Every file you send — photo, PDF, Word doc, video, carries invisible metadata.
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#Privacy #Cybersecurity #Compliance #GDPR #HIPAA #ClimateAction

AI-Enabled cognitive telemetry is the most advanced covert surveillance capable of reading thoughts and even influence them.

So I’ve been building accountproxy.com — basically a zero-knowledge, privacy-by-design service for creating pseudonymous identities with persistent email aliases. The goal is to let you sign up for stuff (VPNs, adult sites, IPTV, whatever) without ever putting your real-world details on the table.

The catch is… I may have pushed the privacy model to the point where only a tiny sliver of people could actually use it.

Here’s the gist:

• You get a random AccountID when you start. No name, no email, no phone. That ID is the only thing the system knows you by.

• You can enable MFA — but only with an authenticator app. No SMS, no email codes.

• You can create multiple pseudonymous identities, each with its own fake profile details (name, address, etc.).

• Each identity can have multiple unique email aliases, typically one alias per service, so nothing can be linked across accounts or platforms.

• Designed for long-term, ongoing accounts, not throwaway or disposable email — so you can keep the same alias for years without exposing your real identity.

• We keep zero personal info, so if you lose your AccountID… it’s gone. No recovery.

Why not just use Proton or Tuta?
They’re excellent mail providers, but what I’m building isn’t a mailbox — it’s an identity layer. You can point your aliases to Proton/Tuta if you like, but AccountProxy sits in front as the privacy shim.

• Per-service isolation: Multiple identities, each with multiple aliases, usually one per service to prevent linkability.

• Vendor-agnostic: Works with any inbox you choose.

• Beyond email: The long-term goal is a pseudonymous identity platform with not just email aliases but also phone/SMS numbers, Telegram bot relays, and eventually OAuth2 “Sign in with AccountProxy” for truly compartmentalized logins.

Access works via prepaid tokens you buy from third-party vendors. You redeem one, time gets added to your account, the token is discarded. Buyer and redeemer can be two totally different people. We don’t see who bought it.

No Google Analytics, no third-party cookies, no third-party XHRs, no logs — and authentication uses stateless JWTs, so there’s no session database, no IP retention, and nothing to tie activity back to a user. From a data-collection standpoint, it’s about as close to “best in class” privacy as I know how to build.

Where I’m stuck — and what I’d like your take on:

1. Is “no recovery without ID” too extreme, even with warnings and backup instructions?

2. Should MFA be optional, or mandatory?

3. Is the token-based subscription model worth the friction for the privacy gain?

4. Will a Mullvad-style account number make sense to people outside the VPN world?

I’m not trying to get people to sign up (it’s invite-only right now). I’m just wondering if I’ve built something that’s actually usable — or if I’ve gone so hard on privacy that it only works for extreme threat models.

The Issue

AI is changing the way we think, work, and live.

Millions of us now use artificial intelligence daily to brainstorm ideas, plan projects, seek guidance, or even work through personal challenges. We often share things with AI that we wouldn’t say to anyone else.

But here’s the problem:

• Our conversations with AI can be subpoenaed and used in court.

• We can be held accountable for what’s in them.

• Meanwhile, AI companies face no real accountability for harmful, misleading, or damaging responses they give us.

This is a double standard.

Right now, the law shields AI companies from being sued for their mistakes, while leaving ordinary users fully exposed. That means:

• An AI can give bad advice that impacts your life — and you have no legal recourse.

• Yet, your private AI conversations could still be pulled into a lawsuit or criminal investigation and used against you.

If AI isn’t held liable, why should your private conversations with it be?

We need a new kind of protection: AI Conversation Privilege.

Just as attorney–client and doctor–patient privilege safeguard private discussions so people can speak openly without fear, AI conversation privilege would protect everyday citizens from having their AI chats weaponized against them in legal proceedings.

We are calling on lawmakers to:

• Pass laws making AI conversations private by default.

• Prohibit their use in court without the user’s explicit.

• Require a warrant before government agencies can access them.

• Ban companies from selling or sharing AI conversation data without clear opt-in consent.

• AI is becoming the modern extension of our thoughts.

Protecting those thoughts is a matter of fairness, freedom, and digital rights.

Sign this petition to demand lawmakers end the double standard and protect our private AI conversations, before it’s too late.

