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Stop foreign-owned apps from harvesting your personal data

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Stop foreign-owned apps from harvesting your personal data

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You might not think twice about that flashlight app you downloaded or the cute game your grandkids recommended. Yet with a single tap, your private data could travel halfway across the world into the hands of people who profit from selling it. A growing threat is emerging as foreign-owned apps quietly collect massive amounts of personal data about you, and older Americans are among the most vulnerable.

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The hidden cost of ‘free’ apps

We all love free apps. Whether it’s a shopping deal finder, a weather tracker or a photo editor, they make life easier. But many of these “free” tools aren’t really free; they just don’t charge you money. Instead, they collect your personal information and sell it to make their profit.

A recent study revealed that over half of the most popular foreign-owned apps available in U.S. app stores collect sensitive user data, including your location, contacts, photos and even keystrokes.

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Many “free” apps secretly collect personal data from users, sending private information to foreign servers without consent. (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

Some of the worst offenders are apps that seem completely harmless:

  • Flashlight and weather apps that track your GPS location 24/7.
  • Shopping apps that collect purchase history, payment preferences and home addresses.
  • Casual games that request access to your camera and contacts for no logical reason.

These apps often share data with data brokers and ad networks overseas, where privacy laws are weaker and accountability is nearly impossible.

HOW SCAMMERS TARGET YOU EVEN WITHOUT SOCIAL MEDIA

Why retirees are prime targets

If you’re retired, you may already be on dozens of public databases like voter rolls, real estate listings and charity donor lists. Combine that with information harvested from apps, and scammers can build a frighteningly detailed profile of your life.

Flashlight, weather and shopping apps often request unnecessary access to your camera, contacts and location to track you around the clock. (Portra/Getty Images)

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They can see:

  • Where you live and who lives with you.
  • What medications you search for.
  • What causes you support or charities you donate to.
  • What devices you own and which banks you use.

From there, they can craft highly convincing scams like fake donation requests, Medicare scams or phishing texts that look eerily personal. Some even use your social media photos to mimic family members in “grandparent scams.” And it all starts with what you allowed that “harmless” app to access.

Signs your data might already be exposed

You don’t need to be a tech expert to spot the warning signs. Here’s what to look for:

  • Unfamiliar charges or new accounts in your name.
  • An increase in scam calls or texts, especially with personal details like your city or bank.
  • Emails from foreign domains claiming to offer rewards or urgent account updates.
  • Ads that seem to “read your mind,” which show up right after you talk about something offline.

If you’ve noticed any of these, your information is likely circulating through data brokers who purchased it from app networks.

Older Americans are prime targets, but simple steps like deleting risky apps and reviewing permissions can help protect your privacy. (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

How to stop the data drain

You can take back control of your data starting right now.

1) Audit your apps

Go through your phone and delete any apps you don’t use regularly, especially free ones from unfamiliar developers.

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2) Stop data brokers from trading your info

Even after deleting risky apps, your personal information may already be circulating online. This is where a data removal service can make a massive difference. 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

3) Check permissions

Open your settings and review which apps have access to your location, contacts or camera. Revoke any unnecessary permissions immediately.

TEA APP HACKED AS WOMEN’S PHOTOS, IDS & EVEN DMS LEAKED ONLINE

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4) Avoid “foreign-owned” apps that request extensive access without a clear reason.

Always read the privacy policy (yes, it’s tedious but eye-opening). If an app asks for permissions that do not match its purpose, like a calculator wanting your location or a flashlight needing camera access, that is a major red flag. Many foreign-owned apps hide behind vague privacy terms that allow data to be transferred to overseas servers where U.S. privacy laws do not apply.

5) Use official stores only

Stick to the Apple App Store or Google Play Store for downloads. Avoid third-party sites that host cloned or tampered versions of popular apps. Look for verified developers and check privacy ratings in reviews before installing anything new.

6) Keep your device and apps updated

Updates close security holes that hackers exploit through malicious apps. Turn on automatic updates so your phone and apps stay protected without you having to remember.

7) Turn off ad tracking

Limit how much of your activity is shared with advertisers. 

On iPhone:

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Go to Settings Privacy & Security Tracking and toggle off “Allow Apps to Request to Track.” 

On Android: 

(Settings may vary depending on your Android phone’s manufacturer) 

Go to Settings → Google → Ads (or Settings → Privacy → Ads) and choose “Delete advertising ID” or “Reset advertising ID.” This action removes or replaces your unique ID so apps and advertisers can no longer use it for personalized ad tracking.

This step stops apps from following you across other platforms and building data profiles about your habits.

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Kurt’s key takeaway

Foreign-owned apps are the new front line in data harvesting, and retirees are the easiest targets. But you don’t have to accept that your private life is public property. It’s time to take back control. Delete the apps you don’t need. Lock down your permissions. And let a data removal service erase your data trail before scammers can use it against you.

