"Also learning that you can pretty trivially detect audio using phone sensors, without the microphone. On stock android, all apps are allowed to use things like the accelerometer and tilt sensors, they do not have an associated permission like the microphone, so if an app really wanted to listen in on you, it could reverse engineer sound from that sensor data."

Link: https://www.reddit.com/r/privacy/s/nw3DmmNX7N

This is pretty crazy and seems to be possible, I hope there are some apps to turn off specific sensors on f-droid maybe, without a custom ROM?

While you sleep, Twitter has enabled an option for everyone giving them the right to use your data to train their AI.

The option is now enabled by default.

You can turn it off here : https://x.com/settings/grok_settings

I am content creator & enterpreneur and on regular basis i do meeting or record videos i faced a lot of issue not wanting to edit video just to hide that 1 thing i left. how do you handle this?

I had ordered some stuff from ebay a few months ago and my name shows up at 52wmb having won a bid from an auction. It's nothing crazy but I don't want my info showing up like that since it's one of the first things that show up when I google my name 😅

Today I decided to switch my phone network provider as I have had issues with SMS. When looking at new deals, I've decided to look at O2, what I disliked was the fact you had to provide so much information, such as your salary and things they shouldn't be interested in as its just a SIM card. I believe they also do hard check on your credit history, so it will leave a mark. So I continued looking at other providers and finally found one. Even though it's just slightly more expensive, there is no contract at all and all they require is your bank card information (not your sort code /account number) and your address to post. You just pay monthly

I went with that provider, the process was smooth, you provide your address, your bank card information and that's all. The name/surname can be fake (for the safety of your private data).

Then I have realised that if I am going to vote with my wallet, I would rather go and buy from a provider where they don't violate your data.

What are other purchases you can do to ensure your expense goes to the right brand in terms of privacy?

So ive never done a free space wipe, but i heard its reccomended to do, and i heard Bleachbit is pretty good, but ive seen mixed opinions on it,

And are there any downsides of using it to wipe free space?

And if its not good, then what are better softwares for that?

Please remove if not acceptable for this sub.

I recently pulled a report on my husband’s ex and was shocked to see two of my family members listed under “Related People.”

How is this possible? To the best of my knowledge they don’t know each other, have never met each other, and have no reason to keep in contact.

Where you thought of never using the feature, company, service or thing again? I want honest answers but try not to throw anyone specific under the bus so post dont get locked.

I’m not sure if this is the right place to post this, but I’m seeking help. If you’ve seen the news recently, you might be aware of the situation in Bangladesh. To summarize: Students have taken to the streets demanding reforms to the quota system for public sector jobs. The government responded harshly, resulting in one of the most brutal crackdowns in the country’s history. As of now, 204 people have died (only according to media estimates; the real number is a few times higher), including many students, some as young as 9 years old. People are being taken from their homes, and to control the flow of information, the government has imposed a 7-day internet blackout, including a curfew.

The internet has been partially restored; however, social media remains blocked, and overall internet speed is very low. Currently, law enforcement agencies are checking everyone’s phones whenever they go out, looking for videos of police brutality (which can be seen on multiple platforms). I am seeking insights on how to bypass this extreme level of censorship and surveillance. It is crucial for people to document information and share it with the Bangladeshi diaspora abroad so it can be reported on. I will delete the post if it's not the place for such questions or discussions. But we are kind of desperate right now. Any insights would be very appreciated. Thank you so much in advance.

I recently visited theverge.com and oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com, and both sites displayed privacy notice banners about the cookies they use and their purposes. They also mentioned sharing these cookies and information with a staggering number of partners: The Verge with 845 and Oxford Learner's Dictionaries with 808 partners.

https://imgur.com/a/QvyXmMU

The crucial point is that these notices clarify that, whether or not consent is given, a portion of your data will still be shared with a significant number of partners (515 in The Verge's case). This raises the question: in what way is this normal?

Most internet users either allow these cookies (which doesn't make much of a difference if they don't) or are unaware of the extent of data sharing. I make an effort to block as many cookies as possible and using uBlock Origin and Firefox with Total Cookie Protection. However, I am aware that while these measures may reduce the issue, they do not entirely resolve it, leaving me with limited control over my data.

I understand there are inherent issues with online privacy, but aren't these figures jaw-dropping? As users, what can we do to protect our privacy more effectively?

- I'm attempting to find a middle ground between convenience and privacy. Therefore, I don't think using the Tor browser or hardened configs are the answer.

There are privacy downsides to using ipv6 and that a device mac address may be encoded in the ipv6 address.

I want to only connect to ipv4 websites even if my ISP supports IPv6. Plus given the limited number of IPv4 address, it would be hard to track down a specific user (behind a CGNAT) since many are sharing the address.

