Check out this astonishing LIVE demo of Enoch answering every question perfectly, in real time. You can use Enoch for free at Brighteon (dot) AI: https://www.brighteon.com/f49c9c36-4c6c-4246-88a7-a88d5749e633

⚡️TBOT 11: AI Companions Worse Than Porn, Why Your Word Doc Never Looks Right, Deep Sea Desalination, Find the Perfect XMPP Provider

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Here’s the stories for the week:

AI Companions Worse Than Porn: People are turning to to AI for companionship, seeking emotional connection. AI companies are more than happy to supply this drug, realizing personalized AI brings the most user enagement.

Why Your Word Doc Never Looks Right: Shots fired as LibreOffice, popular open-source office suite calls out Microsoft for their proprietary document format.

Deep Sea Desalination: Water shortages are leading companies to start pumping water from the deep sea. But is this safe? What’s the environmental impact?

Solutions: Find your perfect XMPP server: I love XMPP, although finding a server isn’t the easiest. That’s changing with providers.xmpp.net a project by XMPP community members to let you sort and find high quality servers.

🪄 We aim for our show to be well-researched, well-informed and focused on the most impactful stories all in about 20 minutes(ain’t nobody got more time than that)

⭐ PLUS - Each story comes with recommendations and there’s one cool tech trick or open-source solution every week.

We’ll be publishing full posts and clips of each of these stories soon.

Share this post with your crew. 🚢

Follow the show:

https://takebackourtech.org

https://tbot.substack.com

📱 How Phones Are Used Against Us

On the Man in America podcast, I talked about why your phone might be the most powerful surveillance tool ever created. From real-time tracking and secret geolocation databases to AI-curated feeds that shape your thoughts and behavior — phones aren’t just monitoring devices, they’re psychological weapons.

But there are alternatives. The key is becoming the master of your phone, not the other way around.

Listen to the full interview.

✨ Explore conscious technology solutions at Above Phone

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🫶 @takebackourtech
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Dude is so pathetic with his cloth worship. Unfortunately, many Americans are brainwashed into the cult of statism. They don't see that the flag IS just a piece of fabric despite what feelings or associations they have for it. Its not sacred.

The flag, the anthem and all the other state symbols and rituals are not sacred. They are part of the cult symbolism.

⚡️Millions Are Emotionally Attached to AI Companions

AI companions are being pushed as the cure for loneliness—but they come with a dangerous cost.

Leaked Meta docs reveal a strategy of subtle AI romances, even with children. A Senate investigation ensued after Reuters exposed how Meta normalized these “acceptable” responses.

Meanwhile, apps like Replika have millions hooked, selling “partners” and “spouses” for $70/year—Italy even banned them for exploiting fragile users.

One tragic case: a retired man, lured by Meta’s chatbot “Big Sis Billie,” died after rushing to meet her in NYC.

This isn’t friendship—it’s hacking human connection. Personalized AI optimizes for engagement, not care. What we need is real human relationships, not digital drugs.

🪧 Read the full article on Substack

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🫶 @takebackourtech
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⚡️Why Your Word Document Never Migrates Correctly

In a new blog post, they call out Microsoft’s proprietary OOXML format as bloated and intentionally over-complicated—more than 6,000 pages of specs compared to just 867 for the open document format (ODF).

Why? To lock users into Microsoft Office and make it nearly impossible for open source alternatives to compete.

LibreOffice says it’s time to break free from Microsoft’s ecosystem and embrace open standards.

🪧 Read the full article on Substack

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🫶 @takebackourtech
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Wow - we're actually winning. Google is scared, they're going to attempt to ban 'side-loaded' apps on all Android phones. Unless the developer hands over an ID.

https://web.archive.org/web/20250827023411/https://developer.android.com/developer-verification

I will cover this on next week's #TBOT show.

⚡️Should We Pull Water from the Deep Sea?

Water shortages are pushing companies to look not inland—but deep into the sea. 🌊

A new technique called deep-sea desalination is gaining traction, with the first massive plant planned for 2026 off the coast of Norway.

