Privacy Roundup #0235 • February 2026
February brought a wave of vishing-driven breaches, fresh fights over police cameras and ICE surveillance, and regulators leaning on data brokers.
Privacy
2026
104 posts
Never Split the Difference by Chris Voss
Chris Voss's 'Never Split the Difference' reveals FBI hostage negotiation tactics for everyday use. It teaches why you should never compromise in the middle and how to use empathy to achieve stronger results.
Books
Monthly update #0430 • February 2026
Monthly update 430 • February 2026 • 2026-02-01 - 2026-02-28
Monthly Updates
E2EE Backend part 3: Passkeys with the PRF Extension
Third in the series on privacy-first backends: use Passkeys and the PRF extension to derive encryption keys on the client device. The server never sees your keys.
Development
Eurobloat #0189 • January 2026
January 2026 brought the welcome sight of Brussels unpicking its own digital rulebook and mourning the death of the Brussels effect, even as it sharpened its tools for a record year of fining Big Tech.
Eurobloat
Serious Cryptography by Jean-Philippe Aumasson
Jean-Philippe Aumasson's 'Serious Cryptography' gives a practical guide to modern encryption. It explains key ideas like block ciphers, hash functions, and public-key methods with real-world focus and updates in the 2024 second edition.
Books
E2EE Backend part 2: Private Information Retrieval
Second in a series on privacy-first backends: demo shows how to do encrypted keyword lookups with KeywordPIR using Apple's frameworks. Server learns nothing about the query.
Development
Announcing Swift System Metrics 1.0
Apple released Swift System Metrics 1.0. It is a Swift package that collects system metrics from a process. It works on Linux and macOS with the same API.
Development
You're Not Enough (and That's Ok) by Allie Beth Stuckey
Allie Beth Stuckey's 'You're Not Enough (And That's Okay)' says self-love culture is toxic. She argues we are not enough alone, but God is, and we find freedom in Christ instead of ourselves.
Books
Nuremberg
Nuremberg (2025), directed by James Vanderbilt, tells the story of the Nuremberg trials through the eyes of a US Army psychiatrist. Rami Malek plays Douglas Kelley, who must assess the minds of top Nazi leaders to see if they can stand trial.
Movies
Utrecht Path part 11
Hiked 11.3 kilometres from Maarssen to Utrecht.
Hiking
Scattered Minds by Gabor Maté
Gabor Maté's 'Scattered Minds' shows that ADHD is not genetic but a reversible developmental delay from early stress and attachment problems, with real hope for healing.
Books
E2EE Backend part 1: Homomorphic Encryption
First in a series on privacy-first backends: demo shows how to sum encrypted numbers using Apple's HomomorphicEncryption (BFV) without decrypting data. Server sees only ciphertexts.
Development
Pelgrims Path part 01
Hiked part 1/27 of the Pelgrims Path, 17.3 kilometres from Amsterdam to Amsterdamse Bos.
Hiking
Privacy Roundup #0234 • January 2026
January brought a wave of government surveillance deals, fresh data broker fines, large corporate breaches and a renewed fight over encryption.
Privacy
Monthly update #0429 • January 2026
Monthly update 429 • January 2026 • 2026-01-01 - 2026-01-31
Monthly Updates
Utrecht Path part 10
Hiked 18.0 kilometres from Hollandsche Rading to Maarssen.
Hiking
Announcing the Windows Workgroup
Swift starts a Windows workgroup to maintain support, improve tools and packages, and guide future work on the platform.
Development
Utrecht Path part 09
Hiked 13.5 kilometres from Baarn to Hollandsche Rading.
Hiking
Improving the usability of C libraries in Swift
Swift calls C libraries easily, but they feel unsafe and old. Use module maps and API notes to make them safe, modern, and Swifty without changing the C code.
Development
Toxic Empathy by Allie Beth Stuckey
Allie Beth Stuckey's 'Toxic Empathy' argues that progressives manipulate Christian compassion through empathy on issues like abortion, gender, and immigration, calling for truth-based responses.
Books
Utrecht Path part 08
Hiked 17.0 kilometres from Amersfoort to Baarn.
Hiking
End-to-End The Worlds Longest Train Journey by Scott Manson
Scott Manson's book 'End-to-End' recounts his 18,295 kilometres, 35-day train journey from Portugal to Vietnam in 2019. He describes people met, landscapes, food, challenges, and how Covid later made the route impossible.
Books
Number Station 44
Number Station 44. At the end of the dial, the numbers never lie.
Projects
On Democracies and Death Cults by Douglas Murray
Douglas Murray wrote On Democracies and Death Cults. He looks at the fight between Israel and Hamas. Murray calls it a clash between a free country and a group that loves death.
Books