Are there DNS resolvers that only provides IPv4? (I would hate to write a DNS forwarder just to drop AAAA records).

I am from India and one service, OneCard, offers a credit card.

They collected my personal details: phone number, email, name, birth date, and PAN number.

They have not provided me with any service yet and claim they are updating their system, without specifying when the service will be available.

When I requested them to delete my data, they stated they cannot delete it for seven years due to RBI guidelines.

However, they have not fulfilled their promise of providing a service and have given no timeline for doing so.

I demand that my data be deleted from their system.

In India, companies should take data privacy seriously when collecting or storing personal information.

Privacy Policy: https://www.getonecard.app/legal/privacy/

Not proud but definitely worried. I input my name, license plate, and drivers license number and paid with my card. I already cancelled the card and am going to the DMV tomorrow to change my ID number and plate registration. Is there anything else I should be worried about? I checked my accounts and there hasn’t been any unknown purchases yet. I just want to know how much of my information they could obtain from this and what I can do to secure my data. Thanks in advance.

Edit: The scam is where they send you an SMS saying that you need to pay a fine or get charged late fees. Then it takes you to a website that looks identical to the one run by the state.

Seroiusly ? Google timeline shows where i EXACTLY was, even when i drive with airplane mode on and location off. Ive put all google services to deep sleep (except some necessary to run android). Also shows when did i leave home and came back, and shows exactly how much time i spent somewhere. Turning off location history doesn't mean that google will stop capturing it. Is there anyway to force location seevices to only work in foreground ?

Hello, I'll be going to Ukraine soon and have some questions I think y'all can help with.

I've been told to buy a phone in Ukraine and pair that with a Ukrainian SIM so my phone doesn't stick out, as I guess they can see what country your SIM is from and where your phone is from.

They're also saying to never log into any social media as that can be tied to a device, how does that work and does that apply to gmail? If I don't download gmail but check it through a web browser? Also, would it be safe to use discord as thats more of a group chat app vs a facebook social mediaesque thingy? I guess I'm wondering is someone able to see my SIM number or emei and tie that to a linked in page or whatever? How does that work?

I've been told Signal is safe to use, do yall agree?

People are also recommending using a faraday bag. Is that nessecary if my phone is off? Do phones put out any signals when off?

Thanks for your time.

In the US, why do I see some receipts having my full name, while some do not?

Is this country dependant? Is this dependant on the bank whether they insert your name with the chip?

hi i was wondering if i was paranoid. i got a phone screen repaired through third party store and everything was fine slightly dude was a bit iffy at the end and i unlocked my phone to make sure things worked and then he took the phone and went into the back with my phone unlocked to check the charge. my phone felt heavier and they concerned me. almost a ounce heavier or a bit over. i went to the actual apple store and they changed the battery but it’s still heavy and they said it’s because it’s a third party display screen. my screen is still a bit buggy sometimes like when i’m trying to scroll and i don’t know if it’s me just in my head but it’s heating up when on a charge and i do have a fast charger but i don’t know if it’s always heated up. i asked the apple store to make sure just because i was nervous but i don’t know all they did like to check i don’t know how easy it is for people to do stuff on phones..any advice or anything works thx

One example would be state disability programs, they already need my real name and identity to work with me. Are there any downsides to sharing a simplelogin alias containing my real name vs no containing my real name? I just think it would be easier record keeping for them.

asking for a friend...

Don’t want to reveal too much personal information for privacy reasons, but in time I want to escape my narcissistic and abusive family and I’m not sure what’s the best way to do it. I’m an adult want to do things the legal way, like changing my SSN, changing my name, etc., so I can keep my credentials and credit score and live a proper life, but I don’t ever want to be traced by them. I want to stay in the States, but plan to move very far away. They’ve threatened my life and say they would find me if I ever try to leave, and have threatened the lives of people close to me as leverage over me. I’ve been considering faking my death so they won’t try and find me or go after my loved ones, but I’m not sure how that would work legally. If I told the police and any necessary agencies about my circumstances, would they tell my family or can they not work with them in a way that isn’t so obvious or suspicious? And, do you think this plan is possible? I’m trying to be hopeful and optimistic, but I’m really worried.

I'm pretty sure it does but I can't remember where I saw that. My wife has been saving some PDFs in the default download folder of a Samsung tablet we bought from ATT so I'm pretty sure this is a worst-case scenario. At the bare minimum she's not signed in to anything at least, but I'm pretty sure either Google or Samsung is scraping up some file names if not the entire PDFs themselves. Is my paranoia justified or am I just remembering wrong?

