Bits On Tape

📢 As TikTok Ban Looms, We Bring You StickTock.com

Anyone with a web browser can now watch TikToks while protecting their privacy:

https://sticktock.com

StickTock.com is 100% free and open source software (FOSS) developed by privacy advocates. StickTock.com allows users to view, share, and download TikTok videos without exposing themselves to invasive tracking. StickTock.com running in a desktop web browser

You can also turn TikTok.com video URLs into StickTock.com links just by replacing the word “tiktok” with “sticktock” so that:

https:// www. tiktok .com /@efforg/video/7241629982534126894

can be changed to:

https://www.sticktock.com/@efforg/video/7241629982534126894

…and shared across the web. When a user clicks on the new StickTock.com link, our web app will download and convert the video for you to watch outside of TikTok.

This web app was launched by our small team of developers at PrivacySafe, where we are building a suite of privacy-first solutions. StickTock.com servers are hosted in Iceland, a jurisdiction known for its strong commitment to Internet freedom and data privacy. To help circumvent censorship, we also host a Tor .onion hidden service that can be accessed via Tor Browser.

As our logo hints, StickTock.com is a “band aid” solution. We can’t promise it will persist long after the TikTok ban, but we made it easy to deploy by sysadmins and fork by developers. As the US population scrambles to find access to TikTok videos, we hope StickTock.com will call attention to the vital importance of free speech and digital independence.

🎙️ Information Wants To Be Free. We’re Helping It Flow Freely.

The US Supreme Court will uphold the ban on TikTok in the United States. That sets a dangerous precedent with far-reaching implications for free speech, privacy, and international relations. This ruling will pave the way for similar bans on other foreign-owned platforms, particularly those with connections to countries like China that are viewed as adversaries of the US government.

The maxim “information wants to be free” is not a relic of the 1980’s — it’s a rallying cry for 2025 as our Internet-connected societies face growing restrictions on information access. Across the globe, populations are subject to national bans on content, platforms, and apps. Now it seems the US population will be cut off from the billions around the world who use TikTok to communicate and publish.

The US is sending a worrisome message to the world by putting digital shackles on its population. TikTok is a medium for 170 million Americans to share ideas, art, news, and opinions. About half of the US adults on TikTok get their news there. And, because “information wants to be free,” many of those adults are not only resorting to frenzied downloads of TikTok before its removal from app stores — they’re flocking to other apps like RedNote that give them access to Chinese social spaces.

Downloads of RedNote are approaching 1 million, as TikTok users make their point clear. Even though the app could be blocked under the same statute that mandates a TikTok ban, and there are serious questions about RedNote’s privacy, a significant portion of the US population wants to use Chinese apps.

👁️‍🗨️ We Know TikTok Has Privacy Issues. That’s Why We Made StickTock.com

TikTok has been accurately criticized as a privacy problem, but the US government’s national security concerns remain vague and insufficiently documented to justify a ban. TikTok bakes adtech trackers into its apps that collect and monetize user data. That’s a problem that is very real and needs to be addressed, but it’s also an issue that is rampant across the smartphone app ecosystem.

Adtech spyware is central to the trillion-dollar fortunes of Big Tech companies like Meta, who own Facebook and Instagram. Google is notorious for inventing invasive methods of user tracking, Apple was recently caught red-handed eavesdropping on conversations, and Microsoft’s privacy transgressions could fill a warehouse.

It’s precisely because the PrivacySafe team knows apps like Facebook and TikTok don’t respect the privacy of users that we make tools like StickTock.com. The driving force behind this new app is Sean O’Brien, founder of Yale Privacy Lab and Research Fellow at Yale Law School. At the end of December, Sean joined 34 other academics in an amicus brief on the US Supreme Court case, which argues convincingly that the TikTok ban is “shocking” overreach and that “free speech consequences are thus serious and wide-ranging.”

Sean is a security researcher who is no stranger to the issues with app surveillance. He has spent much of the past decade exposing hidden trackers in smartphone apps and calling attention to information leaks.

