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.
A comprehensive explanation of sideloading on iOS, focusing on recent EU regulations and Apple's implementation of alternative app stores through the Digital Markets Act, while highlighting the continued restrictions and limitations compared to true sideloading capabilities.
The UK's Online Safety Act, effective March 16, 2025, requires strict compliance from websites with UK visitors, regardless of location or ownership. Lobsters, a non-commercial hobbyist forum, faces potential geoblocking of UK users due to inability to meet complex regulatory requirements and potential $22M penalties.
Amazon US has updated their Kindle ebook purchase disclaimer to explicitly state users are buying a license rather than content, likely due to new California legislation requiring transparent disclosure of digital media licensing. Other major ebook retailers like Kobo, Apple, and Google have varying approaches to license disclosure, highlighting the ongoing discussion about digital content ownership.
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.
WinterBreak is a new jailbreak for Kindle devices released on New Year's Day 2025, built upon the Mesquito framework. The installation requires a PC, registered Kindle, and WiFi connectivity, with specific troubleshooting steps available for common issues.
Amazon will discontinue the feature allowing users to download and backup Kindle books to computers via USB starting February 26th, 2025, limiting users to Wi-Fi transfers only. The change impacts users' ability to maintain offline backups of their purchases and convert books to other formats for non-Kindle devices. This decision raises concerns about digital content ownership and accessibility, particularly given Amazon's history of remotely removing or editing books.
The iconic 3DBenchy 3D printer test model enters public domain after 10 years, following NTI's acquisition of Creative Tools. The transition ensures unrestricted access and modification rights for the widely-used calibration tool, with original creators maintaining website control.
The Free Software Foundation Europe (FSFE) is legally intervening in Apple's court case against the EU's Digital Markets Act, defending software freedom and interoperability rights. The case challenges Apple's monopolistic practices and aims to enable sideloading, alternative app stores, and better interoperability for Free Software developers on Apple devices.