Instagram is going to let you tweak what its algorithm shows you on your main feed. With the Your Algorithm feature, "you can now see the topics we think you're interested in, and change them, across all the major parts of Instagram," according to Instagram boss Adam Mosseri. Right now, the feature will only surface topics, but Instagram is working on "supporting requests for people, different moods or vibes, content types, and more." The company has been slowly giving users more agency over some algorithms on Instagram, having already launched the Your Algorithm feature for your Reels feed and the Explore page. With Wednesday's announcemen … Read the full story at The Verge. View the full article

Jennifer Combs says she never set out to become the face of a fight over free speech, dirty water and small-town power. She says she was simply trying to help people in Trinidad, Texas, report problems with their water. Some residents had complained about discoloration, sediment, odors and health concerns. So Combs used her Southern Belle Watch Facebook page to collect reports and send them to the state. Then, according to Combs, the situation took a turn that still sounds hard to believe. She says police came to her home and arrested her on a felony warrant over a Facebook post. "I've never even had a speeding ticket," Combs said. "I'm a mom of four kids. I have one grandbaby right now. I have two more grandbabies on the way." Now, Combs says her arrest has become about something much bigger than one Facebook post. HOW I WAS TRICKED AND LOCKED OUT OF FACEBOOK AFTER BEING HACKED Your phone holds your email, passwords, photos, banking apps and personal data. In this free, live online class, Kurt the CyberGuy will walk you step by step through simple phone security fixes you can do in real time. You’ll learn how to improve your privacy settings, spot the latest phone scams, use trusted security tools and walk away with a simple checklist to stay protected. Register here: CyberGuyLive.com. Jennifer sat down with me for my CyberGuy Report podcast at CyberguyPodcast.com to explain what happened, why she started asking questions and what she wants other communities to learn from her ordeal. Combs says she got involved after seeing a post from an older woman who needed help buying bottled water. According to Combs, the woman was on a fixed income and had already spent part of her monthly money on bottled water. Combs said the woman claimed her doctor had told her not to cook with or drink the tap water. That moment stuck with her. 11 EASY WAYS TO PROTECT YOUR ONLINE PRIVACY IN 2025 "I'm a firm, firm person on transparency," Combs said. "I stand on it. I think if you're going to be in government, there should be zero reasons for you not to be transparent with your people that elected you to be there." So she started collecting complaints. Her plan was simple. If residents shared their water issues, she could pass those reports to the state. That way, inspectors would know where to look. Combs says the water issue had been going on for years in parts of Trinidad. "That's real. That's not AI. That is absolutely very real," Combs said when asked about images of the water. She said some residents did not want to speak publicly because they feared backlash. "A lot of them wanted to be able to message me anonymously, because the retaliation in Trinidad is very, very real," Combs said. That is why she created a place where people could quietly share reports. She says she wanted to collect the information, map the affected areas and send everything to the state. Combs read the Facebook post during our conversation. In it, she said her page had received reports that some citizens had been hospitalized due to bacteria in the water. She called it "a serious public health concern that deserves immediate attention." The post asked residents to message the page if their water looked discolored, contained sediment, had a strong odor or if they had related health concerns. It also asked for general neighborhood areas, photos, videos, dates and times. Combs says the post was later removed by Facebook after it was reported by a select group of people from the community and flagged, though she says Facebook did not tell her why. But before it came down, she says, then-Trinidad Police Chief Charles Gregory had taken a screenshot of it and posted it on the Trinidad Police Department Facebook page, accusing her of making a false report. "I never filed a report with the police department," Combs said. "I only filed a report with the state of Texas with the water." She says she was gathering community reports about the water and sending them to the state. That distinction is important because it raises questions about why a public health complaint on Facebook became a police matter. We reached out to Meta, Facebook's parent company, for comment, but did not hear back before our deadline. Combs says the city had hired a contractor to help manage the water problem. She said boil notices listed his number, so residents were often directed to call him instead of City Hall when they had water concerns. According to Combs, that created even more frustration. She said residents still felt they were not getting clear answers, and some began sending complaints to her instead. Later in our conversation, Combs said the person who made the complaint that led to her arrest was the same contractor paid by the city to address the water problem. "Do you want to know who that someone is?" Combs said. "That someone that made the call report is the contractor that's paid by the city to fix the water." That detail adds another layer to the story. The person hired to help solve the water