#TBOT: Take Back Our Tech

⚡️Decentralized Social Media - Nostr

In this week’s #TBOT solution, I get started with Nostr (Notes and Other Stuff Transmitted by Relays).

Nostr is a censorship-resistant decentralized social media protocol. In this video, we’ll do a short overview and show you how to get started in less than one minute.

Thanks to Efrat Fenigson and several members of the #TBOT community who continued to urge me to try it.

If you want a great introduction on why to use Nostr, check out my latest interview with Efrat Fenigson: How To Opt Out of the Digital Prison - Hakeem Anwar | Ep. 137

Follow me on Nostr using my NPUB:

npub1uc8dq8h5j8fkd4sz9mnyuxmxp7s6x50xqsr747wpajj4eqjj7yjsvkdtz4

👀 Watch full episode on Substack
📲 Reduce tracking with tools that don’t monetize your data

—
🫶 @takebackourtech
📩 WEBSITE & NEWSLETTER | 🎥 VIDEOS| XMPP | SUBSTACK

i finally just finished writing a 23,000 word report on AI data centers. 🫠 the second longest piece i've written thus far.

it covers everything from who's behind the push, damage to our environment, our health, how to make reasonably accurate estimates for usage, how our actual water systems work, who owns the water, and my theories for why the hell any of this is happening.

and no I didn't use AI to generate any text.

now moving into final editing, but i'm proud of myself for sticking through it. i hope its comprehensive enough to be a resource for years to come.

you're going to help me share it everywhere right?

it'll be updated at https://aidatacentermap.org when its done. stay tuned. <3

⚡️God Save the Digital ID (U.K)

Despite massive backlast to the U.K Digital ID program, the King and current administation are marching forwards. Instead of ‘Digital ID’ required to work by 2029, they’ve given everyone a break… now its just ‘Digital Verification’ required for everyone to work by 2029. So there’s no getting out of biometric capture.

A panel of 100 Britains will be chosen for a ‘People’s Panel’, the U.K government is interested in how they can get Britains to ‘love’ Digital ID as much they do.

Good luck with that.

👀 Watch full episode on Substack
📚 Read our report on Digital ID around the world

—
🫶 @takebackourtech
📩 WEBSITE & NEWSLETTER | 🎥 VIDEOS| XMPP | SUBSTACK

Anytime I feel stressed about the future, I remember these words by Alan Watts.

The future is not simply happening at you, it is arising with you.

Life offers participation before certainty. It says come, then I will show you.

Trust ... And then you will see.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lTcNUPdTJEM

⚡️ReCaptcha Hypocrisy

Ever think internet captchas could get more annoying? Well hold on, because Google just updated their new reCAPTCHA across 14 million websites.

It has ‘AI-resistance’ by requesting the user to scan a QR code, which can only be done with a certified Google device, or Apple device. Google purposefully excluded the users of alternative operating systems, not to improve people’s security, but to ensure the big tech oligopoly remains in control.

Want the workaround? Watch the full video on Substack.

📲 Grab your privacy gear

—
🫶 @takebackourtech
📩 WEBSITE & NEWSLETTER | 🎥 VIDEOS| XMPP | SUBSTACK

⚡️ Return of the Luddites

I'm sensing a shift towards open resistance against harmful technologies like data centers and surveillance cameras, and I'm not the only one.

But to understand where its going we must look to the past. James Corbett breaks down the Luddite movement in its historical context, looking at sabotage and assassinations, and its representation in fiction like in the Dune series.

I'm honored to join James for the last half of this episode to discuss the AI Data Center Map & solutions.

Check it out:
https://corbettreport.com/butlerian-jihad-when/

⚡️KYC for Your Phone?

In 7 days, anonymous phones may as well be dead. A new FCC rule demands cell service operators to ask for their customer’s government IDs, personal information, and past phone numbers. This goes for SIM cards, eSIMs, and VoIP numbers.

All supposedly to protect you from automated scam calls.

Let’s get this straight; we’re going to create massive new loosely-protected databases of people’s personal info to protect people from scams?

Its a data breach waiting to happen…

🤳Get the scoop in today’s episode

📲Your private life should stay private. Let’s start with your phone.

—
🫶 @takebackourtech
📩 WEBSITE & NEWSLETTER | 🎥 VIDEOS| XMPP | SUBSTACK

#TBOT 23: KYC for Your Phone, New ReCAPTCHA, UK Digital ID, Decentralized Social Media - NOSTR

Here are this week’s stories:

Bye Bye Burner Phones?: A new FCC rule threatens to end phone anonymity by demanding IDs when getting a phone number. Why? To stop robocalls. We only have 7 days to comment, so let’s look at their featherbrained reasoning and strategize a pushback.

reCAPTCHA Hypocrisy: Google’s new reCAPTCHA was just pushed to 14 million websites. This new version uses a QR code that must be scanned by your phone.

UK Digital ID to Work: The King and UK government are moving forward with Digital ID even after public outcry and a petition. Is it still going to be required to work? Yes, in a way.

Decentralized Social Media with Nostr: I tried a new social media platform and liked it. Nostr is a protocol, not a platform, and it shines at social media.

📺 Watch on Substack

📲Protect Yourself, Check Out Above’s Ecosystem

—
🫶 @takebackourtech
📩 WEBSITE & NEWSLETTER | 🎥 VIDEOS| XMPP | SUBSTACK

💻 Reclaim Control with Above Book

A Linux laptop gives you something most mainstream systems no longer prioritize: control.

