Meta Hid Face-Recognition Code on 50M Phones, The UK's Device-Scanning Ultimatum & A Burner Phone Ban

About this episode

The episode discusses Meta's hidden facial-recognition code, Microsoft's malware issues, and the UK's device-scanning ultimatum.

Meta quietly embedded unreleased facial-recognition code, internally called "nametag" onto more than 50 million phones through its Meta AI app, then deleted it the day after Wired exposed it. This week I also get into Microsoft repos weaponized a second time to push credential-stealing malware to AI users, the UK's ultimatum to scan every device (and Signal's response), the FCC's push to kill burner phones...plus the usual breaches, threats, and a stacked week of FOSS+ updates. 🗺️ The open-source answer to Google Timeline is finally here! Replay every route and light up every city you've visited on a map nobody else owns; self-host Dawarich free or grab the hosted version at https://dawarich.app/techlore/ with code TECHLORE for 20% off your first year. In this episode: Highlight: Meta's secret face-recognition code on 50M+ phones Microsoft repos weaponized a second time in weeks to push credential-stealing malware to AI users The UK's ultimatum to scan all content on all devices and Signal's one-page rebuttal Two states, two directions: Massachusetts bans precise-location-data sales (146–0); Texas forces Apple/Google age verification (SB2420) The FCC's push to kill burner phones…

People in this episode

Host: Techlore

Topics covered

• facial recognition
• malware
• device scanning
• burner phones
• data privacy
• open source

Keywords

• Meta
• facial recognition
• malware
• burner phones
• data privacy
• Signal
• FCC
• open source

Sponsors

Dawarich

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Meta, Microsoft, Signal, FCC, DentaQuest, UN World Food Programme, ServiceNow, SoFi, Dashlane, Oxford

Places: Gaza, Massachusetts, Texas

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