mastodon 4.8.0-nightly.2026-10-06Author and podcast host of "Firewalls Don't Stop Dragons". Electrical engineer by degree, software engineer by profession (retired). Privacy advocate, educator and speaker. Also on Bluesky.
Woohoo!! Just got my (signed) copy of Privacy's Defender from Cindy!! I'll treasure it! (If you missed that interview, definitely check it out.) @eff@mastodon.social
@privacyguides@mastodon.neat.computer does amazing work... but they've really outdone themselves with their new #Privacy Activist Toolbox. This is for *everyone*, not just activists - a treasure trove of well-organized advice and wisdom. Check it out and SHARE!!
For those who might be interested, I'm going to be the guest on @privacyguides@mastodon.neat.computer "This Week in Privacy" podcast/livestream tomorrow (Friday) at 5pm (Eastern).
https://privacyguides.org/livestreams/
This will also be recorded, so you can watch it later.
Stop by the podcast today for a little #privacy advocate chat ... a panel discussion with @privacyguides@mastodon.neat.computer (Jonah Aragon) and The New Oil (Nate Bartram). We talk about how we evaluate privacy products, who we want to reach, why privacy matters, and more!
@thenewoil@mastodon.thenewoil.org
https://podcast.firewallsdontstopdragons.com/2026/03/30/privacy-guides-panel/
I'm all for the #RightToRepair. But I think we also need a #RightToReflash. If I buy a piece of electronics, I should be able to load whatever software I want on it. We don't own the things we buy anymore, and that's wrong. We're being held hostage by device makers.
This is going to end badly. Don't do it. Even if you have an option to set up read-only access, this is very personal information that you cannot trust to a cloud AI. (Same for health records, but more so.)
https://www.macrumors.com/2026/05/15/chatgpt-personal-finance/
Tune in Monday for a fun panel discussion on being a #privacy advocate! I'll be speaking with Nate from @thenewoil@mastodon.thenewoil.org and Jonah from @privacyguides@mastodon.neat.computer
Subscribe here:
https://firewallsdontstopdragons.com/podcast/
I just ran across this list of the Top 10 #privacy books from Book Authority ... I wanted to see if there were any cool books I wasn't aware of... and found my book in the list! :-)
I had a lot of fun co-hosting the 50th episode of This Week in Privacy with Nate from @privacyguides@mastodon.neat.computer ! Thanks for letting me be there for your major milestone!
This can't be legal. It's sure as hell not ethical. This is neither 'informed' nor 'consent'.
https://www.404media.co/mayo-clinic-is-using-ai-to-listen-to-emergency-room-visits/
Folks, we have power. When companies go too far, pushing back can make a real difference.
#Privacy matters - not just for you, individually, but for all of us, collectively. We can turn the tide if we band together and demand change. We can't give up.
https://9to5mac.com/2026/02/24/discord-just-canceled-its-planned-age-verification-rollout-for-now/
wow... I mean, I know this will be appealed for years, but still...
On Monday I'll be speaking with Nicholas Merrill, the founder of @phreeli@mastodon.social. He's endeavoring to run a cell phone service that knows as little as possible about its users. How does that work? Tune in Monday to find out!
Subscribe here:
https://firewallsdontstopdragons.com/podcast/
Closing accounts with zero prior notice and zero chance for appeal is wrong. We need a law for this. At the very least, you should be allowed to export your data in a usable format.
https://www.404media.co/microsoft-abruptly-terminates-veracrypt-account-halting-windows-updates/
GAAAHH... I need some global signal that says "I don't need a business loan"!! I get so many emails, despite my best efforts at creating keyword filters...
Every damn one is the same automated 3-email formula:
1) hey, check this out
2) in case you missed it
3) one last try
Most of us take access to financial services for granted. But your bank or payment processor can cut you off at any time for almost any reason. On Monday I'll discuss financial censorship with Rainey Reitman from the @freedomofpress@social.freedom.press.
Subscribe here:
https://firewallsdontstopdragons.com/podcast/
Would it be fair to charge you more than someone else? What if I knew you were desperate or wealthier or just a sucker for a (fake) discount? Today we discuss surveillance pricing with @EricGardner@newsie.social (@MorePerfectUnion@mstdn.social) and Justin Brookman (@ConsumerReports@flipboard.com).
https://podcast.firewallsdontstopdragons.com/2026/03/16/surveillance-pricing/
Today we'll backup your old emails. Also: Venmo finally defaults to private; Meta workers fight back; ChatGPT ad tracking; new Canada surveillance bill; Utah targets VPNs; LLMs want your health info; Edge password fail; Chrome 4GB LLM; Canvas hack; more!
https://podcast.firewallsdontstopdragons.com/2026/05/18/download-all-your-emails/
Folks, I’ve been publishing my podcast every week for 9 years. On Sept 28, I hit episode 500.
Soon I’ll kick off the Countdown to #FDSD500… and I want YOU involved.
Big things are coming - stay tuned.
