Children’s data and AI FTC opens 6(b) inquiry into AI companion chatbots September 11, 2025 The Federal Trade Commission issued compulsory 6(b) orders to seven firms that run consumer AI chatbots, seeking details on testing for youth harms, guardrails for teen use, data handling, and monetization practices. Sources are listed at the end of this […]

Ready to quit Twitter, Reddit, Facebook or other social media platforms? You’re not alone – most social media users have probably considered quitting at some point. Anxiety, depression, loneliness and FOMO all have well documented, strong ties to social media usage; if you’re feeling off – it might be time to unplug. The next step […]

In today’s digital world, your online history is a permanent record that can follow you everywhere. That embarrassing tweet from 2012, the questionable photo from a college party, or a strong opinion you no longer hold, they all reside in the vast archives of social media. This “digital baggage” isn’t just a potential source of […]

All foreign nationals applying for student and educational visas must now undergo social media and online presence vetting. According to a leaked cable obtained by POLITICO, consular officers are now directed to scour the internet for signs of what they deem as “hostility towards the citizens, culture, government, institutions or founding principles of the United […]

First Impressions Are Made Online Before an employer invites you to interview, there is a very good chance they will check your online presence. In many cases, the first thing they will see is not your résumé, it is your public social media profiles. A single old post, questionable comment, unprofessional photo or even likes […]

Discord rolled out a set of policy updates that touch safety, identity checks, and how they use data to power sponsored content. Two changes matter most for privacy minded users: new age verification for the United Kingdom and broader data use for ad targeting and ‘Quest’ measurement. We’ve broken down both of these core updates, […]

Definition of Social Media Footprint A social media footprint is the sum of all the activity, content, and data linked to your presence on social platforms. Every comment, like, share, video upload, private message, profile update, and even your connections contribute to this footprint. Some of it is public and easy for others to find. […]

Facebook feels personal. It is filled with familiar names, faces, and memories. That sense of comfort is exactly what scammers use to their advantage. Social engineering is not about hacking software. It is about manipulating people. If you trust what you see, you are more likely to click, share, or respond. That is why Facebook […]

Background checks used to be about verifying your criminal history, employment records, or education. But now, even the smallest pieces of your online activity are being put under the microscope. A recent post on r/privacy shows just how invasive this has become. The Reddit user explained that Sterling, a major background check company, scanned their […]

Artificial intelligence is advancing rapidly, and one of its latest uses is raising serious questions about safety and privacy. Tools like GeoSpy can analyze a single photo and determine its location in seconds, even if all metadata has been stripped away. For investigators, this may seem like a powerful tool. For the public, it represents […]