🪪The First U.S Digital ID App

This is how Digital ID sneaks in — quietly, through “convenience” updates. But here’s the good news: you still have agency. You can choose a physical ID. You can choose tech that doesn’t treat your face as a password. You can choose tools that keep you in control instead of building a profile on you.

Digital ID only becomes inevitable if we all go along with it.
Pay attention, stay informed, and choose the tech that respects you.

📖 Read full article on Substack
💻 Step into digital freedom—choose tools that answer to you, not big tech.

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🫶 @takebackourtech
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Hi friends,

This week I'll be interviewing Aaron Day of the Daylight Freedom Foundation.

He is working on a multitude of projects with AI, strategically giving people actionable info about technocracy, medical insurance fraud, alternative currencies and more.

https://theaarondayshow.com/

He also published this list of questions which casts a lot of doubt on Bitcoin as a freedom tool.

https://theaarondayshow.com/Thanksgiving_Bitcoin_Questions.pdf

Does anyone have any questions for him? Reply to this post in @takebackourtech_chat

Google Drops Sideloading Ban, Uses Dark UI Instead

Google quietly softened a policy many thought would fracture Android — blocking normal users from FOSS apps. The original developer-verification plan would have forced developers to hand over app IDs and signing keys to Google, making it impossible to install many privacy-focused or community apps from source.

After unanimous backlash, Google now says “developers and power users” can still install these apps — but only after jumping through hoops. Dark UI and extra steps make the process cumbersome.

Google cites an internal study about “malicious apps,” but offers no numbers, no methodology, and only one unnamed malware example. The first proposal was a prison wall; this new one is barbed wire — you can get through, but it hurts.

🪧 Read the full article on Substack
📲 Step into digital freedom- choose tools that answer to you, not big tech.

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🫶 @takebackourtech
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⚡️Surveillance on the Rise: The Impact of License Plate Readers

I was recently on True Health Report with Andrew Kaufman and we delve into the growing use of automatic license plate readers (ALPRs) in public spaces. From Home Depot parking lots to municipal surveillance, these cameras are creating a massive network of data collection. We explore how this technology is expanding and the privacy implications it brings.

👀 How do you feel about the Flock cameras popping up in our cities?

🔗 Watch the full interview here

📲 Look into privacy-respecting options from Above.

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🫶 @takebackourtech
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To all my vapers out there.

A groundbreaking study from researchers at UC Davis, published in ACS Central Science, analyzed aerosols from popular disposable e-cigarettes. They found that certain devices emitted lead, nickel, and chromium at concentrations higher than traditional tobacco smoke. Shockingly, one device released more lead in a single day of use than 20 packs of cigarettes.[1]

Lead exposure, even at low levels, can impair neurological development, especially in adolescents. Nickel and chromium are known carcinogens linked to respiratory ailments and allergic reactions. The culprit? The degradation of metal coils and the use of lead-containing alloys in internal components. The lack of standardized quality control in these disposable products makes their toxicity not just likely—but inevitable.

But the danger doesn't end there. Many of these metals also fall into a category called "metalloestrogens"—metallic compounds that can mimic estrogen in the body and bind to hormone receptors. According to GreenMedInfo's previous coverage, these metalloestrogens may fuel estrogen-sensitive cancers such as breast, ovarian, and prostate cancer.[4] This hormonal mimicry is especially concerning given the already endocrine-disrupting properties of other vape constituents

https://sayerji.substack.com/p/puffing-poison-is-vaping-the-new

⚡️Privacy Coins vs. Bitcoin

Over the past year and a half, privacy coins have outperformed Bitcoin and Ethereum, but what does that mean for the future? In this clip with Aaron Day, we get into how regulatory measures aim to shut down privacy coins and why compliance alone won't defeat technocracy. Discover the resilience of privacy coins and the ongoing battle for financial freedom.

▶️ Watch the full interview

📲 Switch to tech designed for autonomy. Check out Above.

—
🫶 @takebackourtech
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⚡️#TBOT 20

Here are this week’s stories:

Watch on Substack!

U.S. & EU Exchange Biometrics + Demand Family Data:
The U.S. and EU are planning to share travel data, including biometric data. The ESTA Mobile app could also demand family names, phone numbers, DOBs, residencies, plus your biometrics. Find out the details.

