This Week in Privacy

Privacy Guides

A weekly live podcast from Privacy Guides - We cover updates on what we’re working on, privacy news from around the industry, and anything our community wants to share.

Privacy Guides is a non-profit, impartial organization that is focused on delivering the best online privacy advice and building a strong privacy community.

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20 episodes
Updated Friday

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Episodes20

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Friday · 1 hr 49 min
This GrapheneOS Feature Can Get You Arrested
An activist has been charged with a felony for providing a "duress code" which wiped his GrapheneOS device, we'll be discussing the legal implications and the latest privacy & security news on This Week In Privacy #64! (00:00) - Intro (00:44) - Start of podcast (02:15) - Activist charged with felony after giving borer agent "duress code" that wiped his phone (43:32) - The Pokémon Company is turning to facial recognition scans to help combat scalpers (46:56) - Facial Recognition at Madison Square Garden (56:01) - Forum updates: Surveillance Cameras Can Now Be Retrofitted to Track Your Wireless Device Fingerprint (01:05:58) - Site updates (01:10:55) - Trump admin exempts SpaceX's Starlink from FCC ban on foreign-made routers (01:21:38) - Inside the dystopian world of Germany's free speech crackdown (01:27:38) - eBay reaches $56M settlement with e-commerce newsletter writers it terrorized in 2019 (01:35:07) - Q&A Time: Ask us anything in the livestream chat and we'll do our best to answer! (01:47:28) - Outro ★ Support this podcast ★
July 24 · 1 hr 58 min
Mullvad’s Co-owner Made A Controversial Donation
Mullvad's Co-owner Daniel Berntsson has made a large political donation from Mullvad's profits, leading people to cancel their service, Apple has fixed a vulnerability in Hide-My-Email and an explosion of surveillance towers are coming to the US border costing over $1 billion US dollars. Join us for This Week In Privacy #63 (00:00) - Intro (00:35) - Start of podcast (02:39) - Mullvad Donation Controversy (34:46) - An Explosion of Surveillance Towers is Coming to U.S. Borders, Costing Over $1 Billion (45:14) - Forum updates: Is there space for another private messaging app (54:20) - Site updates (01:02:34) - The Fourth Circuit Says Border Agents Can Search Your Phone By Hand, No Suspicion Required (01:14:03) - Forum updates: Leave FCC Comment, Deadline Tomorrow (01:23:43) - OpenAI Models Escaped Containment and Hacked Hugging Face (01:32:22) - Forum updates: Is there a point in supporting projects? (01:41:58) - Apple Fixes Hide My Email Vulnerability After 404 Media Coverage (01:56:54) - Outro ★ Support this podcast ★
July 17 · 1 hr 43 min
Windows 0 Day Exploit Situation Is Wild
Microsoft just fixed a record number of vulnerabilities this patch Tuesday, but a 0 day exploit dropped right after leaving them scrambling, the Los Angeles Police Department just let it's contract expire with Flock, citing 'serious concerns' over privacy and Cloudflare is rolling out a creepy bot detection system that watches your keyboard and mouse movements. Join us for this Week In Privacy #62! (00:00) - Intro (00:40) - Start of podcast (01:04) - Windows 0-day drops the same day Microsoft releases record number of patches (17:00) - Microsoft Restores Player's 25-Year-Old Account With Son's Baby Photos After Nuking It Due to Hacker (25:49) - LAPD lets contract with surveillance giant Flock expire, citing 'serious concerns' over civil liberties and privacy (37:33) - Site updates (41:06) - Cloudflare Precursor watches your mouse and keyboard to decide if you are human (49:25) - Your Period Data Should Be Private (01:05:58) - Forum updates (01:12:26) - Q&A (01:42:16) - Outro ★ Support this podcast ★
July 10 · 1 hr 27 min
Did Apple Add A Keylogger to the App Store?
