AI is the sharpest double edged sword in the world of tech today.

I believe it is useful, however the level of privacy invasion and data collection can be huge.

Most of the AI platforms require you to provide a phone number to sign up - a red flag.

Fueled by data, the AI arms race now has Google Android and Apple implementing system-level AI integrated as a part of the OS itself, making it more of a privacy threat than ever.
on a side note, due to this its now more important than ever to use a de-googled phone!

Many refuse to use AI at all, but many use it out of fear of being left behind by those who use it.

But did you know: There's private & offline AI chatbots (called LLMs) that can run locally, and they are surprisingly powerful.

LLMs are the crystallized output of immense computation—trained on vast sets of data using teraflops of processing power, then refined to run on something as small as your phone. It is hard to express how incredible this is.

In other words, you can now chat with a private, offline AI—on your phone—that holds the equivalent knowledge of someone who’s read a thousand lifetimes more than you ever could.

Try it out using this app for example (contains no trackers and does not rely on google services)

i recommend trying the Gemma model for general use or the Llama 2 model which is less constrained.

If anyone is interested in hearing more about how to use Ai with privacy in mind, let me know in the comments!

📱 UsageDirect – FOSS Screen-Time Tracker

⏳ Track your usage, stay mindful, keep your privacy

Looking for a simple, no-nonsense way to track your app usage on Android? Try UsageDirect!

✨ Features:

* 📊 Per-app daily usage
* ⏱️ 10-day history even before install
* 🥧 Pie + weekday charts
* 🖼 Homescreen widget
* 🔒 No Internet permission, no account required

Perfect for de-Googled phones and privacy enthusiasts.

👉 Download here: UsageDirect (F-Droid)

https://reclaimthenet.org/age-verification-systems-france-privacy-risks-ai-forensics-report

In case anyone believes that an "independent third party" verifying your ID is somehow more private.

just saw this from a fellow truth seeker and pandemic whistle-blower:

Vietnam just deactivated 86 million bank accounts overnight. No warning, no grace period. Individuals who failed to submit biometric data were immediately denied access. This is not speculation. This is applied state-level biometric enforcement.

Don’t assume this is “too extreme to happen here.” With the rollout of REAL ID and advanced surveillance technologies, including systems linked to Palantir contracts under the Trump administration, the same methodology is entirely feasible in the United States.

Another Age Verification Vendor Hacked

A third-party support vendor used by Discord was hacked. Data from users who contacted support was exposed, including names, emails, IP logs, limited billing details, and about 70,000 images of government IDs used for age appeals.

Why it matters: You cannot “reset” a leaked ID. Pushing real-world identity into routine online access creates permanent risk.

My Advice

Avoid platforms that demand ID for basic access. If unavoidable, ask how long ID is stored and request deletion in writing.

Use a unique email and limit what you share with every platform.

Treat “age verification” vendors as part of your threat surface.

Sources: 1. 2. 3.

@freedomtechsolutions

👋 Heads up, everyone.
Freedom Tech Solutions is becoming AskLuke.Tech

Why ?

Too many companies use similar names to “Freedom Tech”
People often search for me and land on look-alike sites.
AskLuke.Tech is personal and unambiguous. When you see the name, you know it is me.

What this means for you?

Nothing to change.
Keep using the old website and email you already have. As the transition completes, old addresses will redirect to askluke.tech.
I am making this seamless so all you need to know is that it is me!

What is not changing ?

Same Luke.
Same services and support.
Same mission: Helping you reclaim your privacy

A Small favor
If you see the old name or links anywhere when the site goes live, tell me and I will update it.

Huge thanks for your support this far everyone!
Luke

Hey everyone 👋

i've just created a privacy guide for the incoming "age verification" stuff happening soon that you can get here 👉 https://askluke.tech/id/

I’ve also just about finished my new site 😮‍💨 and will be leaning into creating video tutorials in the near future on this topic of freedom technology. Send me a message of what you'd like to see first!

Feedback is appreciated, if you notice something is not working, please let me know > @ftsdm

Also just a reminder if you missed it, my site FreedomTechSolutions.net is becoming AskLuke.Tech
This is due to another similarly named site causing a lot confusion.
Hopefully this change keeps it personal and unmistakably me.

Thank you all 🙏

- Luke

Facial Recognition Surveillance: Amazon Ring

Watched this today. It's a good summary about how people are literally paying to build street-level surveillance with their own money.

Smart homes are turning into neighbourhood tracking networks.

From the video:

Amazon Sidewalk already covers 90%+ of the US. Ring/Echo devices act as Sidewalk nodes by default, sharing your internet with nearby tags, locks, cameras and sensors.

You cannot see what is using your bandwidth. Third parties can build their own Sidewalk-enabled hardware.

From December 2025, Ring is rolling out facial recognition to all Ring doorbells, so walking past the wrong house means your face can end up on Amazon’s servers.

It is all opt out, buried in settings, installed by people who just wanted a convenient doorbell or speaker.

What about in Australia?

Sidewalk is apparently US-only (for now), but we already have the same pattern here: more cloud cameras, more plate and face recognition, and no real way to see what is collected or where it goes.

My take:

If you have Ring or similar cloud cameras, replace them with local-only cameras that record to your own hardware. 🗑

Block smart gadgets from the internet at your router. Keep them local-network only where possible.

If you want automation, use Home Assistant (home-assistant.io) with local-only gear.

Walk around your place and ask: “Does this actually need the internet to work?” If not, disconnect it.

Hi all,

sorry for not responding much recently im really unwell but seem to be recovering now.

Ill be back to work in the coming week by the looks of things!

Thank you for you patience and have a good Christmas!

Someone mentioned they had some success with opting out of digital iD "requirements" by using these resources: https://realitycheck.radio/digitalid-au/resist-kit/