privacySaturday, June 20, 2026
Today's privacy landscape is split between big institutional failures and quiet personal risks. A massive Texas data breach and Palantir's failed Swiss charm offensive show governments can't be trusted with data, while new surveillance tech and hidden AI recordings remind us that the threats are getting more intimate.
Two stories today underline how governments and big tech companies are failing to protect the data they collect.
Texas leaked 3 million driver's licenses and passports from a wildlife department database. The irony is thick: the state pushes digital ID laws while failing to secure existing data.
Palantir aggressively pitched its surveillance tech to Switzerland but got rejected. The piece details how the company courted government institutions, and why Switzerland ultimately said no.
Britain's privacy watchdog John Edwards resigned after an investigation found he made inappropriate jokes. His departure leaves the ICO without a leader at a critical time.
New technologies and hidden practices are expanding surveillance into therapy sessions and personal devices.
Kaiser Permanente is using an AI scribe tool that records entire therapy sessions without clear patient disclosure. Mental health providers say consent procedures are being bypassed.
A new system called SignalTrace combines license plate readers with sensors that grab unique IDs from phones, wearables, and even pet trackers. It turns public surveillance into a full tracking network.
10 signs that someone is monitoring or accessing your accounts - how to stop themwww.zdnet.com
EU Lawmakers Move to Ban AI Nudifiers, but Enforcement Remains Unclearbuff.ly
Google just changed a major privacy setting — here's the switch I turned off immediatelywww.tomsguide.com
How the Peter Thiel-Linked Dialog Club Secretly Ranks Its Memberswww.wired.com
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