issue, according to Combs, was also the person who reported her for collecting complaints about it. FACIAL RECOGNITION JAILS INNOCENT GRANDMOTHER, ATTORNEY SAYS Combs says this all came to a head on April 6. Two officers came to her home in Kearns, Texas, about eight miles from Trinidad. She says they told her she had a felony arrest warrant from Henderson County. "I said, 'Oh, what? What do you mean?'" Combs said. "And they said, 'Yeah, you have a felony arrest warrant. We have to take you to Navarro County Jail.'" Then she was handcuffed in her front yard. "To be handcuffed in my front yard and taken to jail and spend 23 hours in jail before I could get out was very traumatic," Combs said. "It was insane." Combs says she was charged with a felony false report tied to public panic over the water system. "I was just in disbelief, in absolute disbelief," she said. Combs says Gregory later doubled down on Facebook and defended the decision to arrest her. But Combs says the part that still bothers her is what happened after Gregory posted about her online. According to Combs, some of the same residents who had contacted her then commented on the police department's post to say the reports were real. "The people that had made the reports to me commented on there, and they never even interviewed them," Combs said. "They never even talked to them. But they literally commented on his own post saying, 'Hey, this really happened.'" That raises a basic question. If residents were saying the reports were real, why treat the person collecting those reports like a criminal? After Combs arrest, the costs started adding up. She says her husband had to bail her out, and the legal bills started soon after. "It's $2,500," Combs said about the bail amount. "So he had to pay 300 and something to get me out of jail. And then we've had to pay attorney fees." Combs says the felony charge eventually went before a grand jury. The grand jury no-billed the case, meaning it did not indict her. "The grand jury said no bill. Absolutely no part of this," Combs said. "No bill, not enough evidence." That meant the charge was no longer hanging over her head. Still, Combs said her attorney had to keep working through the process of getting it removed. By then, the damage had already been done. Combs had spent nearly a day in jail. Her husband had to bail her out. She had to hire a lawyer. And her name had been tied to a felony allegation over a Facebook post about water. Combs says the fallout did not stop with her arrest. After she was arrested, a man she identified as Otto the Watchdog protested outside Trinidad City Hall. Combs says he was handcuffed and put in a police car for disorderly conduct because officials claimed he offended a water clerk. Then, according to Combs, the water clerk said she was not offended. "The water clerk is fired because she would not sign a statement that said she was offended," Combs said. Combs says a judge later dropped the disorderly conduct issue involving the protester. Then, she says, the city fired that judge. "The judge dropped it. They fired the judge," Combs said. She also said the city attorney was fired the same night. Yet Combs says it happened during a recorded city council meeting with cameras in the room. MICROSOFT CROSSES PRIVACY LINE FEW EXPECTED CyberGuy requested comment from the City of Trinidad. Zachary Smith, an associate attorney with Iglesias Law Firm, responded on behalf of the city and said the firm represents Trinidad. "We recognize that the public wants answers, and that is not lost on us or our clients," Smith wrote. Smith said the city is leaving the details to the legal process. "Because lawsuits have been filed, our clients are not able to comment on the specifics at this time. As you know, this is standard practice in active litigation," Smith wrote. He also defended the city's position. "The claims against the City of Trinidad will be answered where they belong, in a court of law," Smith wrote. "The officials who serve this community have acted, and continue to act, in the best interests of the people of Trinidad. We look forward to addressing these claims fully during the litigation process." People complain online about local problems every day. They post about roads, trash pickup, schools, taxes, crime and public utilities. Some posts are emotional. Some include claims that still need to be checked. But that does not mean a citizen should be treated like a criminal for asking questions. Combs said it best. "You have the right to question what anybody is doing," she said. "You have the right to figure out what is in your water, what you're drinking." Then she added one line that says a lot about her. "I'm never going to tell people, 'Oh, just keep your mouth shut. Don't say anything and just be quiet.' That's not me. I don't hush very well. Combs says the water problem still needs outside attention. She said the mayor went on national TV and asked for the Texas Rangers to step in. Combs also said she had reached out for support. "I need someone to help," Combs said. "It's insane. It's not going to get fixed the way it is." She said people in Trinidad have waited long enough. "They've had all of these years to do it," Combs said. "And now you're putting people in jail for talking about it." That is the part that should make all of us pay attention. If people are afraid to speak up about water, what else will they stay quiet about? At the end of our conversation, I asked Combs what message she has for people who speak out online about local issues. Her answer was direct. "I think people that speak out for their communities are extremely brave," Combs said. "So I'm never going to not tell people to