There's a reasonable version of my concerns, like privacy, corporate overreach, and government overreach. These are all legitimate things to push back on. But Mastodon's culture tends to attract people who've taken those valid critiques and sprinted past any nuance into "all structure is oppression."

Caring about privacy and decentralization doesn't require believing civilization is a scam. You can use Linux, GrapheneOS, etc. and still think borders serve a functional purpose. In fact, aren't these tools just borders for the internet? Those aren't contradictory positions.

I came here in good faith and I'm getting blocked for not being "pure" enough. The anti-authoritarian crowd enforcing ideological conformity is a special kind of irony.

#privacy

#civilliberty but only if you agree with my version of it (apparently).

#NoBIGTech

#BordersStillMatter

#unpopularopinion

I often hear people in tech complaining that the industry is oversaturated and they can't find a job but let's be real about this:

The entry-level resume pile is oversaturated with people who have a theoretical degree or a paper cert but have never actually touched a terminal, built a home lab, or popped a box. HR departments are flooded with thousands of identical, low-effort applications.

There is a catastrophic shortage of people who have a deeply ingrained offensive mindset, who understand networking down to the packet level, and who can look at a custom enterprise system and figure out how it fails.

Regardless of whether you love or hate AI, we are in a high-stakes tech race where our adversaries are operating with zero ethical speed brakes, and Silicon Valley’s response is to gatekeep the very tools that could turn raw tech savvy students into elite defenders at scale.

You can't even ask AI how to tweak a simple reverse shell without it panicking and saying "I can't help you hack the mAiNfRaMe and destroy the entire grid." As if the feds wouldn't be at some script kiddies door within minutes if they dared touch critical infrastructure or as if enterprise environments don't have robust EDR and network segmentation in place. They really act like APTs are asking AI how to learn ethical hacking, treating a simple Python script that is less than 10 lines of code like a piece of precision-engineered, state-sponsored cyber-weaponry designed to spin centrifuges out of control (Stuxnet 2.0).

We're really shooting ourselves in the foot. Our adversaries aren't using Anthropic, ChatGPT, Gemini, etc. to learn how to make reverse shells or priv esc exploits for sandboxed CTFs to prepare for the field. They have AI pipelines that don't have guardrails and APTs that are already hacking into our telecom companies, healthcare networks, etc. Who is big tech really helping here? Certainly not us.

Look, I am not really even the biggest fan of AI (and obviously not a fan of big tech) but if I can crunch 8 hours of learning down into 1 hour, why wouldn't I? I'll still spend the 8 hours learning some new concept without the force multiplier because this is what I am passionate about and what I am studying for but the amount of security theater I see from big tech absolutely gets on my nerves. In fact, I think because I have learned so much about cybersecurity is exactly why it annoys me that much more. Watching a multi-billion dollar AI panic over a 10-line Python socket connection feels like being treated like a child by someone who doesn't even understand basic syntax.

#givemeabreak

#securitytheater

#CorporatePR

#CorporateNannyFilters

#bigtech is #shortsighted

I guess I'll have to just #RTFM so some skript kiddie doesn't cause a catastrophic blackout ... #sarcasm 🙄

The monetization of OSINT tools and the transformation of social media platforms into walled gardens doesn't hinder malicious actors. Criminals generally rely on leaked data breaches and stolen source code. They aren't relying on front-end web scraping. These restrictions only lock out those trying to use OSINT for the greater good.

"We're doing this for safety" is nothing more than security theater.

I recently signed up for Trace Labs, and as an OSINT newcomer, I didn't expect to hit such an immediate, frustrating wall. For obvious opsec reasons, crowdsourced search parties discourage using your real-world identity. Yet today, standard investigative tools are locked behind invasive account creation and identity verification processes.

To make matters worse, Meta previously banned my device fingerprints simply for sharing HackTheBox content, accusing me of being a "malicious hacker" and requesting I provide them a government issued ID for "security reasons." This blatant overreach has severely limited my ability to build the research accounts needed to actively participate in these labs. Furthermore, major platforms and target web pages now aggressively block traffic from TOR and VPNs. Again, how does this stop threat actors who already have dark web access? It only hinders those trying to play by the rules.

The clamp down on open data extends everywhere, from restricted satellite imagery to locked-down public directories. When tech giants claim they are locking down data for "user safety," it is a convenient PR shield to protect corporate profits and liability. They don't care about your data. If they did, they wouldn't demand your government ID, force you to fork over a phone number, or quietly profit off your digital footprint while leaving you exposed.

