#digitalsafety — Public Fediverse posts on home.social

PPC Land @[email protected] · 2026-09-12 · 03:02 UTC

ICYMI: California fines platforms up to $50,000 per child served addictive feeds: Autoplay and algorithmic feeds shown to under-16s now carry per-minor civil penalties, enforced only by the state, with a new advisory body inside the DOJ. https://ppc.land/california-fines-platforms-up-to-50-000-per-child-served-addictive-feeds/ #California #DigitalSafety #SocialMedia #ChildProtection #TechRegulation

#california #digitalsafety #socialmedia #childprotection #techregulation

PPC Land @[email protected] · 2026-09-12 · 03:02 UTC

ICYMI: California fines platforms up to $50,000 per child served addictive feeds: Autoplay and algorithmic feeds shown to under-16s now carry per-minor civil penalties, enforced only by the state, with a new advisory body inside the DOJ. https://ppc.land/california-fines-platforms-up-to-50-000-per-child-served-addictive-feeds/ #California #DigitalSafety #SocialMedia #ChildProtection #TechRegulation

#california #digitalsafety #socialmedia #childprotection #techregulation

PPC Land @[email protected] · 2026-09-12 · 03:02 UTC

ICYMI: California fines platforms up to $50,000 per child served addictive feeds: Autoplay and algorithmic feeds shown to under-16s now carry per-minor civil penalties, enforced only by the state, with a new advisory body inside the DOJ. https://ppc.land/california-fines-platforms-up-to-50-000-per-child-served-addictive-feeds/ #California #DigitalSafety #SocialMedia #ChildProtection #TechRegulation

#california #digitalsafety #socialmedia #childprotection #techregulation

PPC Land @[email protected] · 2026-09-12 · 03:02 UTC

ICYMI: California fines platforms up to $50,000 per child served addictive feeds: Autoplay and algorithmic feeds shown to under-16s now carry per-minor civil penalties, enforced only by the state, with a new advisory body inside the DOJ. https://ppc.land/california-fines-platforms-up-to-50-000-per-child-served-addictive-feeds/ #California #DigitalSafety #SocialMedia #ChildProtection #TechRegulation

#techregulation #childprotection #socialmedia #digitalsafety #california

PPC Land @[email protected] · 2026-09-12 · 03:02 UTC

ICYMI: California fines platforms up to $50,000 per child served addictive feeds: Autoplay and algorithmic feeds shown to under-16s now carry per-minor civil penalties, enforced only by the state, with a new advisory body inside the DOJ. https://ppc.land/california-fines-platforms-up-to-50-000-per-child-served-addictive-feeds/ #California #DigitalSafety #SocialMedia #ChildProtection #TechRegulation

#california #digitalsafety #socialmedia #childprotection #techregulation

Austin Wise @[email protected] · 2026-09-10 · 09:58 UTC

Pattern #90: The Hollow Future Illusion Trap

Strategy: Simulating deep love and a shared future as castles in the air, while remaining ice-cold and distant. Creating the eerie feeling that an unseen script dictates their actions.

Red Flag: Grand promises of togetherness contradicted by emotional detachment and the distinct impression that outside controllers are driving every word.

#RomanceScam #CyberSecurity #RedFlags #DigitalSafety

#digitalsafety #redflags #cybersecurity #romancescam

Daily CyberSecurity @[email protected] · 2026-09-10 · 08:30 UTC

The Windows 11 Age API lets apps check a user's age bracket without exposing their birthday, meeting new age verification laws like California's.

#Windows11 #Microsoft #AgeVerification #Privacy #AgeAPI #DigitalSafety #TechNews

https://securityonline.info/windows-11-age-api/?utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=jetpack_social

#windows11 #microsoft #ageverification #privacy #ageapi #digitalsafety

Daily CyberSecurity @[email protected] · 2026-09-10 · 08:30 UTC

The Windows 11 Age API lets apps check a user's age bracket without exposing their birthday, meeting new age verification laws like California's.

