Privacy
Login Walls, Tracking Scripts, and a New Data Deal Challenge
Reddit locks old.reddit behind login, White House sites hide analytics, Illinois targets AI deepfake bullies, and Schrems strikes again.
Reddit to require login for old.reddit.com to curb scraping
Reddit announced that users will soon need to be logged in to access old.reddit.com. The change, which takes effect over the next month, is part of an effort to tighten automated systems access. A Reddit employee using the handle boat-botany stated that the logged-out version of old Reddit is a significant source of abusive scraping and automated traffic. Logging in, the employee explained, provides more signal to detect rule-breaking accounts and block that traffic. At the time of the announcement, old.reddit.com was still accessible without login, but the change is expected to upset longtime users who prefer the classic layout and the convenience or privacy of browsing without an account. When asked why new Reddit is not scraped as often, boat-botany pointed to the modern security stack of new Reddit, which makes it harder to abuse compared to old Reddit.
Reddit will require you to log in to use old.reddit.com - Ars Technica →
White House allegedly built federal websites with hidden tracking tools
An investigation has alleged that the Trump administration’s National Design Studio developed several public-facing government websites that used commercial visitor analytics software without public privacy documentation. The studio, created by executive order in August 2025 and led by Airbnb co-founder Joe Gebbia, is tasked with modernising government digital services. Websites including ndstudio.gov, trumprx.gov, realfood.gov, and trumpaccounts.gov reportedly deployed PostHog, a platform capable of recording clicks, scrolling, and other interactions. The software was configured to make requests appear to come from government domains, bypassing browser privacy tools. No public privacy impact assessments were found, and searches of the federal contracting database showed no records of the studio’s spending. Some tracking code disappeared after the publication contacted the White House with questions. John Davisson of the Electronic Privacy Information Center argued that the studio appears to be creating an alternative federal digital infrastructure operating outside normal privacy safeguards. The White House spokesperson stated that all studio personnel comply with legal requirements, and no official finding of a privacy breach has been made.
RSS remains a powerful privacy tool against algorithmic feeds
RSS, or Really Simple Syndication, has been available since 1999 and offers a way to follow content without algorithmic curation or platform tracking. By using an RSS reader — such as Feedly, NewsBlur, The Old Reader, or NetNewsWire — users can subscribe to feeds from news sites, blogs, podcasts, and even decentralized social media platforms like Mastodon, Bluesky, and Threads. The majority of major news outlets offer RSS feeds, and tools like RSSHub can generate feeds for sites that lack them, though some may require technical expertise or a subscription. RSS readers allow users to import and export subscription lists, making it easy to switch services. The Electronic Frontier Foundation highlights RSS as a tool that helps people escape the algorithm while maintaining control over what they read. Privacy-conscious users can also block sponsored content using filters available in many readers.
Illinois updates school code to combat AI deepfake bullying
Illinois has amended its School Code under House Bill 3851 to explicitly classify sharing unauthorized digital replicas or sexually explicit AI-generated images as cyberbullying. The changes take effect July 1, 2026, and school districts must enforce the new rules starting in the 2026–2027 school year. The bill borrows definitions from the Digital Voice and Likeness Protection Act and covers harm caused through electronic distribution. Lawmakers cited a wave of incidents in Illinois and nationwide where students and staff were targeted with humiliating AI-generated images. Representative Janet Yang Rohr, the bill’s sponsor, said the legislation gives schools clearer authority to respond to AI misuse. HB3851 also reaffirms a state prevention fund and allows the State Superintendent to award grants to districts for anti-bullying programs. Districts must adopt model policies, maintain non-identifiable records of complaints, and follow reporting rules or risk losing grant eligibility. A 2024 statute already allows prosecution of AI-generated images under child pornography laws, meaning a single deepfake could trigger both school discipline and criminal investigation. Education experts advise schools to update codes of conduct and train staff on digital literacy before the law takes effect.
Illinois Schools Brace For AI Deepfake Bullies With New Legal Crackdown →
Schrems files new legal challenge to EU-US data deal after US Supreme Court ruling
Privacy campaigner Max Schrems’ non-profit Noyb will file a legal challenge to the EU-US Data Privacy Framework in the coming weeks, following a US Supreme Court ruling that President Donald Trump may fire a key decision-maker from the Federal Trade Commission. Trump had dismissed Democrat commissioner Rebecca Slaughter in March 2025; the Supreme Court sided with him. EU privacy experts argue that the FTC is no longer an independent oversight body, which invalidates the DPF. The framework, in place since July 2023, relies on the independence of US agencies like the FTC. Noyb has sent a letter urging the European Commission to repeal the deal and is preparing a case aimed at the Court of Justice of the European Union. Schrems previously struck down the DPF’s predecessors in 2015 and 2020 with Schrems I and II. A separate challenge, the Latombe case, is already before the CJEU, but Monday’s development may open a path for Schrems III, though any CJEU ruling could take years.