💻 Open Source Is Vital for Privacy, Security, and Access to Information

Our team at PrivacySafe is building a suite of apps that are 100% free and open source software (FOSS). Such FOSS apps foster transparency by allowing anyone to inspect the code for vulnerabilities or backdoors, enhancing community-driven security audits. This transparency builds trust, encourages rapid bug fixes, and empowers users and developers to collaborate in strengthening defenses against cyber threats.

Releasing our code under a FOSS license is a good way to ensure that it persists far into the future. We want StickTock.com to be improved and built upon over time, and we encourage our repos to be branched and forked just as we remixed an earlier codebase. We want to thank developer MarsHeer for taking the initial steps that made StickTock.com possible and we have released our updated codebase under the GNU AGPLv3 to ensure it stays free.

Mikalai Birukou of 3NWeb and PrivacySafe has pulled all-nighters to improve the stability of our app and make it as portable as possible. The speed that allows us to ship StickTock.com so quickly is only possible because of the power of FOSS collaboration.

We should also mention ProxiTok, the once-popular FOSS frontend for TikTok. We hope StickTock.com might be useful to help iron out the issues ProxiTok has been facing with the fetching of TikTok videos.

The world of FOSS is really powerful, and our apps are just a small part of it. There is now an exciting FOSS project called Loops, a video platform with a TikTok-like interface that publishes to the “fediverse” — connecting it to communities like our own PrivacySafe Social.

PrivacySafe hosts a publicly-available StickTock API that is open for developers to plug their apps into it. That might also mean a bridge between TikTok and other platforms. It would be great to see TikTok videos shared freely across FOSS communities via open API standards. StickTock.com API

💪 The Bottom Line: There’s Strength In Numbers

At a time when Americans face the prospect of losing a platform they use daily for self-expression, StickTock.com demonstrates the power of open-source technology to preserve access to content while prioritizing privacy and security. When communities of speech and privacy advocates copy, remix, and share, they become much stronger than isolated individuals. If we want global conversations that embody the potential of the Internet to continue, we have to engineer around barriers and build new methods of protecting speech.

Information wants to be free, and StickTock.com is proof that privacy and access aren’t mutually exclusive.

🙏 Thank You For Reading!

Join PrivacySafe Social to keep up with our app releases. We’ve got more public apps fresh out of the oven and you’ll be the first folks who get a taste as we announce them.

🌍 Find Us Around the Web

We’re getting our message out on: 🌞 PrivacySafe Social: https://privacysafe.social/@bitsontape • Telegram: https://t.me/bitsontape • Blue Sky: https://bsky.app/profile/privacysafe.social • Twitter X: https://twitter.com/GetPrivacySafe • LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/company/PrivacySafe-app

© Ivy Cyber Consulting LLC. This project is dedicated to ethical Free and Open Source Software and Open Source Hardware. Ivy Cyber™ and Bits On Tape™ are pending trademarks and PrivacySafe® is a registered trademark. All content, unless otherwise noted, is licensed Creative Commons BY-SA 4.0 International. Header photo includes screenshots of TikTok videos shared by funny.rowena.

Bits On Tape™ is a twice-weekly replay of science & technology stories by cyber experts. These bits are put to screen by Sean O’Brien, leading voice behind privacy and cybersecurity at Yale Law School and founder of Yale Privacy Lab, and edited by Cherise Labonte, science researcher and licensed Registered Nurse.

© Ivy Cyber Consulting LLC. This project is dedicated to ethical Free and Open Source Software and Open Source Hardware. Ivy Cyber™ and Bits On Tape™ are pending trademarks and PrivacySafe® is a registered trademark. All content, unless otherwise noted, is licensed Creative Commons BY-SA 4.0 International.

Substack: https://bitsontape.com | Medium: https://bitsontape.net

🧙 Doctor Strange Defeats HIPAA & Phishing Schemes Get Stranger

Apple faces regulatory friction in EU + Send secret notes with PrivacySafe Link

👨‍⚕️ Doctor Strange’s Multiverse of Privacy Madness

When we rewatched Marvel’s 2016 film Doctor Strange, we couldn’t help but notice a glaring issue. Why does the wizard protagonist, Doctor Stephen Strange, continually trample on healthcare privacy?