#Windows11 #Microsoft #AgeVerification #Privacy #AgeAPI #DigitalSafety #TechNews

https://securityonline.info/windows-11-age-api/?utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=jetpack_social

#windows11 #microsoft #ageverification #privacy #ageapi #digitalsafety

Daily CyberSecurity @[email protected] · 2026-09-10 · 08:30 UTC

The Windows 11 Age API lets apps check a user's age bracket without exposing their birthday, meeting new age verification laws like California's.

#Windows11 #Microsoft #AgeVerification #Privacy #AgeAPI #DigitalSafety #TechNews

https://securityonline.info/windows-11-age-api/?utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=jetpack_social

#technews #digitalsafety #ageapi #privacy #ageverification #microsoft

Daily CyberSecurity @[email protected] · 2026-09-10 · 08:30 UTC

The Windows 11 Age API lets apps check a user's age bracket without exposing their birthday, meeting new age verification laws like California's.

#Windows11 #Microsoft #AgeVerification #Privacy #AgeAPI #DigitalSafety #TechNews

https://securityonline.info/windows-11-age-api/?utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=jetpack_social

#windows11 #microsoft #ageverification #privacy #ageapi #digitalsafety

Daily CyberSecurity @[email protected] · 2026-09-10 · 08:30 UTC

The Windows 11 Age API lets apps check a user's age bracket without exposing their birthday, meeting new age verification laws like California's.

#Windows11 #Microsoft #AgeVerification #Privacy #AgeAPI #DigitalSafety #TechNews

https://securityonline.info/windows-11-age-api/?utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=jetpack_social

#windows11 #microsoft #ageverification #privacy #ageapi #digitalsafety

Austin Wise @[email protected] · 2026-09-10 · 07:47 UTC

Pattern #89: The Manufactured Victimhood Trap

Strategy: Instantly shifting into the role of the victim with intense emotional outbursts whenever logical inconsistencies or contradictions can no longer be explained or defended.

Red Flag: Dramatic emotional collapses or counter-accusations the moment undeniable contradictions are exposed, turning accountability upside down.

#RomanceScam #CyberSecurity #RedFlags #DigitalSafety

#digitalsafety #redflags #cybersecurity #romancescam

Austin Wise @[email protected] · 2026-09-10 · 06:54 UTC

Pattern #84: The Intimacy and Blackmail Trap

Strategy: Simulating deep affection to demand intimate acts, later weaponizing them as coercion or financial extortion. Meanwhile, constantly juggling incoming calls or messages from other men disguised as casual friends.

Red Flag: Intimacy turning into leverage or blackmail, paired with ongoing background distractions from parallel romantic interests.

#RomanceScam #CyberSecurity #RedFlags #DigitalSafety

#digitalsafety #redflags #cybersecurity #romancescam

Austin Wise @[email protected] · 2026-09-10 · 06:45 UTC

Pattern #83: The Persistent Solicitation Trap

Strategy: Repeatedly requesting funds for alleged obligations or family needs back home, followed by aggressive accusations and hostility when financial support is denied.

Red Flag: Unrelenting financial demands framed as absolute necessities, turning hostile or abusive immediately upon refusal.

#RomanceScam #CyberSecurity #RedFlags #DigitalSafety

#digitalsafety #redflags #cybersecurity #romancescam

Austin Wise @[email protected] · 2026-09-10 · 06:21 UTC

Pattern #82: The Covert Surveillance Trap

Strategy: Secretly recording audio and video without consent to spy, intimidate, and manufacture leverage or false evidence against the target.

Red Flag: Discovering hidden recordings or facing threats based on covertly gathered media intended to control behavior.

#RomanceScam #CyberSecurity #RedFlags #DigitalSafety

#digitalsafety #redflags #cybersecurity #romancescam

Austin Wise @[email protected] · 2026-09-10 · 05:52 UTC

Pattern #81: The Luxury Discrepancy Trap

Strategy: Simulating extreme poverty or a tragic backstory to elicit sympathy, while openly displaying expensive jewelry, high-end clothing, multiple mobile phones, or commercial business accounts.

Red Flag: Stark contradictions between claimed financial destitution and a visible luxury lifestyle or redundant communication channels.