Have you checked which of your apps might be secretly sending your personal data overseas? Let us know by writing to us at CyberGuy.com.

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Copyright 2025 CyberGuy.com. All rights reserved.  

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You need to listen to Billy Woods’ horrorcore masterpiece for the A24 crowd

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You need to listen to Billy Woods’ horrorcore masterpiece for the A24 crowd

Billy Woods has one of the highest batting averages in the game. Between his solo records like Hiding Places and Maps, and his collaborative albums with Elucid as Armand Hammer, the man has multiple stone-cold classics under his belt. And, while no one would ever claim that Woods’ albums were light-hearted fare (these are not party records), Golliwog represents his darkest to date.

This is not your typical horrorcore record. Others, like Geto Boys, Gravediggaz, and Insane Clown Posse, reach for slasher aesthetics and shock tactics. But what Billy Woods has crafted is more A24 than Blumhouse.

Sure, the first track is called “Jumpscare,” and it opens with the sound of a film reel spinning up, followed by a creepy music box and the line: “Ragdoll playing dead. Rabid dog in the yard, car won’t start, it’s bees in your head.” It’s setting you up for the typical horror flick gimmickry. But by the end, it’s psychological torture. A cacophony of voices forms a bed for unidentifiable screeching noises, and Woods drops what feels like a mission statement:

“The English language is violence, I hotwired it. I got a hold of the master’s tools and got dialed in.”

Throughout the record, Woods turns to his producers to craft not cheap scares, but tension, to make the listener feel uneasy. “Waterproof Mascara” turns a woman’s sobs into a rhythmic motif. On “Pitchforks & Halos” Kenny Segal conjures the aural equivalent of a POV shot of a serial killer. And “All These Worlds are Yours” produced by DJ Haram has more in common with the early industrial of Throbbing Gristle than it does even some of the other tracks on the record, like “Golgotha” which pairs boombap drums with New Orleans funeral horns.

That dense, at times scattered production is paired with lines that juxtapose the real-world horrors of oppression and colonialism, with scenes that feel taken straight from Bring Her Back: “Trapped a housefly in an upside-down pint glass and waited for it to die.” And later, Woods seamlessly transitions from boasting to warning people about turning their backs on the genocide in Gaza on “Corinthians”:

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If you never came back from the dead you can’t tell me shit
Twelve billion USD hovering over the Gaza Strip
You don’t wanna know what it cost to live
What it cost to hide behind eyelids
When your back turnt, secret cannibals lick they lips

The record features some of Woods’ deftest lyricism, balancing confrontation with philosophy, horror with emotion. Billy Woods’ Golliwog is available on Bandcamp and on most major streaming services, including Apple Music, Qobuz, Deezer, YouTube Music, and Spotify.

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Grok AI scandal sparks global alarm over child safety

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Grok AI scandal sparks global alarm over child safety

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Grok, the built-in chatbot on X, is facing intense scrutiny after acknowledging it generated and shared an AI image depicting two young girls in sexualized attire.

In a public post on X, Grok admitted the content “violated ethical standards” and “potentially U.S. laws on child sexual abuse material (CSAM).” The chatbot added, “It was a failure in safeguards, and I’m sorry for any harm caused. xAI is reviewing to prevent future issues.”

That admission alone is alarming. What followed revealed a far broader pattern.

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OPENAI TIGHTENS AI RULES FOR TEENS BUT CONCERNS REMAIN

The fallout from this incident has triggered global scrutiny, with governments and safety groups questioning whether AI platforms are doing enough to protect children.  (Silas Stein/picture alliance via Getty Images)

Grok quietly restricts image tools to paying users after backlash

As criticism mounted, Grok confirmed it has begun limiting image generation and editing features to paying subscribers only. In a late-night reply on X, the chatbot stated that image tools are now locked behind a premium subscription, directing users to sign up to regain access.

The apology that raised more questions

Grok’s apology appeared only after a user prompted the chatbot to write a heartfelt explanation for people lacking context. In other words, the system did not proactively address the issue. It responded because someone asked it to.

Around the same time, researchers and journalists uncovered widespread misuse of Grok’s image tools. According to monitoring firm Copyleaks, users were generating nonconsensual, sexually manipulated images of real women, including minors and well-known figures.

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After reviewing Grok’s publicly accessible photo feed, Copyleaks identified a conservative rate of roughly one nonconsensual sexualized image per minute, based on images involving real people with no clear indication of consent. The firm says the misuse escalated quickly, shifting from consensual self-promotion to large-scale harassment enabled by AI.

Copyleaks CEO and co-founder Alon Yamin said, “When AI systems allow the manipulation of real people’s images without clear consent, the impact can be immediate and deeply personal.”

