Techlore Surveillance Report

Episode 245: This week's Surveillance Report covers WhatsApp's massive phone number enumeration flaw that exposed 3.5 billion users' data through poor rate limiting - potentially the largest data exposure in history. I also examine Google's new Android sideloading restrictions threatening open app distribution, the EU's concerning Digital Omnibus proposal that could significantly weaken GDPR protections, and disturbing attempts in Wisconsin and Michigan to ban VPN usage under the guise of age verification.🔎 EasyOptOuts is the easy, affordable, and effective way to automatically remove your data from people search sites: https://easyoptouts.com. Thanks to the EasyOptOuts team for sponsoring Surveillance Report!TimestampsSources00:00 Welcome to Surveillance Report 24500:29 WhatsApp's Phone Number 'Leak'06:08 Surveillance Report Back @ Techlore Announcement08:01 Google's Attacks on Android Freedom12:48 EU Saga Part 1: Chat Control15:56 EU Saga Part 2: Digital Omnibus20:22 Our Sponsor: EasyOptOuts!21:50 EU Saga Part 3: Cookies Finally Crumble! 23:28 WhatsApp Interoperability Now Live26:26 USA's VPN Ban29:48 Cloudflare Outage30:50 Data Breaches & Service Updates34:18 Our Sponsor: EasyOptOuts!34:56 Final Words! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

After 4+ years, Nate from The New Oil is stepping down from co-hosting the pod, but Surveillance Report isn't going anywhere. Here's what's changing, what's staying the same, and how to continue listening to Surveillance Report! (Hint: Nothing changes here on the podcast!)Surveillance Report continues with the same mission: weekly privacy and security news to keep you, your family, and anyone new to digital rights informed without requiring you to monitor every RSS feed. The show is transitioning back to the Techlore umbrella. Follow Nate below to keep up with his future updates!Links:Surveillance Report YouTube Playlist: https://youtu.be/aUKIeeCskSU?si=-05DmAcmdoH05Ii4Follow The New Oil for what's next: https://mastodon.thenewoil.org/@thenewoil Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Episode 244: AI browsers are here and already pose huge risks, Windows 10 finally reaches end of life, Ring is partnering with Flock, many ICE stories, and more.Welcome to the Surveillance Report - featuring Techlore & The New Oil to keep you updated on the newest security & privacy news.TimestampsSources(00:00) Introduction(00:29) Highlight Story (AI Browsers)(09:31) Data Breaches(13:07) Companies(17:52) Research(23:10) Politics(27:25) FOSS(32:02) MisfitsMain SitesSurveillance ReportPeerTubeTechlore WebsiteThe New Oil Website Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Q&A243: Why don't people care about privacy? Is it true Proton is accepting Monero? How can you get involved in the fight for privacy? And more! Join our next Q&A on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/collection/415684?view=expanded or XMR Chat: https://xmrchat.com/surveillancepodWelcome to the Surveillance Report Q&A - featuring Techlore & The New Oil answering your questions about privacy and security.👻 Support us on Ghost: https://surveillance-report.ghost.io/❤️ Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/surveillancepod💛 Support us on Liberapay: https://liberapay.com/surveillancereport🪙 Monero: 46iGe5D49rpgH4dde32rmyWifMjw5sHy7V2mD9sXGDJgSWmAwQvuAuoD9KcLFKYFsLGLpzXQs1eABRShm1RZRnSy6HgbhQD(00:00) Introduction(01:03) Why Don't People Care About Privacy?(05:39) Privacy & Warranties(06:33) Is Proton Accepting Monero?(07:22) Quick PeerTube Plug(07:55) Getting Involved in the Privacy Fight(12:45) Who Will Make Graphene's Phones?(13:43) Voluntary Certifications as Incentives(19:39) Creating vs Exposing Privacy Problems(22:13) Redact's Data Broker Removal Service(23:07) Techlore Interview Idea(23:21) Privacy as a Public Figure(30:32) Temporary Ghost WorkaroundMain SitesSurveillance Report: https://www.surveillancereport.tech/PeerTube: https://apertatube.net/c/surveillancereport/videosTechlore Website: https://techlore.techThe New Oil Website: https://thenewoil.org/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Episode 243: The UK has ordered Apple to insert a backdoor into their encryption for a second time, Microsoft has removed yet more workarounds to avoid creating an account in Windows 11, Amazon adds facial recognition technology to their Ring doorbell cameras, and more.Welcome to the Surveillance Report - featuring Techlore & The New Oil to keep you updated on the newest security & privacy news.