Consumer Protection

How to See Through AI Hype and Protect Your Privacy Every few weeks, another AI product promises to transform your work, your home, or your health. The marketing is relentless: smarter chatbots, faster image generators, devices that “learn” your habits. But behind the polished demos, there’s often a less glamorous reality—one that involves collecting more of your data than necessary, making confident errors, and slipping privacy trade-offs into fine print. ...

How to Spot Scam Ads Online and Protect Yourself from Fraud If you’ve ever been served an ad on social media that looks almost exactly like a promotion from a trusted brand—except the URL is off, or the discount seems too good to be true—you’ve seen the growing problem of scam ads. These deceptive advertisements are appearing more frequently across platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and even Google search results, mimicking well-known companies to steal money or personal information. ...

How to Spot AI Hype (and Why EFF Wants Your Help) You’ve seen the headlines: a new chatbot that can “reason like a human,” an AI tool that “eliminates bias,” or a smart device that “respects your privacy completely.” These promises sound impressive. But too often they don’t hold up under scrutiny. The Electronic Frontier Foundation, a nonprofit focused on digital rights, has been running a campaign to cut through this noise. Here’s what you should know about the problem and how you can avoid being misled. ...

Anthropic Removes Hidden Tracker from Claude — What It Means for Your Privacy If you use Claude, Anthropic’s AI assistant, you may want to know about a quietly embedded piece of code that was recently discovered and removed. Independent researchers found a hidden tracker in Claude that could log usage patterns. After the finding became public, Anthropic confirmed the tracker’s existence and removed it, stating it was never intended to collect personal data. But the incident raises a practical question for anyone relying on AI tools: how much are these services really watching? ...

What Is Inferred Data? How AI Puts Your Privacy at Risk (and What to Do About It) You’ve probably seen it happen: you mention something in casual conversation, and an ad for that exact product appears on your phone minutes later. Creepy, yes – but that’s just the surface. The real story is that companies aren’t just collecting what you type or tap. Using AI, they can now infer far more private details from the digital breadcrumbs you leave behind, often without you knowing. ...

How AI Is Secretly Inferring Your Personal Data — and What You Can Do About It You probably know that companies collect data about you: what you search for, where you shop, which videos you watch. But a less obvious threat is growing. With advances in artificial intelligence, companies no longer need you to tell them your political views, health status, or income. They can infer it — from seemingly harmless scraps of information. ...

How to Cut Through AI Hype and Protect Your Privacy: Tips from EFF Introduction Every week, a new AI-powered tool or service promises to transform the way you work, shop, or communicate. From writing assistants to image generators, the marketing is relentless. But behind the breathless claims of “intelligence” and “innovation,” there’s often a less glamorous reality: data collection, opaque algorithms, and privacy risks that are rarely mentioned in the ad copy. The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) has been tracking this gap between promise and practice for years, and their recent work on cutting AI hype is a good place to start if you want to make more informed decisions. ...

Cut Through the AI Hype: EFF’s Guide to Separating Fact from Fiction Every week, another product claims to be “powered by AI”—from toasters that recommend recipes to chatbots that promise to be your therapist. The word “intelligence” gets thrown around so loosely that it’s easy to assume anything labeled AI must be cutting‑edge. But behind the marketing, many of these tools come with serious privacy trade‑offs, unclear data practices, and performance that rarely matches the promises. ...

How to Spot and Avoid Online Shopping Scams: Tips for Staying Safe Online shopping has become part of everyday life, but it also attracts scammers who try to steal your money or personal information. Recent warnings from government agencies, including the Department of Veterans Affairs, remind us that these scams are persistent and evolving. This article outlines common tricks used by fraudsters and offers concrete steps to protect yourself. ...

Watch Out for Online Shopping Scams: Practical Tips from the VA The convenience of online shopping comes with risks. Every year, fraudsters set up fake stores, send phishing emails, and advertise deals that seem too good to be true. The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs recently published guidance reminding shoppers—especially veterans and their families—to stay alert. Their message is straightforward: a few simple checks can save you money and protect your personal information. ...