Wolfie Christl
@wchr.bsky.social
Public-interest researcher at Cracked Labs | Research fellow at Citizen Lab | Vienna, Austria | Tech and society. Tracking, surveillance, data economy, platform power, algorithmic decisions, datafication of work.
wolfie.crackedlabs.org/en
wolfie.crackedlabs.org/en
Pinned
Wolfie Christl
@wchr.bsky.social
· Nov 26
The network technology giant Cisco offers to turn Wi-Fi access points installed in offices and other buildings into a system that tracks the location of employees, customers, smartphones, laptops and other devices for a wide range of purposes #workersurveillance
I took a deep dive ⬇️ [thread]
I took a deep dive ⬇️ [thread]
Reposted by Wolfie Christl
Scoop: We obtained vast amounts of European mobile phone location data from data brokers. It was allegedly collected for advertising purposes only, but can be used to spy on high-ranking EU officials & NATO staff in Brussels. The Commission is 'concerned' & issued new security guidance to its staff.
Databroker Files: Targeting the EU
Precise locations and revealing movement patterns: the mobile phone location data of millions of people in the EU is up for sale. Collected supposedly only for advertising purposes, this data can also...
netzpolitik.org
November 4, 2025 at 9:57 AM
Scoop: We obtained vast amounts of European mobile phone location data from data brokers. It was allegedly collected for advertising purposes only, but can be used to spy on high-ranking EU officials & NATO staff in Brussels. The Commission is 'concerned' & issued new security guidance to its staff.
Just stumbled across some things I built in school when I was 16 in the 1990s, all of them not exactly completed ehm.
- Heavy lab power supply (wounding the transformer included)
- Plotter (all the heavy metalwork!)
- 2m band receiver for packet radio (digital data transmission over amateur radio)
- Heavy lab power supply (wounding the transformer included)
- Plotter (all the heavy metalwork!)
- 2m band receiver for packet radio (digital data transmission over amateur radio)
October 30, 2025 at 9:48 PM
Just stumbled across some things I built in school when I was 16 in the 1990s, all of them not exactly completed ehm.
- Heavy lab power supply (wounding the transformer included)
- Plotter (all the heavy metalwork!)
- 2m band receiver for packet radio (digital data transmission over amateur radio)
- Heavy lab power supply (wounding the transformer included)
- Plotter (all the heavy metalwork!)
- 2m band receiver for packet radio (digital data transmission over amateur radio)
The PSF "walked away from a $1.5m government grant and you can blame the Trump administration's war on woke for effectively weakening some open source security"
As a longterm Python coder since 2001, I love this as much as I hate this ridiculous ’anti DEI’ bs.
www.theregister.com/2025/10/27/p...
As a longterm Python coder since 2001, I love this as much as I hate this ridiculous ’anti DEI’ bs.
www.theregister.com/2025/10/27/p...
Python Foundation rejects $1.5M grant with no-DEI strings
: Foundation says it won't compromise policy of inclusivity even if that cash would've really helped
www.theregister.com
October 29, 2025 at 10:32 PM
The PSF "walked away from a $1.5m government grant and you can blame the Trump administration's war on woke for effectively weakening some open source security"
As a longterm Python coder since 2001, I love this as much as I hate this ridiculous ’anti DEI’ bs.
www.theregister.com/2025/10/27/p...
As a longterm Python coder since 2001, I love this as much as I hate this ridiculous ’anti DEI’ bs.
www.theregister.com/2025/10/27/p...
I have to use Google Search a lot for investigative research, unfortunately.
With those “AI” overviews, I feel like >50% of the claims are just made up, and >75% of the referenced/linked web pages are completely unrelated to the claims in the overview.
Systematic misinformation at scale.
With those “AI” overviews, I feel like >50% of the claims are just made up, and >75% of the referenced/linked web pages are completely unrelated to the claims in the overview.
Systematic misinformation at scale.
October 22, 2025 at 3:27 PM
I have to use Google Search a lot for investigative research, unfortunately.
With those “AI” overviews, I feel like >50% of the claims are just made up, and >75% of the referenced/linked web pages are completely unrelated to the claims in the overview.