speak out." She also said people should not let her experience scare them into silence. "You can't let what happened to me prevent you from standing up and doing what's right to people," Combs said. "You can't because then there's no good people left." Facebook can be a powerful way to raise local concerns, but you should think carefully before posting. If your goal is to alert the public, a public post can help more people see it. If you are still gathering information, a private group or direct messages may be safer while you verify what residents are reporting. Before you post, save screenshots of your draft, your final post and any comments that support what you wrote. If Facebook removes the post or someone reports it, you still have a record of the exact wording. Also, protect people who contact you. Ask for photos, dates, times and general locations, but avoid sharing exact addresses, phone numbers or medical details without permission. You can show a pattern without exposing someone's private information. Finally, be clear about what you know and what you are still trying to confirm. Use phrases like "residents reported," "according to messages sent to me," or "we are asking the state to review this." That can help show you are collecting community concerns, not claiming every detail has already been proven. HOW SURVEILLANCE TECH LED POLICE TO ACCUSE THE WRONG PERSON Jennifer Combs says she wanted clean water, transparency and answers. Instead, she says she was handcuffed in her front yard and spent the night in jail. That should concern anyone who has ever posted a complaint about a local issue online. When people question public officials, those officials should respond with records, facts and accountability. They should not turn criticism into a police matter. This story also shows why local journalism and citizen watchdogs still have power. Small towns can have big problems. Sometimes the person asking the uncomfortable question is the one doing the public a favor. The bigger question is simple: If a Facebook post about dirty water can lead to a felony arrest, what would stop another local government from trying the same thing? To hear Jennifer tell her story in her own words, check out The CyberGuy Report podcast at CyberguyPodcast.com. Have you ever spoken up about a local problem and felt ignored, intimidated or brushed aside? Let us know by writing to us at CyberGuy.com. Sign up for my FREE CyberGuy Report Copyright 2026 CyberGuy.com. All rights reserved. View the full article

The UFC event on the White House's South Lawn is the president's birthday gift to himself. Sources expect it to be a lobbying extravaganza.View the full article

A Munich regional court has ruled (PDF) that Google can be held directly liable for false claims in AI Overviews. The case involved AI Overviews falsely linking two publishers to scams and shady business practices, with the court rejecting Google's argument that users could simply check the sources themselves. The Decoder reports: Google's AI overviews work nothing like traditional search results, the court argues. The AI rewrites and judges results "in its own words and according to its own structure," the ruling says. In the case at hand, for example, it opened with confident claims like "Yes, [company] is known for dubious business practices," then built its own structure with a summary, red flags for the alleged scam, and tips for users. The court also found that the AI overview made claims "that are not even made in the search results." None of the linked sources drew any connection between the plaintiffs and the shady companies the AI mentioned. The court called these "the defendant's own statements." Google built the AI, Google offered it to users, so Google owns what it produces, "because it alone has influence over the AI's offering and the algorithms with which the AI operates." The court also examined existing rulings from Germany's Federal Court of Justice (BGH), which gave traditional search engines and autocomplete limited liability. The BGH had argued that search engine operators were only liable as indirect infringers because they merely made third-party content findable. A proactive duty to check results would threaten how search engines work. The Munich court found that this reasoning doesn't apply to AI overviews. A regular search engine just points to outside websites. But AI overviews generate "independent, new, and substantive statements" by evaluating and combining content from various third-party sites. And only Google can check those statements, the court said, "at least by comparing the underlying third-party websites with its own statements based on them." The court also noted that the AI overview is "by no means absolutely necessary" for using the internet. Traditional search results already help users sort through information, the AI overview is just an extra feature. At the hearing, Google argued that users could check the linked sources themselves to verify if the AI summary was correct. It also said that these users knew "that information generated with AI should not be blindly trusted." The court rejected this. Read more of this story at Slashdot. View the full article