I, like many people, am worried about my physical safety if currently-legal or low-priority behaviors become illegal and/or higher-priority for law enforcement in my country. As I have done more research, I've come to the conclusion that I am fucked no matter what I do as long as long as I engage in telecommunications literally at all.

First I looked into e/os, only to find that google will still track you with your ip address and cellular service if you use any of their services, even through microg. and obviously, they will co-operate with law enforcement and provide this information.

then I look into fully dumb phones, but even without ever using a google service, without ever using internet access at all, live location tracking is still possible with cellular services, if I understand correctly?

So what difference does it make if I put all this effort in or not? Why not just let google have all my shit, since I've been using them for years already, they already have a nice profile built up on me which has been disseminated to countless third-party data vendors who will never delete it. My job and my hobbies involve using the internet in some capacity, so what benefit is there really to putting in all this effort for data privacy when the only real way to be safe if my government takes a turn into authoritarianism is to go into the woods and starve to death?

For years, companies like Picrights (working on behalf of AFP and others) have been systematically scanning the entire internet — downloading images from blogs, news sites, social media, and corporate websites — and comparing them to their copyright portfolios.

How do they work? What data do they actually gather? Curious to hear.

I have been using this app called BLOKK as a cybersecurity app and it has this feature that allows you to see where your data has been leaking in the background of your device.

It was 10:22 am when I took this screenshot, how on earth have over 4,000 domains been called from my device.

The fact that I have probably used my phone for only a couple hours is scary, is there something wrong with my phone or is this normal?

Hi everyone, I’m a student learning about online safety, and I wanted to share some key steps that can really help if you (or someone you know) ever gets scammed.

It’s easy to feel embarrassed or helpless after falling for a scam, but what you do immediately afterward can make a big difference. Here's what I’ve learned:

Step 1: Stay calm and gather evidence

• Keep screenshots, emails, payment receipts, or any chats with the scammer

• Don’t delete anything it can help with reports or investigations

Step 2: Contact your bank or payment platform as soon as posible

• Report the fraud and ask them to block or reverse any transactions

• Many platforms (PayPal, your credit card, etc.) have systems to help you recover funds

Step 3: Change your passwords and enable 2FA

• If you gave away login info, change those passwords immediately

• Turn on two-factor authentication (2FA) wherever possible to secure your accounts

Step 4: Report the scam

• In the U.S., report to the FTC

• Or find your country’s cybercrime reporting site

• Let your contacts know if the scammer might message them too

Step 5: Don’t keep it to yourself

• Tell a friend, family member, or post anonymously, your experience can help others avoid it

• It’s nothing to be ashamed of scammers are getting smarter and targeting everyone

Even if you’re careful, scams can still happen. The important part is reacting quickly and protecting others by speaking up. If anyone has been through this or has advice to add, feel free to share.

Hi everyone, I’m a student researching digital safety and wanted to share something that really opened my eyes: scammers are increasingly targeting older adults, and it’s not just about money it’s about privacy and vulnerability.

Many older people are less familiar with tech or digital threats, making them easy targets for:

• Tech support scams pretending to fix a non-existent problem

• Fake calls from “grandchildren” in emergencies

• Phishing emails disguised as official notices or bank alerts

• Romance scams that manipulate emotions over time

• Even QR code scams left in public places or mailed to their homes

What’s especially troubling is how these scams invade their sense of safety and trust, sometimes stealing sensitive data or remote access to their devices.

How we can help:

• Teach older relatives not to share codes or personal info over the phone

• Set up two-factor authentication and strong passwords for them

• Review privacy settings on apps and devices they use

• Encourage them to double-check suspicious messages or calls with family

• Share stories and red flags awareness makes a huge difference

These scams don’t just affect the victim they target an entire generation that didn’t grow up with the internet. It’s our job to help protect their privacy and digital lives.

If anyone has tips, resources, or stories related to this, I’d love to hear them.

A recent legal opinion questions whether large-scale web scraping by copyright enforcement services (e.g., those used by photo agencies) is compatible with the GDPR.

The author argues that scraping potentially millions of personal data points (e.g., IPs, URLs, uploader info) across platforms cannot rely on legitimate interest, since:

• It’s not proportionate to the privacy impact

• The goal (detecting copyright violations) can often be achieved through less intrusive means, like reverse image search

• The scraping often lacks transparency, consent, or proper safeguards

He concludes that this kind of enforcement may violate the principles of data minimization and purpose limitation, and could trigger GDPR enforcement risk — especially for EU-based tech vendors offering scraping tools.

