Incogni

New research 🚨 🧬 Thinking of gifting a #dnatest this holiday season? You might want to reconsider. DNA testing kits from popular companies like #23andMe and #Ancestry have become a trendy holiday gift, but our latest research highlights significant privacy risks you should know before buying one for your loved ones. Here’s what we found: 📌 Data usage concerns: Around half of these companies use genetic data for marketing and research, often without explicit user consent, and claim to anonymize or aggregate it. However, anonymized data can easily be re-identified. 📌 Law enforcement access: Nearly half of these services may share genetic data with law enforcement, sometimes even without a warrant. 📌 Storage and destruction challenges: Users often have no visibility into where their physical DNA samples are stored. According to an investigative report by Bloomberg, it’s also “brutally difficult” to have these samples destroyed. 📌 Privacy policies fall short: Many companies fail to adequately disclose what happens to your genetic data. 📌 Breaches and misuse: Companies like 23andMe, Ancestry, and #MyHeritage have experienced #databreaches, putting sensitive genetic information at risk. Genetic data is highly sensitive and permanent. Misuse of this information—like the 23andMe breach that specifically targeted individuals of Ashkenazi Jewish and Chinese descent—could lead to #discrimination, #identitytheft, or #exploitation. 🔗 Link to research in the comment 👇🏻

🛡️Start 2025 with peace of mind and leave worries about exposed personal info in the past! Incogni’s mission remains the same: safeguarding your online privacy so you can focus on living your best life. 🙏 Wishing you a safe, secure, and happy New Year! 🎉🎇🥂

🛡️This year, we’ve worked hard to safeguard your data privacy and #security. As the year comes to a close, we want to thank you for letting Incogni fight in your corner. From our entire team: we’re wishing you safe, secure, and joyful holidays!🤍❄️🎄 #dataprivacy #christmastime

Give the gift of data privacy - Protect what matters most🛡️🎁🤍 It's the holiday season—a time that naturally brings #family and loved ones closer. What better way to show them you #care than protecting their privacy, reputation, and personal #safety while reducing risks like data breaches, scams, and identity theft? Get 58% off Incogni’s Family&Friends plan 🫶🏻 and invite up to 4 additional users 🏡. Help someone you care about take back control of their personal data. #dataprivacy #familyprotection #holidaydiscount #christmas #christmastime #dataprotection #privacy #protectyourfamily

Spotify Wrapped... or Spotify Trapped? 🎧 You've probably seen your friends sharing their #SpotifyWrapped playlists 🎷🎸 all over social media—and you're probably about to do the same. But before you hit share, let’s take a moment to reflect on the #privacy implications… The fun, colorful Spotify Wrapped results from a year-long data collection process. #Spotify tracks every song you stream, playlists you create, and even when you listen. This data fuels Spotify’s #AI, which predicts your next favorite track and builds detailed profiles of your preferences, habits, and even moods. AI needs vast amounts of data—your data. And Spotify doesn’t just use it for personalization; it also shares your data with third-party vendors for targeted ads and other commercial purposes. So, while Spotify Wrapped is a neatly packaged showcase of your music taste, it’s also a black box of data collection that we pay for by giving up privacies. #dataprivacy

🛍️ Black Friday has come and gone, but its impact on your #privacy might stick around much longer. ❗️Over 1 in 3 Black Friday shoppers fall for #scams each year, and while the holiday deals are fleeting, the risks to your personal and financial data can linger indefinitely. During the shopping frenzy, many people unknowingly share their personal details—and sometimes even their financial data 💸—with companies they wouldn’t normally trust. This data often ends up fueling future scams, not just during the #holidays but all year round. It’s a vicious cycle: the more data you share, the more vulnerable you become when the next #BlackFriday rolls around. Our recent survey with NordVPN highlights just how conflicted Americans feel about their data privacy: 📌 Most Americans want their personal information off the internet 📌 The #1 reason? A sense of being exploited by companies that profit from their data—often at the consumer's expense 📌 The top concern? Financial data. Protecting bank accounts and payment information is at the forefront of people’s minds Yet, despite these concerns, many of us trade our privacy for discounts during Black Friday. It’s a paradox: we want to protect our data but often compromise it for short-term gains 🤔. Now that the holiday rush is over, it’s the perfect time to reflect. How much personal data did you give away for those deals—and what can you do to take it back? #dataprivacy #privacyresearch #christmasdeals

#QR codes are super easy to use. Sadly, they're just as easy to manipulate 🚨 QR-phishing, or “quishing,” is a growing threat that involves swapping out real QR codes with fake ones that direct you to harmful websites. Common targets include parking machines, restaurant menus, and free airport Wi-Fi. If you can, avoid scanning QR codes. And if you must use one, follow these tips:  📌 Make sure the QR code hasn't been swapped with a fake one. 📌 Scan the code in airplane mode to prevent automatic site access, or use the link preview option if available. 📌 Look closely at the URL for any signs of phishing. 📌 Confirm the connection is secure (HTTPS is good; HTTP is not). 📌 Avoid downloading anything from QR codes. #quishing #dataprivacy #dataprotection #QRphishing 🎥- lozzyloz/X

Are you #job hunting on LinkedIn? 🐆🌴 Be cautious! #Scammers posing as recruiters are targeting job seekers, especially those with "Open to Work" badges or posts. 🔍 Spot the red flags: 📛 Overly polished photo avatars with stock-photo-like smiles 📛 Empty profiles and few connections 📛 Locations listed in countries like Nigeria, Mauritius, or Samoa 📛 Job offers that seem too good to be true after minimal interaction 💡 Stay safe: ✅ Always verify the recruiter’s profile and company ✅ Never share sensitive personal info like bank details or ID documents ✅ Don’t pay for anything upfront, like equipment or training Have you run into these scams? #dataprivacy #fakerecruiters #scam Image credit: Anna Naumova 🙏

Are you gearing up to snag some #BlackFriday deals? 🤑🛍️🛒 With the rush of discounts, it’s easy to get caught up in the excitement—but #scammers are counting on it, too. Don't let fake offers ruin your #shopping spree! Stay one step ahead with these tips: 💻 Check the website: Spot typos in domains and call the company hotline if you’re unsure 📲 Verify social ads: Make sure the ad matches the brand's official social media handles 🤑 Too cheap to be true? It probably is. Be wary of unrealistically low prices 💸 Secure your payments: Use #2FA for online transactions and request OTPs from your bank Shop smarter, not harder, this Black Friday! 🛒✨ And don’t miss out on Incogni’s limited Black Friday deal—58% off year-round data removals! #dataprivacy

Who said work couldn’t feel like a vacation? ✈️ 🏖️ 🤾♂️ Just a couple of weeks ago, we wrapped up this year’s #Workation: breathtaking views, late-night parties, competitive games, and moments that brought us closer (#team karaoke may or may not have happened 😉 🎤🔥). Join the Incogni crew—we’re always up for the next adventure! 🚀 https://lnkd.in/di_CPghi