Dell Cameron, Author at Gizmodo

Do Not, I Repeat, Do Not Download Onavo, Facebook’s Vampiric VPN Service

Facebook is not a privacy company; it’s Big Brother on PCP. It does not want to anonymize and protect you; it wants to drain you of your privacy, sucking up every bit of personal data. You should resist the urge to let it, at every turn. There’s a new menu item in the Facebook app,…

Privacy & Security Dell Cameron

Sacramento Bee Leaks 19.5 Million California Voter Records, Promptly Compromised by Hackers

Last month, a local California newspaper left more than 19 million voter records exposed online. Gizmodo confirmed this week that the records were compromised during an apparent ransomware attack. The Sacramento Bee said in a statement that a firewall protecting its database was not restored during routine maintenance last month, leaving the 19,501,258 voter files…

Privacy & Security Dell Cameron

FCC Says Releasing ‘Jokes’ It Wrote About Ajit Pai Colluding With Verizon Would ‘Harm’ Agency

At its own discretion, the Federal Communications Commission has chosen to block the release of records related to a video produced last year in which FCC Chairman Ajit Pai and a Verizon executive joke about installing a “Verizon puppet” as head of the FCC. In a letter to Gizmodo last week, the agency said it…

Tech News Dell Cameron

12,000 Social Media Influencers, Mostly Women, Exposed by Marketing Firm Data Breach

More than 12,000 prominent social media influencers from YouTube, Instagram, Twitter, and the gaming platform Twitch were exposed last month by a data breach at a marketing firm that pairs online stars with top brands seeking product reviews and endorsements, according to researchers at the security firm UpGuard. Many of the online stars have massive…

Privacy & Security Dell Cameron

That Boring FBI Surveillance Memo Doesn’t Say What House Republican Thinks It Does

Who do we call to get the last week of our lives back? Rep. Devin Nunes, the godfather of disappointment, released his memo on Friday, capping off another chapter in the life of the California congressman and chairman of the House Intelligence Committee who exists solely to ingratiate himself to President Trump. The memo is…

Tech News Dell Cameron

FBI Accused—Again—of Cover-Up in DB Cooper Skyjacker Case

Maybe you haven’t heard, but the FBI is taking a lot of shit today over a certain memo. (It’s been in the news a little.) But it turns out House Republicans aren’t the only ones who have a bone to pick with America’s top lawdogs. At a press conference outside the FBI’s headquarters on Thursday,…

Tech News Dell Cameron

Snake Oil Salesmen Plague the Security Industry, But Not Everyone Is Staying Quiet

Adriel Desautels was suddenly in a serious mess, and it was entirely his fault. Sitting in his college dorm room back in the mid-1990s, Desautels let his curiosity run rampant. He had a hunch that his school’s network was woefully insecure, so he took it upon himself to test it and find out. “My thoughts…

Privacy & Security Dell Cameron

Eighth State Quietly Quit Free Anti-Voter-Fraud Program Over Security Concerns and ‘Unreliable’ Results

The State of Kentucky has pulled out of the Interstate Crosscheck System, Gizmodo has learned, making it the eighth state to quit the program so far—even though it cost nothing to participate. A source with direct knowledge of the decision told Gizmodo that Kentucky never used the data that it received from Crosscheck for the…

Privacy & Security Dell Cameron

Kris Kobach’s Office Leaks Last 4 Social Security Digits of Nearly Every Kansas Lawmaker and Thousands of State Employees, Including Kris Kobach

This is starting to get sad. Prior to receiving notice from Gizmodo this morning, Kris Kobach’s office was leaking sensitive information belonging to thousands of state employees, including himself and nearly every member of the Kansas state legislature. Along with a bevy of personal information contained in documents that, according to a statement on the…

Privacy & Security Dell Cameron

As Crosscheck Moves to Secure Voter Data, Hacking Fears Grow Among Experts and Politicians

Security on the network that will host the Interstate Crosscheck Program this year is markedly improved from that of its previous host, according to a top security firm, and soon the Department of Homeland Security will lend its own expertise to hardening the network as part of its review of state election systems. Nevertheless, experts…

