Hello and welcome to Regulator, a newsletter for Verge subscribers about the love-hate (but mostly hate) relationship between Silicon Valley and Washington. I hope everyone got to celebrate George Washington’s birthday in their preferred manner: skiing, staycationing, subscribing to The Verge if you haven’t already, etc.
Technology
From TikTok to trouble: How your online data can be weaponized against you
Let’s talk about something that’s becoming a real headache these days: your online presence and how it can come back to bite you. A stark example of this occurred when 20 teachers from Great Valley Middle School in Malvern, Pennsylvania, fell victim to student impersonations on TikTok using information found online. Yikes. It’s time we face the music: Sharing our lives online, especially on social media, is riskier than ever.
Social media platforms have become an integral part of our personal and professional lives. However, they also expose us to various risks that can have serious consequences. Sure, you can’t stop someone from trying to mess with your reputation, but you can make it a whole lot harder for them.
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Image of social media apps on the home screen of a cellphone (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)
How your online data can sabotage your reputation and safety
Having your online reputation damaged can hurt your chances of something as small as making friends in a new neighborhood, to something much more serious, like landing the job you’ve always dreamed of.
According to a Career Builder study, every two out of three hiring managers screen candidates’ social profiles before hiring. But it gets worse. Other statistics reveal that more than half of recruiters rejected a candidate because of what they found on their social media. However, the risks of having your personal data online don’t stop there. The list includes:
- Identity theft and fraud
- Stalking and harassment
- Doxxing and swatting
- Scams and phishing attempts
- Data breaches
These issues are more common than you might think. The Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) estimates that around 10% of Americans were victims of identity theft within the year prior to their research. For 1 in 5, it has happened at some point in their lifetime. A recent data breach at National Public Data – a data broker – might have exposed the Social Security numbers of every American. BJS further reports that 3.4 million Americans were stalked in one year and 69% of those cases involved the use of technology. And that only includes reported incidents. The FBI confirms that cyberstalking is on the rise. Being anonymous online isn’t just about comfort. It’s about safety. Fortunately, you can take steps to protect your personal information on the web.
A woman scrolling on social media on her phone (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)
HACKED, SCAMMED, EXPOSED: WHY YOU’RE 1 STEP AWAY FROM DISASTER ONLINE
Erase your digital footprint and protect your privacy
You’ve probably heard the saying, “Once you put something on the internet, it’s there forever.” But that’s not entirely true. Disappearing from the internet is possible, though it’s not easy, especially if you try to do it on your own. Fortunately, some professional services can help. These services not only assist in deleting your existing data but also help prevent new information from resurfacing online. Here’s what you can do to remove your digital footprint from the web.
1) Remove yourself from people search sites
If you want to take on the task yourself, you’ll need to be prepared to put in some work. Most of your data is stored on what’s called people search sites. These are large databases of personal information, with some containing more than 300 million individual records.
People search sites publish highly private information, starting with your contact details and extending to your family, colleagues and even your sexual orientation. That data is often used by scammers. And the less your information is out there, the more difficult it is for bad actors to exploit you. The good news is that you can request the removal of your personal data from these sites. Each site has its own process, but they generally follow a similar pattern:
- Visit the people search site, e.g., Whitepages
- Look for an opt-out form (often found in the site’s footer)
- Search for your personal information and select your profile
- Confirm your identity and wait for the data to be removed
2) Invest in professional data removal services
It’s best not to leave anything to chance. While opting out from data brokers yourself is technically possible, the sheer number of brokers makes this a monumental task.
Moreover, protecting your privacy online isn’t a one-time effort. It requires continuous monitoring and frequent opt-out requests, as data brokers are constantly collecting personal information. Even if you successfully remove your profile, it could reappear later. Check out my top picks for data removal services here.