Unidentified aerial phenomena (UAP) whistleblower and former Air Force intelligence officer David Grusch accused intelligence agencies Tuesday of hiding billions of dollars in secret government spending from Congress, as lawmakers renewed demands for records they say federal officials continue to withhold. His investigation uncovered what he described as "slush funds" — pools of money allegedly operating outside normal congressional oversight channels — worth billions of dollars annually that were allegedly used to support activities operating outside normal oversight channels, Grusch said speaking at a Capitol Hill event alongside members of the House Task Force on the Declassification of Federal Secrets. "This is also a real fraud, waste and abuse issue," Grusch said. "During my investigation, I found slush funds to the tune of billions of dollars per annum for these activities." TASK FORCE TO EXPOSE 'FEDERAL SECRETS' ON JFK ASSASSINATION, EPSTEIN, UFOS PACKED WITH GOP REBELS The allegations come as lawmakers and the Trump administration have intensified efforts to declassify government unidentified aerial phenomena records, releasing hundreds of pages of previously secret files and renewing pressure on agencies to disclose what they know about unexplained aerial incidents. Grusch, who served on the Pentagon's Unidentified Aerial Phenomena Task Force and later as the National Reconnaissance Office's representative to the task force, first gained national attention in 2023 when he testified before Congress about alleged government efforts to recover and study unidentified craft. The Trump administration's fiscal year 2027 budget includes nearly $132 billion in military and national intelligence spending, much of it contained in classified programs accessible only to a limited group of cleared officials and lawmakers. Asked what the government knows about nonhuman intelligence, Grusch claimed the government is aware of "several" different alien species. "It's a continuum from corporeal bipedal type life to, you know, what I would consider is like sentient plasma life," Grusch said. "But there are several that this government is aware of." He did not elaborate on the claim or provide evidence during the event. Grusch specifically accused the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA), the Pentagon's primary military intelligence agency, of obstructing congressional oversight efforts, arguing that records requested by lawmakers have not been fully provided despite what he described as lawful requests from Congress. He urged the agency to release additional documents for review and declassification. The DIA could not immediately be reached for comment. The Pentagon has consistently said investigations have not uncovered verified evidence of extraterrestrial technology, and previous government reviews have disputed claims that secret crash-retrieval programs exist. A bipartisan group of lawmakers joined Grusch during the press conference, arguing that agencies have continued to resist congressional efforts to obtain information related to unidentified anomalous phenomena. "We would ask questions, and they would then push back. We would ask more questions, and the pushback became more significant," said Rep. Jared Moskowitz, D-Fla. "We would try to put language in an amendment, in a bill, and they would oppose it." "There must be real penalties for officials who knowingly withhold information from Congress," added Rep. Eric Burlison, R-Mo. Moskowitz also tied the debate to broader concerns about Pentagon accountability. "There's trillions of dollars missing at the Pentagon. Where does that money go?" he said. The Pentagon has failed seven consecutive annual audits, though defense officials have said those findings reflect longstanding challenges tracking assets and accounting systems across the department. REP TIM BURCHETT CONVINCED THAT ALIENS EXIST, SAYS HE'S 'SEEN TOO MUCH' IN GOVERNMENT BRIEFINGS Grusch said additional witnesses remain reluctant to come forward because of concerns about retaliation and legal exposure. Burlison called on President Donald Trump to waive nondisclosure agreements for individuals with knowledge of alleged government UAP programs and grant immunity to those willing to testify. "Grant immunity to anyone who has already come forward, and everyone who will come forward," Burlison said. "Open the door and let them speak." "Congress is requesting specific records and videos," Burlison added. "These agencies and contractors know that we know that they exist, and we're going to get them released." Burlison said lawmakers have continued pressing agencies and defense contractors for records they believe remain classified despite recent disclosure efforts. He said his office obtained MQ-9 footage of a UAP incident off the coast of Yemen that was delivered through what he described as a "Tom Clancy-style dead drop." Lawmakers argued that additional disclosures may depend on persuading more witnesses to come forward. Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., who chairs the House task force examining the issue, said lawmakers are discussing immunity protections for individuals with knowledge of alleged craft locations, recovered materials or advanced technologies. The renewed push comes as lawmakers seek greater access to information tied to some of the government's most closely held programs. Federal investigators recently alleged that former CIA official David Rush used a fraudulent "special access program" as part of a scheme involving more than $40 million in gold bars and millions in government funds, drawing renewed attention to how highly restricted government programs can operate with limited outside visibility. The event comes weeks after the Trump administration released a major tranche of previously classified UAP records, including military reports, sensor data and witness accounts that had long remained hidden from public view. Lawmakers and disclosure advocates have pointed to those releases as evidence the government is becoming more transparent about UAP investigations, while arguing that significant amounts of information remain classified. View the full article