Today I explain the ClickFix hack and how to avoid it. Also: Amazon wish list info leak; new iOS hacking toolkit; traffic cams hacked in Iran; AirSnitch WiFi attack; Discord backtracks on age; Ente releases Locker; excellent new privacy guide; more!
https://podcast.firewallsdontstopdragons.com/2026/03/09/fixing-clickfix/
In today's news show: Walmart to buy Vizio (for ads, data); TP-Link router bugs; US to ban non-US routers; public Zoom calls turned into AI podcasts; H&R Block CA cert debacle; Claude macOS automation dangers; huge Meta/Google court loss; more!
https://podcast.firewallsdontstopdragons.com/2026/04/06/routers-behaving-badly/
Today I have a delightful chat with the one-and-only Cindy Cohn, director of the @eff@mastodon.social and longtime privacy warrior. We discuss her illustrious career, fighting on the front lines for our digital rights and a free and open internet.
https://podcast.firewallsdontstopdragons.com/2026/05/11/cindy-cohn-privacys-defender/
Firewalls Don't Stop Dragons
Heads up... you probably want to turn this off before April 1st. It's a little hard to find (and there's no search for settings that I could see):
Settings > Copilot > Features > Privacy > disable
Safety often comes from subtraction, not addition. I'll explain today. Also: Asus router attack; porn addiction app data exposed; age check law problems; mandatory in-car surveillance; Chat Control reprieve; deanonymization via LLMs; and much more!
https://podcast.firewallsdontstopdragons.com/2026/03/23/spring-cleaning/
Is it possible for a cellular provider to be private? They must know where your phone is, but can they not know who owns it? I have lots of questions for Nick Merrill, founder of MVNO @phreeli@mastodon.social, about their Double Blind Armadillo #privacy protocol.
https://podcast.firewallsdontstopdragons.com/2026/03/02/double-blind-armadillo/
It's one thing to collect data on us everywhere we go, but it's quite another to tie all those tidbits back to a single, unique identity (you). Today @thezedwards@infosec.exchange and Iesha White explain just how bad it is and how you can try to avoid it.
https://podcast.firewallsdontstopdragons.com/2026/04/13/identity-resolution/
Tune in Monday when I'll be speaking with @thezedwards@infosec.exchange and Iesha White about the massive and pervasive business of identity resolution: tying together all these little bits of pseudonymous info to YOU.
On Monday, I'll be speaking with Yahoo's Chief Paranoid (CISO) Sean Zadig. We'll discuss security and privacy for kids, as well as how tech companies share data with law enforcement.
This article was the basis for my Tip of the Week in my podcast today. It's something I don't think that gets called out enough when giving advice on personal security: safety through subtraction.
Ever wonder how much your employer knows about you? Turns out it could be quite a bit. Transparency is key, but often lacking - so awareness on your part is crucial. Jodi Daniels & Jan Rosenfeld are my guests.
https://podcast.firewallsdontstopdragons.com/2026/05/25/bossware-boundaries/
Tune in Monday when I'll be speaking with Jodi Daniels and Jan Rosenberg about surveillance on the job - how employers keeps tabs on employees.
Subscribe here:
https://firewallsdontstopdragons.com/podcast/
I don't blame the human here. This should not have been technically *possible*. We have to fix how we create and manage machine secrets.
https://krebsonsecurity.com/2026/05/cisa-admin-leaked-aws-govcloud-keys-on-github/
I assumed they had some level of access to this info already... so this would just be formalizing it... streamlining the process of violating the 4th Amendment...
https://www.404media.co/the-fbi-wants-to-buy-nationwide-access-to-license-plate-readers/
I've got some new replacements Google Sheets & Forms. Also: Discord rolling out age verification; Ring's new mass surveillance tool; more data leaks & breaches; DJI robovac's horrid security; more age-gating for social media; EU shuns US tech; more!
https://podcast.firewallsdontstopdragons.com/2026/02/23/new-google-alternatives/
Update your Apple devices, folks.
https://www.macrumors.com/2026/02/11/ios-26-3-security-vulnerabilities/
Tune in Monday when I'll be speaking with Eric Gardner and Justin Brookman about their fascinating study of surveillance pricing - why different people pay different prices for the same things.
@ConsumerReports@flipboard.com @MorePerfectUnion@mstdn.social
Subscribe here:
https://firewallsdontstopdragons.com/podcast/
Today, I'll speak with Yahoo's CISO and "Chief Paranoid" Sean Zadig about keeping kids safe online, social media and age gating. We'll also discuss his law enforcement experience and how tech companies should handle requests for user data.
https://podcast.firewallsdontstopdragons.com/2026/02/16/professionally-paranoid/
Update your Android devices as soon as it's available. Lots of bug fixes, including at least one 0-day.
https://lifehacker.com/tech/update-android-asap-patch-129-security-flaws
Today we'll verify our new email archive. In the news: Google moves search to AI chat; AI wants access to financial info; more meetings transcribed; big CISA screwup; school buses become spy tools; FBI wants ALPR data but Congress may kill them off.
https://podcast.firewallsdontstopdragons.com/2026/06/01/verify-your-email-archive/