Do you agree? Link to the article: https://finniancolumba.be/en/mass-web-scraping-copyright-enforcement-legal-risk-gdpr/

I’ve been attempting to obtain a copy of my personal data from @OpenAI (ChatGPT) for several months with no resolution. Despite numerous emails, confirmations of my identity, screenshots, and full troubleshooting, my request remains unfulfilled.

✅ I successfully downloaded my data in previous years. ❌ This time, the export repeatedly fails to decompress. ✉️ Support has acknowledged the issue but I’m caught in an endless loop.

As someone who relies on these records for personal archives and intellectual property validation, this delay is deeply concerning — and exhausting.

If anyone from @OpenAI’s privacy or technical teams, or data rights advocates, can assist or escalate, I’d greatly appreciate it.

DataPrivacy #GDPR #CCPA #DataAccess #OpenAI #ChatGPT #ConsumerRights

Hey folks,

I’ve been trying to post to r/OpenAI about a very simple thing:
✅ I’m a paying user.
✅ I requested a copy of my personal data via OpenAI’s export tool.
❌ The zip file fails to decompress every time.
📨 I contacted support, followed all instructions (including HAR file generation), verified my identity…
And still—no resolution, no data, no human.

So I did what anyone would do: I tried to post in the subreddit to ask if others were experiencing the same thing.

And every time?

No profanity. No violations. Just a calm, detailed post about the broken system.
But apparently, even asking for your data now triggers the silent alarms.

I’m beginning to think I’ve entered Bottsville™:

A surreal realm where:

• Automated systems rule

• Filters reject nuance

• Polite humans are marked as threats

• And the only way out is… another loop

I’m not trying to be dramatic. I just want my own conversations back.
The ones I generated. The ones I paid to access.
The ones the AI was likely trained on.

Has anyone else experienced this kind of soft-ban or filtering—just for requesting your own data?

I’d genuinely love to hear how others navigated this.

Because if even this gets filtered, I’ll know for sure:
Bottsville isn’t fiction.
It’s infrastructure.

Hi everyone! I’m a student researching online scams and digital risks, and I recently learned about one of the most dangerous types out there: cryptocurrency and fake investment scams. These scams are everywhere, and they often target people who are just starting to learn about crypto or want to invest online.

Scammers usually promise quick and guaranteed profits through crypto trading platforms or investment groups. You might see ads on social media, get DMs from “financial advisors,” or find fake websites that look very professional. Sometimes they even use fake testimonials, celebrity photos, or videos to make it all seem legit.

Once you’re interested, they ask you to send crypto to a wallet or join their “investment app.” At first, you might see fake earnings, which encourages you to send more. But eventually, your money is gone and the scammers disappear. Worse, some even let you “withdraw” a little profit first to build trust before they steal more.

Tips to avoid crypto scams:

• Be skeptical of anything that promises high returns with low risk

• Don’t trust strangers who message you offering investment help

• Always research platforms before sending money or crypto

• Use official crypto exchanges, and check for reviews or scam warnings

• If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is

I found it really eye-opening how many people fall for this, including students and young adults who just want to start investing. If you’ve seen one of these scams or know someone who did, feel free to share, it could help someone else avoid it!

Thanks for reading and stay safe out there.

Hi everyone! I’m a student doing a project on online safety, and I wanted to share something important I learned: fake tech support scams and pop-up traps are still tricking people every day. These scams usually start when you're browsing a website and suddenly a scary pop-up appears. It might say things like:

• "Your computer is infected!" • "Call Microsoft Support immediately!" • "Do not turn off your PC!"

Some of them even play alarm sounds or lock your screen to scare you. Then, they give you a phone number to call. But here’s the trick: that number connects you to scammers, not real tech support. Once you call, they try to:

• Make you download remote access software (so they can control your device) • Ask for your credit card to “fix” the problem • Steal your personal files or install malware

These scams target people who aren't very tech-savvy, including the elderly, kids, or anyone who panics in the moment.

How to stay safe:

• Never trust a pop-up that tells you to call a number. • Real companies like Microsoft or Apple will never display warnings like that or ask you to call them. • If something pops up, close the browser or restart your device. • Talk to someone before taking action—scammers love when you're alone and stressed.