#RomanceScam #CyberSecurity #RedFlags #DigitalSafety

#digitalsafety #redflags #cybersecurity #romancescam

Austin Wise @[email protected] · 2026-09-10 · 05:40 UTC

Pattern #80: The Triangulation and Blame-Shifting Trap

Strategy: Inverting accountability through severe accusations and feigned incomprehension. Parallel, opaque contacts with third parties are deliberately used to induce insecurity.

Red Flag: Constant counter-accusations and aggressive justifications while maintaining ambivalent contacts to force emotional dependency.

#RomanceScam #CyberSecurity #RedFlags #DigitalSafety

#digitalsafety #redflags #cybersecurity #romancescam

Austin Wise @[email protected] · 2026-09-10 · 05:13 UTC

Pattern #77: The Faith-Washing Rationalization

Strategy: Evoking religious beliefs, divine will, or spiritual duty to bypass logical problem-solving and completely justify harmful, unfair, or evasive behavior without taking accountability.

Red Flag: Refusing to address concrete problems or conflicts, dismissing valid concerns entirely under the guise of "faith" or claiming that spiritual alignment makes traditional rules of transparency irrelevant.
#CyberSecurity #DigitalSafety #Manipulation

#manipulation #digitalsafety #cybersecurity

Austin Wise @[email protected] · 2026-09-10 · 04:48 UTC

Pattern #76: The Cognitive Control Trap

Strategy: Systematically dictating how the target should interpret events, questioning their independent judgment, and replacing their internal narrative with the manipulator's version of reality.
Red Flag: Constant attempts to rewrite how you perceived a situation, framing your normal critical thinking as flawed, paranoid, or overly emotional.#RomanceScam #CyberSecurity #RedFlag #DigitalSafety #PsychologicalControl

#psychologicalcontrol #digitalsafety #redflag #cybersecurity

DoRaleigh @[email protected] · 2026-09-03 · 00:00 UTC

How to Make Sure Your Android Phone Is Secure in 2026

Android phones contain everything from personal photos and private conversations to banking information and account passwords. As online scams, malicious apps and phone theft become more sophisticated, reviewing the security features built into an Android device is increasingly important.

A recent Engadget guide to Android phone security⁠ highlights several practical steps users can take to protect their devices, accounts and personal information.

Keep Android and Your Apps Updated

Installing software updates is one of the easiest ways to improve Android security. Updates frequently include fixes for newly discovered vulnerabilities, along with enhanced privacy and theft-protection tools.

Users can generally check for Android updates by opening:

Settings > System > Software updates

Apps should also be updated regularly through the Google Play Store. Automatic updates can be enabled under the Play Store’s network preferences, while pending updates can be reviewed under Manage apps and device.

Because menu names may vary by phone manufacturer and Android version, users may need to search for “software update” inside the Settings app.

Protect Your Google Account

A Google account is connected to many of the phone’s most important features, including email, photos, contacts, backups and payment information. Engadget recommends enabling two-step verification so that a password alone cannot provide access to the account.

Two-step verification can be configured through the Google Account’s Security & sign-in section.

Android users should also enable automatic backups. A recent backup can make it much easier to recover contacts, messages, photos, settings and other important information if a phone is damaged, lost or stolen.

Set Up Find Hub Before the Phone Goes Missing

Google’s Find Hub service can help users locate, ring, lock or erase a missing Android device. However, the necessary settings should be checked before the phone disappears.

Users should confirm that location services are active and that the phone is allowed to be located through Find Hub. The service can then be accessed from another phone, tablet or computer.

Backing up the device and activating Find Hub together provides a stronger recovery plan: Find Hub helps locate or secure the missing phone, while the backup protects the information stored on it.

Turn On Android’s Scam-Protection Features

Android includes tools designed to identify suspicious calls and text messages. Google’s Scam Detection feature analyzes certain conversations for patterns commonly associated with scams, including fraudulent job offers and romance schemes.

Call Scam Detection is not available on every Android phone. Engadget reports that the feature is currently available on supported Google Pixel devices, with expansion to additional phones planned.

Google Messages also offers spam and scam protection for conversations involving people outside the user’s contact list. When suspicious activity is detected, Android may display a warning and provide options to block or report the sender.