🔎 EasyOptOuts is the easy, affordable, and effective way to automatically remove your data from people search sites: https://easyoptouts.com. Thanks to the EasyOptOuts team for sponsoring Surveillance Report!TimestampsSources(00:00) Introduction(00:21) Sponsor: EasyOptOuts(01:38) PSA(01:56) Highlight Story (UK/Apple)(08:25) Data Breaches(12:41) Companies(21:45) Research(25:19) Politics(32:42) FOSS(39:16) Misfits(40:47) Sponsor: EasyOptOutsMain SitesSurveillance ReportPeerTubeTechlore WebsiteThe New Oil Website Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Episode 242: Microsoft offers an extension for Windows 10 users to get security updates longer (but there's a catch), LinkedIn will start using your data to train AI (but you can opt out), OnePlus phones have a serious vulnerability, and more.Welcome to the Surveillance Report - featuring Techlore & The New Oil to keep you updated on the newest security & privacy news.❤️ Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/surveillancepod👻 Support us on Ghost: https://surveillance-report.ghost.io/💛 Support us on Liberapay: https://liberapay.com/surveillancereport🪙 Monero: 46iGe5D49rpgH4dde32rmyWifMjw5sHy7V2mD9sXGDJgSWmAwQvuAuoD9KcLFKYFsLGLpzXQs1eABRShm1RZRnSy6HgbhQD❓XMR Chat: https://xmrchat.com/surveillancepodTimestampsSources(00:00) Introduction(00:38) Sponsor: EasyOptOuts(01:09) PSA(01:48) Highlight Story (Windows)(06:47) Data Breaches(10:58) Companies(14:56) Research(22:45) Politics(29:14) FOSS(31:33) Misfits(33:17) Sponsor: EasyOptOutsMain SitesSurveillance ReportPeerTubeTechlore WebsiteThe New Oil Website Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Episode 241: ProtonMail allegedly banned journalist accounts, Plex had a data breach, leadership changes at the EFF, and more.Welcome to the Surveillance Report - featuring Techlore & The New Oil to keep you updated on the newest security & privacy news.🔎 EasyOptOuts is the easy, affordable, and effective way to automatically remove your data from people search sites: https://easyoptouts.com. Thanks to the EasyOptOuts team for sponsoring Surveillance Report!TimestampsSources(00:00:00) Introduction(00:00:17) Sponsor: EasyOptOuts(00:00:40) PSA(00:01:16) Highlight Story (ProtonMail)(00:13:58) Data Breaches(00:24:04) Companies(00:39:45) Research(00:47:19) Politics(01:06:25) FOSS(01:13:30) Misfits(01:16:20) Sponsor: EasyOptOutsMain SitesSurveillance ReportPeerTubeTechlore WebsiteThe New Oil Website Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Q&A240: Are there any good reasons not to use a cloud-based password manager? Which phone should you use for a day job? What routers do we recommend? These questions and more on this week's Q&A. Join our next Q&A on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/collection/415684?view=expanded or XMR Chat: https://xmrchat.com/surveillancepodWelcome to the Surveillance Report Q&A - featuring Techlore & The New Oil answering your questions about privacy and security.👻 Support us on Ghost: https://surveillance-report.ghost.io/❤️ Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/surveillancepod💛 Support us on Liberapay: https://liberapay.com/surveillancereport🪙 Monero: 46iGe5D49rpgH4dde32rmyWifMjw5sHy7V2mD9sXGDJgSWmAwQvuAuoD9KcLFKYFsLGLpzXQs1eABRShm1RZRnSy6HgbhQD(00:00) Introduction(00:48) Cloud-Based Password Mangers(07:01) Non-Stigmatized Encrypted Email(09:28) Work Phones(11:57) Nate's SIMless Life(14:25) Why Henry Prefers Synology(16:58) Old Account Cleanup Strategies(19:55) Reliable Crypto Resources(24:13) Private RSS Without Patreon(28:03) Router RecommendationsMain SitesSurveillance Report: https://www.surveillancereport.tech/PeerTube: https://apertatube.net/c/surveillancereport/videosTechlore Website: https://techlore.techThe New Oil Website: https://thenewoil.org/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Episode 240: ChatGPT is sending your messages to the police, X/Twitter is rolling out some end to end encrypted messaging that we’ll discuss, lotsss of politics this week, and more!Welcome to the Surveillance Report - featuring Techlore & The New Oil to keep you updated on the newest security & privacy news.Join our new ghost: https://surveillance-report.ghost.io/TimestampsSources(00:00) Introduction(00:24) Support us!