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In version 8.30, Signal completed the availability of encrypted conversation backups on Android, iOS, Linux, macOS, and Windows, with support for local backups without size limits and direct data transfer between iPhones.
Apple is adding features to its watches that use live audio processing to rephrase what was said or summarize conversations, while emphasizing that raw audio recordings are not saved. But these functions raise practical and legal questions about obtaining others’ consent, the potential use of the resulting transcripts, and the effect of normalizing devices that listen continuously on people’s behavior.
The EFF presents an interpretation of digital sovereignty as the ability of individuals, states, and communities to control their data, technologies, and infrastructure, while warning against its transformation into a tool for isolating the internet or expanding government surveillance. The organization believes that the better alternative involves open-source software, data portability, strong encryption, and reducing dependence on closed platforms.