A security researcher has discovered that the iOS App Store saves all keystrokes and ties it to your Apple ID - raising privacy concerns, yet another cop is using Automated License Plate Readers to stalker someone, and all cars in the EU might require a camera aimed at your face! Join us for This Week In Privacy #61. (00:00) - Intro (00:36) - Start of podcast (01:03) - Apple adds keylogger to iOS App Store for targeted advertising (10:17) - A Third Party Breached The Intercept's Signal Tip Line and Has Been Soliciting Whistleblowers (21:16) - Footage Shows Cop Stalking Woman He Met on a TV Set After Surveilling Her With a License Plate Reader (36:15) - Site updates (41:14) - ICE's Internal Watchdog Is Now Investigating Online Critics (54:01) - All Cars Sold in the EU Now Require a Camera Aimed at Your Face. It's Still Not Clear Where That Data Goes (01:04:34) - Forum updates (01:23:21) - Q&A (01:25:50) - Outro ★ Support this podcast ★
July 3 · 1 hr 31 min
CalyxOS Is Officially Back!
CalyxOS is officially back with a stable release, A researcher has discovered Apple's Hide My Email feature can originating email addresses, the US Supreme Court has gutted the governments ability to use geofence warrants, and more! Join us for This Week In Privacy #60. (00:00) - Intro (00:39) - Start of podcast (01:10) - CalyxOS is back - release 7.2.2.0 with full maintenance support (18:24) - Apple 'Hide My Email' Vulnerability Reveals People's Real Email Addresses (26:55) - Supreme Court ruling guts government's use of geofence warrants (34:28) - Site updates (40:14) - WhatsApp usernames are already raising impersonation red flags (50:54) - Woman Surprised When Flock Surveillance Tower Appears in Her Yard Without Warning (56:54) - Forum updates (01:15:15) - Q&A (01:29:40) - Outro ★ Support this podcast ★
June 26 · 1 hr 30 min
No News is Good News? Q&A Episode
It's a quiet news week, so we're diving into questions from the community and discussing a few less interesting stories. Join us for This Week In Privacy #59 (00:00) - Intro (00:39) - Start of podcast (01:27) - Are there privacy advantages to desktop OS's vs GrapheneOS (06:50) - Announcing Mozilla.org (19:15) - Following user outcry, AMD reinstates memory encryption in consumer CPUs (32:07) - Site updates (38:00) - Are there any KeepAndroidOpen.org updates? (51:49) - White House app auto-downloads to government phones, can't be uninstalled (01:03:57) - 50% of LG and Samsung smart TV apps embed residential proxies (01:18:50) - Forum updates (01:28:42) - Outro ★ Support this podcast ★
June 19 · 2 hr 4 min
Android 17 for GrapheneOS is here! (sort of...)
Android 17 has officially launched and GrapheneOS has just announced an experimental build with a stable release coming soon (update Jun 19: delayed...), the United States controversial Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act has expired but spying will continue till March 2027, AMD has striped hardware cryptography from it's consumer CPUs and more! Join us for This Week In Privacy #58 (00:00) - Intro (00:39) - Start of podcast (01:13) - Android 17 Launched, What New Privacy/Security Features Does it Bring? (17:32) - (Canadian) Liberals dismiss 'tinfoil hat' privacy fears as lawful access bill passes (28:37) - Controversial Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act spying law expires tonight. The spying will continue. (50:13) - Site updates (54:58) - If the FCC Bans Burner Phones, It Could Be a Privacy Nightmare (01:27:54) - UK to ban social media for kids under 16, may impose overnight curfews (01:39:20) - Forum updates (01:55:35) - Q&A (02:03:06) - Outro ★ Support this podcast ★
June 12 · 1 hr 47 min
License Plate Readers Are Framing Innocent People
Automated license readers by Flock have tied a person who was miles away to a violent crime effectively framing them, the state of Massachusetts in the US has passed a privacy bill to stop the sale of precise location data and more! Join us for This Week In Privacy #57. (00:00) - Intro (00:49) - Start of podcast (01:14) - A flock license plate reader linked a San Diego man to a violent crime. He was five miles away. (19:42) - WhatsApp says it caught new spyware attacks linked to NSO Group in violation of court order (27:30) - Massachusetts votes to pass new privacy rights bill that bans sale of precise location data (42:39) - Site updates (51:50) - New apple feature automatically changes your compromised passwords (58:17) - Signal, DuckDuckGo among firms weighing Canada exit over lawful access bill (01:09:18) - Over 400 Arch Linux packages compromised to push rootkit, infostealer (01:17:29) - Forum updates (01:27:42) - Q&A (01:45:55) - Outro ★ Support this podcast ★
June 6 · 2 hr 26 min
GTA V Cheaters Just Got Exposed!