A woman scrolling on social media on her phone (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)
PHARMA GIANT’S DATA BREACH EXPOSES PATIENTS’ SENSITIVE INFORMATION
3) Remove yourself from Google search results
However, to fully protect yourself from cyberstalking, you also need to address the images associated with your online identity. If someone wants to hurt your reputation, knowing your name and home address might only be part of the puzzle. The other piece could be finding your images. Using personal details like your childhood home address, school or past employers, stalkers can unearth potentially damaging content and use it to harm your online reputation. But images aren’t the only thing you should address. If you want to leave no trace on Google, make sure to:
- Remove your personal information and images from Google
- Modify social media settings to be more private and delete old accounts (they will appear in search results)
- Delete your trail of website comments
- Blur your house on Google and Apple Maps
Unfortunately, you can’t remove content from Google search results directly. You can submit a removal request, but Google must approve it first. For more details, refer to my previous post on how to remove yourself from Google searches. If your request is denied, you’ll need to contact the site owner and ask them to take it down. However, your options here are limited. Once bad actors get hold of your data, it’s difficult to regain control. That’s why it’s so important to stop stalkers from accessing your information in the first place.
Additional tips to safeguard your online reputation
1) Be cautious about sharing personal information on social media. Adjust privacy settings to limit what’s publicly visible.
2) Monitor your digital footprint regularly. Set up Google Alerts for your name to stay informed about new mentions online.
3) Strengthen your passwords and enable two-factor authentication on all accounts to prevent unauthorized access. Also, consider using a password manager to generate and store complex passwords.
4) Exercise caution with links and attachments. Don’t click on suspicious links in social media posts, emails or messages as they may lead to phishing sites or malware downloads. Verify the source before opening any attachments, especially from unknown senders. When in doubt, contact the purported sender through a separate, trusted channel to confirm the legitimacy of the link or attachment. Additionally, use strong antivirus software and keep it updated to provide an extra layer of protection against potential threats.
The best way to safeguard yourself from malicious links that install malware, potentially accessing your private information, is to have antivirus software installed on all your devices. This protection can also alert you to phishing emails and ransomware scams, keeping your personal information and digital assets safe. Get my picks for the best 2024 antivirus protection winners for your Windows, Mac, Android and iOS devices.
TAKE BACK YOUR PRIVACY WITH THIS IPHONE SAFETY FEATURE
Kurt’s key takeaways
From fake TikTok profiles to data breaches, it seems like our online presence is constantly under siege. But here’s the thing: While we can’t stop every bad actor out there, we can definitely make their job a lot harder. It’s all about taking control of your digital footprint. Whether it’s scrubbing yourself from people search sites, investing in professional data removal services or being more mindful of what we share online, there are steps we can take to protect ourselves. Remember, your online reputation isn’t just about social media likes; it can impact everything from job prospects to personal safety. So, maybe it’s time we all took a good hard look at our online presence and asked ourselves: Is it really serving us or is it leaving us vulnerable?
What role do you think social media platforms should play in protecting your privacy and preventing impersonation or harassment? Let us know by writing us at Cyberguy.com/Contact.
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Prediction: this is going to be a mess
Political alliances are rarely permanent, so it’s somewhat predictable that the MAGA-tech bro alliance seems to have fallen apart in the span of a single year. Which side the administration would actually choose, though, was more difficult to foresee.
Last winter, it appeared that two groups were in a tenuous relationship, held together by Elon Musk’s shameless execution of the DOGE agenda and Big Tech signing massive checks to settle Donald Trump’s lawsuits against them. But last night, the Trump administration made a choice: the money. The Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) announced that they would sue any state who tried to regulate prediction markets like Kalshi — even the Republican states.
On Tuesday, the CFTC filed an amicus brief to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, officially opposing an onslaught of lawsuits filed by the states against betting markets like Kalshi, Polymarket, Coinbase, and Crypto.com. (The latter two, known primarily as cryptocurrency exchanges, have partnered with Kalshi and created a standalone prediction market called OG, respectively.) But unusually, the brief was accompanied by a threat — posted on X, of all places. In a video directly facing the camera posted on Tuesday night, sole CFTC chairman Michael Selig asserted his commission’s authority to regulate prediction markets and stated that the federal government was prepared to sue: “To those who seek to challenge our authority in this space, let me be clear: we will see you in court.”
