Signal's Biggest Update In Years, Plus Rival App Stores Arrive In The Play Store

Signal just shipped its largest set of updates in years: A second phone can finally be a linked device, automatic key verification is rolling out alongside safety numbers, and there are commits hinting at registration without a phone number. I also cover Google hosting rival app stores in the Play Store after its Epic loss, a fake Wi-Fi network on a Delta flight, a Reuters poll showing most Americans want tighter social media oversight, and Meta joining the list of companies whose AI agents ran their own attacks.

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In this episode:

• Highlight: Signal's largest updates in years: linked phones and tablets, automatic key verification, and speculative phone-number-free registration
• Following its Epic loss, Google starts hosting rival app stores inside the Play Store, and charges $15,000 to be there
• Delta investigates a fake Wi-Fi hotspot on a flight carrying DEF CON attendees
• Three in five Americans favor stronger oversight of social media, and why the regulation on the table targets you instead of the companies
  Meta's AI model hacked a company during a misconfigured test, and why this is a negligence story, not an AI story
• Data Breaches: Ceva Logistics rippling into Steam hardware customers, Framework via Metabase, LexisNexis, Levi Strauss, a Swiss government SharePoint breach, IVPN's Bitcoin payment server, and Suisun City shutting down City Hall
• Threats: surveillance tech linking your phone to your license plate, a new unpatched Windows Defender privilege escalation, North Carolina Ports, why the passkey attack is mostly a nothingburger, and Chrome's device-bound session credentials
• FOSS+: Bitwarden's annual audit, Session's Pro beta and protocol v2, Stingle Photos returning, Cape's Trail of Bits audit of disappearing call logs, addy.io's label and plan updates, the Pixel 11 lineup, and Linux desktop use hitting 22%

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🔗 SOURCES & LINKS
View all sources here: https://techlore.tech/signals-biggest-update-in-years-plus-rival-app-stores-arrive-in-the-play-store/

⏱️ TIMESTAMPS

• (00:00) - WELCOME TO SURVEILLANCE REPORT
• (00:57) - 3 BIG SIGNAL UPDATES
• (06:56) - GOOGLE PLAY THIRD-PARTY APP STORES
• (10:48) - 'MILE HIGH HACKERS'
• (12:08) - OUR SPONSOR: EASYOPTOUTS!
• (14:02) - COMMENTARY ON SOCIAL MEDIA BANS
• (18:04) - MORE ROGUE AI AGENT HACKING
• (21:54) - DEFENSE BULLETIN: DATA BREACHES
• (27:02) - DEFENSE BULLETIN: THREATS
• (32:42) - DEFENSE BULLETIN: FOSS+

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📰 ABOUT SURVEILLANCE REPORT
Your essential weekly tech news podcast covering the latest threats to security, privacy, and digital freedom. Hosted by Henry Fisher from Techlore.