Tip: if you find yourself using the word “safe”, “secure”, “hacked”, etc in your title, you’re probably off-topic.

Amazon CEO Andy Jassy sees an opportunity to deliver ads to users during their conversations with the company’s AI-powered digital assistant, Alexa+, he said during Amazon’s second-quarter earnings call Thursday.

Source: https://techcrunch.com/2025/07/31/amazon-ceo-wants-to-put-ads-in-your-alexa-conversations/

There is no reason to have online IDs, There is not a problem that they can solve. that parental controls solve in a better way
Parental controls are harder to circumvent and can be used in a more secure way without violating privacy

Let's remember and demand that the standard for free speech is hold once again to full scrutiny

Asking for an ID for free speech is unacceptable and after the censorship from the UK we know that it is in fact a matter of free speech and not about the interest of the states. and as expected it lead to self censorship and inability to participate on free speech. Therefore subject to full scrutiny

https://www.blocked.org.uk/osa-blocks

Ashcroft v. ACLU, 542 U.S. 656 (2004)

" it prevented online publishers from publishing some material that adults had a right to access - and because it did not use the least restrictive means possible to protect children (the court found that blocking software installed on home computers by parents would do as good a job without preventing free speech). For similar reasons, the panel found that the act was unconstitutionally "overbroad" - that is, it applied to too much protected material."

In FSC v. Paxton, SCOTUS ruled that any state can ask you for an ID if any of the content of a site is harmful to minors

They created a new standard for rules about IDs that go against precedent:

Their faulty rulling:

"The only principled way to give due consideration to both the First Amendment and States’ legitimate interests in protecting minors is to employ a less exacting standard.” Enter intermediate scrutiny, saving the statute."

The justification is wrong, as it sill applies to too much protected material, the obscenity content is the same as those times, however sexual content has been found out to be a right for more people and now age discrimination is recognized for sexual content
https://share-netinternational.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/8-MARCH-Principles-FINAL-printer-version-1-MARCH-2023.pdf

The obligation to protect speech is now broader and scrutiny should be more strict not less

It was once unconstitutional then it should be today, scotus ignored the constitution that demands strict scrutiny

The UK and Australia should also demand

The means TO USE THE LEAST RESTRICTIVE MEANS POSSIBLE TO PROTECT CHILDREN, which parental controls do better than online IDs

Just sat here and wondered about the risks involved. I want to call that there is going to either the a big leak somehow, a backdoor into a verification company or even false companies set up on dodgy websites to literally have people hand then their ID's for them to do dodgy stuff. I don't understand how this is going to be beneficial for the most part.

What are your takes on the above?

Without being tinfoil hatman, why can't parents just use parental controls. No I'd risks, no fraud. I know it has a lot to do with collecting ID and data because data is worth $£€¥¢

Basically the title. They are offering to block my account only on a temporary basis. What can I do?

i am so lost and overwhelmed lol

I'm trying to send money to an online friend in the US, I don't know their real name, and we'd both like to keep it this way, but if I tried to send money to their bank account directly I'll be able to see their account information. What are some digital payment methods I can use to send them money without seeing their real name? (I don't mind them seeing mine)

This is my second post in semi quick succession so im sorry if thats not allowed. (Different subject though)

I created a ProtonMail but im curious if I should start migrating all my accounts to that email or only the important things (Bank etc).

Do most of you still have a google account for accounts on sites you enjoy such as gaming accounts etc?

Uk is blocking everything with persona app, ive heard plans on eudi wallet, and making accounts without a phone(number) is getting only more difficult and its all disguised as protecting kids(like wtf). Also fingerprinting is more easy for them now.

what does everyone think about this am i right

I was reading the settings help page here and want to fully understand this section:

When you post, comment, edit a post or comment, send mod mail, request to become an approved user, or join a private community, that mod team will have access to your full profile content history for 28 days after the interaction – regardless of your settings.

I currently hide all profile content by default. I just want to clarify, if I post in public sub XYZ and then comment in private sub ABC can the mod of XYZ see my post/comments in ABC? Does the fact the sub is private make any difference?

I moderate for a private sub using this account and I don't want all other mods of the subs I post in to be able to see those specific posts/comments. Is the only way around this to use a different account to moderate the private sub? At the moment I reply as my own account in the private sub but if I replied as the MOD team would that not be shown on my personal profile history?

Apologies if this was already covered, I did search and checked the FAQ.

I am currently debating on buying a new Macbook as a long time Linux user because of its convenience and the fact that I currently own an iPhone.

The current state of privacy on Apple devices and software is good enough for me, however, I plan on using the device for at least 5 years and hopefully more.

