Privacy Blog

"Friends don’t let friends get spied on.' – Richard Stallman, President of the Free Software Foundation and longtime advocate of privacy in technology.

Cell Phones

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Attackers Exploit 0-day Vulnerability that gives Full Control of Android Phones

A limited number of Android phones are exposed to a very serious vulnerability. A member of Google’s Android team has stated the vulnerability will be patched—in Pixel devices, anyway—in the October Android security update, which is likely to become available in the next few days. The schedule for other devices to be patched wasn’t immediately clear. Pixel 3 and Pixel 3a devices aren’t affected. The phones affected include: Pixel 1 […]

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‘Burner’ Phones Aren’t Just For Criminals. Here’s Why You Should Have One.

While you might think a “burner phone” is something only a criminal may use to avoid being tracked by authorities, law-abiding citizens may also appreciate the privacy awarded by a burner phone. The details may be found in a article by Marc Saltzman in the USA Today web site at: https://tinyurl.com/privacy190912. Here is another idea: An even more secure and private “telephone” can be fashioned from an Apple iPod touch. […]

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Facebook’s Café Offers Free Coffee in Exchange for Your Privacy

What is believed to be the world’s worst privacy-stealing web site in the world recently offered a free “privacy check-up.” The stated purpose was to find any privacy problems resident on your cell phone. There is but one problem: you had to give up your privacy to Facebook in order to receive the check up. Details may be found in an article by Mike Murphy in the Quartz web site […]

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Reminder: Zello for Cell Phones is not an Actual Walkie-Talkie, and Still Needs Internet Connectivity to Work

Note: This article is off-topic. That is, it is not about privacy or any related topics. However, if you are somewhere near the eastern seaboard of the United States this week, this is information you probably need to know. From the Apple Insider web site: With Hurricane Dorian approaching the coast of Florida, word is again spreading about “push to talk” iPhone app Zello. However, downloaders should be aware that […]

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Apple Just Gave 1.4 Billion iPad, iPhone Users A Reason To Leave Because of Secret Eavesdropping on Conversations

From an article by Gordon Kelly in the Forbes web site: “Last month The Guardian revealed Apple was employing contractors to listen to and “grade” Siri recordings and they “regularly” heard confidential information from iPhone and iPad users, including medical information, drug deals and recordings of couples having sex. And now a new report from the Irish Examiner has given a sense of scale to what was happening. “’Contractors in […]

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Warning Issued For Apple’s 1.4 Billion iPad And iPhone Users

Security firm Check Point has revealed it has found a way to hack every iPhone and iPad running iOS 8 right up to betas of iOS 13. This spread covers eight years of devices (iOS 8 supports the 2011 iPhone 4S) and, with Tim Cook stating there are 1.4 billion (Yes, that’s BILLIONS!) active iPhone and iPad devices around the world, this is worrying news for the owners of pretty […]

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What is Wi-Fi Calling and Why Would I Want It?

NOTE: This is an update to the information given in my earlier article, What is Wi-Fi Calling and Why Would I Want It? A lot has changed since I published the original article three years ago. In fact, today I am a bigger fan of wi-fi calling than ever before. It works well and I save more than $100 in monthly wired and cellular telephone charges as well. Many people […]

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