This Week in Privacy

Google has announced Android XR it's new smart glasses platform, we'll dive into why this is such a threat to your privacy and why this announcement is so significant, Join us for This Week In Privacy #54! (00:00) - Intro (00:43) - Start of podcast (01:11) - Google smart glasses are coming this fall (27:52) - The FBI Wants to Buy Nationwide Access to License Plate Readers (41:54) - Researchers Wan...

Google recently announced upcoming features for Android 17 which features new privacy & security upgrades, Signal is adding warnings to protect against phishing attacks, Windows Bitlocker has been broken by a new zero-day and more! Join us for This Week In Privacy #53 (00:00) - Intro (00:43) - Start of podcast (01:33) - What's New in Android Security and Privacy in 2026 (13:00) - Signal adds s...

After an extended break - CalyxOS has come back and released test builds of Android 16 for their supported devices, Disneyland is using facial recognition software in their parks, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security compelled Google to share data about Canadians because of social media posts and much more! Join us for this Week In Privacy #52! (00:00) - Intro (00:37) - Start of podcast (01:23...

Canonical has laid out it's plans to integrate "AI" features into Ubuntu Linux, Signal is working on a standalone desktop version, that doesn't require a smartphone, Greece is banning anonymity on social media and more! Join us for This Week In Privacy #51 (00:00) - Intro (00:35) - Start of podcast (01:13) - Ubuntu's AI Plans have Linux users looking for a 'kill switch' (24:22) - Turkey to Ban Ano...

This week we are joined by Carey Parker from Firewalls Don't Stop Dragons, Brave has announced a paid $60 version of Brave with bloatware and features stripped out, in the US - Nevada police are tracking phones locations without a warrant, and more! Join us for This Week In Privacy #50.  (00:00) - Intro (00:36) - Start of podcast (01:16) - Brave Origin strips web browser down to its core and asks...

We recently interviewed Carissa Véliz, author of Privacy is Power and University of Oxford associate professor, to talk about how predictive AI will make a ‘meritocracy’ impossible, how lifelike chat bots are designed to deceive you, and the importance of privacy in the digital age. Her new book, ‘ Prophecy ,’ comes out on April 21st. View on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E00mNfH75qM Li...

An independant privacy audit of Microsoft, Google and Meta has found that privacy opt outs didn’t have an effect, Cal.com has moved from open-source to closed-source, Netgear has been exempt from the FCC’s non-US made router ban, and more! Join us for This Week In Privacy #49. (00:00) - Intro (00:45) - Start of podcast (01:19) - Google, Microsoft, Meta All Tracking You Even When You Opt Out, Accor...

We recently interviewed Cindy Cohn, EFF Executive Director and author of her new memoir: “Privacy’s Defender: My Thirty-Year Fight Against Digital Surveillance” View on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PFv0ki3nDc Listen in your favorite podcast app: https://privacyinterviews.transistor.fm/episodes/defending-privacy-w-cindy-cohn-effs-executive-director The RSS feed for our audio interviews...

Microsoft is suspending developer accounts for key privacy tools like VeraCrypt and Wireguard, Employers are using your personal data to figure out the lowest salary you’ll accept, and more! Welcome to This Week In Privacy #48! (00:00) - Intro (00:45) - Start of podcast (01:09) - Microsoft Abruptly Terminates VeraCrypt Account, Halting Windows Updates (18:53) - Employers are using your personal da...

Anthropic’s Claude Code just leaked it’s own source code, ONLYOFFICE suspends Nextcloud partnership, LinkedIn scans your browser extensions, and more. Join us for This Week In Privacy #47! (00:00) - Intro (00:42) - Start of podcast (01:19) - Entire Claude Code CLI source code leaks thanks to exposed map file (18:43) - California bill would require parent bloggers to delete content of minors on soc...

The US’s Federal Communications Commission has banned all foreign made routers stating their are not secure for use. Walmart digital price labels are coming to every store shelf in the US, Systemd has integrated age verification systems, and more. Join us for This Week In Privacy #46! (00:00) - Intro (00:37) - Start of podcast (01:13) - The US government just banned consumer routers made outside t...

The ‘dark sword’ exploit affects over 220 million iPhones running outdated iOS versions, the FBI is buying location data to track US citizens, a Tennessee grandmother was jailed after an AI facial recognition error linked her to fraud, and much more, join us for This Week In Privacy #45! (00:00) - Intro (00:51) - Start of the podcast (01:42) - Hundreds of Millions of iPhones Can Be Hacked With a N...

European parliament MEPs vote to end untargeted mass scanning of private chats, is this the end of Chat Control? A new consortium wants to remove custom ROM hurdles with digital payment systems, and more! Join us for This Week In Privacy #44. (00:00) - Intro (00:44) - Start of podcast (01:18) - Historic Chat Control Vote in the EU Parliament: MEPs Vote to End Untargeted Mass Scanning of Private Ch...

