Techlore Talks

IVPN Breaks Industry Silence on Logs, Audits & Affiliate Scams

Viktor Vescei from IVPN gives us a brutally honest VPN interview. He admits you can't truly verify no-logs claims, explains why most audits are "snapshots in time," and reveals why IVPN shut down their affiliate program due to industry-wide misinformation. This is an insider's perspective on what's really broken in the VPN industry and how to actually evaluate providers. Techlore empowers individuals with practical digital privacy knowledge, security tools, and advocacy resources. Discover how to protect your online data and regain control of your digital identity.📱 RESOURCES IN VIDEO:• https://www.ivpn.net/Timestamps:00:00:00 - Intro00:01:54 - Viktor's background & journey to IVPN00:04:47 - IVPN's 15-year history00:07:33 - VPN company ownership & acquisition attempts00:11:24 - IVPN's brutally honest blog00:12:56 - White labeling in the VPN industry00:15:55 - VPN use cases beyond privacy00:19:04 - Using a VPN for streaming?00:20:17 - Compartmentalization techniques00:21:32 - Normalizing VPN usage00:22:27 - Privacy vs. streaming compatibility00:25:32 - Websites blocking VPN users00:29:04 - VPN technology deep dive00:30:11 - Are VPN comparison charts useful?00:34:29 - VPN jurisdiction & the "eyes" debate00:42:09 - Multi-hop VPN connections00:44:38 - Threat modeling for VPNs00:45:30 - Picking a VPN server location00:48:44 - Transparency reports & warrant canaries00:52:04 - VPN logging: the uncomfortable truth00:54:42 - Why VPN audits are "snapshots in time"00:55:28 - Diskless servers explained00:57:17 - System transparency project01:00:09 - Being an open source VPN01:01:54 - VPN payment methods (cash & Monero)01:06:09 - Simultaneous device limits01:09:58 - WireGuard history & privacy issues01:14:34 - First-party vs. rented servers01:19:35 - Sponsors & affiliate program problems01:32:15 - VPN provider relationships behind the scenes01:35:04 - Acquiring Safing (Portmaster)01:37:08 - DNS filtering plans01:38:39 - Firewalls (Safing Portmaster integration)01:40:50 - Safing SPN network01:42:05 - IVPN's 2025 roadmap01:44:33 - Outro—Keep Techlore Independent:• Become a Techlorian: https://discuss.techlore.tech/s• Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/techlore• YouTube Memberships: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCs6KfncB4OV6Vug4o_bzijg/join• Affiliate Links: https://techlore.tech/affiliates• All Support Methods: https://techlore.tech/support Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The CEO Who Wants to Delete Your Digital Past

Today I sit down with Dan Saltman, CEO and founder of Redact.dev, to discuss their approach to data deletion. We dive deep into why people are increasingly concerned about their digital footprints, the technical challenges of building privacy software, why deleting data online is important, data removal services, and Dan's philosophy that "perfect is the enemy of good" when it comes to digital privacy. Techlore empowers individuals with practical digital privacy knowledge, security tools, and advocacy resources. Discover how to protect your online data and regain control of your digital identity.Guest Information:• https://redact.dev/• https://www.linkedin.com/in/daniel-saltman/Timestamps:00:00 Introduction to the interview01:00 Daniel Saltman Intro 03:35 Common Use-Cases of Data Deletion Services06:20 Why Bother Deleting Data? Is it even deleted?10:48 How does redact.dev function locally?12:42 Why is redact.dev a desktop program?13:30 Redact vs Jumbo16:46 Privacy & Telemetry practices of Redact.dev?20:30 Does Redact have a relationship with big tech companies?22:16 Are their risks of getting banned for using redact?23:55 Editing Reddit posts vs deleting Reddit posts26:04 Mobile vs Desktop Redact experience29:48 Why is Redact not open source?37:17 Data broker removal services & Redact's approach52:30 Dan's distrust of privacy services56:35 Redact's subscription model & alternatives?01:02:26 Daniel's history & background01:07:08 Future plans and final words—Keep Techlore Independent:• Become a Techlorian: https://discuss.techlore.tech/s• Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/techlore• YouTube Memberships: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCs6KfncB4OV6Vug4o_bzijg/join• Affiliate Links: https://techlore.tech/affiliates• All Support Methods: https://techlore.tech/support Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How AlmaLinux Rose from CentOS's Ashes