These tools can help, but no automated detection system is perfect. Users should remain cautious when callers or messages request money, passwords, verification codes or immediate action.

Review App Permissions

Android apps may request access to a phone’s location, microphone, camera, contacts, photos, messages, calendar or health information. Some permissions are necessary, but others may have little connection to an app’s actual purpose.

Permissions can typically be reviewed by opening:

Settings > Security & privacy > Privacy > Permission manager

Users can review permissions by category or inspect individual apps. A navigation app may reasonably require location access, for example, while a basic card game probably does not need access to contacts or text messages.

Android can also pause permissions and activity for apps that have not been used for an extended period. Enabling this option helps prevent forgotten apps from continuing to access personal information in the background.

Reduce Advertising Tracking

Android provides privacy controls that allow users to limit how their activity is used for personalized advertising. These options may include ad topics, app-suggested advertisements and ad measurement.

The controls can generally be found under:

Settings > Google > All services > Privacy & security > Ads > Ads privacy

Users can disable individual advertising features, remove selected topics or opt out of personalized advertising more broadly. Changing these settings will not eliminate advertisements, but it can reduce the amount of personal data used to customize them.

Keep Google Play Protect Enabled

Google Play Protect scans apps for malware, harmful behavior and potentially unsafe data practices. It also periodically checks apps already installed on the device.

Users can verify that the feature is active by opening the Google Play Store and selecting:

Profile icon > Play Protect > Settings

Engadget advises keeping Play Protect enabled. People who install apps from outside the Google Play Store face additional risks because those apps may not have passed Google’s standard security reviews. Android users who do not need to sideload apps should generally avoid doing so.

Activate Android Theft Protection

Newer Android devices include several features designed to protect personal information after a phone is taken. Depending on the device, these protections may include:

Theft Detection Lock: Uses motion and connection signals to detect a possible snatch-and-run theft.
Offline Device Lock: Locks the screen when someone takes the device offline.
Failed Authentication Lock: Responds to repeated unsuccessful attempts to unlock the phone.
Identity Check: Requires biometric verification before sensitive security settings can be changed.
Remote Lock: Allows an eligible phone to be locked remotely using its verified phone number.

These tools can usually be found under:

Settings > Google > All services > Personal & device safety > Theft protection

Feature availability may depend on the phone model, manufacturer, region and installed version of Android.

Final Android Security Checklist

Android users can improve their phone security by completing a few essential tasks:

Install all available Android and app updates.
Enable two-step verification for the connected Google account.
Turn on automatic backups and Find Hub.
Activate available scam and spam protections.
Remove unnecessary app permissions.
Review personalized advertising settings.
Confirm that Google Play Protect is running.
Enable Android’s theft-protection features.

No security setting can stop every threat, but using these protections together can substantially reduce the risk of account theft, malicious apps, invasive tracking and data loss.

For the complete instructions and additional details, read Alec Hively’s original article: How to Make Sure Your Android Phone Is Secure on Engadget⁠.

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#AndroidSecurity #AndroidTheftProtection #ConsumerTechnology #CyberSecurity #DigitalSafety #DoRaleigh #GooglePlayProtect #MobilePrivacy #News #OnlineScams #SmartphoneSafety #TechnologyTips

#androidsecurity #androidtheftprotection #consumertechnology #cybersecurity #digitalsafety #doraleigh

raytechgh @[email protected] · 2026-07-12 · 11:51 UTC

Agentic AI-Driven Warfare: How Autonomous AI Is Changing Cybersecurity in 2026

Artificial intelligence is transforming cybersecurity at an incredible pace. In 2026, a new trend known as Agentic AI-Driven Warfare is changing how both cybercriminals and security professionals operate. Unlike traditional AI tools that simply respond to commands, AI agents can perform complex tasks independently, making cyberattacks faster and more sophisticated. What Is Agentic AI? Agentic AI refers to autonomous AI systems that can plan, make decisions, and complete tasks with little or […]

https://raytechgh.wordpress.com/2026/07/12/agentic-ai-driven-warfare-how-autonomous-ai-is-changing-cybersecurity-in-2026/

#agenticai #ai #artificialintelligence #cyberwarfare #cybersecurity #datasecurity