GTA V cheat service Atlas Menu just got hacked exposing thousands of gamers as cheaters, Microsoft is under fire for threatening a security researcher who disclosed vulnerabilities, hackers are using Meta's AI chatbot to seize control of Instagram accounts and more! Join us for This Week In Privacy #56. 0:00 Intro 0:43 Start of podcast 1:47 Grand Theft Auto V cheat service gets hacked, exposing thousands of gamers 18:08 Microsoft under fire for threatening security researcher with criminal investigation 33:49 Site updates 43:38 Hackers used Meta's AI Support Bot to Seize Instagram Accounts 58:29 Meta Silenty Added Face-Recognition Code for Its Smart Glasses to Millions of Phones 1:16:21 Dashlane explains how attackers managed to download encrypted password vaults 1:34:45 Forum updates 2:13:46 Q&A 2:25:08 Outro (00:00) - Intro (00:43) - Start of podcast (01:47) - Grand Theft Auto V cheat service gets hacked, exposing thousands of gamers (18:08) - Microsoft under fire for threatening security researcher with criminal investigation (33:49) - Site updates (43:38) - Hackers used Meta's AI Support Bot to Seize Instagram Accounts (58:29) - Meta Silenty Added Face-Recognition Code for Its Smart Glasses to Millions of Phones (01:16:21) - Dashlane explains how attackers managed to download encrypted password vaults (01:34:45) - Forum updates (02:13:46) - Q&A (02:25:08) - Outro ★ Support this podcast ★
May 30 · 2 hr 30 min
GrapheneOS is Taking Accessibility Seriously!
GrapheneOS has announced the public release for it's speech synthesis service, which is open source and created in house by the GrapheneOS team, meanwhile in America, California is moving to exempt Linux from it's age verification laws, a company is putting AI cameras in school buses across the United States, and more! Join us for This Week In Privacy #55. (00:00) - Intro (00:45) - Start of podcast (01:18) - Initial release of GrapheneOS Spech Services for text-to-speech (14:23) - Identifying People Using Wi-Fi Routers (28:46) - Site updates (39:49) - California moves to exempt Linux from its upcoming age-verification law after backlash (01:03:12) - Funding F-Droid and Internet Freedom (01:15:23) - Perfect randomness realized for the first time (01:20:12) - Forum updates (01:59:05) - Q&A (02:29:25) - Outro ★ Support this podcast ★
May 23 · 2 hr 32 min
Google's Smart Glasses Are A Privacy Disaster
Google has announced Android XR it's new smart glasses platform, we'll dive into why this is such a threat to your privacy and why this announcement is so significant, Join us for This Week In Privacy #54! (00:00) - Intro (00:43) - Start of podcast (01:11) - Google smart glasses are coming this fall (27:52) - The FBI Wants to Buy Nationwide Access to License Plate Readers (41:54) - Researchers Wanted Preschool Teachers to Wear Cameras to Train AI (56:41) - Site updates (01:04:28) - Discord rolls out end-to-end encryption on voice, video calls (01:30:37) - Poland urges officials to ditch Signal for state-run messaging apps (01:52:02) - Forum updates (02:06:24) - Q&A (02:30:28) - Outro ★ Support this podcast ★
May 16 · 1 hr 49 min
Android 17 Is Looking Great for Privacy & Security
Google recently announced upcoming features for Android 17 which features new privacy & security upgrades, Signal is adding warnings to protect against phishing attacks, Windows Bitlocker has been broken by a new zero-day and more! Join us for This Week In Privacy #53 (00:00) - Intro (00:43) - Start of podcast (01:33) - What's New in Android Security and Privacy in 2026 (13:00) - Signal adds security warning for social engineering phishing attacks (18:52) - Windows BitLocker zero-day gives access to protected drives, PoC released (28:29) - Site updates (35:43) - Only approved phones can pass Google's new reCAPTCHA, locking out privacy-focused alternatives (51:07) - Stop the Surveillance State: Stop Bill C-22 (01:08:31) - Forum updates (01:35:17) - Q&A (01:46:12) - Outro ★ Support this podcast ★
May 9 · 2 hr 33 min
CalyxOS Is (Almost) Back But Is It Any Better?
