Politi-Spam: Apple, Gmail, and the Data Broker Machine
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Politi-Spam: Apple, Gmail, and the Data Broker Machine

ByPrivacyStan

Politi-Spam: Apple, Gmail, and the Data Broker Machine Your phone shouldn’t be a campaign donation funnel. Apple just agreed. In June, Apple announced a new “Unknown Senders” folder in iMessage. Texts from unknown numbers (including political fundraisers) no longer light up your lock screen. They slip quietly into a side folder. Still delivered. Still readable….

Lock Down Browsers. Wipe Employee Footprints. Win Breach Wars.
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Lock Down Browsers. Wipe Employee Footprints. Win Breach Wars.

ByPrivacyStan

Lock Down Browsers. Wipe Employee Footprints. Win Breach Wars. Over 80% of security incidents now start in the browser. Chrome. Edge. Firefox. Even Safari. They’re not just productivity tools anymore. They’ve become the primary attack surface. Groups like Scattered Spider have figured this out. Instead of smashing endpoints with malware, they slip in through the…

A Day in the Life of Your License Plate
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A Day in the Life of Your License Plate

ByPrivacyStan

How ALPR Systems Quietly Track You Everywhere Your License plate is talking more than a drunk uncle at Thanksgiving. Automatic License Plate Recognition (ALPR) technology is now embedded across public streets, private neighborhoods, and commercial parking lots. These systems capture, tag, and upload your movements in real time. Some of this data supports law enforcement….

Your License Plate is Talking… Who’s Listening?
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Your License Plate is Talking… Who’s Listening?

ByPrivacyStan

Your plates used to talk to the DMV and the occasional traffic cop. In 2025? They’re snitching to data brokers, repo firms and anyone with a $200 camera and a grudge. The tools are cheap, the data is for sale, and the surveillance never sleeps. Today, Automatic License Plate Recognition (ALPR) technology is everywhere. It’s…

Functional Privacy
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How Data Brokers Destroyed Functional Privacy

ByPrivacyStan

There was a time, not so long ago, when we had something called functional privacy. Not perfect privacy. Not encryption. Not invisibility. Just a simple, practical buffer between our lives and the public record. Yes, much of our personal data was technically public. But accessing it required time, effort, and intent. You had to show…

Are Human Therapists Causing Suicides? No. (And perhaps AI therapists are not either.)

Are Human Therapists Causing Suicides? No. (And perhaps AI therapists are not either.)

ByPrivacyStan

About 12,000 people die by suicide each year while actively in therapy with a licensed professional. [Psych Today] Nobody blames those deaths directly on the therapist because we recognize correlation isn’t causation. Yet when a suicide follows an interaction with an AI therapy bot, the headline jumps straight to blame. That’s a double standard. Reality…

Credit Headers: The Unseen Data Firehose
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Credit Headers: The Unseen Data Firehose

ByPrivacyStan

Your personal data isn’t just sitting in a credit bureau vault. It’s being actively spread across the internet through a little-known practice called credit header sales. What Are Credit Headers? Credit headers are a snapshot of your key identifying information, including: Full name Addresses Phone numbers Emails Even your Social Security Number and other identifiers…

What Is Credit Monitoring? And Do I Want It? (Answer: Not Really)
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What Is Credit Monitoring? And Do I Want It? (Answer: Not Really)

ByPrivacyStan

Every time there’s a major data breach, companies scramble to offer “free” credit monitoring. It sounds like a responsible move. It sounds protective. It isn’t. Here’s what they don’t tell you: Companies pay just $1–$10 per person to offer it. Fewer than 10% of people even sign up! Those who do often get funneled into…

Maximize Facebook Privacy
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Maximize Facebook Privacy

ByPrivacyStan

Everyone wants your location—because it’s valuable. Lock it down! Your privacy on Facebook matters. Whether you’re concerned about who can see your posts, how advertisers target you, or how your personal data is used, you have tools to manage and enhance your Facebook privacy. Why Facebook Privacy Matters All the data Facebook collects (and you…

Remove Residential Data
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Remove Residential Data

ByPrivacyStan

Don’t let everyone see pictures of your home! Real estate sites often show images that reveal far more than you realize. Be Safe! Real estate companies post images of your property, the inside of your house, and sometimes even your floorplans. This puts your privacy—and your security—at risk. Why Residential Data is a Risk If…