⚡️ Top US Security Officials Leave Signal and Venmo Accounts Exposed
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You've seen Signal chats of Trump's war cabinets circulating widely - but more leaks have surfaced showing Venmo accounts belonging to Mike Waltz - National Security Adviser under Trump and other high ranking officials.

Last month Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth left his Venmo exposed.

Through a public Venmo profile, you could find hundreds of their associates - including military officers, lobbyists, and others - useful for foreign intelligence operations.

And more recently German newspaper Spiegel found passwords belonging to those officials.

Private contact details of the most important security advisers to U.S. President Donald Trump can be found on the internet. DER SPIEGEL reporters were able to find mobile phone numbers, email addresses and even some passwords belonging to the top officials.

To do so, the reporters used commercial people search engines along with hacked customer data that has been published on the web. Those affected by the leaks include National Security Adviser Mike Waltz, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth.

These credentials are still in use for things like Instagram, LinkedIn, and Dropbox.

Many in the technology and privacy community like to posture like the surveillance state knows absolutely everything about everyone - but events like this really make you second guess the level of competency at the highest levels.

Read more here.
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⚡️ Utah Bans Becomes First State To Ban Fluoride In Public Water
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Going into effect May 7th, Fluoride cannot be added to water systems in Utah.

Public awareness of Fluoride is at an all time high, and it seems the tide is changing in politics.

Will other states follow suit? Covered by CNN, NBC News and others - these articles don't mention the importance of the landmark EPA lawsuit where non-profits sued the EPA for not doing its job.

After expert testimony, the judge ruled Fluoridation was an unreasonable risk to the health of children and that the EPA should regulate it as such.

https://fluoridealert.org/key-topics/epa-lawsuit/

If more states remove Fluoride from their drinking water, it could be a massive turning point for the health of Americans. However, there's still a long way to go in improving overall water quality and health - I'm not drinking tap water anytime soon.

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Today Microsoft announced Windows 11 will require a Microsoft account to create a local profile on the computer. They will be removing the bypass option available in the installation command prompt.

There will still be workarounds, but they're making it harder

⚡ Above and Beyond - A review of the Above Phone by Claudiu Chereji
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Is your phone spying on you? Claudiu Chereji, co-host of the Firmamental Podcast, just did a deep dive into the Above Phone, exploring how it helps you reclaim your privacy.

No preloaded spyware. No forced tracking. Just full control over your data.

Check out his full review and see why the Above Phone is the best way to break free from Big Tech surveillance.

📺 Watch here : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IAXKYjqWo0s

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⚡ Browser Tracking: The Data You Can’t Control
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Most mainstream web browsers are constantly "phoning home," collecting data you have no control over. Even if they're not selling your data outright, they’re using it to target you with ads—because they own the ad platforms.

Should your web browser be connecting to anything other than the website you're visiting? In our Web Browsing for Privacy Lovers webinar, we break down the problem and share real solutions.

Watch the full webinar here.

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⚡️Google & Roblox Target Gen Z with Immersive Ads In Video Games
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I really wish this was an April fools joke, but Roblox just announced a new partnership with Google, which would enable advertisers to purchase “Immersive Ads” in the popular Roblox video game.

Roblox is a browser based game where players build & explore worlds with lego-like characters. Its estimated that Roblox has close to 80M daily active users. 58% of the users are assumed to be under 16 years old.

Now Gen Z-ers will be presented with “Immersive Ads” on in-game Billboards. They will also be able to pay for in-game purchases by watching these ads.

Worse yet, these ads will be associated with in-game rewards.

Rewarded Video ads enable users to opt in and watch up to 30-second full-screen video ads within immersive Roblox games and experiences. In return, users receive in-game benefits from the creators of these games and experiences, also known as the ad publishers. Early tests show an average completion rate over 80%, with select experiences seeing completion rates over 90%1 as users saw the value2 in rewards, such as power-ups or in-game currency, and considered these ads additive to their overall experience.

Roblox is partnering with some of the biggest consumer research firms to measure effectiveness of ads and brand impact. Some of the biggest names in the space will participate including DoubleVerify, Cint, Kantar, and Nieslen - who will quiz kids on how they felt about the ads.

If other gaming platforms implement this (and why wouldn’t they?), it would mean the death for online gaming and the invasion of surveillance infrastructure in these virtual worlds.

Read the announcement from Roblox.
Read this article on Substack.
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I really hope all those folks who are increasingly relying on AI for research are fact checking the responses you receive. I've been warning since 2019 about the danger of relying on AI to give you the truth, in the same way people rely on Google search or Google Maps to tell you which turn to make.

I do not use AI for my research but I have tested it to see if it will give me accurate details about facts I already have. Numerous times it has offered fabricated ("hallucinated") quotes which upon inspection are not accurate. It's even named books (which are real), and page numbers, but when checking the claimed quotes are non-existent. The AI will fight to prove its claims but if you push it will ultimately admit to having "misspoke" etc.

This is not only bad for research but this is odd (and creepy) to see these bots displaying stubbornness.

Be careful what you believe and don't blindly trust AI.

⚡️Cookies: Useful or a Privacy Nightmare?
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Cookies are small pieces of data that help websites remember you—whether it's keeping you logged in or saving your cart. But not all cookies are the same. First-party cookies help sites function, while third-party cookies track your behavior across the web.

