Best of PrivacyDecember 2024

  1. 1
    Article
    Avatar of itsfossIt's Foss·1y

    5 Privacy-Focused Notion Alternatives That I Tried!

    Explore five privacy-focused alternatives to Notion, offering open-source, local-first, and decentralized options. AFFiNE, AppFlowy, Anytype, Docmost, and Logseq are reviewed for their unique features and potential as Notion replacements, catering to a variety of user preferences.

  2. 2
    Article
    Avatar of hnHacker News·1y

    They See Your Photos

    Photos can reveal significant private information. An experiment demonstrated using Google Vision API to uncover the story behind a single photo and the types of data that can be extracted.

  3. 3
    Article
    Avatar of communityCommunity Picks·1y

    The 6 Best LLM Tools To Run Models Locally

    Running large language models (LLMs) locally offers enhanced data privacy, customization, and cost savings. This post covers the top six tools (LM Studio, Jan, Llamafile, GPT4ALL, Ollama, and LLaMa.cpp) that allow developers to run LLMs offline on Mac, Windows, and Linux platforms, providing features like advanced model customization, offline support, and integration with popular AI providers. Local LLM tools are useful in various scenarios, including telehealth and no-internet locations, ensuring data does not leave the local device.

  4. 4
    Article
    Avatar of lobstersLobsters·1y

    lmno.lol

    A blog platform that emphasizes wholesome content without tracking, adverts, paywalls, and unnecessary bloat, ensuring a clean and enjoyable reader experience.

  5. 5
    Article
    Avatar of itsfossIt's Foss·1y

    5 Local AI Tools to Interact With PDF and Documents

    Discover five local AI tools that enable you to interact with PDFs and documents securely on your own machine, without sending data to the cloud. These open-source projects ensure your privacy while offering capabilities such as summarizing, querying, and analyzing content offline. Tools highlighted include Chatd, LocalGPT, PrivateGPT, GPT4All, and LM Studio, each providing unique features for diverse user needs.

  6. 6
    Video
    Avatar of lowlevellearningLow Level Learning·1y

    i tried to warn you.

    A VPN service called Big Mama VPN has been found to misuse its users' IP addresses and network connections for potentially malicious activities. The service, which caters to users trying to gain advantages in VR games, routes traffic through users' home networks, allowing commercial clients to hide their online activities. Despite its seemingly legitimate appearance, this VPN poses serious security and privacy risks. Researchers from Cisco Talos and Trend Micro have highlighted vulnerabilities and unauthorized access issues associated with the service. Users are warned against trusting free or cheap VPNs due to potential compromises in privacy and security.

  7. 7
    Article
    Avatar of communityCommunity Picks·1y

    Hide your WordPress website from Matt Mullenweg

    WordPress installations send HTTP requests to WordPress.org, which may include identifiable information like the domain, protocol, and user-agent string. The post discusses concerns over Matt Mullenweg's announcement that WordPress.org is his personal site, highlighting potential privacy and security risks. It reviews various endpoint requests, detailing the data sent and providing recommendations on whether each request should be blocked, anonymized, or modified.

  8. 8
    Article
    Avatar of infosecwriteupsInfoSec Write-ups·1y

    You’re Not Paranoid: Your Devices Are Always Listening — and Here’s Why

    Devices like smartphones and smart home gadgets use active listening software to capture audio from users, often for targeted advertising. This technology, intended initially for speech recognition, raises significant privacy issues by continuously analyzing surroundings without user interaction. Leaks and investigations have confirmed its use in marketing. Users can protect their privacy by managing app permissions, using privacy-focused devices, and employing tools like anti-spyware programs.

  9. 9
    Article
    Avatar of detlifeData Engineer Things·1y

    Your Machine, Your AI — The Ultimate Local Productivity Stack with Ollama

    Discover how to boost your productivity using local AI tools like Ollama with the Gemma 2 and LLaVA models. Learn to set up these tools, execute various tasks such as code reviews, summarizing text, creating mind maps, and analyzing images, all while keeping data secure and private on your local machine. Integrate scripted workflows with Raycast for enhanced efficiency, and explore using Open WebUI for a local AI chat setup. The guide provides practical examples and encourages the creation of personalized AI-powered helper scripts to automate repetitive tasks.

  10. 10
    Article
    Avatar of mlnewsMachine Learning News·1y

    Top 20 Guardrails to Secure LLM Applications

    Ensuring the secure, ethical, and reliable deployment of Large Language Models (LLMs) requires robust guardrails. Key strategies include filters for inappropriate and offensive content, shields against prompt injections, validators for response relevance and URL availability, and tools for maintaining the quality of language output. Additional measures like competitor mention blockers, price quote validators, and logic consistency checkers are essential for maintaining integrity and functionality in LLM applications.

  11. 11
    Article
    Avatar of hnHacker News·1y

    privastead/privastead

    Privastead is a privacy-preserving home security camera solution that uses end-to-end encryption through the OpenMLS implementation. It consists of a local camera hub, a mobile app for notifications and livestreaming, and an untrusted server for message relaying. The system ensures that only the hub and the mobile app can access unencrypted videos, and it supports various IP cameras with RTSP and ONVIF capabilities. The project also emphasizes minimal trust in the IP camera and does not conceal event timing from potential adversaries.

  12. 12
    Article
    Avatar of rocksdev_toolsRocksDev.Tools·1y

    🛠️ Launched RocksDev Tools - Free Dev Tools with Zero Data Collection

    RocksDev Tools offers a new suite of open-source developer tools emphasizing privacy with no data collection and in-browser processing. The tools available include JSON tools, a Base64 converter, a regex tester, and an OG image generator. The tools are multi-language and do not require sign-up.

  13. 13
    Article
    Avatar of communityCommunity Picks·1y

    How Do You Set Cookie Consent in Laravel? 🍪

    Learn how to set up a cookie consent bar in Laravel using the spatie/laravel-cookie-consent package. This package adds a customizable cookie consent banner to your site, helping you comply with EU cookie laws. The tutorial walks through installation, configuration, and usage, ensuring user consent is properly obtained and managed. Additionally, advanced tools like Jetship Laravel SaaS Boilerplate offer enhanced features including cookie management and robust user authentication.

  14. 14
    Article
    Avatar of theregisterThe Register·1y

    Make illegally trained LLMs public domain as punishment

    Global technology corporations often ignore laws in their pursuit of wealth, facing minimal consequences like fines. The post argues for making illegally trained large language models (LLMs) public domain to deter unethical practices, considering the high environmental cost of simply deleting them. It emphasizes the need for stricter regulations and global cooperation to ensure companies comply with legal obligations related to privacy and data protection.

  15. 15
    Article
    Avatar of infosecwriteupsInfoSec Write-ups·1y

    How Black Hat Use Cookies to Steal Your Identity

    Cookies are small files that store information about you, such as session details. Attackers can steal your cookies through methods like accessing your device, phishing scams, or purchasing them from third parties. To protect yourself, avoid using public networks, consider more secure browsers like Brave instead of Chrome, delete browsing sessions and cookies often, and limit the permission websites have to save your information.

  16. 16
    Article
    Avatar of hnHacker News·1y

    Why Dumb TVs Deserve a Comeback

    Smart TVs often become obsolete quickly due to lack of software updates, suffer from bloatware, and pose privacy risks. Dumb TVs, when paired with streaming devices like Roku or Chromecast, offer a simpler, more privacy-conscious viewing experience. For a comeback, dumb TVs need larger screen sizes, better features, and should be marketed for their longevity, privacy advantages, and affordability.