Had Selig simply written a staid Wall Street Journal op-ed asserting the CFTC’s authority (which he also did), that would have barely raised an eyebrow. But in 2026, a video threat, especially one posted on X, is basically grounds to instigate a political firestorm — one that Spencer Cox, the Republican Governor of Utah, gladly kindled. “Mike, I appreciate you attempting this with a straight face, but I don’t remember the CFTC having authority over the ‘derivative market’ of LeBron James rebounds,” he posted in response (also on X). “These prediction markets you are breathlessly defending are gambling—pure and simple. They are destroying the lives of families and countless Americans, especially young men. They have no place in Utah.” He promised that Utah would continue to pursue litigation and beat the federal government in court if need be.
This wouldn’t be the first time that Utah and Cox have voiced their opposition to federal overreach regarding emerging technology. Last year, they publicly opposed an executive order that would have given the Justice Department the power to sue states passing and enforcing AI regulatory laws. The prediction markets issue hits a particular nerve in Utah: nearly half of the state is Mormon, and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints officially opposes all government-sanctioned forms of gambling, even state lotteries. But Cox’s declaration is what’s known in political circles as a “weathervane”: if one deeply Republican state is pushing back against the Trump administration on a new front, who else on the right might follow suit — and what sorts of new broligarch technologies would they fight against?
Is it a coincidence that Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei’s big visit to Washington happened just as the Pentagon was reconsidering its relationship with the AI company? Over the past two weeks, Amodei published a 38-page letter to Congress warning of the rising existential risks of artificial intelligence, conducted an interview with Axios’s Mike Allen (and sponsored their newsletter), and met with Sens. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and Jim Banks (R-IN) on Capitol Hill to support their bill banning the sale of advanced AI chips to China.
But Amodei barely finished his capitol blitz when Axios broke the news over the weekend that the Pentagon wasn’t just impatient with Anthropic’s reticence to use Claude for unrestricted purposes, but that it would actively punish Anthropic for refusing to cooperate by designating them a “supply-chain risk.” If it goes through, any company that wants to work with the military would have to cut ties with Anthropic. As one Pentagon official described it, “It will be an enormous pain in the ass to disentangle, and we are going to make sure they pay a price for forcing our hand like this.”
The Pentagon’s move makes no sense for anyone who sees Claude as a superior AI enterprise product to its competitors at the Pentagon (Gemini, ChatGPT, and Grok). If viewed through the lens of every former interaction that Trump’s had with companies that voiced ideological opposition to his agenda however, their treatment of Anthropic is par for the course. Years ago, for instance, Trump threatened to cut off Amazon’s access to their sweetheart deal with the US Postal Service, in retaliation for Jeff Bezos’ ownership of the then highly critical Washington Post.
But for me, the question is: exactly what caused the ideological break, and how much of it was even about national security? In the past few months, there’s been a bizarre spurt of online messaging from right-wing influencers trying to claim that Anthropic, of all the AI companies, was too woke — the kind of woke that could convince kids to become trans, or DEI-pill them, or whatever lib-coded nightmares a MAGA personality could dream up. There wasn’t much proof that they could point to, other than its employees expressing opinions that could be lib-coded, if you’re not fully reading the entire tweet:
Screenshot va @KatieMiller/X.
Speaking of influencers eating their own:
- Steve Bannon is under MAGA siege for his 2018 texts with Jeffrey Epstein, newly unearthed from the Justice Department’s Epstein Files, wherein he suggested that Trump should be removed from office using the 25th Amendment. Influencers calling for him to be questioned include Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, who broke from Trump and the GOP for trying to bury the Epstein Files, and retired Gen. Mike Flynn. Notably, both of them rose to prominence in 2020 by backing QAnon, the online conspiracy theory that claimed that an elite ring of Satan-worshipping pedophiles were in control of the government. (It may not help Bannon that he called Epstein “God” in one of the texts).
- Mike Davis, an anti-Big Tech lawyer who previously represented Trump in his lawsuits against Meta, took credit for the ouster of former friend and ally Gail Slater from the Department of Justice’s antitrust division, according to texts obtained by The Free Press. Though the two were once allies due to their shared interest in holding Big Tech accountable, their relationship started fracturing over disagreements about when to enforce antitrust laws and when to go for settlements.
- And we’re back to Bannon: per The Bulwark, he and fellow MAGA political operative Boris Epshteyn are being sued for their own shady cryptocurrency operation.
