DEV Community: Privacy Guides by PrivacyTools

Bookmark this, if you ever need a profile picture

Privacy Guides by PrivacyTools — Tue, 17 Jan 2023 15:12:27 +0000

Bookmark this, if you ever need a profile picture but don't want to use your own. They're generated: https://thispersondoesnotexist.com

Android: Simple, open-source apps without ads, tracking and unnecessary permissions

Privacy Guides by PrivacyTools — Thu, 08 Dec 2022 04:41:24 +0000

I want to introduce you to a great Android developer team that released countless alternatives to apps that usually come for free but invade your privacy. Simple Mobile Tools made it their main focus to release simple and lightweight yet powerful apps for android that cover a wide range and definitely your basic needs.

All the below listed apps are not collecting any of your data, respect your privacy, non-intrusive and most features are accessible for free. Sounds too good to be true? If you want to thank the developer, you can optionally purchase the "Simple Thank You" app that will unlock some neat features for a low price. Read their mission statement as well.

Simple Mobile Tools Links

Big thumbs up from PrivacyTools.io to the whole development team of Simple Mobile Tools. Keep up the good work, you definitely have your hearts in the right place. Share this article with your best friends and family if they are using android, they might find app alternatives to replace their privacy-invasive counterparts.

Exodus for Android: Finds trackers embedded in all your apps

Privacy Guides by PrivacyTools — Thu, 01 Dec 2022 09:23:56 +0000

Today, I want to shed light on a fairly unknown but powerful Android app that helps you to located trackers embedded in all your smartphone apps. It's called Exodus and is available for free.

Screenshots

Apart from locating trackers, the app also shows what permissions are required by your apps for easy adjustments and to help you to take your privacy back. Sounds complicated? Not at all, the graphical user-interface is designed for beginners and is overall user-friendly.

The app is powered by the εxodus privacy auditing platform, which automatically detects privacy-invading app behaviours like ads, tracking, analytics and so on.
Related Links

If you're looking for more privacy-respecting Android apps, check out PrivacyTools.io.

7 Publicly Known LastPass Security Breaches since 2011

Privacy Guides by PrivacyTools — Thu, 01 Dec 2022 06:59:54 +0000

The security team of the popular password manager LastPass can't seem to catch a break. This is the second security breach this year, and they are connected. Overall, there are seven publicly known security incidents since 2011. PrivacyTools.io is keeping track of privacy related incidents on this page.

"We recently detected unusual activity within a third-party cloud storage service, which is currently shared by both LastPass and its affiliate, GoTo," the company said.

"We have determined that an unauthorized party, using information obtained in the August 2022 incident, was able to gain access to certain elements of our customers' information."

Customers' passwords haven't been compromised due to LastPass's Zero Knowledge design. But it was also noted the full scope of the incident is not yet identified and what information has been accessed by the hacker.

So far, LastPass has been transparent about past security incidents and breaches and publishes them in their blog. We are advising our readers to look for alternative password managers recommended on our website. The choices are great: Open-source, free, secure, user-friendly and self-hostable.

AirDrop feature limited ahead of protests in China

Privacy Guides by PrivacyTools — Wed, 30 Nov 2022 09:20:37 +0000

Apple Inc. has limited the AirDrop wireless file-sharing feature on iPhones in China after the mechanism was used by protesters to spread images to other iPhone owners. AirDrop allows the quick exchange of files like images, documents, or videos between Apple devices.

Apple made the change to AirDrop on iPhones sold in China. The use of AirDrop to sidestep China's strict online censorship has been well-documented over the past three years and was highlighted again recently. Apple didn't comment on why the change was introduced in China, but said that it plans to roll out the new AirDrop setting globally in the coming year. Many of Apple's own services are also inaccessible in China – the world's biggest smartphone market – including Apple TV, the iTunes Store, paid podcasts, Apple Books and Apple Arcade.

During pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong, activists used AirDrop to spread their political demands. The AirDrop feature has been controversial since its iPhone debut with iOS 7 in 2013, as it's also been used inappropriately in settings outside of China.