Join me for an in-depth conversation with benny Vasquez, Chair of the AlmaLinux OS Foundation, as we explore the fallout from Red Hat's controversial licensing changes and how AlmaLinux emerged as a community-driven solution. We discuss the technical differences between CentOS Stream, Red Hat Enterprise Linux, and AlmaLinux, the importance of open source governance, and the challenges of maintaining a stable enterprise Linux distribution. Whether you're a system administrator affected by these changes or simply interested in the evolving open source landscape, this interview offers valuable insights into the future of enterprise Linux. Techlore empowers individuals with practical digital privacy knowledge, security tools, and advocacy resources. Discover how to protect your online data and regain control of your digital identity.Guest Information:• AlmaLinux: https://almalinux.org/• benny LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bennyvasquez/Timestamps:00:00 Introduction to benny and AlmaLinux02:48 Explaining What is AlmaLinux and Its Origins06:05 The Evolution of Linux Distribution Flow (Fedora to CentOS)10:00 Why Choose AlmaLinux Over Other Alternatives14:00 Red Hat's License Changes and Their Impact20:20 Exploring the Open Source Philosophy Challenges24:40 Migrating from CentOS to AlmaLinux29:40 Linux for Video Editing and Compatibility Issues32:01 AlmaLinux Organization Structure36:20 The Non-Profit Foundation Approach41:35 benny's Journey with Alma Linux46:40 Daily Driver OS Preferences and Linux Desktop Recommendations48:45 Desktop Environment Recommendations for Linux Beginners49:56 Long-Term Vision for AlmaLinux50:28 Closing Remarks and How to Support Techlore—Keep Techlore Independent:• Become a Techlorian: https://discuss.techlore.tech/s• Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/techlore• YouTube Memberships: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCs6KfncB4OV6Vug4o_bzijg/join• Affiliate Links: https://techlore.tech/affiliates• All Support Methods: https://techlore.tech/support Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

PrivacyPost - Protecting Your Real Life Privacy!

This interview dives deep with Dallas, the owner of PrivacyPost.io, to explore the world of secure mail forwarding in the US. We'll unpack the complexities of CMRA vs. residential addresses, the growing importance of end-to-end encryption, and how PrivacyPost caters to digital nomads, RVers, and anyone seeking enhanced privacy with some clever South Dakota workflows!Guest information:PrivacyPost: https://privacypost.ioWorldPost: https://worldpost.io—Timestamps:0:00 Intro0:42 Guest Introduction3:05 What organisations do you run?6:03 What service are you providing?7:47 What separates PrivacyPost from other mail services?11:10 What’s the intersection between the privacy community, digital nomad community, and RVers?16:22 What’s the best solution for most people?20:44 Why are residential addresses so important?24:55 How does wealth affect your address privacy strategy?27:51 Why is South Dakota special?31:26 Are there benefits to PrivacyPost for non South Dakota residents?33:55 Do you need to spend the majority of time in South Dakota to get a residential address there?36:50 How does PrivacyPost work?51:08 Does PrivacyPost manually send your mail E2EE?57:09 Why do you run two services WorldPost & PrivacyPost?1:00:40 Does PrivacyPost have access to your 1583 form and other personal info?1:03:53 What’s the status of your warrant canary?1:10:37 Please don’t use abuse Worldpost.io1:16:45 How to get in contact with Dallas from PrivacyPost.io—If you enjoy Techlore Talks consider joining our Patreon so we can keep improving! https://patreon.com/techlore Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ente - Google Photos with Privacy! (ft. CEO Vishnu Mohandas)

Join us for an exclusive interview with Vishnu Mohandas, the visionary founder of Ente, a revolutionary photo app that prioritizes privacy. In this insightful conversation, we delve into the challenges and triumphs of building a privacy-first photo app, exploring topics like the birth of Ente, its unique approach to privacy, cutting-edge AI features, and the future of photo storage and sharing.Guest information:Vishnu Mohandas: https://vishnu.tech/Ente: https://ente.io—Timestamps:00:00 Vishnu Intro01:09 Did Google Photos inspire you?03:04 Was privacy a concern for people when you worked at Google?04:14 Did you start Ente by yourself?06:11 What was the moment where you pivoted to a consumer product?08:42 Where Does Ente beat Google Photos?10:22 Does encryption make it harder to make a photos app?12:55 When you’re optimizing the app do you rewrite from scratch?14:53 What are your thoughts on Apple’s AI?16:09 Will self hosted AI be possible with Ente?17:01 Is it easy to move from Ente from Google Photos?19:25 Does Ente plan to do tighter OS integrations in the future?20:47 Discussion around Telegram and EU DMA rulings26:27 What cryptography does Ente use?28:01 Who is the core audience for Ente?30:02 Is Ente VC funded?33:04 What are the benefits of Ente of iCloud with ADP?36:08 What packages does Ente come in on Linux?37:07 Why did you create Ente Auth?40:25 What is Ente Legacy?43:50 What products aren’t you going to do at Ente?45:32 Are there any plans for new products?48:15 Final words from Vishnu49:44 Where to find Vishnu and Ente—If you enjoy Techlore Talks consider joining our Patreon so we can keep improving! https://patreon.com/techlore Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.