Comcast Activates WiFi Motion Detection on MILLIONS of Routers, Raising Privacy Concerns

 On Aug. 18, Comcast activated a motion detection feature on millions of its newer home routers.

WiFi Motion is a free feature that turns newer Xfinity Gateways into motion sensors by detecting interruptions to the WiFi signal of the wireless network and sending a notification through the Xfinity app, according to TechCrunch .

Comcast unveiled the feature as part of Xfinity Shield, a home security platform built around the WiFi network, and it turns the leased gateway into a motion detector at no extra charge, according to a ZeroHedge report.

Comcast said WiFi Motion works "without recording video, capturing images, or identifying individuals," according to the report.

The company's terms state that Comcast "may disclose information generated by your WiFi Motion to third parties without further notice" in connection with law enforcement investigations, the report said. Comcast said a typical customer has roughly 36 devices connected to their WiFi. 

WiFi Motion works because a human body moving through a room disturbs the signal field between the gateway and stationary connected devices, such as a printer or a game console, according to Comcast's rollout materials. The feature is opt-in and, according to Comcast, does not track phones or reach through WiFi extenders.

Comcast's rollout materials stated that those limitations are choices made in software, not limitations of the technology itself.

The detection method relies on signals that have been part of WiFi networks for more than a decade....<<<<Read More>>>....

Stanford economist advises UN on global AI governance and then issues a statement calling for policymakers to create institutions to govern AI

 A Stanford professor has organised a statement calling on policymakers and technology leaders to build policies and institutions to address the rapid rollout of AI because it will disrupt economies.

Less than a week before, his work was cited in the UN’s first global report assessing artificial intelligence capabilities, risks and impacts. A report which reads like the UN is attempting to take control of the global narrative using AI.

But that’s not all. The professor’s institution at Stanford is a partner in projects involving human augmentation using AI and neuroscience.....<<<Read More>>>....

Keir Starmer’s Doomed Social Media ‘Ban’

 We’ve been here before. Last December, Australia launched a failed experiment which the UK is now seeking to replicate. Australia purported to ban children from social media, requiring social media platforms to take “reasonable steps” to ensure that there were no under-16’s on their platforms.

Most Australian children are still on social media. Even the eSafety Commissioner concedes that at least 70% of the children are still on there – based on a survey of parents. The true figure is almost certainly higher: no children who circumvented the ban are going to tell their parents. This is unsurprising given the official Government-funded study, used to recommend implementation methods, proposed systems that would literally let over 40% of 10 year-olds through (a finding that the authors occluded in their report). The report was prepared by the UK-based Age Verification Providers Association, an industry body with a direct commercial interest in selling these systems. One imagines the UK Government is receiving similarly dubious advice. And then there are VPNs — allowing children to bypass age verification entirely by appearing to connect from a country without a ban.

From a child safety perspective, the failure of the Australian ban is a good thing. Social media platforms operate based on network effects. They persist because of the community that is there. In ordinary circumstances, this provides an incumbent advantage. But if the Government succeeds in breaking these networks down, then under-16’s are suddenly motivated to go elsewhere.

That ‘elsewhere’ could be a completely unregulated startup app or website with no safety measures whatsoever....<<<Read More>>>...

The EU is pushing “Driver-Monitoring Cameras”. Here’s why.

 From July of this year, every vehicle registered in the European Union will be required to have driver-monitoring cameras in place. That’s not every new car manufactured, but every car registered.

The “Advanced Driver Distraction Warning” (ADDW) cameras are designed to monitor driver behaviour for signs of potential distraction, and then set off a warning if those signs are detected.

It was first announced in 2024 as part of the EU’s “Vision Zero” plan to eliminate car-related deaths by 2050.

But it’s not really about that.

It’s never about what they say it’s about.

Here’s where this goes…

Firstly, kiss successful insurance claims goodbye.

Any accident will be blamed on “sub-optimal driver performance”, and that time you checked your phone while stopped at a light, or your hands moved briefly from the 10-and-2 or your eyeline wasn’t correctly picked up by the mirror sensor, will be used to blame your fender-bender on you.