Systematic misinformation at scale.
With those “AI” overviews, I feel like >50% of the claims are just made up, and >75% of the referenced/linked web pages are completely unrelated to the claims in the overview.
Systematic misinformation at scale.
"A market in which behavioural data about users are rare rather than the default will reset prices for all forms of advertising. To achieve this, users must be protected against coercion into RTB via ‘consent or pay’."
Make consumer surveillance rare again.
www.iccl.ie/digital-data...
Make consumer surveillance rare again.
www.iccl.ie/digital-data...
The True Cost of RTB
Our second "Pay or OK" paper for EU watchdogs: not only does the law say "no" to forced consent; the business case is terrible, too. Publishers and advertisers will lose if users are forced to consent...
www.iccl.ie
October 22, 2025 at 1:19 PM
"A market in which behavioural data about users are rare rather than the default will reset prices for all forms of advertising. To achieve this, users must be protected against coercion into RTB via ‘consent or pay’."
Make consumer surveillance rare again.
www.iccl.ie/digital-data...
Make consumer surveillance rare again.
www.iccl.ie/digital-data...
"We uncovered a massive data trove. It revealed the hidden world of First Wap, whose untraceable tech has targeted politicians, journalists, celebrities, and activists around the globe"
Massive investigation into a SS7-based cellphone location tracking empire:
www.motherjones.com/politics/202...
Massive investigation into a SS7-based cellphone location tracking empire:
www.motherjones.com/politics/202...
The surveillance empire that tracked world leaders, a Vatican enemy, and maybe you
Inside the hidden world of First Wap, whose untraceable tech has targeted politicians, journalists, celebrities, and activists around the globe.
www.motherjones.com
October 14, 2025 at 6:01 PM
"We uncovered a massive data trove. It revealed the hidden world of First Wap, whose untraceable tech has targeted politicians, journalists, celebrities, and activists around the globe"
Massive investigation into a SS7-based cellphone location tracking empire:
www.motherjones.com/politics/202...
Massive investigation into a SS7-based cellphone location tracking empire:
www.motherjones.com/politics/202...
Reposted by Wolfie Christl
Große internationale Recherche incoming: "Big Brother aus Österreich: Die Firma, die Handys weltweit überwachte". Eine ziemlich wilde Geschichte mit vielen spannenden Details, hier lang >>>
www.derstandard.at/story/310000... #SurveillanceSecrets
www.derstandard.at/story/310000... #SurveillanceSecrets
Big Brother aus Österreich: Die Firma, die Handys weltweit überwachte
Eine verdeckte Recherche legt offen, wie mit der Technik eines deutsch-österreichischen Unternehmens Politiker, Journalisten und Prominente getrackt wurden
www.derstandard.at
October 14, 2025 at 3:00 PM
Große internationale Recherche incoming: "Big Brother aus Österreich: Die Firma, die Handys weltweit überwachte". Eine ziemlich wilde Geschichte mit vielen spannenden Details, hier lang >>>
www.derstandard.at/story/310000... #SurveillanceSecrets
www.derstandard.at/story/310000... #SurveillanceSecrets
"Microsoft is introducing new Copilot adoption benchmarks to its Viva Insights platform, a move that lets managers monitor and compare how teams are using the company’s flagship AI assistant"
New Microsoft Tool Lets Your Boss Track If Your Team Uses AI "Sufficiently" - WinBuzzer
Microsoft's new Copilot benchmarks in Viva Insights let managers track AI adoption, raising privacy concerns reminiscent of its 2020 'Productivity Score' tool.
winbuzzer.com
October 11, 2025 at 11:55 AM
"Microsoft is introducing new Copilot adoption benchmarks to its Viva Insights platform, a move that lets managers monitor and compare how teams are using the company’s flagship AI assistant"
Reposted by Wolfie Christl
New from 404 Media: ICE to buy tool that tracks locations of hundreds of millions of phones every day. Billions of pieces of location data. ICE previously stopped using data remotely harvested from smartphones. Now it's buying it again. Usually used w/o warrant
www.404media.co/ice-to-buy-t...
www.404media.co/ice-to-buy-t...