Strange’s journey into wizardry is motivated by his near-fatal car crash — featuring a baffling scene where he casually examines patient X-rays on a display inside his supercar. Setting aside the obvious dangers, Strange’s decision to review medical results while driving raises serious ethical questions. It’s hard to imagine patients would be thrilled knowing their critical health info is being handled so carelessly.

While recovering from his injuries, Strange clashes with a hospital orderly who challenges the grim prognosis for his hands. The orderly, determined to prove Strange wrong, mentions the name of a former patient, Jonathan Pangborn, who miraculously cured his quadriplegia. Then the orderly escalates the situation, offering to grab Pangborn’s file and share it with Strange.

Under HIPAA, sharing a patient’s protected health information (PHI) without authorization is illegal unless specific exceptions apply. For example, data can be disclosed for treatment purposes, research (with specific safeguards), or when required by law. None of these apply in the film’s scenario.

Even if Strange used to work for the hospital that treated Pangborn, HIPAA requires stringent controls on PHI access. Employees can only view patient records when necessary for their specific job tasks. Strange, no longer practicing medicine at this point in the story, wouldn’t have had any legitimate reason to access Pangborn’s file. If this scenario occurred in real life, both the orderly and the hospital would face severe penalties.

The cinematic origin of the Sorcerer Supreme offers all the trappings of a great superhero story: arrogance, downfall, redemption, and… blatant violations of patient privacy. Our hero stomps over healthcare regulations (and common sense) faster than he can conjure a portal.

🎩 Avoid Big Tech’s Spells in Our Social Network

If you’re sick of your life being studied by nosy wizards with selfish intentions, join our social space and connect with millions of users:

🔆 PrivacySafe Social https://privacysafe.social — A free app with No Ads, No Spyware, No Timeline or AI Manipulation. We have 8 simple rules and honest, human moderation.

📱 Apple Grapples with USB Cable Laws & Exploits

Apple’s relationship with USB-C has been anything but smooth, especially in the European Union. The drama concluded last year with the EU Common Charging Directive, which took effect at the end of December and mandates USB-C ports for most gadgets. The regulation is aimed to increase interoperability and simplify device charging. Proponents hope to reduce electronic waste and planned obsolescence, as well as limit vendor lock-in from device-specific cables.

As a result, Apple had to yank the iPhone 14, iPhone 14 Plus, and third-gen iPhone SE from EU shelves. The iPhone 15 lineup has USB-C ports, but Apple’s compliance strategy (or lack thereof) has been a bumpy road.

While Apple grapples with regulatory changes, security researchers have their eyes on something more electrifying: Apple’s new ACE3 USB-C controller, introduced with the iPhone 15. Apple beefed up security for the ACE3 compared to its predecessor, the ACE2, adding cryptographic validation and personalized firmware. Despite these additions, security researchers managed to crack the system using techniques like electromagnetic fault injection to bypass its defenses.

Though the attacks aren’t easy to pull off (at least not yet) the results are scary. Hacking the ACE3 can mean untethered “jailbreaks” and persistent firmware implants, which basically means that attackers can install all kinds of nasties on your iDevice. Malware injected via these methods could not only allow bad actors to snoop on your data, they could take full control of your device.

These hacking techniques also highlight a growing trend: as software gets harder to exploit, attackers must turn to hardware and “side channel” attacks. Apple now faces pressure to rethink its chip shielding and detection measures.

Maybe the solution is re-introducing Apple’s lightning cable? 😉

🐯 Phishing Scams Trap Australian Cat Chasers

It all starts with an innocent question: “Are Bengal Cats legal in Australia?” Maybe you’re daydreaming about owning a colorful feline — but type that question into Google and it could be the start of a cyber nightmare. Hackers have begun to turn seemingly-niche queries into the bait for sophisticated cyberattacks, proving that even the most innocent searches can have serious consequences.

