Privacy reminder! Have you disabled AirDrop yet?

One of the most innocuous features enabled on millions of iPhones is also one of the most dangerous for those seeking to protect their privacy in public. Apple's AirDrop protocol uses trivially bypassed security measures that authorities like the Chinese government have openly bragged about cracking to identify users since at least 2022.

You should assume that any device with AirDrop enabled is constantly broadcasting your name, email address, and phone number to everyone around you, even if you have it set to "Contacts Only." Apple has known about this flaw since 2019 and has not issued any fix.

Encryption is not a crime, encryption protects all of us. Encryption, and especially end-to-end encryption, is an essential tool to protect everyone online. Attempts to undermine encryption are an attack to our fundamental right to privacy and also an attack to our inherent right to security and safety.

https://www.privacyguides.org/articles/2025/04/11/encryption-is-not-a-crime/

I created a video at @privacyguides to explain what encryption is and why it's so important in keeping you safe online.

Governments worldwide are increasingly cracking down on encryption.

For people in vulnerable positions, encryption can be the difference between life and death. Just because you don't need encryption for everything you do, doesn't mean that the fundamental right to use it should be denied.

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0uQVzK8QWsw
PeerTube: coming soon...

Privacy Guides is formally taking a stand against dangerous and frightening technologies.

Security-focused developers and misguided "advocates" have long attempted to convince those involved in privacy and security that E2EE is an advanced security measure designed to protect your sensitive data, and Privacy Guides has stood by for far too long not setting the record straight.

https://www.privacyguides.org/articles/2025/04/01/the-dangers-of-end-to-end-encryption/

Got some crazy statics from Privacy Guides. Back in mid 2022, we had about 441.000 page views spread over roughly 100.000 viewers.

Today, 2 and half years later, our page views have increased by 408% to 1.8 million page views, and the amount of visitors have increased with 379% to 379 thousand!

Its crazy to see how much we have grown, and it makes me very excited to see how many more people we will be helping in the future!

https://stats.triplebit.net/share/S80jBc50hxr5TquS/www.privacyguides.org

New Privacy Guides article
by me (kinda):

This article is an
interview with Micah Lee!

We are absolutely delighted at Privacy Guides that @micahflee has accepted to speak with us this week.

Thank you so much for your time Micah, this is a fantastic interview.

Check it out here!

https://www.privacyguides.org/articles/2025/03/28/interview-with-micah-lee/

If you don't know who Micah Lee is yet, here's why you should: Micah is an information security engineer, a software engineer, a journalist, and an author who has built an impressive career developing software for the public good, and working with some of the most respected digital rights organizations in the United States.

https://www.privacyguides.org/articles/2025/03/28/interview-with-micah-lee/

New Privacy Guides article
by me:

Privacy isn't a trivial matter,

Privacy means safety.

Even if all reasons are valid to protect someone's data, for millions of people around the world, data privacy is critical to ensure physical safety.

Be prepared however, this comes with a content warning: This article contains mention of sexual assault, violence, and death.

https://www.privacyguides.org/articles/2025/03/25/privacy-means-safety/

Privacy is a human right that should be granted to everyone, no matter the reason. But for millions of people around the world, data privacy is also crucial for their physical safety. For people in extreme situations, privacy can literally mean life or death.

https://www.privacyguides.org/articles/2025/03/25/privacy-means-safety/

I kept seeing people misunderstanding the differences between privacy, security, and anonymity. So I created a video at @privacyguides to educate people on the differences between them!

It's essential to know the distinction between them so you can make educated decisions on what tools to utilise for your situation.

Watch it here: https://www.privacyguides.org/videos/2025/03/14/stop-confusing-privacy-anonymity-and-security/

Privacy is Also Protecting the Data of Others

https://lemm.ee/post/59084033

New Privacy Guides article
by @jonah :

With the political changes
happening in the United States right now,

You might be seeking Europe-based tech alternatives to trust your data with.

Moreover, if you are an organization dealing with data from Europeans, it could be wise to start the move for GDPR compliance now, in the eventuality the EU–US Data Privacy Framework it relies on were to change...

Whatever the reason,
you can check some of Privacy Guides' recommendations in this excellent article-list by Jonah: https://www.privacyguides.org/articles/2025/03/19/private-european-alternatives/

There is a growing sentiment that the US shouldn't be relied upon for the technologies that many people and businesses use every day.

While we prefer to focus on technical guarantees like strong end-to-end encryption over matters like jurisdiction, these issues still matter, and the United States certainly does not have a monopoly on the best technologies.

We've compiled a list of some of our favorite and highly recommended European privacy tools, to highlight how easy it can be to take your data back from American Big Tech companies: https://www.privacyguides.org/articles/2025/03/19/private-european-alternatives/

As American Big Tech companies continue to flout EU regulations, and the US Government cuts off critical defense technology to Ukraine, there is a growing sentiment that the US shouldn't be relied upon for the technologies that many people and businesses use every day.

I wrote this latest @privacyguides article to highlight some of the many privacy-respecting, European tools that can replace the tech you use every day: https://www.privacyguides.org/articles/2025/03/19/private-european-alternatives/

New Privacy Guides article
by me:

If you want to keep your password manager local-only, KeePassXC is a great solution!

It's free,
Open-source,
Easy to install and use,
Doesn't require an account,
Works on Linux, macOS, and Windows,
And the team is here! @keepassxc

Here's how to set it up with a YubiKey: https://www.privacyguides.org/articles/2025/03/18/installing-keepassxc-and-yubikey/

If you are looking for a good password manager you can use from anywhere, there are plenty of excellent options to choose from. However, if you prefer to only store your passwords locally, KeePassXC is what you need. In our latest tutorial, we'll walk through setting up KeePassXC to work with your YubiKey as an additional factor to secure your local-only password database.

https://www.privacyguides.org/articles/2025/03/18/installing-keepassxc-and-yubikey/

New Privacy Guides video
by @jw

If you've wondered about
the difference between:

Privacy,
Security,
and Anonymity

And why some privacy-focused
services are worth using even when they don't provide perfect anonymity, watch this!

It's truly an amazing short video!
Everyone should watch it

https://www.privacyguides.org/videos/2025/03/14/stop-confusing-privacy-anonymity-and-security/

This week we’re tackling some common misconceptions with privacy, security, and anonymity!

Often privacy and anonymity are used interchangeably. However, there are distinct differences between the two. In our latest video, we aim to explain and discuss the differences, so you can make better decisions on your privacy and security journey.

https://www.privacyguides.org/videos/2025/03/14/stop-confusing-privacy-anonymity-and-security/

New Privacy Guides article
by me:

If you care about data privacy,

You must also care for the privacy of others.

We often talk about what we can do to improve our own privacy, but we don't talk enough about what we should be doing to improve the privacy of others.

Together, we have to build a culture that normalizes respecting everyone's privacy.

Here are a few ideas to start: https://www.privacyguides.org/articles/2025/03/10/the-privacy-of-others/