Your privacy tools are outdated – here’s how to fix them for the AI era
If you’re still relying on the same privacy settings and security tools you set up two or three years ago, you may be more exposed than you realise. AI is changing how cybercriminals operate, and many of the defences that used to work well are no longer enough.
What happened
The World Economic Forum published guidance on 15 June 2026 about updating data privacy tools to address AI-powered threats. The article explains that AI is now being used to automate vulnerability discovery, generate convincing phishing messages, and create deepfake audio for voice scams. Traditional privacy measures—like a simple password, a basic browser privacy extension, or default app permissions—don’t hold up against these attacks.
This isn’t a hypothetical future threat. AI-generated malware and data poisoning techniques are already in the wild. If you use AI assistants, smart devices, or subscribe to online services, your data is at risk from attacks that adapt faster than most conventional tools can block.
Why it matters
The gap between consumer privacy habits and the capabilities of AI-driven cybercrime is widening. Many people assume that using a password manager and a VPN is sufficient. But attackers now use AI to analyse stolen credential databases, tweak phishing emails until they bypass filters, and impersonate voices with just a few seconds of audio.
Standard privacy settings on platforms like Google, Apple, and Meta default to the lowest protection level. If you haven’t audited these in the last year, you’re likely sharing more data than necessary—data that can be used to train AI models or exploited in social engineering attacks. The WEF’s advice is clear: update your tools and settings now, before you become a target.
What readers can do
Here are practical steps to update your privacy tools for the AI era. Most take less than 30 minutes.
1. Audit your password manager and enable passkeys
Many password managers now support passkeys, which are resistant to phishing and server breaches. Move away from reusing passwords even inside a vault. Enable two-factor authentication on the password manager itself.
2. Check your VPN provider for AI-era protections
Not all VPNs are equal. Look for ones that block trackers and ads by default, and that have undergone independent audits. Some modern VPNs also include AI-driven threat detection that flags suspicious traffic patterns.
3. Review browser privacy extensions
Ad blockers and anti-tracking extensions need updating because AI-driven scripts can disguise themselves. Use extensions that regularly update their blocklists and that can block fingerprinting scripts. Consider using a privacy-focused browser like Brave or Firefox with strict tracking protection.
4. Update platform privacy settings
For Google: go to myaccount.google.com and enable “Automatically delete location history after 3 months.” Turn off ad personalisation and web & app activity.
For Apple: in Settings > Privacy & Security, review app permissions, especially microphone and camera. Disable “Allow Apps to Request to Track.” For iOS 19+, check new AI-specific privacy toggles under “Apple Intelligence” settings.
For Meta: in Facebook and Instagram, set profile and activity visibility to “Friends only.” Turn off off-Facebook activity. Disable data sharing for AI training if the option exists.
5. Consider AI-specific privacy tools
If you use AI assistants such as ChatGPT or Copilot, review their data retention policies. Some offer privacy modes that don’t use your conversations for training. For sensitive work, consider running a local large language model (LLM) on your own computer—tools like Ollama or LM Studio are free and keep everything offline.
6. Audit third‑party app permissions
Delete any app you haven’t used in six months. Revoke permissions for apps that ask for more data than they need. Pay special attention to apps that request access to your contacts, microphone, or photo library.
Staying ahead of the curve
The same WEF article notes that AI speeds up cybercrime by automating the exploitation of flaws. That means waiting for a breach to act is no longer viable. Set a calendar reminder every six months to re‑audit your privacy settings and update your tools. The landscape changes fast, but a little maintenance goes a long way.
By taking these steps now, you reduce your exposure to deepfake scams, automated phishing, and data harvesting for AI training. Your old privacy setup may have been fine in 2022—it’s not fine in 2026.
Sources
- World Economic Forum, “How to update data privacy tools to cut cybersecurity risk in the AI era,” 15 June 2026.
- World Economic Forum, “AI speeds cybercrime by exposing flaws, and other cybersecurity news,” 15 June 2026.
- World Economic Forum, “3 trends redefining cyber risk in 2026,” 12 January 2026.