A top UK cybersecurity firm sounded the alarm, warning Internet users to steer clear of search results about bengal cats in Australia. The top links might look legitimate, like a blog or legal guide, but they’re anything but safe. Clicking them allows hackers to deploy malware that can steal personal information like bank details or lock you out of your own computer. Cybersecurity experts call this kind of attack “SEO poisoning.” Malicious hackers figure out clever ways to manipulate search engine algorithms and push their dodgy sites to the top of the results.

It’s not just cat queries that cyber criminals are exploiting. Scammers are constantly upping their game and targeting the devices in our pockets. iPhone users are now being sent “smishing” SMS texts disguised as urgent notices. Topics might include threats about unpaid road tolls or shipping issues — a message that spurs reflexive action on the part of the recipient. A victim could be convinced, for example, to disable iMessage safeguards.

Some messages warn of “excessive late fees” and a “possible lawsuit” if payment isn’t made immediately. The odd phrasing might raise a red flag for some, but victims who are worried or distracted will trigger the malicious trap. Once the scammer gets a reply, they know the number is active, opening the door to more targeted attacks.

The lesson? Pause and take 9 seconds before you click, download, or share. If you’re concerned about an issue, try to find an official website or verified source that confirms the information you’ve been told. Remember: curiosity doesn’t have to kill the cat.

🕵️ Create Secret Notes with PrivacySafe Link

Last week we released a free app — PrivacySafe Link, your tool for sharing secret notes via a password-protected link: https://privacysafe.link

Back by popular demand, we’re giving you a rundown of its key features, below.

Self-Destructing Notes: By default, notes disappear after one view by the person you share the link with. You can also set a custom number of views.

Client-Side Encryption: Your note is encrypted inside your web browser, on your device, so our server has no idea what you type or paste.

Strong Passwords: Your PrivacySafe Links are automatically secured by a strong password generated on your device, not our server.

Go-Go-Gadget Privacy

Remember Inspector Gadget, the 80’s cartoon detective with the exploding messages? Now your messages can self-destruct too!

✍️ Write Your Mission Brief Visit privacysafe.link and type your note. Choose how many times it can be viewed or set a time limit (in seconds).

🔗 Copy Your PrivacySafe Link Your note is encrypted on your own device, creating a PrivacySafe Link that can be shared. You can copy the link and the password separately (best practice) or copy them both together as a long URL (simpler).

💌 Deliver Your Message Share with your recipient — preferably in an app with strong encryption. If you share over an insecure channel like email, at least you know the data will self-destruct.

🍸 Mission Accomplished Once the PrivacySafe Link self-destructs, sit back and enjoy a vodka martini.

Don’t Get Burned!

Share Smart: Use encrypted messaging apps to share with your recipient. If you use Tor Browser, you can also try our Tor .onion hidden service.

Be Patient: Avoid the urge to check your link so it won’t self-destruct early.

Split the Info: If both the link and password are intercepted, someone could read the note before your intended recipient. Splitting the information over separate apps or communication channels is better operational security.

Keep Backups: Your data will self-destruct and is gone forever — our server can’t read the note, can’t identify the link, and doesn’t make copies.

Why You’ll Love It

Need to pass along a heartfelt message, your class notes, or a funny meme? PrivacySafe Link is for messages you want to stay private and temporary, with the simplicity and security that would make Inspector Gadget say, “Wowzers!” 💥

🙏 Thank You For Reading!

Join PrivacySafe Social to keep up with our app releases. We’ve got more public apps fresh out of the oven and you’ll be the first folks who get a taste as we announce them.

🌍 Find Us Around the Web

We’re getting our message out on: 🌞 PrivacySafe Social: @bitsontape • Telegram: Bits On Tape • Blue Sky: @bitsontape.com • Twitter X: @BitsOnTape • LinkedIn: Bits On Tape

Bits On Tape™ is a twice-weekly replay of science & technology stories by cyber experts. These bits are put to screen by Sean O’Brien, leading voice behind privacy and cybersecurity at Yale Law School and founder of Yale Privacy Lab, and edited by Cherise Labonte, science researcher and licensed Registered Nurse.

