This week's Surveillance Report is a reminder that privacy failures are not abstract.
Dashlane says attackers obtained fewer than 20 encrypted password vaults after brute-forcing/abusing 2FA enrolment flows. Encrypted vaults are still serious: weak master passwords can become the real failure point once attackers have the vault offline.
The Pentagon has acknowledged that US personnel have been targeted using commercial location data. That turns the data broker industry from a consumer privacy scandal into a national security problem: the same ad-tech surveillance that follows ordinary people can expose soldiers, officials and families.
Europe is accelerating digital sovereignty work through projects like Euro-Office, Nextcloud and Tuta, aiming to reduce dependence on US Big Tech for office, cloud and communications infrastructure.
Meta's AI support chatbot was reportedly abused to hijack high-profile Instagram accounts by changing account access. It shows why AI support systems need strict guardrails, human review and proper authentication boundaries.
Defence bulletin: Carnival, Charter, Ultrahuman, PayTel and Atlas Menu all reported data exposure. Android users should apply the latest security update. WordPress admins should urgently check WP Maps Pro and Kirki. Tor Browser, Mullvad and Proton also have useful privacy/security updates.
Watch:
#Cybersecurity #Privacy #DigitalRights #DataBrokers #WordPress #OpenSource #SurveillanceReport
Technology should help people become more independent, not more locked in.
BIMNY / Be It Me Not You is a Matrix community for Calm, practical conversation around freedom tech, open source, self-hosting, decentralisation, Web3, privacy, self-sovereignty, self-custody, AI, independent publishing and the open web.
It's for people who are interested in building, using, and understanding tools that give individuals and communities more ownership, resilience and control.
If that sounds like your sort of conversation, you're welcome to join:
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Matrix, the open protocol for secure decentralised communications
#Matrix #BIMNY #BeItMeNotYou #FreedomTech #OpenSource #SelfHosting #Decentralisation #Web3 #Privacy #DigitalSovereignty #OpenWeb #AI #Community
Google is not just a search engine. It sits across your browser, email, maps, documents, video habits, Android devices, ads, and countless websites using Google services.
This Proton video is a useful reminder that privacy is not about having something to hide. It is about not letting one company build a quiet diary of your life by default.
A good starting point is to check your Google My Activity page, review Web & App Activity, Location History, YouTube History, personalisation, Chrome sync, app permissions, and auto-delete settings. Then start replacing what you can with tools that better respect you: Proton, Firefox, Brave, GrapheneOS, Organic Maps, OpenStreetMap, self-hosted services, and local-first tools where possible.
You do not need to escape Big Tech overnight. Start by turning off the data taps you do not need.
How much of your digital life are you comfortable letting Google remember?
#Privacy #Google #DigitalSovereignty #SelfSovereignty #DataPrivacy #SurveillanceCapitalism #BigTech #OpenSource #Proton #BeItMeNotYou
Discord's age verification push should worry anyone who cares about privacy.
When a chat app starts asking for face scans or government ID to unlock normal access, the trust equation changes. Safety matters, but building giant Identity pipelines is not the answer.
The 5CA incident showed the obvious risk: once ID data exists, it becomes a target.
Matrix is not perfect, but it points in the right direction: open Protocol, decentralised servers, and more control over where your community lives.
Maybe it is time to stop building communities inside platforms that keep moving the walls closer.
What would it take for you to leave Discord?
#Discord #Matrix #Privacy #DigitalSovereignty #SelfHosting #Decentralisation #OpenSource #FreedomTech
Docker is everywhere in self-hosting for one simple reason: it turns messy app installs into tidy, isolated containers.
Instead of one app fighting another over versions, libraries, ports, or system packages, Docker lets each service bring what it needs and run separately on the same machine.
For homelabs, that is huge. One Raspberry Pi, mini PC, or VPS can run a blog, search engine, status page, media server, database, and more without everything becoming a tangled mess.
It is not magic, and you still need to check what images you trust. But once Docker clicks, self-hosting feels much less scary.
What was the first Docker app that made it click for you?
#Docker #SelfHosting #Homelab #Linux #OpenSource #DigitalSovereignty #Privacy #Decentralisation
A survivor of the Oxford grooming scandal has spoken about being groomed and abused from the age of 12, and about the failure of police, social services and political leaders to face child exploitation honestly.
The official Serious Case Review later accepted that agencies missed warning signs, misunderstood grooming, and too often saw abused children as difficult rather than exploited. That should haunt every institution involved.
When Sadiq Khan is asked about grooming gangs in London, the answer should be clear evidence, open scrutiny, and full accountability, not political fog.
How many more survivors have to speak before the system stops protecting reputations before children?
#ChildProtection #GroomingGangs #Survivors #Accountability #UKPolitics #Safeguarding #Justice
The UK is edging closer to a possible under-16 social media ban, or at least tougher limits on addictive design features like infinite scroll and autoplay.
Protecting children online matters. But a blanket ban could mean something much bigger: normalising age checks across the web, asking adults to prove who they are to use everyday services.