Credit Unions Roll Out Biometric Scanning:
If you use a credit union and try to do an out of state teller transaction, you may have to enroll in biometric verification and submit ID. We break down which network is driving this and what you can do.

Humanoid Robots Are Here:
Boston Dynamics unveiled a production ready robot Atlas. It can work around the clock and handle heavy loads. Do you think this could replace your job?

Personal Knowledge Mgmt:
I tried “private” self hosted PKM systems and only one fit the bill: AnyType. I’ll show you why.

✍️ We’re Accepting #TBOT Contributors
✊ Break the limits of big tech with Above Phone.

⚡️EU/U.S Biometric Travel Agreement

The EU approved negotiations with the U.S. to build a shared framework for exchanging travel data, including biometrics like facial images and fingerprints. The decision was made without public debate, then presented as a “security partnership.”

Each member state can opt in. Denmark says it will not participate, and Ireland will also sit out. Meanwhile, the European Commission has already set up a committee to negotiate the data sharing terms.

Do you trust governments to keep biometric databases from being expanded, repurposed, or breached?

🪧 Read the full article on Substack

✈️ Traveling internationally? Don’t let your phone become the next data trap.

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🫶 @takebackourtech
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⚡️Biometrics at Credit Unions

If you have walked into a credit union out of state lately, you may have hit a new hurdle. Before the teller lets you deposit cash, withdraw funds, or update account info, you are asked to enroll in IDCheck and scan your faceprint.

IDCheck is already active at 5,600 credit union branches nationwide. Any teller transaction out of state can require enrolling.

Credit unions rely on shared services networks. The biggest is Velera, formerly PSCU, and its Co Op network includes 30,000 plus ATMs and 5,600 shared branches. Fraud prevention is the excuse. The result is financial geo locking.

🪧 Read the full article on Substack

📲 A Phone That Works for You: Open-Source Apps, No Trackers, Total Freedom

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🫶 @takebackourtech
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📑Finding a Private Knowledgebase That Works

I have been testing private PKM tools for years, trying to find something powerful without the usual privacy tradeoffs. My latest find is Anytype, and it has been working well for me so far.

What stands out is how it is built to work offline. You can use it without constant syncing, and you can even sync devices inside your local network without connecting to the outside world. It also asks for zero personal data. No email, no phone number, just an encryption key you get as a seed phrase.

The main drawback is storage for files. The base tier gives 100 MB for uploads, so images and attachments add up fast unless you pay. Also worth noting, Anytype is funded by VC firms, so keep your eyes open.

What are you using for your PKM?

🪧 Read the full article on Substack

📲 Ready to take your knowledge management to a whole new level? Do it all privately with Above Book + Above Phone!

I'm settling into my next educational project about AI Data Centers and the impacts we'll see — this work is going to be mostly U.S focused since most of the DCs are being built here.

What would you like to know about your local data centers? Would a massive ecological impact of a data center influence your decision to live in that location?

Is there any use in making people aware of the ecological dangers? Is there any real way to withdraw our consent?

If you haven't already - check out my latest webinar on AI, its nuances, and local AI - or share it with a friend

Send me your thoughts at @takebackourtech_chat

⚡️Getting Started with Local AI

Have you ever wanted to set up your own local AI? In this clip from our webinar, Empowerment with Ethical, Local and Private AI, I walk you through how to get up and running with local AI on your own computer.

It’s actually pretty straightforward: you just download a model once and run it locally, no internet connection needed after that. I show you a couple of recommended tools and a lightweight model to start with, so you can experiment right at home without any hassle.

🔗 Watch the full webinar here

📱 Check out solutions designed with freedom in mind at Above

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🫶 @takebackourtech
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#TBOT 21: Epstein Files Update, ICE Expands Clearview AI, Ring + Flock Cancel After Backlash, Fungal Computing with Mushrooms

Here are this week’s stories:

What We Can Learn from Epstein’s Privacy:
The DOJ has released millions of pages tied to the Epstein case, with more still held back. We look at how the emails were obtained, where to find the datasets, and what the records reveal about how Epstein operated.