Google Analytics is one of the biggest culprits, collecting data through third-party cookies to profile users. In our Web Browsing for Privacy Lovers webinar, we break down the risks and how to handle cookies the private way.

Watch the full webinar here.

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Elon Musk - Spoilers

⚡️Scripts and Fingerprinting: The Hidden Trackers
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JavaScript powers the modern web, making sites dynamic and interactive. But it also enables tracking techniques like browser fingerprinting—where scripts collect unique data about your device to identify and track you, even without cookies.

Big platforms rely on these hidden methods, often using third-party scripts to follow users across the web. In our Web Browsing for Privacy Lovers webinar, we explore ways to reduce exposure to fingerprinting while keeping the web functional.

Watch the full webinar here.

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⚡️Web Browsers & Telemetry: Who Are They Calling?
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When you open your web browser, how many connections does it make in the background? Security researcher SizeOf.cat found that Mozilla Firefox reaches out to 15 different services—before you even load a page. And it’s not just Firefox.

Hakeem breaks down why Brave, Vivaldi, Opera, Chrome, Edge, and Safari are not private—and there’s nothing you can do to change that. His recommendation? Don’t use them.

Watch the full webinar here.

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⚡️Web Browsers You Should Be Using
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Not all web browsers invade your privacy—some are built to protect it. If you’re serious about digital freedom, consider switching to Ungoogled Chromium or Iron Fox, two browsers that strip out tracking while keeping the web functional.

But a private browser alone isn’t enough. Adding uBlock Origin blocks invasive ads and trackers, while Cookie AutoDelete ensures websites don’t store unnecessary data about you.

Get the full breakdown in our Web Browsing for Privacy Lovers webinar.

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Please read/share my latest article:

EXCLUSIVE: Newly Released Records Confirm Houston, Texas is the Largest U.S. City to Stop Water Fluoridation

As the state of Utah and numerous cities end water fluoridation programs, the City of Houston, Texas has quietly become the largest city in the United States to halt the addition of fluoride to the water supply.

According to newly obtained emails between Houston officials, and a confirmed statement from the Public Works Department, the City of Houston has not added fluoridation chemicals to the water supply since at least 2019. The reason for ending the water fluoridation program is currently unknown. Houstonians are still receiving low levels of naturally occurring fluoride from municipal water systems.

https://www.thelastamericanvagabond.com/houston-water-fluoridation/

⚡️Download Google Play Apps Privately with Aurora Store
@takebackourtech

Did you know you can download apps from the Google Play Store anonymously? In my interview with Josh Summers from All Things Secured, I explain how the Aurora Store lets you do just that—an open source and decentralized alternative.

Aurora also reveals the privacy implications of each app, so you can make informed choices before installing.

Watch the clip to learn more!

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⚡️Privacy-Friendly Apps You Should Be Using!
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I sat down with Josh Summers from All Things Secured to talk about better alternatives to apps that harvest your data and track your activity. From messaging to maps, you don’t have to settle for apps that put your privacy at risk—there are secure, transparent, and trustworthy options available.

Want to take control of your digital life? Watch this clip to learn about privacy-respecting apps that put you first.

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⚡️Finding Balance With Tech
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In this clip from Above’s 'Breaking Out of Tech Addiction' webinar, I talk about the solutions to technological addiction.

There are a few key strategies, such as mindful usage of your devices and mindful open source tools like usageDirect (available on F-Droid) that can help you keep track of your device usage without invasive surveillance from Big Tech.

Watch the full webinar here.

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⚡️Privacy Recommendations: Avoid Calls & Texts
@takebackourtech

In this clip from Above’s ‘The Future of Cell Service’ webinar I get into how nothing you say on the cell network is private. This is because call detail records from phone calls and SMS is recorded and logged. Calls and texts cannot be encrypted, secret surveillance programs like Hemisphere unconstitutionally collect national phone calls, and calls can be wiretapped.

This is why we recommend using encrypted messaging apps like XMPP, which can encrypt messages and calls before they leave the device. A VPN (like Above VPN) can also encrypt traffic passing through the mobile network and we recommend Jitsi for end to end encrypted video conferencing.

Sign up FREE to watch more webinar clips here.

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⚡️ Internet Phone Number Privacy Improvements
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In this clip from Above’s ‘The Future of Cell Service’ webinar I speak about how we work with our partners in Canada JMP and the future of Above to become a provider of internet phone numbers in order to offer our customers the ultimate privacy.

Internet phone numbers are important because they allow you to make calls and texts through WiFi and over a VPN, which will leave no subscriber information on record. If you’re using cell service, the phone call will be disassociated from your usage.

Sign up FREE to watch more webinar clips here.

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⚡️Exact Locations Can be Hard to Find
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I cover cell towers set signal range, and how associated towers may not always be the nearest location due to bad signals, obstruction from trees or tower congestion. I also mention how forensic analytics are used to track location data.

Sign up FREE to watch more webinar clips here.

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⚡️How Long are Records Kept?
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I detail how your phone calls, texts, and history with cell towers can be stored from 1 year to indefinitely by major telecom carriers.

Sign up FREE to watch more webinar clips here.

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⚡️Statistics on Average American Cell Phone Use
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In this clip from our ‘Breaking Out of Tech Addiction’ webinar, I get into how Americans check their phone 205 times a day on average! A single pickup of any given device can trigger a chain reaction, as 50% of screen time sessions start within 3 minutes of the previous one.

Our technology is addictive by design.

Watch the full webinar here.

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