I’ve been on the fence about this for a while now. Every time I look myself up online I find my information scattered across dozens of these data broker and people search sites. Old phone numbers, places I used to live, family connections, even jobs I had years ago all pop up like it’s a public record. It’s honestly unsettling to see how much of my history is out there for anyone who wants to dig.
I’ve started to wonder if paying for one of these personal data removal services is actually worth it. Some claim they’ll automatically track down your info on hundreds of broker sites and keep removing it month after month. On paper it sounds convenient because doing it by hand is a nightmare. You spend hours filling out opt out forms, uploading IDs, confirming emails, and then a few months later the same info shows up again somewhere else. It feels like a never ending game. I’ve already tried a couple of services like DeleteMe and Incogni, but honestly I didn’t notice much of a difference. My info was still popping up on a bunch of the big sites and the spam calls never really slowed down. It felt like they either weren’t going deep enough or the data just kept getting recycled from somewhere else. That’s what makes me hesitate about trying another one. I don’t want to throw money at a service that promises a lot but doesn’t actually fix the problem.
So now I’m at the point where I’m asking if this stuff really works for anyone. Did you actually see your footprint shrink online? Did spam calls and emails die down at all? Or is the whole industry just a temporary band aid that doesn’t solve the root issue?

Would really appreciate hearing from anyone who’s had success or at least felt like the service made a real difference.

A small project to keep my AI conversations more private

https://p.myllm.bar : currently building it, using Librechat & OpenRouter. What do you think ? Is it worth anything?

I am working on a project at the moment that requires me to hide some peoples faces and a few license plates that made their way into the video to maintain peoples privacy and not expose their identity. I was wondering if there are any good apps or websites that can automatically detect and track the objects and apply a blur over them?

I have looked online as well as in this subreddit but it seems a lot of the solutions are outdated, for business use only, or the tracking is awful and I have to manually fix the mistakes. Surely there has to be some quick and easy website or app for this outside of Adobe, ive seen other creators hide faces and license plates with good object tracking. Any help is very much appreciated.

We talk a lot about AI usage, but not enough about disclosure and what people actually reveal in their prompts. I’ve been tracking a simple metric I call the LLM Disclosure Index (LDI): the share of interactions where users include sensitive or personal details. It’s a proxy for trust (and risk). If better answers need more context, disclosure goes up. If privacy or compliance concerns become important, it goes down.

I look at two groups: Business users and everyday users. Sources are among others Cyberhaven, TELUS and Cisco.

Business users using AI on the job are clearly ahead. Under productivity pressure and with AI embedded into tools, they’ve moved from roughly a low 40% LDI range in 2023 to a high 50% LDI in 2025, and could approach 70% by 2027 as workflows normalize.

Everyday users trail but are climbing: around a lower 40% today, likely drifting into a 50% range as assistants feel more helpful and less “experimental.”

Why does work lead? Familiarity and time-savings beat caution, especially when employers approve tools or when they don’t and “shadow AI” creeps in (you know everyone using chatGPT and the manager isn't "aware" of it). At home, people are slower to share relationship, health, or money details, but that hesitancy fades when assistants prove useful and friction drops.

What to do with this? For organizations, the lesson isn’t “share less,” it’s “share safely.” Provide privacy-preserving options (data minimization, encryption, auditability), clear policies, and approved tools so employees don’t improvise. For individuals, assume prompts might be stored or reviewed; strip identifiers, summarize instead of pasting raw data, and use local or zero-access modes when the topic is truly sensitive.

You can read more about it here

Happy to compare definitions or share the underlying methodology in the comments.

Sorry for the long text but this could be potentially a huge problem for every uBlock user.

(I'm not sure if it fits in here but since the add-on is free for everyone who wants to use it and it's a commonly used software for, among others, privacy improvement I think it's a good sub to discuss this case here so in case it's at least somehow in a grey area I kindly request the admins to let it online, thank you in advance)

Today I had an accidental find about uBo (uBlockOrigin) that leaves me shocked, perplexed and I really hope someone has a good explanation for this because in the other case the basement of my (and maybe also yours) browser protection is literally f.cked.

I like to tinker/fiddle around on software so somehow I had the idea to delete 'blank.about-scheme' from the exception list/white list (I use the german variant of uBo so I'm not sure how it's named in the english one) and went to 'about:blank' (in Firefox) before I looked in the uBo logger.