This will create a change in accident reporting statistics, spiking “driver error” as the cause for anything and everything that goes wrong on the road.

This, in turn, will kick off a big “people drive dangerously” propaganda push.

Headlines like “ADDW data harvesting has shown up 80% of us might be driving more recklessly than we think”, or “most veteran drivers slip in to bad habits, reports show” will appear.

Then comes the new legislation to act on this totally fabricated problem.

What is it? It’s re-certification....<<Read More>>>...

Social Media Algorithms ‘Recommending Antisemitic Content’

 A concerning new report finds teens are stumbling across disturbing antisemitic content within hours of joining TikTok and Rumble. The Telegraph has the story.

Algorithms are directing teenagers to thousands of videos about Holocaust denial, conspiracy theories about Jewish greed and influence, and false claims about 9/11 and Hamas’s October 7th attacks against Israel. …

The report by two counter-extremism bodies called the Antisemitism Policy Trust (APT) and the Institute for Strategic Dialogue (ISD) found that 15 year-old-users were quickly directed to antisemitic content.

Researchers created 10 profiles on TikTok representing a selection of diverse 15 year-olds with a variety of interests to gauge the extent of antisemitic content directed at teenagers.

They found that a 15 year-old boy interested in male lifestyle influencers needed to be on TikTok for only an hour before he was shown antisemitic conspiracy theories.

Another 15 year-old boy with an interest in Left-wing politics was served content glorifying the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) and material featuring Abu Obeida, Hamas’s former spokesman, within 90 minutes.

The Amplifying Antisemitism report found that Holocaust denial content generated high levels of engagement. Videos disputing the death toll of six million Jews receive tens of thousands of likes and shares....<<<Read More>>>...

Parents Decide Act requires Apple, Google to verify age of every device user

 New bill mandates age verification for all device users.

Critics warn it creates a digital national ID system.

The law would make Apple and Google age brokers for apps.

Data protection rules are vague and deferred to the FTC.

The measure could end online anonymity for all Americans.

A new congressional bill, packaged as a child safety initiative, would require every American setting up a phone, computer, or tablet to verify their age with Apple or Google, creating what critics warn is a backdoor national identification system for the digital age. The Parents Decide Act (H.R. 8250), introduced by Representative Josh Gottheimer and Elise Stefanik on April 13, mandates that operating system providers collect and confirm the birth date of any user during device setup, with no opt-out for adults. While proponents argue this gives parents control, the legislation’s fine print builds a universal age-verification layer that could reshape online anonymity and consolidate surveillance power with two tech giants.

Gottheimer announced the bill at a Ridgewood, New Jersey, news conference on April 2, standing with local advocates. “With each passing day, the internet is becoming more and more treacherous for our kids,” Gottheimer said. He criticized the current system where “children are able to bypass age requirements by entering a different birthday and accessing apps without any real verification. Kids can bypass age requirements by simply typing in a different birthday. That’s it. That’s the system.” ...<<<Read More>>>...

Thought police arrive in Pennsylvania: Court greenlights warrantless search of your Google history

The Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruled police do not need a warrant to access an individual's Google search history.

The court argued users have no "reasonable expectation of privacy" because tech companies routinely collect and sell data.

The decision stemmed from a rape investigation where police used a "reverse keyword warrant" to identify a suspect.

Legal experts warn the ruling treats private thoughts as public data and sets a dangerous national precedent.

The logic suggests opting out of surveillance requires abstaining from essential modern internet use.

In a ruling that privacy advocates warn fundamentally reshapes the boundaries of government surveillance, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court declared Tuesday that law enforcement does not need a warrant to access an individual’s Google search history. The decision, which originated from a 2025 rape investigation in Pennsylvania, concluded that internet users cannot reasonably expect privacy for their online queries because data collection by corporations is now commonplace. By equating corporate data harvesting with a public surrender of constitutional rights, the court has granted police a powerful new tool to probe the private thoughts of citizens, setting a precedent that threatens to chill free inquiry and expand the surveillance state....<<<Read More>>>...

Google and Microsoft to demand “age verification” from Australians

Starting 27 December 2025, Australians using internet search engines such as Google and Microsoft Bing while logged in will be required to verify their age through digital identity checks, including methods such as photo ID, facial recognition or digital ID linking.

