:Visit Our Sponsor: DuckDuckGo*Affiliate Link: 1Password.com*Affiliate Link: Delete Me*Affiliate Link: Marshall Rosenberg's book, Non-Violent CommunicationGet Your Privacy Notebook: Get your Leuchtturm1917 Official Bullet Journal here.BJ’s First Privacy Book: Audible**We recommend listening to our friends at Smashing Security for more news and tips concerning how to maintain your privacy and security after this miniseries concludes. *You don’t need to use the affiliate links above. They don’t cost you anything extra. But. If you do use these links, it’ll kick a couple of dollars our way to help support this project.**BJ's first book on privacy, "The End of Privacy" is badly dated in a few sections; however, it's still very funny and the rest of the book is still (sadly) current. We've included most of the book, for free, in this podcast miniseries. If you'd like to buy the unabridged version, you can do so here.Reserve Your Seat For Our Privacy CourseBJ Mendelson and Amanda King are the authors of the upcoming book, "How to Protect Yourself From Fascists and Weirdos." They are designing an online video-based course around the topics discussed in the book and on this show. So, if you want more information on how to protect yourself from fascists and weirdos, complete with step-by-step details and tutorials, we recommend reserving a seat for the course.All you need to do is email us at BJMendelson@Duck.com with "Privacy Course" in the subject line.We'll make sure to let you know when this on-demand course becomes available for purchase.P.S. '90s kids also had to call collect on a payphone in order to get picked up from school. What a scam.Photo Courtesy of Andrea Piacquadio