They scraped our data, monetized it, and now claim to protect us. The only real solution left is collective digital self-defense: we must fight to remain anonymous and treat the web exactly as it is–a hostile environment. There is no world where these corporations can protect your information from real criminals. Those actors don't play by these rules, and an identity check means nothing to someone holding a stolen database.

https://cybernews.com/security/facebook-leak-exposes-users-hackers-claim/

#osint #opensource #surveillancecapitalism #dataprivacy #anonymous 

I am making the final leap to lock down my OPSEC and remove big tech from my life. I have a Protectli on the way with a 1 TB NVMe SSD and OPNSense pre-installed to set up my home lab, I kicked Windows off my computer, I just flashed GrapheneOS onto a Google Pixel 10 Pro XL, and I deactivated all of my mainstream social media accounts.

P.S.

HP, Inc.
★☆☆☆☆
Would not recommend.

#opsec #internetfreedom #opensource #privacy #civilliberties #endmasssurveillance #SayNoToBigTech

I want to take a moment to add to my previous post because I really want to get this off my chest and I feel like this platform is the perfect place to do this:

I am not criticizing Microsoft and Apple without just cause. I have long had a bone to pick with both companies.

Apple: proprietary, walled garden.

Microsoft: proprietary with no respect for user configuration changes or privacy.

For a while, I used Apple because I felt it was more secure and offered better hardware. However, this isn't entirely the truth.

Furthermore, I used Microsoft because it was convenient for gaming and workflow. However, once they forced all of my security settings back to their default configurations after an update, I had enough. That's when I realized Microsoft has absolutely no respect for me as a user and treats their users like a guest in their own house.

From my understanding, this is a fairly common evolution for tech majors. One day, I decided I wanted big tech out of my life and I kicked Windows off my computer for good and never looked back. I stopped using Meta's platforms and I am making the jump to GrapheneOS today. As much as it pains me to stick money in Google's pocket, I am purchasing an unlocked Google Pixel 10 Pro today and de-Googling my life.

As I have progressed through my cybersecurity degree, I have grown to value open-source software, transparency, and internet freedom. How can I ensure I have a strong security posture if the companies I am handing my data over to lack transparency?

Why does Meta deserve to have my government issued ID when they repeatedly sell people's data and can't seem to go a year without a major data breach?

Why does Google deserve to have unfettered access to my phone's root?

Why does Microsoft deserve to decide what ports I can close or what firewall changes I can make by reverting all of them as soon as they roll out an update?

It is my humble opinion that the conveniences people choose to accept in their life are precisely what landed us in the boat we're in to begin with. Subscription after Subscription, a complete lack of transparency, and absolutely no respect for our privacy and security.

While I understand Mastodon is largely for like-minded people, which is why I found my way over here, I hope that others will begin to realize how dangerous this is for our future and follow suit.

With that said, we should absolutely push back against legislation that aims to turn us into a mass surveillance state (i.e., California's AB 1043). This is where it starts but where does it end? I recall well over a decade ago people switching to Netflix because it was "cheaper" than traditional cable and people accepting MTX in video games because it was "only for cosmetics." Where did that get us? "What is this, horse armor?"

https://www.reddit.com/r/pcmasterrace/comments/13yiyxw/it_all_started_with_the_horse_armor/

#foss #linux #opensource #internetfreedom #civilliberties #privacy

The OS debate isn't just about workflows; it’s a compliance battleground for your fundamental digital rights.

​🍎 macOS is a proprietary walled garden.

🪟 Windows is a telemetry funnel for corporate data collection.

​🐧 Linux is Free and Open Source Software (FOSS). It represents native digital sovereignty.

​Look at California’s shifting legislative landscape. Last year’s Digital Age Assurance Act (AB 1043) tried to force operating systems to mandate user age-gating. Lawmakers are trying to correct the mess via AB 1856 to exempt open-source developers but the new bill just pushes the surveillance pipeline further down, forcing browsers to silently track and broadcast user age brackets across the web.

When state laws treat technology as a top-down surveillance mechanism, proprietary systems will gladly bake enforcement right into their closed-source kernels.

FOSS isn't just a development model anymore; it's a critical tool for internet freedom and operational self-defense.

#Freedom #FOSS #Privacy #AB1043 #AB1856 #DigitalRights #OpenSource #Fediverse

I am currently in the top 500 for Season 11 on HackTheBox! I started doing seasons and the end of season 10, so I am excited to see how well I can do for a full season.