The Australian Broadcasting Corporation reported in July that Google and Microsoft will be required to implement some form of age-assurance technology by 27 December. If the companies fail to comply, they could face fines of up to nearly AUS$50 million per breach.

This requirement is part of new industry codes registered by the Australian eSafety Commissioner and applies only to users who are signed into their accounts.

These industry codes are not formal legislation as they do not go through Parliament. Instead, The Guardian said, they’re developed by the technology industry and registered by the eSafety commissioner in a process called co-regulation. By bypassing the Parliamentary process, these industry codes can give an enormous amount of power to an unelected official, the eSafety commissioner.

In the meantime, writers are leaving Substack in response to similar censorship and “age verification” rules implemented on the platform earlier this month....<<<Read More>>>...

Everything is Watching: A Field Guide to Everyday Surveillance Tech

 The problem is not just that we’re being tracked more than ever; it’s that everyone is actively paying for the surveillance. 

Video doorbell ownership in the US rose from 4% to over a 35% between 2017 and 2024. Smart TVs – which track and sell your viewing analytics – are now in 86% of homes, up from 47% a couple of years ago. 75% of cars shipped in 2024 were embedded with cellular modems, permanently streaming live data about drivers and passengers. 

The average online household in the US has a staggering 17 connected devices. And the data-broker market – the industry buying and selling your personal information – will soon reach $500 billion annually. 

We have more eyes on us than at any point in history, more people analysing our every move, and a lot of questionable legality about it all. Here’s how your connected devices are creating a whole new industry worth hundreds of billions of dollars. ...<<<Read More>>>...

The quantum revolution is here: Caltech’s 6,100-qubit leap brings us closer to a world reshaped by unbreakable code and total surveillance

 The future of quantum computing, unbreakable code and total surveillance isn’t just on some dystopian horizon—it’s already unfolding in a California lab, where scientists have built the largest quantum computing array ever assembled. 

With 6,100 qubits trapped in laser grids, Caltech’s breakthrough edges humanity closer to a reality where encryption crumbles, privacy vanishes, and governments—or shadowy elites—gain unprecedented power over information. 

While researchers celebrate the technical triumph, the darker implications loom large: a world where every digital secret could be laid bare, where surveillance reaches into the deepest corners of thought and transaction, and where the balance of power tilts irrevocably toward those who control the machines. ...<<<Read More>>>...

UK Online Safety Act is about global censorship – and American lawmakers are noticing

 The UK’s Online Safety Act is about censorship rather than safety. It requires age checks and algorithm changes that are leading to over-censorship of content.

The law’s scope of “harmful content” is subjective and can result in the blocking of legal content, with reports of censorship already emerging in the UK, including the blocking of footage and subreddits.

Censorship being imposed by the Act has caught the attention of US lawmakers, both Democrats and Republicans. Democrat Senator Ron Wyden and Republican House Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan have both expressed concerns about the impact the Act has on free expression and First Amendment rights in the US....<<<Read More>>>...

Age-Restricted Taxi Tracking? The Absurd Consequences of the Online Safety Bill

 I was recently travelling in the UK and, after a lot of sightseeing on foot, decided to order a taxi to go back to my hotel.

I searched the internet for a local taxi firm and found one with relative ease. I called the number and went through an automated process which worked well. I managed to book a taxi quickly. The computer-generated voice told me that my taxi was on its way. I was sent a link so that I could monitor the progress of my taxi. The message also said that I would know the taxi driver’s name and the type of vehicle and registration number that was on its way.

When I clicked on the link I was forwarded to this:

Another silent siege on user data as Google’s Gemini AI oversteps android privacy

 Google’s Gemini AI now accesses users’ third-party apps (WhatsApp, Messages) on Android without explicit consent, overriding prior privacy settings beginning July 7.

The update enables human review of data by Google, even if users disable “Gemini Apps Activity,” which stores interactions temporarily for “safety” but retains app access.

Users face confusion navigating incomplete opt-out instructions, with no clear path to fully remove the AI from devices.

Critics compare the move to tech monopolies’ historical overreach, citing parallels to Microsoft’s antitrust case in the 1990s.