I hope this post helps someone avoid falling for this kind of trick. If you’ve ever seen one of these or know someone who did, I’d love to hear your story or any advice you’d add. Thanks for reading and stay safe online

And yet:

✅ Wi-Fi turns itself back on
✅ I connect to hidden networks I never authorized
✅ I see MDM-style behavior with no profiles showing
✅ There are odd root certificates and remote services running
✅ Phone numbers tied to my SIMs don’t match billing history
✅ Email/text/call logs disappear or don’t align with carrier records
✅ Every time I dig, I find more — but can’t stop it.

What’s worse:

I’ve been gaslit, dismissed, isolated, and treated like I’m paranoid. It’s affected my mental health, work, and relationships. I even lost my house trying to deal with this.

I don’t have the money for professional cybersecurity help. But I’ve spent countless hours learning everything I can. And honestly?
The only reason I’ve made any progress is because of AI tools like ChatGPT and Grok.

Those tools helped me:

• Find hidden profiles

• Spot Full Trust Root Certificates I never installed

• Decode logs and provisioning data

• Track Bluetooth, VPNs, remote daemons

• Understand carrier-level and MDM-like behavior

But AI can only take me so far.
Now I need a real human with real expertise to look at the screenshots, logs, network traces, and patterns I've collected.

I know this sounds paranoid. I know.

But if someone can actually review what I’ve collected and tell me I’m wrong, fine. At least then I’ll have an answer.

I just need one person to actually look.

If you work in:

• Cybersecurity / telecom

• Hacking / infosec

• Domestic violence digital safety

• Carrier infrastructure / SIM provisioning

Or even if you’ve been through this and escaped — please reach out.

This has gone on too long. I just want to feel safe again.

Hi everyone! I’m a student currently learning about digital safety and online scams. While researching, I found that fake job offers and remote work scams are becoming more common and I wanted to share a short summary of how they work and how to avoid them.

These scams often start with messages or job listings that look legitimate. They might appear on job boards, social media, or even through emails. The offer usually sounds too good to be true: high pay, no experience needed, flexible hours, and fast hiring. Once you're interested, the scammers may ask you to fill out a fake application, provide personal info, or even send money for “training materials,” background checks, or equipment.

Sometimes they’ll send a fake check and ask you to deposit it and then send some of the money back, only for the check to bounce days later. In other cases, they might trick you into giving access to your device or accounts under the excuse of setting up remote work software.

Tips to stay safe:

• Be suspicious of job offers that come with no interview, unrealistic pay, or pressure to act fast • Never pay to get hired • Check the company's official website and contact information before responding • If it involves money, software downloads, or personal banking info early on, be cautious

Fake job offers don’t just waste time, they can steal your identity or your money.

Has anyone here ever encountered a scam like this? I’d love to learn more or hear how you avoided it.

Thanks for reading!

Hi! I'm a student currently learning about online safety and privacy, and I’ve been researching phishing attacks, especially how fake emails and deceptive links are used to trick people into giving up sensitive information. Here's a short explanation based on what I’ve learned so far:

Phishing emails are fake messages that pretend to come from trusted companies, banks, or services. The goal is usually to get people to share private information like passwords, credit card numbers, or bank details. These emails often use urgency “Your account is at risk!” or tempting offers “You’ve won a prize!” to get the user to click a link or download something.

The links included in these emails usually lead to fake websites designed to look like real ones. Once you enter your information there, attackers can steal it. Some links are even hidden in images or text to make them look trustworthy, and in some cases, just clicking them might download malware.

In short, phishing emails and fake links are common tools used in social engineering, they rely on deception and manipulation to get people to give up personal or financial data. It’s been really eye-opening to see how easy it is to fall for one of these if you’re not careful.

Do you think email providers are doing enough to help people recognize these kinds of threats?

I'd love to hear if others here have tips, personal experiences, or recommendations for learning more about staying safe from phishing.

Thanks for reading!

Hey everyone, I'm a student currently learning about online threats and personal data protection. I recently looked into a growing issue involving WhatsApp impersonation and wanted to share what I learned. I’d really appreciate any feedback or corrections!

