Risk & Safety

Tech can simultaneously expose and protect our vulnerabilities.

Phones are location tracking tools of the surveillance economy, but they can also help secure communications. We expose our vulnerabilities in the name of connection.

Photo: skaman306/Moment via Getty Images Illustration: TTWW

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"Rip and replace" program targets Huawei & ZTE infrastructure

Worker shows Huawei Technologies equipment is still in place at United Wireless Communications in Dodge City, Kansas.
Worker shows Huawei Technologies equipment is still in place at United Wireless Communications in Dodge City, Kansas.

Various countries, led by the U.S., express concerns about Huawei and ZTE's ties to the Chinese government, leading to bans...

"Hey Siri, I'm getting pulled over"

Screenshot of the iOS Siri interface showing the shortcut voice command "Hey Siri, I'm getting pulled over."
Screenshot of the iOS Siri interface showing the shortcut voice command "Hey Siri, I'm getting pulled over."

The "Hey Siri, I'm getting pulled over" shortcut was introduced for iPhones. Activated by voice command, it discreetly...

Rise of encrypted messaging apps

Signal app, a cross-platform encrypted messaging service developed by the Signal Foundation and Messenger, displayed on a smartphone with Whatsapp and Telegram.
Signal app, a cross-platform encrypted messaging service developed by the Signal Foundation and Messenger, displayed on a smartphone with Whatsapp and Telegram.

In the wake of the Snowden revelations, encrypted messaging apps have evolved from niche tools for privacy-conscious...

Patriot Act passed

Political cartoon featuring Uncle Sam weighing the benefits of privacy and security.
Political cartoon featuring Uncle Sam weighing the benefits of privacy and security.

The Patriot Act, hastily passed after the 9/11 attacks in 2001, was a law in the United States. It granted the government...

– B Kelley, New York, NY

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Photo of thumb hovering over Signal and Telegram apps on a smartphone.
Photo of thumb hovering over Signal and Telegram apps on a smartphone.

Consumer Reports guides you how to pick a secure messaging app to encrypt your messages. Secure messaging apps such as...

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