Privacy advocates urge stricter regulations to curb Big Tech’s unchecked data collection and empower user choice....<<<Read More>>>...

UK switches on AI supercomputer that will help spot sick cows and skin cancer

 Hopes £225m Isambard-AI in Bristol will unleash new era of technological, medical and social breakthroughs.

Britain’s new £225m national artificial intelligence supercomputer will be used to spot sick dairy cows in Somerset, improve the detection of skin cancer on brown skin and help create wearable AI assistants that could help riot police anticipate danger.

Scientists hope Isambard-AI – named after the 19th-century engineer of groundbreaking bridges and railways, Isambard Kingdom Brunel – will unleash a wave of AI-powered technological, medical and social breakthroughs by allowing academics and public bodies access to the kind of vast computing power previously the preserve of private tech companies.

The supercomputer was formally switched on in Bristol on Thursday by the secretary of state for science and technology, Peter Kyle, who said it gave the UK “the raw computational horsepower that will save lives, create jobs, and help us reach net zero-ambitions faster”.

The machine is fitted with 5,400 Nvidia “superchips” and sits inside a black metal cage topped with razor wire north of the city. It will consume almost £1m a month of mostly nuclear-powered electricity and will run 100,000 times faster than an average laptop....<<<Read More>>>...

How uploading our minds to a computer might become possible

 The idea that our mind could live on in another form after our physical body dies has been a recurring theme in science fiction since the 1950s. Recent television series such as Black Mirror and Upload, as well as some games, demonstrate our continued fascination with this idea. The concept is known as mind uploading.

ecent developments in science and technology are taking us closer to a time when mind uploading could graduate from science fiction to reality.

In 2016, BBC Horizon screened a programme called The Immortalist, in which a Russian millionaire unveiled his plans to work with neuroscientists, robot builders and other experts to create technology that would allow us to upload our minds to a computer in order to live forever.

At the time, he confidently predicted that this would be achieved by 2045. This seems unlikely, but we are making small but significant steps towards a better understanding of the human brain – and potentially the ability to emulate, or reproduce, it....<<<Read More>>>...

 

EU enforces mandatory ‘disinformation’ crackdown under Digital Services Act, instituting CENSORSHIP AUTHORITARIANISM on a global scale

 The European Union, long positioning itself as the globe’s top tech regulator, has officially flipped the switch on its voluntary "disinformation" code, transforming it into a compulsory censorship mechanism under the Digital Services Act (DSA). 

No longer content with passive cooperation, Brussels now demands that tech giants submit to invasive audits, algorithmic scrutiny, and aggressive content policing—all under the guise of "digital safety." 

Yet, behind the bureaucratic jargon lies a far-reaching crackdown on free speech, one that risks igniting fierce trade tensions with the U.S. while tightening the EU’s grip on online discourse. As the DSA’s mandates expand mid-February to ensnare more platforms regardless of size, critics warn that Europe’s latest power grab isn't about protecting citizens—it's about silencing them...<<<Read More>>>...

Austria advances controversial spyware law enabling government access to encrypted messaging apps

 Austria is on the brink of a major expansion of its surveillance powers, as its cabinet greenlights legislation that would allow law enforcement to infiltrate encrypted communications using spyware.

The cabinet proposed law, which targets widely used messaging platforms like WhatsApp, Signal and Telegram, would authorize the use of a tool known as source TKU (telecommunications surveillance at the source). The software enables authorities to bypass encryption by monitoring conversations directly on suspects' devices.

Under the newly approved legal framework, authorities can deploy malware known as the Bundestrojaner to intercept encrypted communications on mobile phones and computers even when individuals are not suspected of any crime, provided that all other investigative tools have been exhausted.

The amendments span several key laws, including the State Protection and Intelligence Service Act, the Security Police Act and the Telecommunications Act. Government documents outline two core aims: preventing serious constitutional threats that carry a potential sentence of at least 10 years, and enabling the monitoring of encrypted digital communication.