ICE to Buy Tool that Tracks Locations of Hundreds of Millions of Phones Every Day
Documents show that ICE has gone back on its decision to not use location data remotely harvested from peoples' phones. The database is updated every day with billions of pieces of location data.
www.404media.co
September 30, 2025 at 9:47 PM
New from 404 Media: ICE to buy tool that tracks locations of hundreds of millions of phones every day. Billions of pieces of location data. ICE previously stopped using data remotely harvested from smartphones. Now it's buying it again. Usually used w/o warrant
www.404media.co/ice-to-buy-t...
www.404media.co/ice-to-buy-t...
"Phones in the data could be tracked back to specific residential addresses after entering ... military bases, and Leinster House, as well as sensitive locations like health clinics"
Another media investigation into commercial mobile/app location data in Ireland:
www.rte.ie/news/primeti...
Another media investigation into commercial mobile/app location data in Ireland:
www.rte.ie/news/primeti...
Security concern as tens of thousands of phone locations for sale
Data showing the specific movement of tens of thousands of smartphones in Ireland is available to purchase within the digital marketing and advertising industries, an undercover Prime Time investigati...
www.rte.ie
September 29, 2025 at 11:00 AM
"Phones in the data could be tracked back to specific residential addresses after entering ... military bases, and Leinster House, as well as sensitive locations like health clinics"
Another media investigation into commercial mobile/app location data in Ireland:
www.rte.ie/news/primeti...
Another media investigation into commercial mobile/app location data in Ireland:
www.rte.ie/news/primeti...
I was really hoping things might get better with GDPR enforcement at its Irish lead regulator, but this is Ireland giving the middle finger to EU data protection and to a democratically governed digital society.
noyb.eu/en/former-me...
noyb.eu/en/former-me...
Former Meta lobbyist named DPC Commissioner: Meta now officially regulates itself
According to reports in the Irish news, Niamh Sweeney, a former senior Meta lobbyist, is set to join the Irish Data Protection Commission (DPC) as a commissioner in October
noyb.eu
September 23, 2025 at 2:37 AM
I was really hoping things might get better with GDPR enforcement at its Irish lead regulator, but this is Ireland giving the middle finger to EU data protection and to a democratically governed digital society.
noyb.eu/en/former-me...
noyb.eu/en/former-me...
Reposted by Wolfie Christl
If true, this update is astonishing.
The Commission climbed down from a planned break up of Google’s ad business to a mere fine, and then dropped even the fine for fear of offending Trump.
This is for market violations that have been proven in U.S. court.
The Commission climbed down from a planned break up of Google’s ad business to a mere fine, and then dropped even the fine for fear of offending Trump.
This is for market violations that have been proven in U.S. court.
September 1, 2025 at 9:40 PM
If true, this update is astonishing.
The Commission climbed down from a planned break up of Google’s ad business to a mere fine, and then dropped even the fine for fear of offending Trump.
This is for market violations that have been proven in U.S. court.
The Commission climbed down from a planned break up of Google’s ad business to a mere fine, and then dropped even the fine for fear of offending Trump.
This is for market violations that have been proven in U.S. court.
Kleiner Ö1-Beitrag über meine aktuelle Studie im Auftrag der @arbeiterkammer.at, es geht um Beschäftigtenüberwachung im Außendienst, Apps als digitale Peitsche und Stress im der Heimkrankenpflege. Irgendwann dann wieder mit weniger Wiener Dialekt ;)
oe1.orf.at/programm/202...
oe1.orf.at/programm/202...
Überwacht vom digitalen Chef | MO | 01 09 2025 | 17:55
Wie Firmen ihre Außendienstmitarbeiter via App kontrollieren
oe1.orf.at
September 1, 2025 at 6:01 PM
Kleiner Ö1-Beitrag über meine aktuelle Studie im Auftrag der @arbeiterkammer.at, es geht um Beschäftigtenüberwachung im Außendienst, Apps als digitale Peitsche und Stress im der Heimkrankenpflege. Irgendwann dann wieder mit weniger Wiener Dialekt ;)
oe1.orf.at/programm/202...
oe1.orf.at/programm/202...
