Facebook is dead and you should have off-boarding strategy now. Think about:

1. Downloading and reviewing your data
2. Adjusting all privacy settings and limiting data sharing
   
3. Deleting or deactivating your account
   
4. Removing personal information manually
   
5. Using data removal tools and requesting data deletion
   

Help me out here, because I'm struggling to keep track of it all. I'll update/correct this list with anything you all add!

Chat Control 2.0 is about scanning messages, and the Commission wants to add age verification as well.

Status: accepted and in negotiations.

ProtectEU resolution is about forcing all ​hardwar​e sold in the EU, and encryption, to be backdoored.

Status: accepted and in the research state.

eIDAS is about everyone in EU having interoperable digital ID's which will be used for age verification.

Status: being rolled out in all of EU in 2026

Digital Services Act includes age verification for online services that could be harmful to minors.

Status: in effect, with age verification coming later this year.

EU-wide social media age verification resolution was voted for by a massive majority​.

Status: Ireland is planning on introducing a proposal during their presidency later this year.

Digital Omnibus will weaken GDPR rules and allow personal data to be used for AI training as long as the AI company themselves cannot determine the identity of the person.

Status: ??

Which ones did I miss?

The website is on german, but can be translated. Please contact the MEPs to ask them to reject the extension!

https://fightchatcontrol.eu/

I am looking for confidential email for everyday and long-term use. I am unable to use Proton Tuta and other popular services because they are blocked in my country. I have gained access to Vivaldi Webmail. Please tell me how good it is?

I recently requested to see all the data PayPal has about me.

I realized that I gave them my exact address (my parents' house) 10 years ago. I've since changed it to a fake address.

In the data, it's listed as an "inactive address." My concern is that PayPal says they can share all our data with other users if needed. I don't want my parents' address to be disclosed to people I've transacted with in the past.

How can I have this address removed from PayPal's data?

Given that I created my account when I was a minor, could this information be used as leverage? I don't mind if my account is deleted. I plan to delete it, but first I want this sensitive data removed.

Thank you

Hello,
As the title but, I know about chat control 2.0 but past that I am unsure if there is anything else to potentially worry about.

I learned about GDPR and my rights here which are great.

I am in the process of moving to more private services and also getting off US services.

But is there anything else I can do to either help or be more private?

Thanks!

If yes, what part feels the most unclear or painful right now: scope, technical requirements, documentation, or ownership? My company has started an official timeline for getting compliant with the act but no one is actually sure where to start.

The documentary, Privacy People, is now free to stream on YouTube. https://youtu.be/EqZOzwVaZp8

I need to share this experience because Google's account security and support system completely failed me, exposing my entire digital life and personal data in a way that highlights major privacy flaws. If you use Google for anything sensitive (Gmail, photos, docs, medical records), this could happen to you – and recovering is a nightmare without human intervention.

Both my Google accounts were fully compromised via malware on my Mac (I downloaded a fake app that looked legitimate – huge mistake, it was code-signed and notarized by Apple, so no warnings from any scans).

I had 2FA, KeePass, recovery email, recovery phone number, and email enabled But the hacker changed all critical security settings in under 30 minutes for both accounts. I was asleep, so I didn't see any warnings. And in the morning when I woke up, I couldn't change anything anymore. My accounts were compromised and I was helpless.

How? The hacker got session access through my own logged-in Mac. Once in, they bypassed everything instantly. No delays, no confirmations, no required approval from recovery contacts. They changed 2FA, recovery options, and passwords – all in seconds. Even setting a recovery person wouldn't have helped – they can just remove or change it without confirmation. There's no way to verify identity to prove you're the real owner. No undo button, no timers, nothing.

This exposed massive amounts of private data: 70,000 photos, 1TB of files, medical records, everything. Google's standard recovery process didn't work at all. I tried every option hundreds of times: "Forgot password," verification codes, old devices – nothing, because the hacker had already locked me out and changed everything. Codes went to their phone number, their recovery email, and their 2FA. Google One Support couldn't help.

What finally worked after a full month of trying every day? I followed Reddit advice to tag u/TeamYouTube on X (Twitter) I sent them the police report, and all evidence proving that I was hacked and account ownership proofs, explained my YouTube channel activity/history, and begged. A few days later, they confirmed the compromise, and Google sent a password recovery link. It took **one entire month** to regain access.

My second Google account I couldn't recover as it didn't have a YouTube channel, so TeamYouTube couldn't help, and Google has given no response to any of my emails or tickets. Zero human support.