Karner promised that the use of spyware would be tightly regulated. A panel of three judges would have to approve any surveillance request and the number of individuals targeted annually is expected to remain between 25 and 30. Surpassing that limit would require mandatory reporting to Parliament. If encrypted surveillance exceeds 30 cases in one year, the Interior Minister must notify a permanent subcommittee of the National Council, Austria's lower house of Parliament...<<<Read More>>>....

How Meta’s “free” AI assistant turns private conversations into profit

Meta, the parent company of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, has unveiled its latest artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot, Meta AI. This tool is being marketed as a helpful digital assistant but is actually designed to extract and monetize users’ most personal data.

Powered by the Llama 4 language model, Meta AI engages users in natural conversations while quietly compiling intimate details about their lives, health concerns, and habits to fuel its advertising empire. Unlike subscription-based AI services that prioritize privacy, Meta’s “free” chatbot follows the company’s long-standing business model: turning users into products.

“Meta AI is built to get to know you,” the company declared in its announcement. But this seemingly friendly promise masks a far more invasive reality. According to The Washington Post’s Geoffrey A. Fowler, the chatbot “kept a copy of everything” by default, storing sensitive conversations unless users manually deleted them. Meta claims it offers “transparency and control,” but critics argue the system is designed to make opting out difficult.

Unlike competitors such as Anthropic’s Claude, which operates on a subscription model, Meta AI monetizes personal data by integrating it into its vast advertising network. Research shows people increasingly confide in AI about deeply personal struggles such as job anxieties, health issues, and emotional vulnerabilities, making these interactions a goldmine for targeted ads. A user discussing interview stress with Meta AI could soon see ads for anti-anxiety medications, despite never publicly mentioning their concerns....<<<Read More>>>...

Prescience: 161 years ago, a New Zealand sheep farmer predicted AI doom

 While worrying about AI takeover might seem like a modern idea that sprung from War Games or The Terminator, it turns out that a similar concern about machine dominance dates back to the time of the American Civil War, albeit from an English sheep farmer living in New Zealand. Theoretically, Abraham Lincoln could have read about AI takeover during his lifetime.

On June 13, 1863, a letter published in The Press newspaper of Christchurch warned about the potential dangers of mechanical evolution and called for the destruction of machines, foreshadowing the development of what we now call artificial intelligence — and the backlash against it from people who fear it may threaten humanity with extinction. It presented what may be the first published argument for stopping technological progress to prevent machines from dominating humanity.

Titled "Darwin among the Machines," the letter recently popped up again on social media thanks to Peter Wildeford of the Institute for AI Policy and Strategy. The author of the letter, Samuel Butler, submitted it under the pseudonym Cellarius, but later came to publicly embrace his position. The letter drew direct parallels between Charles Darwin's theory of evolution and the rapid development of machinery, suggesting that machines could evolve consciousness and eventually supplant humans as Earth's dominant species.

"We are ourselves creating our own successors," he wrote. "We are daily adding to the beauty and delicacy of their physical organisation; we are daily giving them greater power and supplying by all sorts of ingenious contrivances that self-regulating, self-acting power which will be to them what intellect has been to the human race. In the course of ages we shall find ourselves the inferior race."...<<<Read More>>>...

Protecting the globalist narrative: World leaders sign UN-backed CENSORSHIP declaration targeting Big Tech, advertisers and media

 United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and several world leaders just signed a new censorship declaration during the Cascais Declaration at the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC) 10th Global Forum in Portugal from Nov. 25-27.

The Cascais Declaration indicated that those who signed it are "alarmed" at what is described as a global spread, online and offline, of "disinformation, misinformation and hate speech."

The signatories would also want these to be targeted while strengthening "information integrity." The document did not indicate what this means or how the group is planning to act on it. Another controversial UN scheme called the Pact for the Future was also mentioned in the paper.

"Take note of the adoption of the Pact for the Future which recognizes the role of reinvigorated multilateralism and the importance of the voice of religious leaders and faith-based organizations in promoting a culture of peace," the declaration stated.

However, critics of the Pact speculate that this is just another mechanism that would pave the way to more censorship and surveillance.

There was even a mention of "monitoring antisemitism," but also "combating Islamophobia," which the declaration indicated a special UN envoy would be deployed to deal with the task...<<<Read More>>>...