Hackers' Pub

Syntax	Description	Examples
`"` keyword `"`	Finds the string within quotes, including spaces. Case-insensitive. (Escape quotes inside with `\"`)	`"Hackers' Pub"`
`from:` handle	Finds content written by the specified user.	`from:hongminhee` `from:hongminhee@hollo.social`
`lang:` ISO 639-1	Finds content written in the specified language.	`lang:en`
`#` tag	Finds content with the specified tag. Case-insensitive.	`#HackersPub`
condition condition	Finds content that satisfies both conditions on either side of the space (logical AND).	`"Hackers' Pub" lang:en`
condition `OR` condition	Finds content that satisfies at least one of the conditions on either side of the OR operator (logical OR).	`#HackersPub OR "Hackers' Pub" lang:en`
`(` condition `)`	Combines the operators within the parentheses first.	`(#HackersPub OR "Hackers' Pub" OR "Hackers Pub") lang:en`

Sean O'Brien @profdiggity@privacysafe.social

11/29/2025, 3:41:45 PM

Public

@fdroidorgF-Droid @yaleprivacylab For example, the X-mode SDK persisted long after it was banned in the USA by the FTC enforcement action, and was still present in many #Google Play apps until Google was called out by my own investigation. Initially, Google responded by saying I was wrong but then acknowledged their error in press. Long after that, other tracker SDKs associated with X-mode and the wider ad-tech #surveillance economy have persisted.

Sean O'Brien @profdiggity@privacysafe.social

11/29/2025, 3:42:11 PM

Public

@fdroidorgF-Droid @yaleprivacylab In many cases, the safer and more privacy-conscious option is to use @fdroidorgF-Droid to install apps. F-Droid is just one organization that is much more serious than #Google about checking the safety of their catalog of apps. Sometimes, the safest option is installing APKs directly from trusted developers.

If you have a fediverse account, you can quote this note from your own instance. Search https://privacysafe.social/users/profdiggity/statuses/115633745550821497 on your instance and quote it. (Note that quoting is not supported in Mastodon.)