(01:14) Ghost announcement(02:16) Highlight Story(09:10) Data Breaches(13:04) Companies(17:18) Research(19:44) Politics(26:10) FOSS(29:58) Misfits(32:20) Support us!Main SitesSurveillance ReportPeerTubeTechlore WebsiteThe New Oil Website Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Episode 239: Google is expanding their control over sideloading, Word documents will now save to the cloud by default, Bluesky is blocked in Mississippi, and more.Welcome to the Surveillance Report - featuring Techlore & The New Oil to keep you updated on the newest security & privacy news.🔎 EasyOptOuts is the easy, affordable, and effective way to automatically remove your data from people search sites: https://easyoptouts.com. Thanks to the EasyOptOuts team for sponsoring Surveillance Report!TimestampsSources(00:00) Introduction(00:21) Sponsor: EasyOptOuts(01:34) PSA(02:36) Highlight Story (Sideloading)(10:40) Data Breaches(13:54) Companies(18:05) Politics(22:10) FOSS(25:23) Sponsor: EasyOptOutsMain SitesSurveillance ReportPeerTubeTechlore WebsiteThe New Oil Website Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Q&A238: Our thoughts on Kagi and their Orion browser, navigating healthcare apps, thoughts on legal compensation for data breaches, and more on this week's record-breaking Q&A. Join our next Q&A on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/collection/415684?view=expanded or XMR Chat: https://xmrchat.com/surveillancepodWelcome to the Surveillance Report Q&A - featuring Techlore & The New Oil answering your questions about privacy and security.❤️ Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/surveillancepod💛 Support us on Liberapay: https://liberapay.com/surveillancereport🪙 Monero: 46iGe5D49rpgH4dde32rmyWifMjw5sHy7V2mD9sXGDJgSWmAwQvuAuoD9KcLFKYFsLGLpzXQs1eABRShm1RZRnSy6HgbhQD(00:00) Introduction(00:35) Thoughts on Kagi/Orion(04:05) Smartwatch Recommendations(05:47) Mandatory Healthcare Apps(08:13) Legal Harms of Data Breaches(11:01) Medical Identity Theft(12:08) Infostealer Spread Methods(13:52) Password Managers On-Screen Keyboards(15:49) PeerTube Considerations(20:34) Ecosystems vs Separate Services(24:45) Pay-As-You-Go International eSIM(24:41) Claims of XMR Control(27:12) Thoughts on Linux Phones (Again)(29:25) How We Use XMR Chat(29:59) Can XMR Be Chain-Analyzed(30:04) NanoGPT Plug(31:55) SMS vs Google RCSMain SitesSurveillance Report: https://www.surveillancereport.tech/PeerTube: https://apertatube.net/c/surveillancereport/videosTechlore Website: https://techlore.techThe New Oil Website: https://thenewoil.org/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Episode 238: A new vulnerability affects nearly every major password manager on the market, a definitive resolution to the Apple/UK Backdoor saga, Mozilla finally refocuses on Firefox, and more.Welcome to the Surveillance Report - featuring Techlore & The New Oil to keep you updated on the newest security & privacy news.📷 Ente is the zero-knowledge, cross-platform, and open-source photo management app you didn't know you needed: https://ente.sh/surveillancereport. Thanks to Ente for supporting Surveillance Report.TimestampsSources(00:00) Introduction(00:31) Sponsor: Ente(01:48) Highlight Story (Password Managers)(08:59) Data Breaches(13:24) Companies(16:20) Research(18:19) Politics(25:18) FOSS(27:49) Sponsor: EnteMain SitesSurveillance ReportPeerTubeTechlore WebsiteThe New Oil Website Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Episode 237: Microsoft will integrate GitHub more deeply as GitHub's CEO resigns, data brokers were caught hiding their opt-out pages, important updates from Debian, the Pinephone Pro, & Plex, and more.Welcome to the Surveillance Report - featuring Techlore & The New Oil to keep you updated on the newest security & privacy news.