© Ivy Cyber Consulting LLC. This project is dedicated to ethical Free and Open Source Software and Open Source Hardware. Ivy Cyber™ and Bits On Tape™ are pending trademarks and PrivacySafe® is a registered trademark. All content, unless otherwise noted, is licensed Creative Commons BY-SA 4.0 International.

Substack: https://bitsontape.com | Medium: https://bitsontape.net

🤖 Facebook Burns AI Zombies & You Can Burn Notes With Our New App

Jazz Age Mickey Mouse & Popeye are public domain + Secret notes with PrivacySafe Link

💀 Zuckerberg’s Zombie AI Profiles Bite the Dust

The experiment with “zombie” AI-generated profiles on Facebook and Instagram by its parent company Meta has officially flatlined after widespread backlash. The artificial accounts, introduced clandestinely in 2023 and 2024, were supposed to revolutionize social media by standing in for real people with convincing bios, profile pics, and machine-made content. Unleashed by Meta as the opening salvo of a grander AI strategy, they shuffled aimlessly through users’ feeds like supernatural trolls who never rest from spamming.

The gods of Facebook and Instagram envisioned an undead army of AI-generated NPCs marching across their platforms in a reckless demo of the “Dead Internet Theory” but the plan was met with horror and mockery after being revealed to the public. Meta has now removed the AI-generated profiles, or at least the ones that had been widely published across the web. Hundreds of thousands of characters were created, though most remain known only to Meta. Perhaps they’re ready for future resurrection of the concept?

Meta is not done with AI and is now pivoting to more familiar wizardry, like AI-powered photo editing and text-to-video features. In fact, the company is doubling down and might already be creating digital doppelgangers of you. Instagram has launched an experiment where AI places clones of users in strange scenarios and publishes those photos to their feeds — at least one Insta user was shocked to find bizarre photos depicting his clones in a maze of mirrors.

Don’t be surprised when the AI zombies rise again on Big Tech platforms, perhaps wearing a familiar face…

❤️ A Social Network For Humans

While Meta tests its AI illusions, decentralized apps continue to breathe new life into social networks — by keeping things human. If you’re sick of being subject to experimental AI agents, join our social space to connect with millions of users:

🔆 PrivacySafe Social https://privacysafe.social — A free app with No Ads, No Spyware, No Timeline or AI Manipulation. We have 8 simple rules and honest, human moderation.

🐭 Mickey Squeaks Into Public Domain in 2025

Each January brings a fresh wave of creative freedom as previously-copyrighted works enter the US public domain. For 2025, this includes literature, films, music, and art from 1929 as well as sound recordings from 1924. These works are now free to be remixed and shared without copyright restrictions.

Highlights include iconic novels like Virginia Woolf’s To the Lighthouse, Ernest Hemingway’s A Farewell to Arms, and William Faulkner’s The Sound and the Fury. The era’s evolving film industry contributed classics like On With the Show! — the first all-color, sound feature — and Buster Keaton’s final silent film, Spite Marriage. Popular music gems like Singin’ in the Rain and Tiptoe Through the Tulips will also join the fray.

Disney fans can now freely remix and share some early Mickey Mouse shorts as well as the Silly Symphony cartoon The Skeleton Dance. While culturally significant, these works only include the versions of these characters from the 1920’s, leaving later iterations by the House of Mouse under lock-and-key.

There are many other public domain releases this year including early appearances of beloved characters like Popeye the Sailor and Tintin, though debates persist over the copyright status of specific incarnations. Could we soon see these versions of the ‘toons teaming up in a fan-made “cinematic universe”?

🕵️ Create Secret Notes with PrivacySafe Link

We’ve released another free app — PrivacySafe Link, your tool for sharing secret notes via a password-protected link: https://privacysafe.link

Self-Destructing Notes: By default, notes disappear after one view by the person you share the link with. You can also set a custom number of views.

Client-Side Encryption: Your note is encrypted inside your web browser, on your device, so our server has no idea what you type or paste.

Strong Passwords: Your PrivacySafe Links are automatically secured by a strong password generated on your device, not our server.

Go-Go-Gadget Privacy

Remember Inspector Gadget, the 80’s cartoon detective with the exploding messages? Now your messages can self-destruct too!

