cross-posted from: https://lemmy.ml/post/48849648

Support the students legal defense here: bit.ly/umlegalfund

Seems like the way to do it. It should take some pressure off their servers.

I'm wondering if there is any true benefits to being a nomad anymore. Given the fact that Flock exists and you're now tracked basically all the time, it's getting harder and harder. You could use deflock map to navigate around which could work. I would also like to know if this lifestyle is cheaper. I could buy a plot of land to live on in my RV and have a setup, winters might be brutal but I could possibly do it if done right. I make 100k/year right now in NY with no bills, so I'm saving up as much as I can.

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/48259762

Fluxer v2 is out, mobile clients are open source, self-hosting is improving, and public development is moving back to GitHub.

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.today/post/54858306

Flock cameras just got even worse

This has always been a thought of mine. I wanted to replace/remove any non-free kernels with a libre kernel that doesn't provide non-free binaries. I know some people say it does not matter, but I think it would be a cool idea.

I was thinking about hardening QubesOS by possibly using a deblobbed version of the Kicksecure kernel on all VMs. It would also come with Javascript disabled entirely on all VMs, all non-free binaries removed, everything ran over Tor by default, maybe creating a custom repo with only free software, etc.

This would be inclined towards people who use Libreboot/Canoeboot, specifically those that use systems like OptiPlex 9020 and T440p, that run only 100% free software in the BIOS.

I've never attempted it, but I would like to know if anyone would be interested.

I need to use Google Android OS for work. If I use a Pixel 4, will it spy on me less than if I use something newer like a Pixel 9?

Why I Absolutely Require Free Software

Proprietary software is a scheme of power over users. When you cannot read the code, you cannot know what it does. The author can put in backdoors. The author can put in malware. It could be a federal honeypot. You have no way to know and no recourse when you find out.

Nonfree software takes away your freedom to control your own computing. The author decides when the product is obsolete. The author decides what features you get. The author decides when to start charging you for something you already depend on. That is not a software license, that is a leash.

Free software means I decide when a product is obsolete. I decide how it is provisioned, launched, updated, and phased out. The lifecycle and feature set are controlled by me. I can modify it to meet my requirements as they arise. I can study it, fix it, and share those fixes with everyone. That is what it means to respect the user.

Obfuscation is not security. It is the concealment of a compromised codebase by a compromised author. Closing the source is morally wrong and reveals the ulterior motives of whoever made that choice. Privacy is impossible without the ability to verify what software actually does.

I contribute to the free software toolchest because computing freedom is how you liberate people from tyranny. Engineers who are not interested in that project are engineers whose motives I do not trust.

tldr; This post started as a comment responding to a (IMO sketchy), closed source Dropbox clone on this community. That post was rightly removed. My reasons for requiring free software, especially in matters of privacy, are worth repeating.

How do I acquire Monero without having to show my id ?

Is there a realistic way a person having an old computer and cheap (but not free) electricity can actually mine monero equal to some amount which can be used to donate to good service providers or purchase services?

I keep hearing about low reward to effort ration, but can I get a respectable amount in let's say a year without having to deanonymize myself by going to a Centralised exchange?

Insanity.

For My personal and private miscellanous thoughts i have been writing on a diary, but i always need to have it with me and (im kinda ashamed) i dont write good if i write as fast as on computer. I obviously cant copy/paste and i use a pen. I also find myself better with a keyboard so using a computer is what i think the most efficent way. Now, my daily driver (and what im writing this on) is a MacBookAir 2013 11" with (still) MacOS 10.14.5 installed and to write I'd use LibreOffice (duh). I know thou that this isnt private, its connected to the internet and its still using MacOS. I know a bit about technology (i find it weird for someone with zero knowledge of it having even found lemmy, but who knows), but i am certanly no expert. That's why i am asking you how could i write on a computer privately. Nothing needs to get online but i will need to atleast have other documents or documents itself come in trough a USB probably. I am certain i need to install a Linux distro or a BSD. Keep in mind that if i need that machine not on the internet id need to have another machine wich is and from this machine would probably need to get stuff out and into the "private one" with a USB. This is probably confusing and if it isnt relative to the sub and needs to be deleted, please warn me with a comment so i can copy and save this post to post it somwhere else before it gets deleted.

Circa three hours ago, I made a post discussing how complicity through inaction threatens digital privacy. In the post, I made connections to the inactions of people during the 1930's Germany. The post was removed for being posted in the wrong community:

Meanwhile, these are the rules:

I am not trying to pick a fight with the mods. I am trying to point out that there is no privacy without political discourse and action. That's all I wanted to inspire discussion on.