🔎 EasyOptOuts is the easy, affordable, and effective way to automatically remove your data from people search sites: https://easyoptouts.com. Thanks to the EasyOptOuts team for sponsoring Surveillance Report!TimestampsSources(00:00) Introduction(00:23) Sponsor: EasyOptOuts(01:59) Highlight Story (GitHub)(07:12) Data Breaches(10:23) Companies(18:59) Research(19:57) Politics(23:48) FOSS(26:03) Misfits(28:09) Sponsor: EasyOptOutsMain SitesSurveillance ReportPeerTubeTechlore WebsiteThe New Oil Website Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Q&A236: A collection of phone-related questions, Cloudflare concerns, is Firefox still worth using with the recent ToS changes, and more on this week's record-breaking Q&A. Join our next Q&A on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/collection/415684?view=expanded or XMR Chat: https://xmrchat.com/surveillancepodWelcome to the Surveillance Report Q&A - featuring Techlore & The New Oil answering your questions about privacy and security.❤️ Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/surveillancepod💛 Support us on Liberapay: https://liberapay.com/surveillancereport🪙 Monero: 46iGe5D49rpgH4dde32rmyWifMjw5sHy7V2mD9sXGDJgSWmAwQvuAuoD9KcLFKYFsLGLpzXQs1eABRShm1RZRnSy6HgbhQD(00:00) Introduction(00:21) PSA(01:15) Remembering PINs(03:01) Private eSIMs(03:49) Cape & Their Privacy Policy(06:59) Software We Slept On(09:41) Privacy Podcast Recommendations(11:15) Y No GOS-Based ROMs?(13:09) Proxied Map Service Idea(14:02) Cloudflare Concerns(16:12) Previous Q&A Follow Up(18:41) Keep Using Firefox After ToS Updates?(21:02) Using Non-Private Services, Privately(22:51) Thoughts on Email Aliasing Services(24:08) Privacy as Personal Property vs a Human Right(26:47) Balancing Privacy Tech with Abuse of Services(29:07) Are Teen Privacy Influencers Possible?(30:57) Proton Authenticator vs Aegis Authenticator(35:34) Thoughts on Desktop 2FA Apps(36:26) Using Aliases on Home Addresses(37:58) Android Tablet PrivacyMain SitesSurveillance Report: https://www.surveillancereport.tech/PeerTube: https://apertatube.net/c/surveillancereport/videosTechlore Website: https://techlore.techThe New Oil Website: https://thenewoil.org/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Episode 236: Google and Apple are being forced to crack open their phones, the latest cascading data breach has arrived, uBlock Origin Lite arrives for iPhone, and more.Welcome to the Surveillance Report - featuring Techlore & The New Oil to keep you updated on the newest security & privacy news.📷 Ente is the zero-knowledge, cross-platform, and open-source photo management app you didn't know you needed: https://ente.sh/surveillancereport. Thanks to Ente for supporting Surveillance Report.TimestampsSources(00:00) Introduction(00:23) Sponsor: Ente(01:25) Highlight Story (Google/Apple)(16:55) Data Breaches(25:33) Companies(27:54) Research(29:54) Politics(31:02) FOSS(34:43) Sponsor: EnteMain SitesSurveillance ReportPeerTubeTechlore WebsiteThe New Oil Website Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Q&A235: What phone should you get next? What's the best way to use custom domains and alias emails? Join our next Q&A on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/collection/415684?view=expanded or XMR Chat: https://xmrchat.com/surveillancepodWelcome to the Surveillance Report Q&A - featuring Techlore & The New Oil answering your questions about privacy and security.❤️ Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/surveillancepod💛 Support us on Liberapay: https://liberapay.com/surveillancereport🪙 Monero: 46iGe5D49rpgH4dde32rmyWifMjw5sHy7V2mD9sXGDJgSWmAwQvuAuoD9KcLFKYFsLGLpzXQs1eABRShm1RZRnSy6HgbhQD(00:00) Introduction(00:26) What Phone Should You Get Next?(11:08) Custom Domains & SimpleLoginMain SitesSurveillance Report: https://www.surveillancereport.tech/PeerTube: https://apertatube.net/c/surveillancereport/videosTechlore Website: https://techlore.techThe New Oil Website: https://thenewoil.org/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Episode 235: Yet another blow to the Android custom ROM landscape, an nsfw data breach, age verification continues to tear across the net, and more.Welcome to the Surveillance Report - featuring Techlore & The New Oil to keep you updated on the newest security & privacy news.