Australia's experience already shows the problem. Kids can bypass bans, while everyone else gets pushed towards more surveillance.
Do we want safer platforms, or a web where Identity checks become the price of entry?
#OnlineSafety #DigitalRights #Privacy #AgeVerification #FreeSpeech #SelfSovereignty #UKPolitics
Ads are no longer just something you see before a video.
They are in your feeds, your smart devices, your Kindle, your petrol pump, your inbox, your search results, and now companies are even exploring ways to push advertising into the night sky.
This video nails something important: advertising has moved from "here is a product you might like" to "we will occupy every spare second of your attention."
The worst part is how much of it relies on tracking, loneliness, addiction loops, and forced exposure. AI companion ads, unskippable videos, sponsored everything, digital billboards, and surveillance-based targeting are not signs of a healthy internet.
They are signs of a system that treats human attention as a resource to be strip-mined.
At what point do we start treating public attention and digital privacy as things worth defending?
#Privacy #DigitalRights #AdTech #SurveillanceCapitalism #SelfSovereignty #OpenWeb #FreedomTech
The Broadview Six case has collapsed, and the reason should worry everyone who cares about protest rights and due process.
Federal charges against the anti-ICE protesters were dismissed with prejudice after serious grand jury misconduct came to light. Judge April Perry raised concerns about improper prosecutorial conduct, including grand jury proceedings, redacted transcripts, and attempts to avoid deeper judicial review.
This is not just about one protest outside an ICE facility in Broadview, Illinois. It is about what happens when the state uses prosecution as pressure; then the process itself becomes tainted.
Whatever you think about the protest, the principle matters: the government must not be allowed to bend the justice system to punish dissent.
Source:
#BroadviewSix #CivilLiberties #DueProcess #FreeSpeech #ProtestRights #DOJ #Accountability #Privacy #Freedom
I’ve launched The Autonomy Lab on Patreon, the supporter community behind Be It Me Not You.
This is where I’ll be building and sharing more around privacy, freedom, decentralisation, self-sovereignty, self-custody, Linux, self-hosting, Web3, open tools, and practical ways to take back control of your digital life.
The goal is simple: help people move from passive users to confident digital citizens.
Support helps fund the research, writing, guides, podcasts, videos, experiments, hosting, and community resources behind Be It Me Not You.
Do you want to help build a more open and independent internet?
Patreon
The Autonomy Lab — Tools for Digital Freedom.
Get more from The Autonomy Lab on Patreon. Tools for Digital Freedom.. Support The Autonomy Lab and get exclusive access to their work.
#Privacy #DigitalFreedom #SelfHosting #Linux #Web3 #Decentralisation #SelfSovereignty #OpenSource #FreedomTech #BeItMeNotYou
A candid getting-ready moment from the wedding morning.
Before the ceremony, before the polished photos, and before the day moved into full flow, there were these honest little moments of preparation. The calm, the focus, the small movements, and the feeling of everyone slowly stepping into the day.
This is what I love about wedding photography, the story is often found in the spaces between the big moments.
What do you enjoy most about candid wedding photos?
Be It Me Not You Photography
Michael J Burgess (@beitmenotyou@photos.beitmenotyou.online)
A candid getting-ready moment from the wedding day, with the groom putting the final touches in place before the ceremony. Dressed in his waistcoat...
#Photography #WeddingPhotography #Pixelfed #Fediverse #CandidPhotography #WeddingMorning #GettingReady #BeItMeNotYou
A quiet getting-ready moment from the wedding morning.
Before the ceremony, before the day gathered pace, there were these calm little pauses where everything felt natural. The small preparations, the soft focus in the room, and the feeling of everyone moving towards something meaningful.
This is the side of wedding photography I love, the honest build-up before the big moments arrive.
What do you enjoy most about getting-ready wedding photos?
Be It Me Not You Photography
Michael J Burgess (@beitmenotyou@photos.beitmenotyou.online)
A quiet getting-ready moment from the wedding day, with the groom adjusting his tie before the ceremony. Surrounded by warm wooden walls, soft wind...
#Photography #WeddingPhotography #Pixelfed #Fediverse #WeddingMorning #GettingReady #CandidPhotography #BeItMeNotYou
A playful moment from the wedding day.
Weddings are full of big emotional scenes, but sometimes it is the playful little moments that bring the whole day to life. The laughter, movement, and natural energy around the edges often say more than a perfectly posed frame.
That is what I enjoy about candid photography, catching the honest moments as they happen, without forcing them into something polished.
What kind of wedding photos feel most alive to you?
Be It Me Not You Photography
Michael J Burgess (@beitmenotyou@photos.beitmenotyou.online)
A playful moment from the wedding day, with the bride’s daughter stepping out onto the dance floor before the celebrations fully begin. Surrounde...
#Photography #WeddingPhotography #Pixelfed #Fediverse #CandidPhotography #WeddingDay #BeItMeNotYou
A lovely wedding morning scene, with the day slowly coming to life.
Before the ceremony, before everything became busy, there was this calm rhythm in the room. People getting ready, small conversations happening, quiet details unfolding, and that feeling of anticipation building naturally.