Langdon Winner (1997) on "cyberlibertarianism, a collection of ideas that links ecstatic enthusiasm for electronically mediated forms of living with radical, right wing libertarian ideas about the proper definition of freedom, social life, economics, and politics": dl.acm.org/doi/pdf/10.1...
August 25, 2025 at 8:50 AM
Langdon Winner (1997) on "cyberlibertarianism, a collection of ideas that links ecstatic enthusiasm for electronically mediated forms of living with radical, right wing libertarian ideas about the proper definition of freedom, social life, economics, and politics": dl.acm.org/doi/pdf/10.1...
Don't use Copilot für anything with numbers in Excel ,)
Ah ja Copilot in Excel bitte nicht für dinge mit zahlen verwenden. 🙄
support.microsoft.com/en-us/office...
support.microsoft.com/en-us/office...
August 25, 2025 at 8:44 AM
Don't use Copilot für anything with numbers in Excel ,)
More than 40% of 543 data brokers registered under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) failed to respond to data access requests, "in an apparent violation of the CCPA".
"Consumer Beware!", the "first large-scale, systematic study of CCPA compliance": arxiv.org/pdf/2506.21914
"Consumer Beware!", the "first large-scale, systematic study of CCPA compliance": arxiv.org/pdf/2506.21914
August 24, 2025 at 9:29 PM
More than 40% of 543 data brokers registered under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) failed to respond to data access requests, "in an apparent violation of the CCPA".
"Consumer Beware!", the "first large-scale, systematic study of CCPA compliance": arxiv.org/pdf/2506.21914
"Consumer Beware!", the "first large-scale, systematic study of CCPA compliance": arxiv.org/pdf/2506.21914
Reposted by Wolfie Christl
So, a German court said the German federal DPA cannot ban German government agencies from running FB pages (aka jointly processing data unlawfully for Meta's benefit), because whatever, and because only DPC Ireland, which hasn’t done anything relevant in years, could.
July 22, 2025 at 9:43 PM
So, a German court said the German federal DPA cannot ban German government agencies from running FB pages (aka jointly processing data unlawfully for Meta's benefit), because whatever, and because only DPC Ireland, which hasn’t done anything relevant in years, could.
So, a German court said the German federal DPA cannot ban German government agencies from running FB pages (aka jointly processing data unlawfully for Meta's benefit), because whatever, and because only DPC Ireland, which hasn’t done anything relevant in years, could.
July 22, 2025 at 9:43 PM
So, a German court said the German federal DPA cannot ban German government agencies from running FB pages (aka jointly processing data unlawfully for Meta's benefit), because whatever, and because only DPC Ireland, which hasn’t done anything relevant in years, could.
"Resilience and Resistance in Times of Deregulation and Authoritarianism"
Great title.
edri.org/our-work/pri...
Great title.
edri.org/our-work/pri...
#PrivacyCamp25: Call for Sessions open - European Digital Rights (EDRi)
The 13th edition of Privacy Camp is set to take place on 30 September 2025, come and explore explore the theme Resilience and Resistance.
edri.org
July 17, 2025 at 10:30 AM
"Resilience and Resistance in Times of Deregulation and Authoritarianism"
Great title.
edri.org/our-work/pri...
Great title.
edri.org/our-work/pri...
"AI-based behaviour analysis in prisons: A multidisciplinary assessment of an Austrian case study.
...
In consequence, less intrusive measures such as mental health care or improving spatial conditions tend to be neglected in favour of technological innovation"
journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/...
...
In consequence, less intrusive measures such as mental health care or improving spatial conditions tend to be neglected in favour of technological innovation"
journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/...
AI-based behaviour analysis in prisons: A multidisciplinary assessment of an Austrian case study - Robert Rothmann, Elisabeth Mayer, 2025
The present study addresses current developments in the field of AI-based surveillance to prevent violence and suicide in prisons. In doing so, we draw on resea...
journals.sagepub.com
July 8, 2025 at 12:08 PM
"AI-based behaviour analysis in prisons: A multidisciplinary assessment of an Austrian case study.