ICE’s Clearview AI Contract:
CBP just purchased a new contract with Clearview AI, expanding face search at the border using what you post online.

Flock + Ring Cancel Partnership After Super Bowl Backlash:
Amazon pushed a feel good surveillance ad and people hated it. Now the planned Ring and Flock integration has been cancelled.

Fungal Computing with Mushrooms:
Researchers are testing common store bought mushrooms as bioelectronics, exploring “fungal computing”. Could this be the future??

Share this post with your crew!

👀 Watch full show on Substack
📲 Get your privacy gear

What Epstein's Emails Reveal About Privacy and Power

After missing the deadline for the Epstein Transparency Act, the DOJ released an additional 3M pages of Epstein emails and documents, many heavily redacted. Another 2.5M documents will remain unreleased, supposedly to protect victims.

The full dataset is on the Justice Department website, and researchers are already repackaging it with AI tools to make it searchable. I used some of those tools to dig into what these files reveal about how elites behave behind closed doors, and how arrogance shows up in the details.

Epstein and associates operated brazenly through Gmail and Yahoo, using attachments and file transfers while also maintaining serious infrastructure across multiple properties.

Do not let this drain your power. Expect little from the system. Focus on personal accountability and building a life that does not feed the abusive systems that make crimes like this possible.

🪧 Read the full article on Substack
📲 Discover real privacy at Above

Securing Your Digital Identity

In this webinar, we dive into the importance of sovereign security. Learn from real-life stories about the dangers of insecure password storage and discover how to protect your digital life.

👉 Watch the full webinar
🔒 Learn more about digital sovereignty here

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🫶 @takebackourtech
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Building a private alternative to big tech hasn't been a straight line. There has been pressure, obstacles, and moments where we wondered if the whole thing would survive.

This Saturday at VIP Summit 5, I am sitting down with Richard Grove to talk about the crashes we hit while building Above Phone and how we turned those moments into fuel for a bigger mission.

📅 Saturday, March 7th, 2026 at 12 PM ET 👉 Register now!

—
🫶 @takebackourtech
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Telegram and the World Economic Forum: Unpacking the Connection

Explore the intriguing link between Telegram’s founder, Pavel Durov, and the World Economic Forum. Delve into how his past nomination as a Young Global Leader sparks questions about privacy, freedom, and the platform’s future.

👉 Watch the full webinar
📱 Take back control of your data

—
🫶 @takebackourtech
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🫨 Disaster Planning for Freedom Tech: FOSS War Room

What the f*** should we do about tyrannical tech lockdowns?

• Age verification on computers
• Digital ID on cell phones
• FOSS apps banned on phones
• Private Cryptocurrency Becomes Illegal

I asked some of the smartest hackers on earth that question at Parallel Society 2026. We war-gamed the tech disaster scenarios that we’re facing, and the audience jumped in with solutions.

Watch the full talk on Substack.

If you don't know about Logos, they produced the event and are authoring a comprehensive technology stack for storage, messaging, and more; the primitives we need for free software of the future.

Check out important tech:

• https://logos.co/
• https://dark.fi/

If you’re interested in learning more about Parallel Society, you can check out the website here:

https://ps.logos.co

📲 Everything your old phone can do while giving you more freedoms & privacy. Learn more at Above.

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🫶 @takebackourtech
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Remember Calamari clots?

https://www.drtrozzi.news/p/calamari-clots-part-1-morphological

Here's an analysis from my friend Dr. Trozzi on clots recovered from embalmers:

Across all samples examined, the anomalous casts displayed a consistent structural pattern.

Compared with ordinary postmortem clots, the casts showed:
- strong elasticity and tensile strength
- coherent branching structures that followed vascular pathways
- white coloration rather than red or yellow clot material
- laminated fibrin structures indicating partial formation in flowing blood

They also differed from classical antemortem thrombi, which typically contain large numbers of trapped blood cells and fully developed Lines of Zahn.

Instead, the anomalous casts displayed dense fibrin networks with minimal cellular content and unusually resilient mechanical properties.

While morphology alone cannot determine their origin, the findings suggest that these structures may represent a previously uncharacterized intravascular phenomenon.