The Rise of Sextortion Scams and Online Privacy Concerns

Mis- and disinformation is just a fact of modern life, but certain events can cause the practice to significantly increase – like a big election. This is a good time to review this phenomenon, learning how to recognize it, how to avoid being drawn in, and perhaps most importantly how to reduce its spread.

In other news: Telegram’s CEO was arrested in France; too many people keep saying Telegram is an secure messaging app when it’s really not; if you think ads and tracking are bad now, wait till you hear all the ways modern TVs are monetizing their users; sextortion scams are using some new techniques to scam their victims; consumer groups have lobbied the FTC to create clear guidance on ‘software tethering’; and California just approved a new privacy bill that will finally require companies to honor universal opt-out signals from apps and browsers.

Article Links

1. BBC] Telegram CEO Pavel Durov arrested at French airport https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/ckg2kz9kn93o
2. [blog.cryptographyengineering.com] Is Telegram really an encrypted messaging app? https://blog.cryptographyengineering.com/2024/08/25/telegram-is-not-really-an-encrypted-messaging-app/
3. [Ars Technica] Your TV set has become a digital billboard. And it’s only getting worse. https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2024/08/tv-industrys-ads-tracking-obsession-is-turning-your-living-room-into-a-store/
4. [briankrebs] Sextortion Scams Now Include Photos of Your Home https://krebsonsecurity.com/2024/09/sextortion-scams-now-include-photos-of-your-home/
5. [advocacy.consumerreports.org] Consumer Reports, U.S. PIRG, and 15 other groups call on FTC to create clear guidance for ‘software tethering’ https://advocacy.consumerreports.org/press_release/ftc-software-tethering/
6. [Dark Reading] California Approves Privacy Bill Requiring Opt-Out Tools https://www.darkreading.com/data-privacy/california-privacy-bill-require-opt-out-tools
7. Tip of the Week: Spotting Fake News https://firewallsdontstopdragons.com/the-truth-is-out-there/ 

Further Info

• My series on deleting your public data online: https://firewallsdontstopdragons.com/osint-reconnaissance/
• Enabling Global Privacy Control (GPC): https://firewallsdontstopdragons.com/how-to-enable-global-privacy-control/ 
• Send me your questions! https://fdsd.me/qna 
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Table of Contents

Use these timestamps to jump to a particular section of the show.

• 0:02:14: News preview
• 0:05:22: Telegram CEO Pavel Durov arrested at French airport
• 0:09:47: Is Telegram really an encrypted messaging app?
• 0:19:57: Your TV set has become a digital billboard. And it’s only getting worse.
• 0:41:25: Sextortion Scams Now Include Photos of Your Home
• 0:48:06: Consumer groups call on FTC to create clear guidance for ‘software tethering’
• 0:54:33: California Approves Privacy Bill Requiring Opt-Out Tools
• 0:59:22: Tip of the Week: Dealing with Misinformation
• 1:11:36: Looking ahead