...
In consequence, less intrusive measures such as mental health care or improving spatial conditions tend to be neglected in favour of technological innovation"
journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/...
...
In consequence, less intrusive measures such as mental health care or improving spatial conditions tend to be neglected in favour of technological innovation"
journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/...
Reposted by Wolfie Christl
Thread worth reading. The evidence and the enforcement options have been there for years, they've just been ignored.
After an on-site audit, the Berlin GDPR regulator found that Berlin-based location data broker Adsquare has been processing personal data unlawfully at scale, as disclosed in its annual report and confirmed to netzpolitik org:
www.datenschutz-berlin.de/jahresberich...
netzpolitik.org/2025/nach-un...
www.datenschutz-berlin.de/jahresberich...
netzpolitik.org/2025/nach-un...
June 18, 2025 at 9:28 AM
Thread worth reading. The evidence and the enforcement options have been there for years, they've just been ignored.
Reposted by Wolfie Christl
After an on-site audit, the Berlin GDPR regulator found that Berlin-based location data broker Adsquare has been processing personal data unlawfully at scale, as disclosed in its annual report and confirmed to netzpolitik org:
www.datenschutz-berlin.de/jahresberich...
netzpolitik.org/2025/nach-un...
www.datenschutz-berlin.de/jahresberich...
netzpolitik.org/2025/nach-un...
June 17, 2025 at 9:38 PM
After an on-site audit, the Berlin GDPR regulator found that Berlin-based location data broker Adsquare has been processing personal data unlawfully at scale, as disclosed in its annual report and confirmed to netzpolitik org:
www.datenschutz-berlin.de/jahresberich...
netzpolitik.org/2025/nach-un...
www.datenschutz-berlin.de/jahresberich...
netzpolitik.org/2025/nach-un...
After an on-site audit, the Berlin GDPR regulator found that Berlin-based location data broker Adsquare has been processing personal data unlawfully at scale, as disclosed in its annual report and confirmed to netzpolitik org:
www.datenschutz-berlin.de/jahresberich...
netzpolitik.org/2025/nach-un...
www.datenschutz-berlin.de/jahresberich...
netzpolitik.org/2025/nach-un...
June 17, 2025 at 9:38 PM
After an on-site audit, the Berlin GDPR regulator found that Berlin-based location data broker Adsquare has been processing personal data unlawfully at scale, as disclosed in its annual report and confirmed to netzpolitik org:
www.datenschutz-berlin.de/jahresberich...
netzpolitik.org/2025/nach-un...
www.datenschutz-berlin.de/jahresberich...
netzpolitik.org/2025/nach-un...
Reposted by Wolfie Christl
NEW: A data broker owned by major airlines sold domestic US flight data to DHS, telling the dept. not to disclose that, according to records obtained by @404media.co—copublished in partnership with @wired.com. No paywall bc FOIA @josephcox.bsky.social w/ the scoop: www.wired.com/story/airlin...
Airlines Don’t Want You to Know They Sold Your Flight Data to DHS
A contract obtained by 404 Media shows that an airline-owned data broker forbids the feds from revealing it sold them detailed passenger data.
www.wired.com
June 10, 2025 at 1:19 PM
NEW: A data broker owned by major airlines sold domestic US flight data to DHS, telling the dept. not to disclose that, according to records obtained by @404media.co—copublished in partnership with @wired.com. No paywall bc FOIA @josephcox.bsky.social w/ the scoop: www.wired.com/story/airlin...
That kind of anthropomorphization - implying agency ("revolt", "refuse to shut down when instructed", "sabotage the shutdown script") - is completely misguided and only contributes to the AI marketing hype.
...a good example for bad AI propaganda and bad reporting.
...a good example for bad AI propaganda and bad reporting.
May 28, 2025 at 12:46 PM
That kind of anthropomorphization - implying agency ("revolt", "refuse to shut down when instructed", "sabotage the shutdown script") - is completely misguided and only contributes to the AI marketing hype.
...a good example for bad AI propaganda and bad reporting.
...a good example for bad AI propaganda and bad reporting.