In an era of “smart devices” that often double as spy devices, AirTags are tracking tools that are open about their function and can be vital in helping locate lost items (as anyone who has lost their car keys can attest to). However, as a recent class action lawsuit against Apple alleging that AirTags have become “the weapon of choice of stalkers and abusers” demonstrates, the convenience AirTags offer comes with serious privacy concerns over their misuse.  In this blog post, we’ll explore the phenomenon of AirTag stalking, discuss how AirTags work, and suggest ways you can defend yourse ..read more

Your search history is a window into your inner life. Anyone with access to it knows what your hobbies and interests are, your sexual orientation and preferences, the things that worry you (for example your medical concerns), your political affiliations, your financial situation, and much more.  In this article, we’ll explore why it’s important to delete your search and (closely related) browsing history and how to do it, but also the limitations of deleting your search and browsing history. Unfortunately, you can’t delete everything that’s out there. However, moving forward, you can take ..read more

A DNS cache is a record of all the websites you’ve visited over a set amount of time. Simply put, your DNS cache is a list of websites you visited in the past that’s stored on your device. Your computer uses it to speed up visits to those same websites, making it an important component of how we access the internet every day.  Your DNS cache can also impact your browsing experience, security, and even privacy. For this reason, knowing how to “flush” your DNS cache, or delete all the records inside it, can be critical, depending on your threat model. What is the Domain Name System (DNS) Wh ..read more

Temu has become an unavoidable brand. Unknown to most up to a year ago, the online retailer exploded onto the digital scene in the United States with lavish ads and a riveting social media campaign, and has started its takeover in Europe now, too. As it positions itself to take on Amazon, you may be wondering whether Temu is legit. The short answer is that Temu may not be safe and presents serious privacy risks. Numerous reports show that behind the cheery exterior of the app lies a web of secrets that you may not want to be drawn into. Let’s go over how we come to that conclusion. What is Te ..read more

In this article, we take an in-depth look at whether the wildly popular social media platform TikTok is safe to use. Several countries recently banned government officials from using TikTok, and now the US House of Representatives has passed the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act. Also known as the “TikTok bill”, this legislation demands that TikTok’s Chinese owner, ByteDance, sell the video-sharing platform to a non-Chinese buyer. Failure to do so will result in it being banned in the US. Despite overwhelming bipartisan support in the House (and from Presi ..read more

On Friday, March 22, 2024, a Spanish National High Court judge ordered internet service providers (ISPs) in Spain to block access to Telegram, but this ruling was suspended on March 25. The ruling was made in response to a complaint by Atresmedia, EGEDA, Mediaset, and Telefonica, some of the country’s most prominent media companies, that the privacy-focused messaging app is being used to distribute copyrighted content that belongs to them. Judge Santiago Pedraz imposed a temporary block while authorities investigated this allegation. However, following criticism from consumer rights groups suc ..read more

Since its debut in 1939, March Madness has grown into one of the most iconic and beloved sporting events in the United States, streamed by millions of fans each year.  For newcomers, March Madness features a thrilling single-elimination tournament format where 68 college basketball teams compete for the prestigious NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship.  March Madness is synonymous with bracketology, as fans nationwide eagerly fill out brackets predicting game outcomes. The sheer unpredictability of March Madness (like the emergence of “Cinderella” teams — underdogs that defy the odds a ..read more

We already shared our top picks when it comes to private YouTube alternatives and private WhatsApp alternatives. Now, we take a detailed look at the best free Zoom alternatives that respect your privacy. Zoom is a video-conferencing platform that became a household name during the early days of the Covid-19 pandemic. It’s free (with limitations), easy to use, stable, and offers great video quality over even modest internet connection speeds.  Confidence in the platform wavered in the face of privacy and security concerns, however. These include sharing data with third parties without clea ..read more

DNS translates human-friendly domain names to computer-friendly IP addresses. Private DNS encrypts DNS queries made by your device to a DNS server. When used with a third-party DNS service that respects your privacy, private DNS can improve your online privacy. However, private DNS isn’t needed when using a VPN, and can actually make your VPN connection less secure.  In this article, we look at what private DNS is, how it can help protect your privacy, and how to enable it on your device, but also why you shouldn’t use it with VPN.  What is DNS? Why DNS poses a privacy problem What ..read more

As you surf the web using your browser, you’ll no doubt encounter websites that your browser will refuse to load, instead showing some variation of an error message, such as Your connection is not private or Warning: Potential Security Risk Ahead.  On Chromium-based browsers such as Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, Chromium, and Brave, you’ll see the message Your connection is not private (or something very similar). You’ll see a similar message on Safari. On Firefox-based browsers such as Firefox and LibreWolf, you’ll see the message Warning: Potential Security Risk Ahead (or Secure Conne ..read more