#privacy

#privacy

A federal judge has voided a Department of Justice (DOJ) subpoena requiring Children's National Hospital in Washington, D.C. to hand over private information on young patients receiving gender-affirming care (GAC). The ruling is just the latest roadblock in the DOJ's quest to end GAC for trans youth; however, the hospital stopped offering GAC last July in response to the current presidential administration's threats to defund institutions that offer such care.

Google is Watching/Listening: By using these features, you agree that Google can record and monitor a sample of your calls, texts, and chats. They do this to check the quality of their ad programs. Take it or Leave it: If you don't agree to being recorded, you aren't allowed to use the "Communication Features" (like click-to-call or click-to-message ads). You Are Responsible for Warning People: You must tell your employees, agents, or anyone answering these communications that they are being recorded.

Microsoft confirms that its Microsoft 365 Roadmap is about to add a crafty new feature. "When users connect to their organization's Wi-Fi, Teams will automatically set their work location to reflect the building they are working in." Conversely, if you're not connected to work Wi-Fi, then it shows that instead and you will be found out. Forbes Microsoft Warns Millions Of PC Owners-Remove Windows Update It seems Microsoft may have noted the controversy this update has raised.

The FreedomBox project, kicked off by original FSF legal boffin Eben Moglen, aims to make it easy to run your own private server, and get your files, photos, email, and other data out of the enfolding pseudopodia of giant cloud providers (mostly based in the USA) and into your own home. You can buy hardware with the software preinstalled, or download installation media, but there's another and maybe more appealing option: one of Debian's built-in Blends.

I do not want AI in my web browser. I just don't. I also don't want companies collecting information about me, or sponsored content and product integrations. All those bits make me want to pull my hair out. I like my privacy and want to browse, you know, the old-fashioned way. I do use AI (on occasion), but only locally-installed AI and only for specific purposes (such as learning Python or researching a topic when I don't want to use a standard search engine).

True to its name, Ramble can take your meandering, unstructured speech and turn it into organized tasks. The app will also capture other details you mention, like project deadlines, priorities, duration, and assignees. The idea is that people often think of things they need to do while on the go, but taking out their phone to jot down a note or create a reminder can be challenging.

We're diving into these data breaches and more with our latest EFFector newsletter. Since 1990, EFFector has been your guide to understanding the intersection of technology, civil liberties, and the law. This latest issue tracks U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) surveillance spending spree, explains how hackers are countering ICE's surveillance, and invites you to our free livestream covering online age verification mandates.

Residence AV is a courtyard house located in a dense residential neighborhood in Bruges, Belgium. Designed by YAMA architects, the project responds to a paradoxical brief: a strong desire for connection to the surrounding context combined with an equally strong need for privacy. The client, living alone, was attracted to the social presence and perceived safety of the neighborhood, yet sought a dwelling that could withdraw from direct views and support a more introspective way of living.

OpenAI is putting ads into ChatGPT in "the coming weeks," as well as bringing its ChatGPT Go subscription tier to the US starting today. The free ChatGPT and ChatGPT Go plans will have advertisements, which is the biggest news, given ChatGPT Go has already launched in 171 countries since August. For $8 per month, it offers more access to messaging, image creation, file uploads, and memory.

I call on Santa Clara County DA Jeff Rosen or California Attorney General Rob Bonta to investigate and prosecute all municipal, state and federal parties who are in violation of SB 34 and SB 54. We have these laws for a reason, and no one should be above the law. These state laws were enacted to protect our privacy, and if our public officials cannot adhere to the laws, we must insist on immediately disabling all of these cameras being misused in violation of these laws. It is particularly unnerving that this information is being shared with federal agencies.

Having had a fairly analogue childhood in the late '90s/early 2000s, the scope of my baby and childhood photos extends to the odd physical photo album and a couple embarrassing framed pics around my family home. The rapid digital revolution, particularly the arrival of social media, drastically changed media storage and the landscape of photo/video sharing.

The chatbot owner said that in the next few weeks, it will begin "testing ads" for the free and low-cost subscription "Go" versions of ChatGPT in the United States for logged-in, adult users. Users can expect ads "at the bottom of answers in ChatGPT when there's a relevant sponsored product or service based on your current conversation." OpenAI said ads will be "clearly labeled" and won't be included under "sensitive or regulated topics," including "health, mental health or politics."

On those rare occasions when I use AI, I always opt for a local version. Most often, that comes in the form of Ollama installed on a desktop or laptop. I've been leery of using cloud-based AI for some time now for several reasons: It consumes vast amounts of energy. There's no way to be certain it honors privacy claims. I don't want any of my queries or data to be used for training LLMs.

As though exercising my corporeal form wasn't trial enough, now robots? Who in their right mind would want a walking, talking surveillance machine inside their home? The privacy invasion required for such robots to function goes far beyond your smart speaker listening into your conversations, your automatic pet feeder capturing footage, or your Roomba mapping the inside of your home and sharing it with Amazon.

Natural Cycles, the company behind a controversial FDA-cleared birth control app, is replacing its thermometer with a wristband that measures skin temperature, heart rate, and movement during sleep. The newly-launched wristband costs $129.99 and syncs with the Natural Cycles app, which uses an algorithm to determine a person's "daily fertility status." Users can already track their fertility by pairing an Apple Watch or Oura Ring with Natural Cycles, but the wristband could be an option for users who don't have either of these devices handy.

Pairing Bluetooth devices can be a pain, but Google Fast Pair makes it almost seamless. Unfortunately, it may also leave your headphones vulnerable to remote hacking. A team of security researchers from Belgium's KU Leuven University has revealed a vulnerability dubbed WhisperPair that allows an attacker to hijack Fast Pair-enabled devices to spy on the owner. Fast Pair is widely used, and your device may be vulnerable even if you've never used a Google product.

The social media platform said on Wednesday it had implemented technical measures to stop the @Grok account on X from allowing the editing of images of real people so that they appear to be in revealing clothing such as bikinis. Before this, users had been able to ask the @Grok account on X to manipulate images, with the result being published on the platform. X said this restriction would apply to all users, including paid subscribers to X.

The Transportation Security Administration is expanding another program to keep the agency's promise of TSA PreCheck airport security lines that are 10 minutes or less. But some California airports didn't make the cut. The agency plans to expand its Touchless ID program by this spring, allowing travelers to keep their boarding passes and Real IDs in their bags. Instead, the officer will direct the traveler to take a photo and, using biometric data, waive them through.

Hytale is the newest sandbox game on the market, and it's finally in early access after spending years in development. Made by a team of former Minecraft modders, Hytale blends elements of the classic Minecraft formula with an RPG twist and Hytale mods, if you're so inclined to use them once you know how to play Hytale. Even in early access, there's a ton of content to explore, but you don't have to explore it as a solo player.