🔎 EasyOptOuts is the easy, affordable, and effective way to automatically remove your data from people search sites: https://easyoptouts.com. Thanks to the EasyOptOuts team for sponsoring Surveillance Report!TimestampsSources(00:00) Introduction(00:20) Sponsor: EasyOptOuts(01:46) Highlight Story (Samsung/Calyx)(12:19) Data Breaches(16:03) Companies(19:39) Research(20:37) Politics(33:46) FOSS(35:30) Misfits(37:21) Sponsor: EasyOptOutsMain SitesSurveillance ReportPeerTubeTechlore WebsiteThe New Oil Website Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Q&A234: How can you avoid Amazon? Which music streaming service is the most privacy respecting? How do we balance our privacy lifestyle with other life goals? And more! Join our next Q&A on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/collection/415684?view=expanded or XMR Chat: https://xmrchat.com/surveillancepoddWelcome to the Surveillance Report Q&A - featuring Techlore & The New Oil answering your questions about privacy and security.❤️ Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/surveillancepod💛 Support us on Liberapay: https://liberapay.com/surveillancereport🪙 Monero: 46iGe5D49rpgH4dde32rmyWifMjw5sHy7V2mD9sXGDJgSWmAwQvuAuoD9KcLFKYFsLGLpzXQs1eABRShm1RZRnSy6HgbhQD(00:00) Introduction(00:39) How Do You Avoid Amazon?(08:24) Apps Without Good Alternatives(09:59) Private Alternatives to YouTube Premium(10:26) Psychology & Privacy For Kids(15:28) How Can Minors Protect Their Privacy?(18:46) ChromeOS & Android Merger(19:02) Shizuku & Dhizuku(20:10) Private Music Streaming(25:12) IPv6 Privacy/Security Concerns(28:25) Balancing Privacy & The Rest of Our Lives(36:09) Disparities in Tech Law vs Other Areas(40:38) System-Wide DNS OptionsMain SitesSurveillance Report: https://www.surveillancereport.tech/Odysee: https://odysee.com/@surveillancereport:2PeerTube: https://apertatube.net/c/surveillancereport/videosTechlore Website: https://techlore.techThe New Oil Website: https://thenewoil.org/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Episode 234: Tea - an app meant to keep users safe - doxes thousands of users with carless design, a Microsoft cloud vulnerability is burning through hundreds of major organizations, Proton released their own AI chatbot, and more.Welcome to the Surveillance Report - featuring Techlore & The New Oil to keep you updated on the newest security & privacy news.📷 Ente is the zero-knowledge, cross-platform, and open-source photo management app you didn't know you needed: https://ente.sh/surveillancereport. Thanks to Ente for supporting Surveillance Report.TimestampsSources(00:00) Introduction(00:20) Sponsor: Ente(01:19) Highlight Story (Tea)(09:18) Data Breaches(13:39) Companies(20:10) Research(24:11) Politics(33:33) FOSS(40:58) Misfits(51:08) Sponsor: EnteMain SitesSurveillance ReportPeerTubeTechlore WebsiteThe New Oil Website Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Q&A233: Does this Patron really need a VPN? Have we ever found any security vulnerabilities? Can you use YouTube premium privately? Plus a grab-bag of questions from our classic patron, David Johnson. Join our next Q&A on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/collection/415684?view=expanded or XMR Chat: https://xmrchat.com/surveillancepodveillancepodWelcome to the Surveillance Report Q&A - featuring Techlore & The New Oil answering your questions about privacy and security.❤️ Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/surveillancepod💛 Support us on Liberapay: https://liberapay.com/surveillancereport🪙 Monero: 46iGe5D49rpgH4dde32rmyWifMjw5sHy7V2mD9sXGDJgSWmAwQvuAuoD9KcLFKYFsLGLpzXQs1eABRShm1RZRnSy6HgbhQD(00:00) Introduction(00:38) Are VPNs Really Vital?(11:09) Security Flaws We've Found(14:21) Using YouTube Premium Privately(20:58) Our Favorite Private AIs(23:08) Secured-Core PCs(24:55) Cloud Browsers as Fingerprint Protection(31:48) Nextcloud Applications(39:40) Linux Search ApplicationsMain SitesSurveillance Report: https://www.surveillancereport.tech/Odysee: https://odysee.com/@surveillancereport:2PeerTube: https://apertatube.net/c/surveillancereport/videosTechlore Website: https://techlore.techThe New Oil Website: https://thenewoil.org/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.