These are the moments that make wedding photography feel human, not staged, not forced, just a little piece of the day as it really happened.
What do you notice first in a wedding morning photograph?
Be It Me Not You Photography
Michael J Burgess (@beitmenotyou@photos.beitmenotyou.online)
A lovely wedding morning scene, with the bride sitting calmly as the hairdresser works on her hair and her daughter sits nearby. The dressing room ...
#Photography #WeddingPhotography #Pixelfed #Fediverse #WeddingMorning #CandidPhotography #DocumentaryPhotography #BeItMeNotYou
A behind-the-scenes moment from the wedding morning.
Before the ceremony and the polished final details, there is always a quieter rhythm happening in the background. People getting ready, helping each other, moving through the room, and slowly stepping into the day.
These are the photographs I enjoy most because they show the wedding as it really felt, not just how it looked.
What do you enjoy most about behind-the-scenes photography?
Be It Me Not You Photography
Michael J Burgess (@beitmenotyou@photos.beitmenotyou.online)
A behind-the-scenes moment from the wedding morning, captured from behind the hairdresser as the bride’s hair is being carefully styled before th...
#Photography #WeddingPhotography #Pixelfed #Fediverse #CandidPhotography #WeddingMorning #BehindTheScenes #BeItMeNotYou
A calm getting-ready moment from the wedding morning.
Before the ceremony, before the rush, and before the formal photographs, there were these quiet scenes where the day was still unfolding naturally. I love capturing this part of a wedding because it shows the real rhythm of the morning, the small preparations, the soft pauses, and the feeling of everyone slowly stepping into the day.
Sometimes the build-up tells just as much of the story as the ceremony itself.
What do you enjoy most in behind-the-scenes wedding photos?
Be It Me Not You Photography
Michael J Burgess (@beitmenotyou@photos.beitmenotyou.online)
A calm getting-ready moment from the wedding morning, with the bride having her hair styled before the ceremony while holding a warm drink in her h...
#Photography #WeddingPhotography #Pixelfed #Fediverse #CandidPhotography #WeddingMorning #GettingReady #BeItMeNotYou
A calm moment from the wedding morning.
Before the ceremony, before the formal photos, and before the day began to move quickly, there were these quieter pauses where everything felt still. I love capturing these moments because they show the human side of a wedding, the calm between the excitement, the anticipation, and the emotion.
Not every wedding photograph needs to be loud. Sometimes the quiet ones say the most.
What kind of moments do you notice first in wedding photography?
Be It Me Not You Photography
Michael J Burgess (@beitmenotyou@photos.beitmenotyou.online)
A calm moment from the wedding morning, with the bride pausing during the preparations while sitting beside her daughter. Holding a mug and taking ...
#Photography #WeddingPhotography #Pixelfed #Fediverse #CandidPhotography #WeddingMorning #PortraitPhotography #BeItMeNotYou
A quiet candid portrait from the wedding morning.
Before the ceremony and before the day gathered pace, there were these softer moments where people were simply themselves. No forced pose, no big performance, just a natural portrait caught in the middle of the morning.
That is what I enjoy most about photography, finding the honest little pauses between everything else.
What makes a portrait feel real to you?
Be It Me Not You Photography
Michael J Burgess (@beitmenotyou@photos.beitmenotyou.online)
A quiet candid portrait from the wedding morning, showing the bride’s daughter during the early preparations before the ceremony. Sitting close b...
#Photography #WeddingPhotography #Pixelfed #Fediverse #PortraitPhotography #CandidPhotography #WeddingMorning #BeItMeNotYou
A quiet portrait from the wedding morning.
Before the ceremony, before the pace of the day picked up, there were these softer moments where everything felt still for a second. I love portraits like this because they are not loud or overdone. They just hold the feeling of the morning, the anticipation, the calm, and the small human details around a big day.
Sometimes a simple portrait says more than a staged scene ever could.
What do you think makes a portrait feel honest?
Be It Me Not You Photography
Michael J Burgess (@beitmenotyou@photos.beitmenotyou.online)
A quiet portrait from the wedding morning, capturing the bride’s daughter during the preparations before the ceremony. Holding a small bottle in ...
#Photography #WeddingPhotography #Pixelfed #Fediverse #PortraitPhotography #WeddingMorning #CandidPhotography #BeItMeNotYou
A good online community does not have to be loud to be useful.
BIMNY / Be It Me Not You is a Matrix community for people interested in technology that gives individuals more independence, ownership and control.
Think freedom tech, open source, self-hosting, privacy, Web3, decentralisation, self-sovereignty, self-custody, AI, independent publishing and the open web.
The aim is calm, thoughtful, practical conversation — not hype, pressure, or shouting into the void.
If that sounds like your kind of space, you can join here:
matrix.org
Matrix.org
Matrix, the open protocol for secure decentralised communications
#Matrix #BIMNY #BeItMeNotYou #FreedomTech #OpenSource #SelfHosting #Privacy #Web3 #Decentralisation #DigitalSovereignty #OpenWeb #AI #Community