Privacy & Security Dell Cameron

Trump’s Dead Voter Fraud Commission Tried to ID Every Hispanic Voter in Texas

New documents indicate that a member of President Trump’s recently dissolved voter fraud commission tried to identify Hispanic voters specifically among 50 million voter records. The commission, disbanded earlier this month, was founded last year on the false claim of conspiracy theorists (and the president himself) that more than 3 million illegal immigrants had voted…

Tech News Dell Cameron

Crosscheck Voter Fraud Program Hasn’t Suffered Any Data Breaches—If You Radically Redefine ‘Data Breaches’

For weeks, Kansas officials have been insisting that Crosscheck, an interstate program run by the state of Kansas and intended to detect illegal double voting, has never suffered a data breach—despite the fact that its voter files and the passwords to decrypt them have been repeatedly exposed. “We have never had any security breach—ever—since the…

Privacy & Security Dell Cameron

We Sued for Roger Ailes’ FBI File—Here’s What We’ve Got So Far

A batch of never-before-seen FBI files on late Fox News chief executive Roger Ailes, obtained exclusively by Gizmodo and nonprofit Property of the People, reveals new details about the powerful and controversial media figure who died last year amid multiple allegations of sexual misconduct. A former media consultant to Presidents Ronald Reagan and Richard Nixon…

Tech News Dell Cameron

Invasive Warrantless Surveillance Bill Heads to White House for Trump’s Signature [Updated]

Update, 4:00pm: President Trump in a tweet Friday afternoon said that he had signed the FISA bill into law, renewing the Section 702 warrantless surveillance program. In a 65-34 vote on Thursday, the US Senate voted to reauthorize a controversial warrantless surveillance program intended to grant American spy agencies the authority to collect emails and…

Privacy & Security Dell Cameron

The Crucial First Step in the Legal Battle to Save Net Neutrality [Updated]

A cadre of public interest groups and at least 22 attorneys general have filed petitions this week challenging the FCC order that seeks to gut net neutrality. But before the real legal challenge begins, net neutrality advocates are fighting to ensure the case is heard in their court of choice. The dubiously titled “Restoring Internet…

Tech News Dell Cameron

Google Pulls 60 Apps From Play Store After Malware Exposes Kids to Porn

Security researchers on Friday disclosed the existence of malicious code buried inside dozens of apps that displayed pornographic images to users. Many of the apps are games reportedly geared toward young children. Google moved quickly on Friday to remove the roughly 60 apps said to be affected from its Play Store. The malware was first…

Privacy & Security Dell Cameron

Dipshit President Attacks Surveillance Bill His Own White House Says Must Pass [Updated]

A day after the White House urged Congress to pass a bill extending a warrantless surveillance program, President Trump took to Twitter to attack it. ¯_(ツ)_/¯ On Thursday, the House of Representatives will vote on whether to extend the Section 702 program of the FISA Amendments Act, which permits American spies to collect and store,…

Privacy & Security Dell Cameron

Revenge Porn Posts Linked to High-Level US Government Computers

A number of IP addresses tied to users of a prominent revenge porn website have been traced back to several government offices, including the US Senate, the Navy, and the Executive Office of the President. Some of the users had posted message to an imageboard, know as Anon-IB, inquiring after nude photographs of women, while…

Privacy & Security Dell Cameron

New ‘Cybersecurity Office’ Would Oversee Companies Like Equifax and Dole Out Fines for Slipshod Security

A bill introduced by Senate Democrats on Wednesday would establish new cybersecurity regulations for credit reporting agencies and impose strict fines for those whose security is found wanting. It would also create a new cybersecurity office within the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) tasked with ensuring that consumers are notified when their personal data is compromised—specifically…

Privacy & Security Dell Cameron

Democrat Drops Explosive Fusion GPS Transcript Detailing Research Into Trump’s Russia Ties

Last week, Fusion GPS founder Glenn Simpson called on members of Congress to release the full transcripts of testimonies he gave last year before three congressional committees. Simpson and colleague Peter Fritsch have accused Republican lawmakers of selectively leaking portions of the interviews for maximum political impact. Today, Simpson and Fritsch got exactly what they…

