Data Privacy
A Department of Energy (DOGE) employee Jordan Wick has been publicly sharing sensitive work-related code on GitHub, including a Twitter DM downloader and geospatial data analysis tools for undersea cables and critical minerals.
Government access to personal data through tech giants has dramatically increased, with Meta, Google, and Apple sharing details of 3.16 million accounts over the past decade. The US government made nearly 500,000 data requests to Google and Meta in the last measured 12 months, exceeding all other 14 Eyes Alliance members combined. These companies' business models prevent them from implementing strong privacy protections, as they rely heavily on user tracking for revenue.
European governments and organizations continue migrating to US cloud services despite increasing risks and Trump's undermining of data privacy frameworks. The practice is justified through legal mechanisms and convenience, despite serious concerns about data sovereignty and business continuity. The author argues for immediate cessation of US cloud adoption and investment in European alternatives.
A comprehensive list of advertising and analytics vendors with their data collection practices, cookie durations, and privacy policies. Each vendor details specific data types collected, storage methods, and consent requirements for digital advertising and tracking purposes.
Apple is removing its Advanced Data Protection tool from UK customers after the government demanded access to user data under the Investigatory Powers Act. The move means UK customer data stored on iCloud will no longer be fully encrypted, despite Apple's strong stance against creating encryption backdoors. This decision has sparked criticism from privacy advocates and US politicians who view it as a threat to security.
Meta defends against copyright allegations by claiming they didn't seed torrented book datasets used for AI training, while arguing that torrenting itself isn't illegal. Authors, including Sarah Silverman and Ta-Nehisi Coates, allege Meta's actions constitute massive data piracy and copyright infringement.
Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has gained unprecedented 'God mode' access to multiple federal agencies' digital infrastructure, raising serious security and privacy concerns. The organization has already accessed sensitive systems at USAID and NASA, with plans to enter CDC and FAA systems, potentially exposing critical government data and infrastructure. DOGE's unrestricted access could compromise national security, personal data, and classified information across numerous federal agencies.
South Korea has accused Chinese AI startup DeepSeek of sharing user data with ByteDance, leading to its removal from app stores. The accusation follows cybersecurity concerns and potential data sharing with Chinese state-owned entities, though the extent of data transfer remains unclear. Multiple countries have banned DeepSeek from government devices amid privacy concerns.
A comprehensive list of advertising and analytics vendors detailing their data collection practices, cookie durations, and privacy policies, focusing on how they handle user data including IP addresses, device information, location data, and browsing behavior.
Larry Ellison advocates for centralizing all national data, including genomic information, into a single Oracle database system for AI analysis, suggesting this approach would improve healthcare and government services. Speaking at the World Governments Summit in Dubai, the Oracle tycoon promoted the idea of comprehensive data unification while dismissing privacy concerns, just months after endorsing real-time population surveillance.
DOGE representative Kyle Schutt has gained unauthorized access to FEMA's financial management systems, potentially to reroute disaster relief funds through deobligation. The situation has led to multiple FEMA employee terminations and raised concerns about access to sensitive personal information of grant recipients and migrants.
A 19-year-old former cybercrime community member with questionable security credentials gained access to sensitive US government systems through Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) team. Several lawsuits have been filed against DOGE's activities, while concerns mount over the team's rapid access to critical government databases without proper security clearance procedures.
The UK government has secretly ordered Apple to provide backdoor access to all encrypted user content uploaded to iCloud, potentially affecting users worldwide. Apple may cease offering encrypted storage in the UK rather than compromise security, though this wouldn't affect the broader order for access in other countries. The demand comes through the UK Investigatory Powers Act, which critics call the 'Snooper's Charter'.
Meta faces serious allegations of copyright infringement after unsealed emails reveal the company torrented over 160 terabytes of pirated books from shadow libraries for AI training. Internal communications show Meta employees expressed concerns about the legal implications of torrenting and seeding copyrighted content using corporate resources.
Meta's surveillance extends beyond its social platforms through tracking tools embedded in millions of websites and apps, collecting personal data even from non-users for targeted advertising. Recent policy changes and privacy concerns have led to increased interest in limiting Meta's data collection, though complete avoidance requires specific settings adjustments and privacy tools.
Reports indicate that Democratic members of the Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board (PCLOB) have been removed, threatening the EU-US data transfer agreement's validity. The PCLOB's destabilization, combined with Trump's executive order to review Biden-era national security decisions, puts thousands of EU businesses using US cloud services in potential legal jeopardy. This development questions the independence of US oversight bodies and the stability of executive-order-based international agreements.