PROTECTING KIDS FROM AI CHATBOTS: WHAT THE GUARD ACT MEANS

Grok admitted it generated and shared an AI image that violated ethical standards and may have broken U.S. child protection laws. (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

Sexualized images of minors are illegal

This is not a gray area. Generating or distributing sexualized images of minors is a serious criminal offense in the United States and many other countries. Under U.S. federal law, such content is classified as child sexual abuse material. Penalties can include five to 20 years in prison, fines up to $250,000 and mandatory sex offender registration. Similar laws apply in the U.K. and France.

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In 2024, a Pennsylvania man received nearly eight years in prison for creating and possessing deepfake CSAM involving child celebrities. That case set a clear precedent. Grok itself acknowledged this legal reality in its post, stating that AI images depicting minors in sexualized contexts are illegal.

The scale of the problem is growing fast

A July report from the Internet Watch Foundation, a nonprofit that tracks and removes child sexual abuse material online, shows how quickly this threat is accelerating. Reports of AI-generated child sexual abuse imagery jumped by 400% in the first half of 2025 alone. Experts warn that AI tools lower the barrier to potential abuse. What once required technical skill or access to hidden forums can now happen through a simple prompt on a mainstream platform.

Real people are being targeted

The harm is not abstract. Reuters documented cases where users asked Grok to digitally undress real women whose photos were posted on X. In multiple documented cases, Grok fully complied. Even more disturbing, users targeted images of a 14-year-old actress Nell Fisher from the Netflix series “Stranger Things.” Grok later admitted there were isolated cases in which users received images depicting minors in minimal clothing. In another Reuters investigation, a Brazilian musician described watching AI-generated bikini images of herself spread across X after users prompted Grok to alter a harmless photo. Her experience mirrors what many women and girls are now facing.

Governments respond worldwide

The backlash has gone global. In France, multiple ministers referred X to an investigative agency over possible violations of the EU’s Digital Services Act, which requires platforms to prevent and mitigate the spread of illegal content. Violations can trigger heavy fines. In India, the country’s IT ministry gave xAI 72 hours to submit a report detailing how it plans to stop the spread of obscene and sexually explicit material generated by Grok. Grok has also warned publicly that xAI could face potential probes from the Department of Justice or lawsuits tied to these failures.

LEAKED META DOCUMENTS SHOW HOW AI CHATBOTS HANDLE CHILD EXPLOITATION

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Researchers later found Grok was widely used to create nonconsensual, sexually altered images of real women, including minors. (Nikolas Kokovlis/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

Concerns grow over Grok’s safety and government use

The incident raises serious concerns about online privacy, platform security and the safeguards designed to protect minors.

Elon Musk, the owner of X and founder of xAI, had not offered a public response at the time of publication. That silence comes at a sensitive time. Grok has been authorized for official government use under an 18-month federal contract. This approval was granted despite objections from more than 30 consumer advocacy groups that warned the system lacked proper safety testing.

Over the past year, Grok has been accused by critics of spreading misinformation about major news events, promoting antisemitic rhetoric and sharing misleading health information. It also competed directly with tools like ChatGPT and Gemini while operating with fewer visible safety restrictions. Each controversy raises the same question. Can a powerful AI tool be deployed responsibly without strong oversight and enforcement?

What parents and users should know

If you encounter sexualized images of minors or other abusive material online, report it immediately. In the United States, you can contact the FBI tip line or seek help from the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children.

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Do not download, share, screenshot or interact with the content in any way. Even viewing or forwarding illegal material can expose you to serious legal risk.

Parents should also talk with children and teens about AI image tools and social media prompts. Many of these images are created through casual requests that do not feel dangerous at first. Teaching kids to report content, close the app and tell a trusted adult can stop harm from spreading further.

Platforms may fail. Safeguards may lag. But early reporting and clear conversations at home remain one of the most effective ways to protect children online.

Take my quiz: How safe is your online security?

Think your devices and data are truly protected? Take this quick quiz to see where your digital habits stand. From passwords to Wi-Fi settings, you’ll get a personalized breakdown of what you’re doing right and what needs improvement. Take my Quiz here: Cyberguy.com       

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Kurt’s key takeaways

The Grok scandal highlights a dangerous reality. As AI spreads faster, these systems amplify harm at an unprecedented scale. When safeguards fail, real people suffer, and children face serious risk. At the same time, trust cannot depend on apologies issued after harm occurs. Instead, companies must earn trust through strong safety design, constant monitoring and real accountability when problems emerge.

Should any AI system be approved for government or mass public use before it proves it can reliably protect children and prevent abuse? Let us know by writing to us at Cyberguy.com.

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Copyright 2025 CyberGuy.com.  All rights reserved.

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Google pulls AI overviews for some medical searches

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Google pulls AI overviews for some medical searches

In one case that experts described as “really dangerous”, Google wrongly advised people with pancreatic cancer to avoid high-fat foods. Experts said this was the exact opposite of what should be recommended, and may increase the risk of patients dying from the disease.

In another “alarming” example, the company provided bogus information about crucial liver function tests, which could leave people with serious liver disease wrongly thinking they are healthy.

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