After an extended break - CalyxOS has come back and released test builds of Android 16 for their supported devices, Disneyland is using facial recognition software in their parks, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security compelled Google to share data about Canadians because of social media posts and much more! Join us for this Week In Privacy #52! (00:00) - Intro (00:37) - Start of podcast (01:23) - CalyxOS progress report - our test build with Android 16 is here (25:31) - Canvas login portals hacked in mass Shiny Hunters extortion campaign (40:36) - Site updates (50:08) - Google Chrome been silently pushing 4GB AI model to your device asking (01:13:29) - Microsoft Edge keeps all saved passwords unencrypted (01:22:12) - Forum updates (01:56:55) - Q&A (02:31:19) - Outro ★ Support this podcast ★
May 2 · 2 hr 18 min
Is Ubuntu Becoming the New Windows?
Canonical has laid out it's plans to integrate "AI" features into Ubuntu Linux, Signal is working on a standalone desktop version, that doesn't require a smartphone, Greece is banning anonymity on social media and more! Join us for This Week In Privacy #51 (00:00) - Intro (00:35) - Start of podcast (01:13) - Ubuntu's AI Plans have Linux users looking for a 'kill switch' (24:22) - Turkey to Ban Anonymous VPNs (28:17) - Greece to ban anonymity on social media (38:13) - CopyFail Most Linux Distros Affected by Local Privilege Escalation (01:08:41) - Site updates (01:17:14) - Women's Talkspace therapy app sessions exposed in court (01:32:39) - RightsCon Canceled After Zambia Requires 'Full Alignment' with 'National Values' (01:45:23) - Forum updates (01:52:38) - Q&A (02:16:40) - Outro ★ Support this podcast ★
April 25 · 1 hr 51 min
Would You Pay $60 For A Browser? (ft. Firewalls Don't Stop Dragons)
This week we are joined by Carey Parker from Firewalls Don't Stop Dragons, Brave has announced a paid $60 version of Brave with bloatware and features stripped out, in the US - Nevada police are tracking phones locations without a warrant, and more! Join us for This Week In Privacy #50. (00:00) - Intro (00:36) - Start of podcast (01:16) - Brave Origin strips web browser down to its core and asks you to pay for less (20:28) - Maryland becomes first state to pass bill banning 'surveillance pricing' (31:03) - Site updates (37:31) - Mozilla Used Anthropic's Mythos to Find and Fix 271 Bugs in Firefox (51:17) - Unauthorized group has gained access to Anthropic's exclusive cyber tool Mythos, report claims (57:05) - Exclusive: Meta to start capturing employee mouse movements, keystrokes for AI training data (01:12:35) - Forum updates (01:22:10) - Q&A (01:50:09) - Outro ★ Support this podcast ★
April 19 · 3 min
Predictive AI w/ Carissa Véliz, Author of 'Privacy is Power' & 'Prophecy'
We recently interviewed Carissa Véliz, author of Privacy is Power and University of Oxford associate professor, to talk about how predictive AI will make a ‘meritocracy’ impossible, how lifelike chat bots are designed to deceive you, and the importance of privacy in the digital age. Her new book, ‘Prophecy,’ comes out on April 21st. View on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E00mNfH75qM Listen in your favorite podcast app: https://privacyinterviews.transistor.fm/episodes/predictive-ai-w-carissa-veliz-university-of-oxford-professor The RSS feed for our audio interviews is separate from This Week in Privacy, you can find it at https://privacyinterviews.transistor.fm/subscribe ★ Support this podcast ★
April 18 · 2 hr 15 min
Are Privacy Opt-Outs Useless?