✍️ Write Your Mission Brief Visit privacysafe.link and type your note. Choose how many times it can be viewed or set a time limit (in seconds).

🔗 Copy Your PrivacySafe Link Your note is encrypted on your own device, creating a PrivacySafe Link that can be shared. You can copy the link and the password separately (best practice) or copy them both together as a long URL (simpler).

💌 Deliver Your Message Share with your recipient — preferably in an app with strong encryption. If you share over an insecure channel like email, at least you know the data will self-destruct.

🍸 Mission Accomplished Once the PrivacySafe Link self-destructs, sit back and enjoy a vodka martini.

Don’t Get Burned!

Share Smart: Use encrypted messaging apps to share with your recipient. If you use Tor Browser, you can also try our Tor .onion hidden service.

Be Patient: Avoid the urge to check your link so it won’t self-destruct early.

Split the Info: If both the link and password are intercepted, someone could read the note before your intended recipient. Splitting the information over separate apps or communication channels is better operational security.

Keep Backups: Your data will self-destruct and is gone forever — our server can’t read the note, can’t identify the link, and doesn’t make copies.

Why You’ll Love It

Need to pass along a heartfelt message, your class notes, or a funny meme? PrivacySafe Link is for messages you want to stay private and temporary, with the simplicity and security that would make Inspector Gadget say, “Wowzers!” 💥

🙏 Thank You For Reading!

Join PrivacySafe Social to keep up with our app releases. We’ve got more public apps fresh out of the oven and you’ll be the first folks who get a taste as we announce them.

We’re getting our message out on: 🌞 PrivacySafe Social: https://privacysafe.social/@bitsontape • Telegram: https://t.me/bitsontape • Blue Sky: https://bsky.app/profile/bitsontape.com • Twitter X: https://twitter.com/BitsOnTape • LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/company/bitsontape

Bits On Tape™ is a twice-weekly replay of science & technology stories by cyber experts. These bits are put to screen by Sean O’Brien, leading voice behind privacy and cybersecurity at Yale Law School and founder of Yale Privacy Lab, and edited by Cherise Labonte, science researcher and licensed Registered Nurse.

© Ivy Cyber Consulting LLC. This project is dedicated to ethical Free and Open Source Software and Open Source Hardware. Ivy Cyber™ and Bits On Tape™ are pending trademarks and PrivacySafe® is a registered trademark. All content, unless otherwise noted, is licensed Creative Commons BY-SA 4.0 International.

Substack: https://bitsontape.com | Medium: https://bitsontape.net

⛏️ New Yorker Digs Up Mastodon Teeth & We Give You A Piece of Mastodon!

New revelations about early Americans and their love of sloth jewelry + Get free access to PrivacySafe Social.

🦷 Is There A Mastodon Tooth In Your Backyard? Maybe If You’re A New Yorker.

When most people think of treasure in their backyard, they imagine hoards of hidden coins — not the bones of a prehistoric mammal. Two lucky homeowners near Scotchtown, New York unearthed exactly that: a gigantic jaw from an animal that went extinct roughly 11,000 years ago.

The fossil specimen belonged to an adult mastodon, a distant relative of modern-day elephants and the ancient woolly mammoths popularized in cartoons and roadside attractions. Last September, an anonymous couple in New York noticed enormous teeth sticking out of the mud in their yard and called in the experts from New York State Museum and SUNY Orange. The team of paleontologists recovered a jaw, a toe bone fragment, and part of a rib and they suspect there are more bones nearby.

Details about the exact location of the find are being kept under wraps, probably to avoid a rush of TikTokers and Redditors looking for a prehistoric souvenir. The find further solidified Orange County’s reputation as a hotspot for mastodon fossils, which started way back during the U.S. Revolutionary War with the discovery of a trove of bones. George Washington is reported to have owned a fossil tooth himself and rushed to view mastodon bones in New York during the winter of 1780. Over 150 mastodon specimens have been found across New York State to date, and there’s every reason to expect there will be more as time goes on.