Peace.

I’m trying to look at this from a neutral point of view which is why I believe enforcing a disclosure, when (AI) models are used, would benefit the community.

I believe using models can harm privacy when not used correctly because they’re more likely to output misleading or outright incorrect information due to "hallucinations". And from my experience, more often than not is this the case with the projects I see.

I’m curious what others think about this, if you disagree, please let me know why.

Addon enjoyers, is this our last stand?

Edit: if the above Invidious link doesn't work, here's the YouTube link.

*Let me start by trying to de-demonize or demystify the word and concept of "fighting" for something. If I have the will and means to take up arms and weapons against an aggressor that plots to take away my freedom, I shall gather an army and vanquish my oppressors by force. If a doctor tells me that my only chance of surviving an affliction is by laying absolutely still in bed and doing nothing, I will do just that. There is no meaningless magnitude or amplitude, quantity or quality, or any other measurement, to a person's fight for a cause that they believe in.

With that out of the way, I'll go first.

Have been doing of late\
I have been trying to spread the word on the privacy implications of "smart glasses"/Raybans by e-mail to newspapers, restaurants, public installations (libraries, pools, schools, municipal administrations, etc), to county and government.

Obstacles put in place by government\
A few years back, police gained legal right to wiretap and to frisk without a warrant. The prison and parole industry gained virtually limitless access to both convicted and no yet convicted people's biometric data (only fingerprints, for now) if available in police records for any reason. SIM cards can no longer be obtained, regardless of the type, without supplying your government issued personal identification number. Private pro profit companies can evade GDPR compliance by registering applying for such an exemption, for instance, in order to supply online phone number, address, date of birth, financial information and criminal records to the general public.

Transcription:

COUNTRIES THAT BAN OR RESTRICT VPN SERVICES: Iran, Belarus, Iraq, North Korea, Turkmenistan, China, Russia, Egypt, India, Myanmar, Oman... United Kingdom?

This is probably referring to this: https://www.independent.co.uk/extras/indybest/gadgets-tech/vpn-ban-uk-b2939311.html

An older post from Mulvad about their issues advertising in the UK: https://mullvad.net/en/and-then/uk

The reasons of his departure? Military AI, surveillance of Europeans, ethical principles erased.

René Mayrhofer has been protecting the security of your Android smartphone for nine years. He just quit Google for a reason that directly concerns you: the company signed a deal allowing the Pentagon to use its AI for classified operations, and the man who secured your smartphone believes these tools will “probably be used against” European citizens.

Here is the rest of article in French: https://www.lesnumeriques.com/societe-numerique/la-direction-a-perdu-toute-boussole-morale-le-chef-de-la-securite-d-android-claque-la-porte-de-google-n257431.html

I have like 20+ years of Gmail messages. I want to download all of these messages to my hard drive. The plan is to get my data downloaded first before moving to another email provider.

Sure, I can just forward my Gmail to Proton/Tuta but i prefer to keep those services clean.

I will still keep my Gmail in case some old contacts / subscriptions need to email. But the important part is my 20+ years of data, I dont trust Google to keep everything.

I have several options:

1. Use Thunderbird and download using the IMAP option, so download every thing in every folder, e.g. Sent, Starred, Inbox, Important.

2. iiirc, Google allows you to use the checkout feature to download a .mbox file. Is this feasible?

So far I am on 1) and Thunderbird is taking a VERY long time to download. From my Google storage page , i have like 10 GB of emails. But the downloaded emails from Thunderbird are around 20 GB... So either Google is lying about their stat or Thunderbird is acting up. Still, i can see most of my old emails. It is still downloading though...

Any input is appreciated

I have been using Bitwarden for around 7~ years. Subscription for this long too, at 10USD p/year. I will be switching due to lack of transparency, and would love to hear others thoughts on this.

The linked article goes into further detail, but here is a small summary that very much concern me / are sus:

• that 10USD per year has gone up quietly . I just checked and I have no email telling me it's increased. It renews in like 2 months, so this is good timing for me
• Originally Bitwarden had values as apart of the acronym "GRIT". Gratitude, Responsibility, Inclusion, and Transparency. They have changed the last two words to "Innovation, Trust"
• There is now a new CEO, this was not announced and the only reason people outside of Bitwarden know is that someone saw this change on LinkedIn
• The free tier momentarily disappeared from their product page for about a month (april14-may14). People were likely still able to make free accounts during this period. Bitwarden says it was a marketing mistake

The price hike is one thing, but for me the acronym change is most concerning, which is why I will be looking at another password manger (probably keepassxc)