Kyle Rankin @kyle@librem.one

This Blacklight #privacy tool by The Markup is great. While https://puri.sm got a clean score, it took us a lot of effort over years to get there. Tracking visitors is the industry default for web tools and I only wish this tool existed years ago. https://themarkup.org/blacklight/

I bet the client and attorney were coordinating their case over gmail and gdocs and realized Google gave itself the legal right to access that data. I wonder if Google did something in the case that would only be explained by that action?

In summary, the company's ToS allow it to access user data to "protect Google" so does that extend to everyone involved in a legal case against Google? Interesting implications for people (and govts) who have brought cases against Google while using Google services.

"Attorneys representing a Google employee suing the company want to know whether the search engine giant thinks it is allowed to view his digital communication... [and] access the personal data of non-employees involved in the case, including the judge." https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2020/09/22/google-employee-surveillance-lawsuit/

So I had the foresight to brew a Märzen in March this year for Oktoberfest, but didn't have the foresight to carbonate it in time for the start of Oktoberfest this weekend. #brewingcalendarproblems

In the name of customer security, ATT, Verizon and Tmobile are partnering on a mobile auth service using customer account info as a unique identifier. Why do I think they have an ulterior motive with this unified customer identifier?

https://www.tmonews.com/2020/09/t-mobile-att-verizon-zenkey-mobile-authentication-service/

The issue with these situations is you must rely on your credibility to get the benefit of the doubt. FB's history with similar #privacy "bugs" erased that credibility.

Good ad for iOS 14 privacy features though. No wonder FB and adtech apps are worried.
https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/gadgets-and-tech/iphone-instagram-ios14-lawsuit-spying-camera-facebook-b481554.html

Starting Sunday, WeChat and TikTok apps are contraband. You will have to break out of jail to install or update them in the US: https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2020/09/tiktok-wechat-to-be-pulled-from-us-app-stores-as-of-september-20/

Burying the lede: "AT&T engineers are creating 'unified customer identifiers,' [AT&T CEO] Stankey said. Such technology would allow marketers to identify users across multiple devices and serve them relevant advertising." #privacy https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2020/09/att-wants-to-put-ads-on-your-smartphone-in-exchange-for-5-discount/

"1984 was a typo. 255-91-1755. That's me. I've been reduced to a series of digits. My Social Security number is in thousands of computers that buy and sell my life story."

If you (like me) are watching #Hackers for the 25th anniversary, you should check out the novelization! So amazing and with subtle differences from the film.

If you live inside a fortification where someone else writes the rules, decides who can enter, can force anyone to leave, decides what you’re allowed to have, and can take things away if they decide it’s contraband, are you living in a castle or a prison? https://puri.sm/posts/your-phone-is-your-castle/

If you think these hardware cryptographic security measures are actually about customer security and not vendor control, I have printers to sell you that reject refilled ink cartridges and farm tractors you aren't allowed to repair.

https://www.servethehome.com/amd-psb-vendor-locks-epyc-cpus-for-enhanced-security-at-a-cost/