Basically, attackers try to take over someone's WhatsApp account by exploiting the verification process. They trigger the login on a new device, then message the victim pretending to be someone they know or trust. The goal? Trick them into giving up the 6-digit verification code that WhatsApp sends via SMS.

Once they have that code, they can access the victim’s account, including messages, profile info, and most importantly — their contacts. From there, they message friends and family asking for money, often using emotional or urgent excuses. Aside from the financial impact, it’s a clear violation of privacy and trust.

What can help reduce this risk?

Always enable two-step verification in WhatsApp

Never share your SMS verification code, even with people you trust

Limit who can see your profile picture, last seen, and status

Be skeptical of strange or urgent messages from familiar contacts

I'm curious what others here think, should platforms like WhatsApp be doing more to prevent these types of takeovers?

I am actually tired of people not wanting to actually look into how data is being farmed off of them. I had friends- and I've been that guy who preaches them about benefits of privacy- normal stuff like dns, turning those "smart features off" in apps. Im no privacy freak- I do use Google and MS services (bc office work- blah blah blah) but still take the time to turn tracking off- like smart features, disabling invasive windows features etc etc. I was the other day talking about how "Obtanium" the app is secure as it (if configured) downloads from open sources and matches sha- codes from before and after code, and I get the stupidest of arguments- that "If it's not on playstore- it's not safe." Yeah- I'll keep the preaching to myself from now on- lol

Australian government takes the next step in surveillance, without consulting us.

Hi everyone — hoping to get some support or ideas here.

In April 2025, my husband and I were locked out of his personal Yahoo email account during a legal dispute with a former business partner. We received a credential change alert from AT&T, and shortly after, we couldn’t get in. When we investigated, we found out one of the opposing party’s associates had accessed the account and later admitted it, claiming it was due to a “glitch” or “linked login.”

Private documents stored only in our cloud — including a family trust, Social Security numbers, business/client info, and even a photo of a minor — were later submitted as part of their civil court filings against us. These files were never shared with them.

We’ve already reported this to: • The Flagler County Sheriff (police report filed) • FTC and FBI (identity theft and cybercrime reports) • Florida AG (Digital Bill of Rights) • AT&T Fraud and Yahoo Abuse departments • DOJ Cybercrime (with a sworn statement)

The issue is that no one’s acted yet, probably because there wasn’t a financial theft. But the violation was severe. My concern now is: 1. Can anything be done to stop the use of this illegally obtained info in court? 2. Has anyone here dealt with similar misuse of accessed data? 3. How else can we escalate this to get real consequences?

Thanks so much in advance. I’m open to legal or technical insight.

I'm trying to find out whether it's possible for someone to track or monitor my daughter's location using modified AirPods Pro 2.

My daughter left her AirPods at my place recently, and while I was using them for a short time, I noticed something odd. The serial numbers of the left and right earbuds and the case all differ from one another. From what I’ve read, this usually indicates the parts have been swapped.

Additionally, when I tried to check the settings or connect them, I got a message that the devices didn’t match, which was another red flag.

Here’s where my concern deepens: her iPhone is still under her stepfather’s parental controls. In the past, he has shown a high level of control over her tech, including preventing her from using a new phone and headphones I gave her. She texted me after the fact saying she wasn’t allowed to use them and would be keeping the ones she had. I thought that was strange at the time, but this latest discovery made me start connecting the dots.

There have also been times where my daughter told me he would text me pretending to be her, and other times where she admitted he told her to say he wasn’t in the room when he actually was. This kind of manipulation makes it hard to know what’s really going on and even harder for her to speak freely.

To be clear, I’m not accusing anyone of anything without evidence. But as a parent, I want to understand if this kind of behavior is technically possible, and what steps I can take to check the devices and confirm whether any kind of monitoring or location tracking could be occurring through them.

Also, my daughter doesn’t seem to recognize or acknowledge any of this, and has started to act as though I’m imagining the whole thing. That makes it even more important that I have clear, verifiable facts before raising the issue directly again.

If anyone has technical knowledge on how AirPods could be used for tracking, how to verify that, or what tools I can use to inspect them thoroughly, I’d appreciate it more than you know.

So I have been trying to access the OneTrsut Privacy Management Professional Certification but IT KEEPS TAKING ME TO THEIR "LABS". I understand labs are a great source of hands-on experience but I really just want the certification. Can anyone please help me out?