Instead of being locked into ecosystems built around data collection, subscriptions, forced updates, and silent tracking, you get an operating system built around transparency, customization, and user ownership.

The Above book is ready to use out of the box, with open-source apps, full disk encryption, active firewalls, a privacy-hardened browser, and no big tech integrations.

Switching isn’t just about choosing a different operating system. It’s about reclaiming your digital sovereignty and using a device that respects your privacy by default, not as an afterthought.

🔗 Read the full blog post

💻 Own your computer. Own your journey.

—
🫶 @takebackourtech
📩 WEBSITE & NEWSLETTER | 🎥 VIDEOS| XMPP | SUBSTACK

📂 Want alternative news? Check out these channels 📢

#TBOT is now part of GeopoliticsLive, a collection of channels covering geopolitics, politics, global news, economy, and more. All English speaking! Stay informed.

Whether you're seeking in-depth analysis, breaking news, or expert insights, our catalog has got you covered.

👉 ADD CHANNELS

What's on that forbidden street? 🧐

This why I rock offline local maps, so I always travel the shortest distance without relying on big tech services.

OpenStreetMaps is really the last alternative we have. The CoMaps app on F-Droid has a great experience, uses OSM, and let's you contribute geodata back to the map to crowdsource info.

Check it out:
https://www.comaps.app/download/

A better way forward includes better tools.

We’ll be at the Better Way Conference New England on May 30 sharing practical ways to protect your privacy, reduce Big Tech dependence, and make the switch to technology that works for you.

Plus, we’re giving away an Above Phone 9 Pro XL! Ticket holders are automatically entered, and you can also enter even if you’re not able to attend. Pretty sweet!

Learn more: https://above.sh/ZnzmCz

—
🫶 @takebackourtech
📩 WEBSITE & NEWSLETTER | 🎥 VIDEOS| XMPP | SUBSTACK

🌱 The future isn’t set in stone.

We can build communities that value privacy, human connection, and independence instead of surveillance and centralized control.

In my recent conversation with Shaun Newman, we discussed AI data centers, social credit-style systems, and the growing movement to build something better.

📺 Watch the full interview here

📲 Make your phone a tool again, not a surveillance portal.
—
🫶 @takebackourtech
📩 WEBSITE & NEWSLETTER | 🎥 VIDEOS| XMPP | SUBSTACK

📲The Pixel 10 Lineup, Rebuilt for Privacy

The Pixel 10, Pixel 10 Pro, Pixel 10 Pro XL, and Pixel 10 Pro Fold run GrapheneOS and come fully de-Googled, configured, secured, and ready to use out of the box.

Instead of starting with built-in Google services, tracking, and unnecessary setup, Above prepares your device with privacy-focused apps, safer defaults, and support so you can actually use the phone without giving up your data.

With the Pixel 10 lineup, you get premium performance, long-lasting battery life, advanced security, and more options to choose the phone that fits your workflow.

🔗 Read the full blog post here

📱 Get the latest Pixel hardware without the Big Tech defaults.

🌐 A Community-Owned Future

In my interview with Web3 Privacy Academy, I laid out what I actually want to see going forward…

Communities that are responsible for their own infrastructure.

Running their own email. Their own video calls. Everyone contributing to keep it running.

All on Linux. De-Googled phones. Maybe even Linux phones.

And for the internet, we may need something completely different. Mesh networks. Reticulum. Something we control.

As long as I can stay connected to my community, that’s what matters.

🪧Watch the full interview here

📱 Your data belongs to you. Above Phone helps keep it that way.

—
🫶 @takebackourtech
📩 WEBSITE & NEWSLETTER | 🎥 VIDEOS| XMPP | SUBSTACK

From Surveillance to Thought Control: Time to Reclaim Your Tech

I talked with Jon from Business Reform about where we are heading. From unified surveillance networks to emotion recognition and even brain-computer interfaces, the next phase of privacy challenges may go beyond behavior and into thought monitoring.

But there’s still hope. Building local communities, choosing alternatives, and creating peer-to-peer networks can help us reclaim control.

📺 Watch the full interview

📲 Build your privacy stack with Above

—
🫶 @takebackourtech
📩 WEBSITE & NEWSLETTER | 🎥 VIDEOS| XMPP | SUBSTACK

📂 Want alternative news? Check out these channels 📢

#TBOT is now part of GeopoliticsLive, a collection of channels covering geopolitics, politics, global news, economy, and more. All English speaking! Stay informed.

Whether you're seeking in-depth analysis, breaking news, or expert insights, our catalog has got you covered.

👉 ADD CHANNELS

We’re proud to partner with the Better Way Conference New England for a giveaway built around what we do best: making privacy practical.

The winner will receive a complete Above Phone bundle, including a ready-to-use privacy phone, protective gear, a storage drive, and expert support to help them get started.

Enter now
https://betterwayconference.org/giveaway

Learn more: https://abovephone.com/betterway/

Check out my recent interview with Dr. Trozzi!

We talk about the rise of data centers, surveillance in schools, digital ID and real solutions for protecting your freedom and privacy.

📺 Watch the full interview

📲 Take control of your tech setup here

—
🫶 @takebackourtech
📩 WEBSITE & NEWSLETTER | 🎥 VIDEOS| XMPP | SUBSTACK