Privacy & Security Dell Cameron

Dell Cameron

Do Not, I Repeat, Do Not Download Onavo, Facebook’s Vampiric VPN Service

Sacramento Bee Leaks 19.5 Million California Voter Records, Promptly Compromised by Hackers

FCC Says Releasing ‘Jokes’ It Wrote About Ajit Pai Colluding With Verizon Would ‘Harm’ Agency

12,000 Social Media Influencers, Mostly Women, Exposed by Marketing Firm Data Breach

That Boring FBI Surveillance Memo Doesn’t Say What House Republican Thinks It Does

FBI Accused—Again—of Cover-Up in DB Cooper Skyjacker Case

Snake Oil Salesmen Plague the Security Industry, But Not Everyone Is Staying Quiet

Eighth State Quietly Quit Free Anti-Voter-Fraud Program Over Security Concerns and ‘Unreliable’ Results

Kris Kobach’s Office Leaks Last 4 Social Security Digits of Nearly Every Kansas Lawmaker and Thousands of State Employees, Including Kris Kobach

As Crosscheck Moves to Secure Voter Data, Hacking Fears Grow Among Experts and Politicians

Trump’s Dead Voter Fraud Commission Tried to ID Every Hispanic Voter in Texas

Crosscheck Voter Fraud Program Hasn’t Suffered Any Data Breaches—If You Radically Redefine ‘Data Breaches’

We Sued for Roger Ailes’ FBI File—Here’s What We’ve Got So Far

Invasive Warrantless Surveillance Bill Heads to White House for Trump’s Signature [Updated]

The Crucial First Step in the Legal Battle to Save Net Neutrality [Updated]

Google Pulls 60 Apps From Play Store After Malware Exposes Kids to Porn

Dipshit President Attacks Surveillance Bill His Own White House Says Must Pass [Updated]

Revenge Porn Posts Linked to High-Level US Government Computers

New ‘Cybersecurity Office’ Would Oversee Companies Like Equifax and Dole Out Fines for Slipshod Security

Democrat Drops Explosive Fusion GPS Transcript Detailing Research Into Trump’s Russia Ties

Even the ‘Avatar’ Fighting Game Is Disrespecting ‘Legend of Korra’

Bluesky Has a New App, and It’s All About AI

Dammit, Jim, He’s a Doctor *And* an Action Figure!

Whatever Just Happened with ‘Fruit Love Island,’ Nobody Won

AMC Puts a Stake in ‘Talamasca’ After One Season

Aqara Smart Lock U400 Review: Hands-free Unlocking at Its Best

2027 Is Shaping Up to Be a Great Year for Big Sci-Fi RPGs

MSI Prestige 14 Flip AI+ Review: A Solid 2-in-1 Laptop With Some Glaring Flaws

Ahead of the SpaceX IPO, xAI Has Now Shed All 11 of Its Non-Elon Musk Founders

Do ‘Disclosure Day’ Prep With a Spielberg Sci-Fi Marathon

Sonos Play Review: Call It a Comeback

Sonos Era 100 SL Review: The Cheapest Way Into Wired Sonos Sound

Asus ROG’s Massive Swift OLED Gaming Monitor Epitomizes Excess in the Best Way

The Ikea Varmblixt Smart Lamp Fills a Donut Hole in My Life

Nothing Headphone A vs. Headphone 1: Which Pair of ANC Wireless Headphones Wins?

Asus ROG’s Cetra Open Wireless Gaming Earbuds Might Be Better Than Wearing a Headset

Nintendo’s Talking Flower Is Annoying as Hell. I Love It

Level Lock Pro Review: As Good as a Secret Smart Lock Gets

Apple Studio Display XDR Review: It Looks So Good, I Wish It Were an iMac

RayNeo Air 4 Pro Review: My Eyes Love These Video Glasses, but My Nose Disagrees

Dammit, Jim, He’s a Doctor And an Action Figure!