🎁 Uncover Your Own Mastodon Treasure Trove on PrivacySafe Social

As folks flock away from the chaos on Facebook, the cacophony on Threads, and the combat on Twitter X, we’re offering you a better option:

🌤️ PrivacySafe Social — A social app with No Ads, No Spyware, No Timeline Manipulation, and No AI.

Membership on PrivacySafe Social is a perk for Bits On Tape subscribers, and you can request an account today. Our community connects you with 1,000+ servers & millions of users in the decentralized Mastodon network. We operate under guidelines that promote safe and respectful discussion and intend to be a bright light in the “fediverse” — a global network that is growing by the millions as people run toward the exits from Big Tech. Check out our modifications to Mastodon at our source code repo.

Our Commitment To You:

We Will Never Serve You Ads: We believe the Internet should have no advertising surveillance. You deserve a community without ads, distractions, and clutter.

We Will Never Spy On You: Your privacy is paramount and our founder is an expert in the field. We will never conduct click-tracking, install spyware, or analyze your speech, behavior, mood, or face.

We Will Never Manipulate Your Timeline: Your feed is displayed chronologically. We do not artificially promote posts or spam your timeline and give you the power to filter your own feeds.

We Will Never Incorporate AI: What you do with Artificial Intelligence is your business, but it's not our business. PrivacySafe has made a conscious effort not to include AI agents or dependencies like OpenAI in our apps.

We take active steps to protect your privacy and we have 8 simple rules, honest moderation, and zero fees.

💍 Sloth Bone Jewelry Was Traded in Ancient American Social Networks

Long before hashtags and followers, ancient humans in North and South America were creating their own social networks — with collections of sloth bone jewelry as their version of shopping hauls. Researchers have uncovered polished sloth osteoderms, bony plates from the backs of the animals, in Brazil’s Santa Elina caves. These sloth bones were crafted into pendants an astonishing 27,000 years ago and predate the famed Clovis culture by over 10,000 years.

In today’s hyper-connected world, we signal our identities and affiliations across social media profiles with hashtags, posts, and selfies. For ancient humans, artifacts such as bone pendants likely served a similar role and marked group membership, status, and shared experiences. These early adornments suggest that communities weren’t just focused on survival. Ancient humans were building social ties and shared traditions, laying the groundwork for cultural networks that spanned vast regions.

New evidence suggests this was happening in the Western Hemisphere much earlier than scientists thought. The widely-accepted “Clovis-first” theory had posited that humans arrived in the Americas around 13,000 years ago, but evidence from Monte Verde in Chile, White Sands in New Mexico, and now Santa Elina in Brazil paints a more complex and much older picture. Advanced fossil dating shows sloth bones were shaped into pendants shortly after the deaths of the animals and marks of fire on the specimens hint at human activity long before the Clovis era, upturning our traditional understanding of human settlement of the Americas.

🙏 Thank You For Reading Our First Issue!

Break free from prehistory and join PrivacySafe Social to keep up with our app releases. We’ve got 4 public apps fresh out of the oven and you’ll be the first folks who get a taste when we announce them.

🌍 Find Us Around the Web

We’re getting our message out on: 🌞 PrivacySafe Social: https://privacysafe.social/@bitsontape • Telegram: https://t.me/bitsontape • Blue Sky: https://bsky.app/profile/bitsontape.com • Twitter X: https://twitter.com/BitsOnTape • LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/company/bitsontape

Bits On Tape™ is a twice-weekly replay of science & technology stories by cyber experts. These bits are put to screen by Sean O’Brien, leading voice behind privacy and cybersecurity at Yale Law School and founder of Yale Privacy Lab, and edited by Cherise Labonte, science researcher and licensed Registered Nurse.

© Ivy Cyber Consulting LLC. This project is dedicated to ethical Free and Open Source Software and Open Source Hardware. Ivy Cyber™ and Bits On Tape™ are pending trademarks and PrivacySafe® is a registered trademark. All content, unless otherwise noted, is licensed Creative Commons BY-SA 4.0 International.

Substack: https://bitsontape.com | Medium: https://bitsontape.net