An independant privacy audit of Microsoft, Google and Meta has found that privacy opt outs didn’t have an effect, Cal.com has moved from open-source to closed-source, Netgear has been exempt from the FCC’s non-US made router ban, and more! Join us for This Week In Privacy #49. (00:00) - Intro (00:45) - Start of podcast (01:19) - Google, Microsoft, Meta All Tracking You Even When You Opt Out, According to an Independent Audit (18:05) - Sovereign Tech Agency funding (Mastodon) (32:45) - Cal.com is going closed source. Here's why. (39:26) - Discourse is Not Going Closed Source (52:21) - Site updates (58:16) - Republican Mutiny Sinks Trump's Push to Extend Warrantless Surveillance (01:13:50) - 'No more excuses': Von Der Leyen says EU age checking app is ready (01:26:40) - Gottheimer Announces Bipartisan "Parents Decide Act" to Protect Kids Online (01:40:50) - Forum updates (01:57:53) - Q&A (02:14:13) - Outro ★ Support this podcast ★
April 13 · 2 min
Interview with EFF Executive Director Cindy Cohn
We recently interviewed Cindy Cohn, EFF Executive Director and author of her new memoir: “Privacy’s Defender: My Thirty-Year Fight Against Digital Surveillance” View on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PFv0ki3nDc Listen in your favorite podcast app: https://privacyinterviews.transistor.fm/episodes/defending-privacy-w-cindy-cohn-effs-executive-director The RSS feed for our audio interviews is separate from This Week in Privacy, you can find it at https://privacyinterviews.transistor.fm/subscribe ★ Support this podcast ★
April 11 · 2 hr
Why Does Microsoft Hate Security?
Microsoft is suspending developer accounts for key privacy tools like VeraCrypt and Wireguard, Employers are using your personal data to figure out the lowest salary you’ll accept, and more! Welcome to This Week In Privacy #48! (00:00) - Intro (00:45) - Start of podcast (01:09) - Microsoft Abruptly Terminates VeraCrypt Account, Halting Windows Updates (18:53) - Employers are using your personal data to figure out the lowest salary you’ll accept (36:51) - Site updates (44:01) - Little Snitch for Linux - Because Nothing Else Came Close (55:21) - Mini Q&A (01:05:05) - FBI Extracts Suspect’s Deleted Signal Messages Saved in iPhone (01:24:25) - Forum updates (01:40:04) - Q&A (01:58:06) - Outro ★ Support this podcast ★
April 3 · 1 hr 36 min
Claude Code Leaked It's Own Source Code
Anthropic’s Claude Code just leaked it’s own source code, ONLYOFFICE suspends Nextcloud partnership, LinkedIn scans your browser extensions, and more. Join us for This Week In Privacy #47! (00:00) - Intro (00:42) - Start of podcast (01:19) - Entire Claude Code CLI source code leaks thanks to exposed map file (18:43) - California bill would require parent bloggers to delete content of minors on social media (26:39) - Site updates (30:13) - ONLYOFFICE suspends Nextcloud partnership for forking its project without permission (43:24) - LinkedIn Is Illegally Searching Your Computer (58:50) - A Secure Chat App’s Encryption Is So Bad It Is ‘Meaningless’ (01:11:26) - Forum updates (01:27:08) - Q&A (01:33:41) - Outro ★ Support this podcast ★