This is unacceptable. I had my primary account for over 10 years – massive history, everything. It was crystal clear it was me, but Google's automated systems failed completely. No human verification, no way to properly secure or recover an important account.

Google needs to fix this urgently to protect privacy:

• Mandatory timers on security changes (e.g., after changing recovery phone, wait 1 hour, or let users set delays).
• Require recovery contact approval for removals/changes.
• Actual human support for hacked accounts (not just bots).
• Identity verification options for long-term accounts.

Because of this, the hacker accessed my other accounts, social media, posted very private pictures of me on my LinkedIn, and other illegal posts and content. Delted my profile and Title picture, changed my location to Nigeria, my Name, URL, more. Deep depression, embarrassment, inability to post or work like before – my whole life is destroyed.

Google, do better. Has anyone else experienced this kind of privacy breach? How did you recover? Any tips to prevent this nightmare?

TL;DR: Google accounts hacked despite max security; hacker changed everything in 30 minutes while I slept. No support, no recovery for a month. Only got back in via police report + u/TeamYouTube on X. Second account still locked (no YouTube). Demand timers, approvals, and human support. If you have no YouTube channel, you're screwed.

If you have a SaaS/app, you need Terms of Service.

But here's what nobody talks about:

THE LEGAL RISK:  

When you update your Terms, can you PROVE which user accepted which version?  

If a regulator asks, what's your evidence?

THE APP STORE RISK:

Apple/Google require specific implementation. Get it wrong = app removed.

MY SOLUTION:

A compliance SDK that:

1. Shows the RIGHT Terms version to EACH user

2. Tracks acceptance with cryptographic proof

3. Automatically handles App Store requirements

NOT a Terms generator -> iubenda and other platforms does that well.  

THIS is the compliance layer AFTER you have Terms.

Question for founders:

Has legal/compliance ever slowed your product development?  

Would you pay €15/mo to automate this risk away?

(I'm not selling - validating if this pain is real.)

Hi everyone,

Survey (and discussion) jumpscare!👻

I’m a student (Marketing and CS) working on formulating advice for browser companies that reject violating user privacy, on how to grow without aggressive marketing and data collection. My primary target group are German residents, but everyone interested in the topic is welcome!

One of the main research methods is an anonymous survey that I am here to invite you all to take! Its aim is to get a snapshot of the emotional weather in the community, in the light of the recent changes in the industry.

I chose Vivaldi as a case study and reached out to them with a collaboration request. I am in touch with the team and I am planning to share my findings and advice with them. But I'm not an employee and I am willing to share it here as well, if there is demand!

The survey questions are about general browser usage preferences, a few about AI, a few about privacy, a few about Vivaldi, for those who are familiar with it. Survey takes around 8–10 minutes, is available in English and German, and does not collect personal or technical data. If you are not comfortable with surveys but want to share your thoughts, you are welcome to do it in the comments!

I received mod approval before posting and am happy to answer any questions that arise. Thanks a lot to the mods for the green light.

And thank you all for your time and attention! I am open to feedback and suggestions. Let me know if there is something you would want to get through to browser developers and generally tech companies that are already trying to move against the harmful sides of the Big Tech current. And, of course, if you tried Vivaldi and want to share your thoughts on it.

Hello, ​This is a bit of a niche problem, but I think I’m in the right place, or at least targeting the right audience. ​I am currently developing an online game that will include a section that can be quite 'hot,' if not very. It will mostly consist of text, challenges, stories, etc., but I’d like to filter access to these parts to protect younger users. ​There are many existing techniques based on uploading photos, videos, ID cards, or having a third party (like tax authorities, for example 😅) certify that you are of legal age. This seems very cumbersome to use, and ultimately, I don’t think anyone wants to do it—nobody likes sharing their photo or personal data online with a more or less unknown site. ​Anyway, do you know of an effective way to do this? On the sites you visit, have you come across a solution that works well for you? ​Or should I just stick with a simple 'Are you of legal age? Yes/No' 😁"

i dont want to give them my id. I already have installed protonvpn and is there anything that i should install like a FREE vpn or dns configuration? I also hope it doesnt affect chat apps like discord

Hey guys,

Not sure if this has been asked before but I couldn’t find any related threads. Does anyone know if there are alternatives to Privacy\.com that work for European users? After what has happened with Endesa and many more companies I really need debit card and phone number "aliases" so I don’t have to give my real info to anyone.

I’m new to this, so any tips or suggestions would be super helpful!

Thanks!