This is an email I, throwaway74329857, a resident of the United States and owner of a Photobucket account, received on July 19th, 2024. It was sent to the email associated with my Photobucket account.

I can't speak for the rest of the changes but I'm sure they're not great. I loved how the only bullet-pointed update they were sure to embolden was regarding their arbitration provisions. After all, they can't be giving customers we screwed the time of day and certainly not compensation!

I've done my best to format it the same way they did and added all if not most of the links included; however this post should not and cannot be treated as evidence or a contract in a legal sense:

"Important Notice to Photobucket Users

We have substantially updated our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy, and we have created a new Biometric Information Privacy Policy (collectively “Agreements”). Please read the updated Terms of Use and Privacy Policy carefully as they contain important changes. Additionally, please review the new Biometric Information Privacy Policy. These changes take effect on July 22nd. By continuing to use the Photobucket services such as having us store your uploaded content, after July 22nd, you consent to the updated Terms of Use, the updated Privacy Policy, and the new Biometric Information Privacy Policy.

We strongly urge you to review the Agreements in full. However, here are some highlights of the changes: Updated Terms of Use include:

• Updated information on our current services, including clear definitions.
• Updated information on prohibited uses of the services.
• Updated information about the rights you grant us, including the right to the extent permitted by the laws of your region, to license or sell your Public User Uploaded Content to third parties for the scanning and processing of your Public User Uploaded Content, including extracting physical features, e.g. measurements, of your Biometric Information, solely for the purpose of artificial intelligence and machine learning training and the subsequent uses derived therefrom.
• Updated information on legal considerations, such as representations, warranties, indemnification, liability limitation and release, assignment rights, and choice of law and jurisdiction.
• Updated procedures for resolving any disputes relating to your subscription and our services, including new arbitration provisions. Users who signed up before July 22nd will have the option to opt out of the arbitration agreement within forty-five (45) days from July 22nd. To opt-out of the arbitration provision click here.

Updated Privacy Policy includes:

• Clear definitions for terms related to your privacy.
• Information on how we collect, use, store, transfer, and otherwise process your personal data, including information about the rights you grant us, including the right to the extent permitted by the laws of your region, to license or sell your Public User Uploaded Content to third parties for the scanning and processing of your Public User Uploaded Content, including extracting physical features, e.g. measurements, of your Biometric Information, solely for the purpose of artificial intelligence and machine learning training and the subsequent uses derived therefrom.
• Disclosures and information regarding region-specific privacy laws.

New Biometric Information Policy includes:

• Clear definitions related to your Biometric Information;
• Information about the source of Biometric Information and additional disclosures for state specific residents.
• Information about the rights you grant us, including the right to the extent permitted by the laws of your region, to license or sell your Public User Uploaded Content to third parties for the scanning and processing of your Public User Uploaded Content, including extracting physical features, e.g. measurements, of your Biometric Information, solely for the purpose of artificial intelligence and machine learning training and the subsequent uses derived therefrom.
• How to opt-out if you do not want Photobucket to sell, lease, trade, or use your Public User Uploaded Content for profit. There is an initial opt-out period that exists for forty-five (45) days from the Effective Date listed above (“Initial Opt-Out Period”) that will be prior to any license or sale taking effect. Please note that if you opt-out, Photobucket will delete your Account and all of your User Uploaded Content. If you decide to opt-out, please download and save any of your User Uploaded Content that you wish to keep and store. After the end of the Initial Opt-Out Period, you will still have the option to opt-out from granting Photobucket the right to sell, lease, trade or otherwise profit from the disclosure of your Biometric Information contained in your Public User Uploaded Content prospectively.

If you do not agree with the updated Terms of Use, the updated Privacy Policy, and/or the new Biometric Information Privacy Policy, you can opt-out within forty-five (45) days of July 22nd by deleting your account. Click here to start the opt-out process or contact us at support@photobucket.com

For any questions or concerns, please contact us at:

support@photobucket.com

Photobucket.com, Inc.

621 Kalamath Suite 135

Denver, CO 80204 USA"

Something really weird just happened and I am very freaked out. I received a call I was expecting and it was slightly staticky, I didn’t really think much of it and continued the conversation and suddenly during the call I got transferred to a person I didn’t know, they answered as if I was calling them and when I looked on my phone, phone number appeared as the same I originally got called from, I hung up and the person I was expecting the call from called back, I was talking with them again and got randomly transferred to another person again, I called back to the person I was originally speaking with and they said that on their end it just sounded busy when I was transferred, he didn’t transfer me or do anything on his end. I checked *#21# and *#62# and it says no forwarding is enabled. I was using a Bluetooth headset, not sure if that matters.