GrapheneOS has announced who their official hardware partner is, a new US Californian law is says all operating systems must have age verification, and much more. Join us for This Week In Privacy #43! (00:00) - Intro (00:20) - Start of podcast (00:57) - Motorola confirms GrapheneOS support for a future phone, bringing over features (14:44) - iPhone and iPad aprpoved to handle classified NATO infor...

Apple is verifying user’s ages to download R18+ apps and games on the app store globally to comply with age verification laws, people across the US are destroying and dismantling FLOCK cameras, Firefox has a new “block AI” switch to disable AI features, and much more. Join us for This Week In Privacy #42! (00:00) - Intro (00:21) - Start of podcast (01:17) - Apple rolls out age-verification tools w...

Meta plans to add facial recognition technology to their smart glasses, popular password managers fall short of their “zero knowledge” claims, Apple is testing end-to-end encryption with RCS in iOS 26.4 beta, and much more. Join us for This Week In Privacy #41! (00:00) - Intro (00:20) - Start of podcast (01:38) - Meta Plans to Add Facial Recognition Technology to Its Smart Glasses (17:26) - Popula...

Discord is facing backlash after requiring all users to provide ID to access age restricted servers and channels, this comes after Discord breached 70,000 of its users government ID documents, Apple is moving to remove anonymous chat apps from the App Store, and much more! Join us for This Week In Privacy #40. (00:00) - Intro (00:22) - Start of the podcast (01:23) - Discord faces backlash over age...

The FBI Couldn’t Get into a reporter’s iPhone because it had lockdown mode enabled, RAM shortages have hit Raspberry Pi prices, more countries are rolling out Australia style under 16 social media bans, and much more! Join us for This Week In Privacy #39. (00:00) - Intro (00:23) - Start of the podcast (01:12) - FBI Couldn’t Get into WaPo Reporter’s iPhone Because It Had Lockdown Mode Enabled (21:1...

WhatsApp encryption is coming under scrutiny, French lawmakers are pushing an under-15s social media ban, TikTok’s privacy policy has gotten worse after it has been bought by American investors, and much more! Join us for This Week In Privacy #38. (00:00) - Intro (00:21) - Start of podcast (01:12) - Site updates (04:47) - Lawsuit Alleges That WhatsApp Has No End-to-End Encryption (19:04) - French...

Bitwarden is raising prices, Microsoft handed over encryption keys to the FBI, U.S. ICE agents are misidentifying people with facial recognition, and much more! Join us for This Week in Privacy #37! (00:00) - Introduction (00:22) - Start of Podcast (01:50) - Site Updates (04:42) - Bitwarden launches enhanced premium plan (17:02) - Predator Spyware Turns Failed Attacks Into Intelligence for Future...

Moxie Marlinspike has created a private AI alternative called Confer, Windscribe has helped form a privacy alliance, Threema got acquired by Comitis Capital, E2EE comes to RCS messaging on iOS 26.3, and much more! Join us for This Week in Privacy #36! (00:00) - Intro (00:21) - Start of podcast (01:10) - Site updates (05:57) - Signal creator Moxie Marlinspike wants to do for AI what he did for mess...

Google is changing how they release Android Open Source Project code, California is introducing a way for people to mass opt-out of data brokers, cryptocurrency theft attacks are still being traced to the 2022 Lastpass breach and much more! Join us for This Week in Privacy #35! (00:00) - Intro (00:19) - Start of podcast (01:20) - Site updates (05:08) - Breaking: Google will now only release Androi...

Happy New Year! Join us for This Week in Privacy #34! (00:00) - Intro (00:23) - Start of podcast (01:41) - Simon Harris says Ireland to lead EU drive for ID-verified social media (22:20) - France targets Australia-style social media ban for children next year (41:30) - Hacker claims to leak WIRED database with 2.3 million records (48:35) - Texas father rescues kidnapped 15-year-old daughter after...

Happy holidays! Join us for This Week in Privacy #33! (00:00) - Intro (00:22) - Start of podcast (01:09) - Site updates (04:00) - Flock Exposed Its AI-Powered Cameras to the Internet (23:14) - Pa. high court rules on Google searches without a warrant (40:15) - EU prepares ground for wider data retention & VPN targets (56:48) - Judge blocks Texas app store age verification law (01:11:38) - Sout...

The US is moving towards implementing unprecedented surveillance bills, Texas sues TV makers for taking screenshots of what people watch, UK lawmakers are targeting VPNs in the Online Safety Act debate, and much more! Join us for This Week in Privacy #32! (00:00) - Intro (00:22) - Start of podcast (09:50) - UK MPs target VPNs in latest Online Safety Act debate (18:13) - UK to “encourage” Apple and...