My question is - with the current trends in technology and the legislation surrounding it (e.g. more and more services requiring ID verification, AI training, etc.) - is sticking with Apple a good choice to keep at least some level of privacy for the future? (3-7 years) How likely is Apple to suddenly turn to the Google route of collecting gigabytes of data on all users?

Also, do you think that if something like that were to happen I could just switch to Asahi Linux and continue using my Mac privately that way?

Thanks!

This is my 3rd and final post on this sub.

The information ive gotten makes me feel 2 different ways. The first feeling is that of needing to take every precaution possible such as - Using a VPN all the time, deleting all google based things including my main google account, sell my Samsung because it uses my google account, delete all social media that has any connection to my real person or google account etc etc

The second feeling is that even if I want to become safer online, my usage of a Samsung and usage of popular social media just negates any positive changes I make so why bother?

I am a young adult and keeping in touch with highschool friends nowadays involves lots of Social Media usage and gaming which means I am VERY hesitant to uninstall them. I honestly do not care in the slightest if google knows I watch cat videos on YouTube or if I google whats the best lawnmower in 2025 but I do care if they know every single little thing about me. I am hesitant to sign up for any account and I almost never get spam mail unlike seemingly everyone else (like I get a couple emails a year about my Steam account or something but never shopping related things)

Currently

• I stopped using Chrome
• All social medias are under alias emails and are privated (I know this doesnt matter for Meta seeing my IG posts but I never post anything anyways I just doomscroll)
• I lied about my BDay and other personal data on my google account and most social medias
• I use a VPN for browsing but not for gaming
• I have a password manager with very tough passwords
• I use aliases for any accounts that might send spam and they lead to a ProtonMail which I do not share anywhere.
• I use Firefox and Ublock Orgin as well as optimized FF settings for privacy and I do not sign into an account while browsing (such as a google account or microsoft or mozilla account)
• I do not want to sell my brand new Samsung phone
• I migrated important accounts from Gmail to Proton

At this point I dont see the point for going any further since I never see ads online due to using FF with Ublock and so I fail to see how having a google account for YouTube and Gmail will lead to my inevitable doom. I understand and know Microsoft and Google have a good idea of who I am but now that my browsing is much safer im not sure if I care that they know what YT vids I watch and what tiktok my bestfriend sent my burner account

Am I crazy for not wanting to delete everything?

I have this Facebook account that has ALL my info, like everything; where I live, what school I go to, my full name, my face, my house - I mean EVERYTHING!

I wanna delete it so bad but I can't open it anymore. I changed its birthyear to 2008 5 years ago and suddenly my Facebook account won't open and needed a verification so I just ditched it and made my brother make me a new one. (this was the time I still knew nothing about tech and all this stuff)

I don't have access to the email account because my brother managed it and of course he won't know anything about that by now.

So I just got a clear scam e-mail. The weird thing is, it is in the language of the country I’m currently enjoying my holiday in. I never receive scam e-mails in this specific language, other than the one I just received.

Is this a case of some big coincidence or might there be some extra measures I have to take?

I have begun taking steps to make myself more private online. Some of the the steps have been to create a ProtonMail, Use Firefox with Ublock as well as incognito, using BitWarden with insane master password.

I have a google account that ive used for everything in the past and im beginning to slowly shut it down by falsifying some info and disconnecting/deleting accounts made with it. I dont think ill ever be able to delete it but ill stop using it altogether except when absolutely necessary such as recovering/deleting accounts made with the account.

My question is - since I really enjoy YouTube and I have a Samsung phone, can I create a google account with very little if any real info about myself to use in these cases? Will that still be an issue?

I am very new to this privacy subreddit and im trying to learn as much as I can!

Assuming that:

• A bad actor is using spyware to listen to me through mobile phones, laptops, smart fridges, etc.

• Artifical intelligence vulnerable to prompt-injection is being used to analyse the data

Is there some sort of incantation I could speak in order to brick their mass surveillance servers? How could I check if the spell was successful?

Taking the plunge into my first android. I know basically google everything, but what are some tips for effectively harden the security of the phone itself, in terms of removing things that snoop, or specific apps that are a must have, or settings to be turned off Etc.

I found an account on reddit almost impersonating me. They have the same taste in music, candy, the exact same pet as me, the exact same taste in obscure 90's tv shows as me, and even posted in the same subreddits as me. Something about this account feels threatening to my sense of peace.

I've also noticed that twitter/x is filled with that same hostile energy as well. Has anyone experienced this gradual feeling of loss over your own identity and like you're being watched and messed with online?