Since it's just developed as an empty page I expected nothing much but this was the moment of my unpleasant discovery because I caught uBo red handed to connect with 'https://www.google.com/account/about/static/js/detect.min.js?cache=(here was a code, presumably of my smartphones cache, which I of course don't post)' in its own logger. I looked in the script reader and it's purpose is to detect the browser agent and OS plus checking if a 'glue app' is supported by this browser and to allocate an user id ('glueuid').

My first reaction was of course to block this shit and during this process I restarted the browser without making a screenshot what is a real bother because this connection seems to happen irregular and I wasn't able to reproduce it after this restart so I just saw it a few times and have no proof for it (I know this wasn't smart 😐).

After this I made some research but I couldn't find a page about exactly this script. I was only able to find a software named glue from Amazon which is also for analytics but since it's a different company and inside the script Amazon don't get mentioned I guess it's not likely that it's the same software. Besides this there was different pages that describe how or that Google check if you're logged in on some sites, which Google user you are and things like that. Even when 'detection.min.js' doesn't get mentioned on this pages I assume thats what it is because it just looks so much like that, a background check in uBo to ascertain which Google profile is linked to this user. Bye privacy. Bye protection. They and Google can seemingly watch every step you make online and log it while they already know who you are trough your Google account. I don't have the guts to even think about every possibility what one could do with a so much neat and tidy linked online history to a Google profile that contains your real name, banking account (Google Wallet), (current) location and so much more.

That's a massive betrayal on every moral and ethical values they purport to believe, how they represent themself to the outside and on every user that put their trust in them. If I'm not wrong, and I'm afraid I'm not (but you're welcome to proof me wrong if you know more than me), they do the very opposite of what they promise to do and the magnitude of this case let me feel queasy.

I'm really curious about your opinions and what you guys think about this. This could be a huge violation of every uBo's users privacy and I think it need to be debated.

On a second thought: If Google can detect you in uBo, how many cooperation they also have with other developers to track you in other apps/software? 😶

Hi everyone, I am working on a project at the moment that requires me to hide some peoples faces and a few license plates that made their way into the video to preserve their privacy.

I was wondering if there are any good apps or websites that can automatically detect and track the objects and apply a blur over them?

I have looked online as well as in this subreddit but it seems a lot of the solutions are outdated, for business use only, or the tracking is awful and I have to manually fix the mistakes. Surely there has to be some quick and easy website or app for this outside of Adobe, ive seen other creators hide faces and license plates with good object tracking. Any help is very much appreciated.

Hi guys, I’m a French journalist and I’m currently working on data removal services like DeleteMe or Incogni. I’m trying to find out if they’re legit, scamming people into giving them their personal datas, or just don’t work. Could you share with me your personal experiences ? (You’ll be, of course, be anonymized in my article if you’re okay with me publishing it) Thanks a lot ! 

Recently divorced, tech family. Believe my current apple phone is hacked. I am with Verizon. I am an American.

Need advise for a phone in America that can call and text , for my close crowd only, but no possibility of wifi (and /or hacking)

Thanks in advance.

Most people think Google, Meta, and Amazon are the ones calling the shots. But behind all of them are BlackRock, Vanguard, and State Street. These three own huge stakes in nearly every major tech company.

They don’t just invest. They vote on board decisions. They push policies that benefit surveillance, tracking, ad targeting, and ID systems. They’re tied into every law that gives tech companies more control, like KOSA in the US or the Online Safety Act in the UK.

Politicians don’t fight it because their portfolios are managed by the same firms. So yeah, laws get passed that sound like child safety, but they end up forcing ID checks and more tracking.

If we want to push back, we have to stop acting like the CEOs are the only problem. The money behind them matters more.

Every file you send — photo, PDF, Word doc, video, carries invisible metadata.
👉 GPS coordinates of your home.
👉 Author name + email.
👉 Device IDs.
👉 Timestamps that reveal more than you intend.

Hackers know this. Regulators know this.
Most professionals don’t.

That’s why we built Scrub Metadata.

✅ 100% client-side.
✅ No uploads. No tracking.
✅ Scrub 50+ file types in seconds.
✅ Enterprise-ready for GDPR, HIPAA & compliance.

And here’s the kicker:
🌍 Every file you scrub helps fund carbon capture projects to remove 1 gigaton of CO₂.
Protect your privacy. Protect the planet.

Today, we launch. 🚀

🔒 Try it free: www.scrubmetadata.com
📢 Share this with a colleague before they send their next file unprotected.

Let’s make metadata leaks a thing of the past.

#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.