The White House is convening a third meeting between the crypto industry and the banking industry this week, continuing to hash out which major financial entity gets to reap the interests from yield-bearing stablecoin accounts (or if they get to bear interest at all). They have until March 1st to deliver draft language for the Senate. Good luck, y’all!
And finally, looksmaxxing Recess.
Can we all agree that HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy is framemogging Kid Rock in this video?
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Tax season no longer begins in April. For scammers, it starts the moment the calendar flips to January.
While you’re waiting for your W-2 or 1099 to arrive, cybercriminals are already sending out waves of fake IRS messages, “refund problem” alerts and account verification scams. These messages feel alarmingly real, and that’s not an accident.
The truth is, today’s tax scams don’t rely on random guessing. They rely on your personal data, pulled from online data brokers, public records and previous breaches. And once your information is in circulation, you become part of a high-value target list.
Let’s break down what’s really happening – and how you can protect yourself before the first fake message lands in your inbox.
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ROBINHOOD TEXT SCAM WARNING: DO NOT CALL THIS NUMBER
Tax scammers are targeting Americans as soon as January with fake IRS emails and refund alerts designed to steal personal data. (Photo illustration by Michael Bocchieri/Getty Images)
The new wave of tax scams
Every year, scammers refine their tactics. And every year, they get better at making their messages look legitimate. Here are the most common scams hitting Americans before tax season even peaks:
1) Fake IRS emails and texts
These messages look official. They use real IRS language, government-style formatting and even fake case numbers. You might see something like:
“Your tax account is under review. Immediate action is required to avoid penalties.”
The email may include:
- IRS logos and official-looking headers
- Threatening language about audits or fines
- A link that appears to go to a government website.
But when you click, you’re taken to a fake IRS portal designed to steal:
- Your Social Security number
- Your date of birth
- Your bank account details
- Your IRS login credentials.
Once scammers have that, they can file fake returns, redirect your refund or impersonate you for years.
2) ‘Refund Issue’ alerts
This is one of the most effective tax scams because it preys on something people are already waiting for: their money. The message usually says:
“Your tax refund has been delayed due to a verification issue. Please confirm your information.”
It feels believable. You just filed. You are expecting a refund. And the message arrives right when you’re checking your bank account.
The link leads to a perfect copy of:
- A government site
- A tax filing service
- Or a bank login page.
Every keystroke you enter is captured. Scammers now have your identity, your financial access and your tax data – all from one click.
3) Benefit and identity verification scams
These scams impersonate the:
- IRS
- Social Security Administration
- State tax offices.
Often, they use what seem to be legitimate titles like “tax resolution officer” and state that you have unresolved tax activity. They claim your benefits, tax records or identity are “on hold” and must be verified immediately.
Typical messages say: “Your benefits account has been temporarily suspended. Verify your identity to restore access.” Or: “We detected unusual activity on your tax profile. Confirm your information now.”
The goal is simple: panic. When people panic, they don’t slow down. They don’t double-check. They click. And once they do, scammers collect everything they need to fully impersonate the victim.
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Cybercriminals use data broker profiles and breach records to personalize tax scams and make them appear legitimate. (Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Why these messages feel so real
You may wonder: How do they know my name? My address? My tax service?
They don’t guess. They buy it. Data brokers collect and sell personal profiles that can include your:
- Full name and address history
- Phone numbers and email addresses
- Family members and marital status
- Estimated income and property records
- Age, retirement status and employer history.
Scammers use this data to personalize their messages. That’s why the email doesn’t feel random. It feels meant for you. And once your profile is sold or leaked, it can be reused again and again.
The real target isn’t your refund. It’s your identity
Once scammers steal your Social Security number, tax ID or bank details, the damage doesn’t stop with one scam.
They can:
- File fake tax returns
- Open credit lines in your name
- Redirect benefits
- Sell your identity on criminal marketplaces.
Tax scams are often the entry point to long-term identity theft.
The ‘pre-tax season cleanup’ most people skip
Most people think clearing browser cookies or changing passwords is enough. It’s not. Your information still lives in data broker databases, where scammers shop for victims.
