Klippenstein, Substack:

Homeland security is increasing the use of undercover techniques to infiltrate and interact with social media users in order to collect intelligence and target individuals, documents leaked to me reveal.

The new program, called “masked engagement,” allows homeland security officers to assume false identities and interact with users—friending them, joining closed groups, and gaining access to otherwise private postings, photographs, friend lists and more.

A senior Department of Homeland Security official tells me that over 6,500 field agents and intelligence operatives can use the new tool, a significant increase explicitly linked to more intense monitoring of American citizens.

More and more people are using Signal:

Signal is widely praised for its strong privacy features, including end-to-end encryption for messages and calls, making it a top choice for secure communication. Users appreciate its ease of use and commitment to user privacy, although some note a smaller user base can make connecting with others more challenging. g2.com cyberinsider.com