privacy Archives

This phone is made in the USA

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“Kim, I love my iPhone 16 but hate it’s made in China and apps track everything you do including your bowel movements. Is there a phone made in the USA that doesn’t track you?” — Paul in Tampa, Florida

Well, Paul, there’s exactly one, the $1,999 Liberty Phone from Purism. If the name makes you want to stand up and salute, you might sit right back down when I tell you the rest.

📱 Parts

First, it’s made in California with mostly American parts. Key components though, like the screen, battery and camera, are from China, South Korea and India.

The Liberty Phone has a 5.7-inch LCD display at 720-by-1,440 resolution (yes, 720p in 2025). The iPhone 16 has a 6.1-inch OLED screen at 2,556-by-1,179 resolution, with over three times the pixel density.

The Liberty Phone is like an Etch A Sketch but grumpier.

It’s 9.5 ounces compared with your 6-ounce iPhone. The Liberty Phone battery is lame, barely gets through a full day.

🚀 Performance

The Liberty Phone runs on an NXP i.MX 8M chip, a processor used in things like smart thermostats. It’s slow. Combine that with just 3GB of RAM, and you’ll feel the lag.

The iPhone 16 runs on Apple’s new A17 chip with 6GB of RAM. It’s like comparing a scooter to a Porsche.

📸 Camera

The Liberty Phone gives you a 13MP rear camera and 8MP selfie cam. There’s no portrait mode, no low-light correction, no HDR.

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Kim’s cart: 10 genius buys that keep you (and your stuff) safe

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I test a lot of gear. Every product here solves a sneaky problem and helps you stay one step ahead of scammers, snoops and opportunists. I’ve done the digging so you don’t have to. Let’s go shopping!

Fraudsters love “washing” checks and rewriting new amounts unless you use this pen. Its ink chemically bonds with paper, so the info can’t be scrubbed off. Get Uni-ball 207 Gel Pens ($6.08).

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We may earn a commission from purchases, but our recommendations are always objective.

Must-haves for peace of mind

⚠️ Don’t say, “That won’t happen to me.” Cover all your bases.

🖥️ No peeking, buddy: Keep prying eyes off your pixels with this privacy screen ($60). Easily slaps on and peels off.
Say cheese: Screw this security cam ($50) into any light bulb socket. Works with Alexa & Google Assistant.
🚪 Stop right there: These door reinforcement locks (14% off) hold back 800 pounds. 4.7 stars and 1,100+ reviews.
Protect little fingers: Outlet covers (20% off, 38-pack) turn your plugs into no-go zones for curious kiddos.
💧 Drip happens: Place flood leak alarms ($20, three-pack) near your appliances. Cleanup costs way less.

🛡️ Not done defending yet? Don’t worry. I’ve got a whole arsenal of security tools waiting for you. Click here to explore more.

🥳 Hooray! Take a peek at my Amazon store. I’ve handpicked some great finds just for you.

We may earn a commission from purchases, but our recommendations are always objective.

The privacy trick websites don’t want you to know

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Websites can still ID you using your browser’s unique fingerprint. Want to actually stay private? You’ll need this.

🚁 Bezos wedding floods Venice: Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez just kicked off their three-day, $56M wedding party in Venice, complete with 90 private jets, island takeovers and blackout tarps for privacy. The AP is bravely snapping pics you can see here. Bezos did donate €3M (about $3.2M) to soften the blow on the locals, but that’s still far less than he makes during a yacht nap. I heard Bezos makes $1 million a minute between Amazon and investments, really.

Control app access on Windows: On your PC, choose which apps can use your camera or mic. Go to Settings > Privacy & security, then scroll to App permissions. Tap Microphone, then toggle off any apps you don’t need using it.

⚡️ 3-second tech genius: Let’s turn off ad tracking on your phone. On iPhone, open Settings > Privacy & Security > Tracking. For Android, go to Settings > Google > All services > Ads > Ads privacy.

Protect your privacy without lifting a finger: Tired of your personal data floating around online? Incogni scrubs it from data brokers and people-search sites. With my exclusive link, get 60% off unlimited plans. Choose which sites to target, and take back your privacy today!

Tracked and fambushed: New word to know. Teens are stalking their moms, using things like Life360 and Snap Maps to “fambush” their parents. Basically, they show up unannounced at Starbucks, restaurants or … dates. It’s part bonding moment, part digital stakeout, and mostly just unhinged with a dash of funny. Parents are starting to realize: Maybe they’re the ones who need privacy settings.

Check your privacy settings: Social media apps update often, and sometimes your preferences change without you noticing. Review who can see your posts, who can tag you and what info is public. Most apps have this under Profile (or the three line Menu) > Settings > Privacy.

📞 Hacker hang-up: Hackers leaked 64 million T-Mobile customer records. The data has real names, phone numbers, cookie IDs (the whole privacy piñata), but T-Mobile says it’s “not our circus, not our monkeys.” Maybe this leak needs to go on Maury: “You are NOT the data parent!”

🍸 Venmoed $40 for cocktails? Everyone on Venmo can see that unless you tweak your settings. To lock it down, go to Settings > Privacy and switch it to Private. That way, only you and the person you’re paying can see it.

Privacy disaster: Meta’s AI assistant scoops up personal data from Facebook and Instagram to train its models. Even public posts, comments and interactions could be fair game unless you opt out. The catch? Most people don’t even know it’s happening. If you use the app, you really need to read this now.

Terrorism vs. your privacy — June 14th, Hour 4

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Terrorism threats are the highest since 9/11. The government’s response? Lots of surveillance. Then I talk to caller Demetra from Kentucky. She says her doctor daughter gets hundreds of mean reviews online. Is there anything she can do? Plus: Your driving app might be spying and how to find your phone on silent.

Facebook on mute: Whether you’re sneaking a scroll at work or just want things silenced, it’s easy to stop videos from auto-playing with sound. On your phone, go to Menu > Settings & privacy > Settings > Media and toggle Videos Start with Sound off. Ah, much better.

Self-checkout thieves, busted — June 7th, Hour 3

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Nearly one in seven Americans admit to stealing from self-checkout. Would you? Plus, more wild tech stories: a $17 million North Korean laptop scam, the most powerful DIY laser on YouTube, and the new American drone built for privacy.

Disable Microsoft ads: Windows loves promoting its own services. To turn it off, go to Settings > Privacy & Security > Windows permissions > General, and toggle off all five options. Then go to Settings > System > Notifications > Additional settings, and untick Get tips and suggestions when using Windows.

Privacy vs. terrorism

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The feds say the threat of a major terrorist attack is the highest since 9/11. How are they fighting back? Surveillance.

🎧 Spotify sounding flat? On mobile, it might default to lower audio quality to save data. On iOS, go to Settings and privacy > Audio Quality and set it to High. On Android, go to Settings and privacy > Media Quality and set it to High. If you have Premium, there’s also a Very High option. One great option that always sounds great is my show, IMHO.

Protect your privacy without lifting a finger: Tired of your personal data floating around online? Incogni scrubs it from data brokers and people search sites. With my exclusive link, get 60% off unlimited plans. Choose which sites to target, and take back your privacy today!