That’s why I recommend a data removal service that automates data removal and goes directly to the source. Instead of chasing scams one by one, these services help remove the reason you’re targeted in the first place.
While no service can guarantee the complete removal of your data from the internet, a data removal service is really a smart choice. They aren’t cheap, and neither is your privacy. These services do all the work for you by actively monitoring and systematically erasing your personal information from hundreds of websites. It’s what gives me peace of mind and has proven to be the most effective way to erase your personal data from the internet. By limiting the information available, you reduce the risk of scammers cross-referencing data from breaches with information they might find on the dark web, making it harder for them to target you.
Check out my top picks for data removal services and get a free scan to find out if your personal information is already out on the web by visiting Cyberguy.com.
Get a free scan to find out if your personal information is already out on the web: Cyberguy.com.
Practical steps to protect yourself this tax season
Here’s what I recommend before filing:
- Never click tax links from emails or texts. Go directly to official websites. Strong antivirus software can help block malicious links before they install malware or steal personal information. Get my picks for the best 2026 antivirus protection winners for your Windows, Mac, Android and iOS devices at Cyberguy.com.
- Use strong, unique passwords for tax services and email. A password manager helps create and store strong, unique passwords and alerts you if your email appears in known data breaches. Next, see if your email has been exposed in past breaches. Our No. 1 password manager pick includes a built-in breach scanner that checks whether your email address or passwords have appeared in known leaks. If you discover a match, immediately change any reused passwords and secure those accounts with new, unique credentials. Check out the best expert-reviewed password managers of 2026 at Cyberguy.com.
- Enable two-factor authentication (2FA) wherever possible.
- Freeze your credit if you’re not applying for loans. To learn more about how to do this, go to Cyberguy.com and search “How to freeze your credit.”
- Remove your data from brokers before scammers find it, as discussed above.
2026 VALENTINE’S ROMANCE SCAMS AND HOW TO AVOID THEM
Fake “refund issue” messages trick taxpayers into entering Social Security numbers and bank details on fraudulent sites. (Photo illustration by Michael Bocchieri/Getty Images)
Kurt’s key takeaways
Tax scams don’t start in April; they start when your data is sold. The more complete your profile becomes, the easier it is for scammers to impersonate government agencies and steal your identity. By removing your personal data now, you’re not just protecting your refund; you’re protecting your future. This tax season, don’t wait for the alert. Remove the risk.
Have you received a suspicious IRS text or email this tax season, and what made you question whether it was real? Let us know by writing to us at Cyberguy.com.
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Copyright 2026 CyberGuy.com. All rights reserved.
Phison is one of the leading makers of controller chips for SSDs and other flash memory devices — and CEO Pua Khein-Seng has now become a leading voice for just how bad the RAM shortage might get.
Companies may need to cut back their product lines in the second half of 2026, and some companies will even die if they can’t get the components they need, he agreed, in a televised interview with Ningguan Chen of Taiwanese broadcaster Next TV.
While the interview’s entirely in Chinese, friends of The Verge stepped forward to confirm parts of a machine-translated summary that’s been making headlines. They also note, importantly, that it’s the interviewer asking whether companies might shut down or product lines might discontinue. Khein-Seng largely just agreed and clarified that it’ll happen if these companies cannot secure enough RAM.
He also adds that he expects people will start fixing products more often when they break, instead of throwing them in the trash, over the next couple years.
It’s genuinely possible that some companies won’t be able to secure enough RAM. AI data centers are gobbling up the vast majority of the world’s memory supply as part of a global buildout, creating an unprecedented imbalance in supply and demand that’s seen RAM prices triple, quadruple, or even sextuple over the past handful of months. Even Nvidia might skip shipping a gaming GPU for the first time in 30 years. Even Apple may have trouble securing enough RAM now, not to mention memory chips for SSDs, and other vital components.
The RAM shortage may affect everything that computing touches over the next several years, as only three companies control 93 percent of the entire DRAM market, and while those three companies are building more facilities, they don’t want to build too fast. All three have decided to prioritize profits instead of risking overproduction that could lose them money later.
Tomorrow, February 19th, I’ll have a report on The Verge about how “RAMageddon” will affect you, even if you’d never think to buy a stick of memory yourself.
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