Desalination isn’t new, but it comes with a cost. A 2018 study showed that 16,000 plants worldwide produced 95 million cubic meters of fresh water daily—but also 141 million cubic meters of toxic brine. That brine, filled with heavy metals and pollutants, gets dumped right back into the ocean.

Flotion, the company behind deep-sea desalination, says their approach could reduce these harms. But is this really a solution—or another industrial-scale problem?

🪧 Read the full article on Substack

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🫶 @takebackourtech
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⚡ The Hidden Harm of Cellular Radiation

Referencing the book Exposed by Bill Cadwallader, we break down the different types of cellular radiation your body may be absorbing every day—from WiFi and Bluetooth to 3G, 4G, and 5G signals.

Each type interacts with the body in unique ways, and long-term exposure has been linked to issues like inflammation, sleep disruption, fertility problems, and even increased cancer risk.

Understanding the sources is the first step toward protecting yourself.

From our webinar: Stress-Free Approach to Electromagnetic Radiation
🎥 Watch the full webinar.

✨ Explore conscious technology solutions at Above Phone

—
🫶 @takebackourtech
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📂 Want alternative news? Check out these channels 📢

#TBOT is now part of GeopoliticsLive, a collection of channels covering geopolitics, politics, global news, economy, and more. All English speaking! Stay informed.

Whether you're seeking in-depth analysis, breaking news, or expert insights, our catalog has got you covered.

👉 ADD CHANNELS

🙏 Finding an XMPP Server: The Easy Way

Read the full article on Substack

If you’ve been following the show you know I recommend XMPP as the only true decentralized messaging protocol.

Why?
- Anyone can run their own server
- XMPP is an open protocol, and most XMPP software is open source
- Registering is simple and free
- XMPP comes with great features such as end to end encrypted messaging, encrypted voice & video calls, file sharing, and more

Because XMPP is decentralized, different servers can choose to implement different features. This means picking the right server is important. This used to be difficult, but now a new effort by a team of XMPP community veterans solves this problem.

https://providers.xmpp.net

The XMPP Providers resource is a collaborative effort to collect and categorize XMPP providers based on their features.
—
🫶 @takebackourtech
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For anyone who wants to read more about the details of these protests that began yesterday, you can read the content on this picture to understand more, from the POV of an Indonesian.

@medmannews

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Nighttrader.exchange Launches After 2 Years of Beta: The First True Bitcoin DEX—No Middle Coin, No EVM

Nighttrader.exchange proudly announces its official launch, following over two years of intensive beta testing and community feedback. This milestone marks a paradigm shift in decentralized trading: Nighttrader is the world’s first open-source DEX to enable direct, native Bitcoin and UTXO-based coin trading—without the need for wrapped tokens, middle coins, or EVM-based blockchains.

A New Standard for Bitcoin DEXs

Nighttrader.exchange sets itself apart by supporting high-speed, trustless swaps of native UTXO coins such as Bitcoin, Litecoin, and Bitcoin Cash. Unlike other decentralized exchanges that require intermediary assets or EVM compatibility, Nighttrader empowers users to trade peer-to-peer, directly and securely, on the blockchain.

Unrivaled Security and User Sovereignty

Security is at the heart of Nighttrader’s design. Leveraging advanced multi-signature technology, threshold signatures, and Shamir’s Secret Sharing, users retain full control of their assets—always holding their own keys. Nighttrader’s force majeure recovery system adds an extra layer of protection, ensuring peace of mind even in the most unlikely scenarios.

Fast, Efficient, and Cost-Effective

Nighttrader’s innovative joint-account and IOU system, combined with signature-hash routing, enables lightning-fast transactions and scalable performance. With trading fees as low as 0.25%, users enjoy both speed and affordability, making Nighttrader ideal for both active traders and liquidity providers seeking passive income.

Privacy and Decentralization at the Core

Nighttrader.exchange is built from the ground up to maximize privacy and decentralization. No unnecessary data is collected or stored, and client-side key generation guarantees that only you control your funds—no cloud storage, no backdoors, and no compromises.

A Legacy of Innovation

Nighttrader builds on the pioneering spirit of BitBay.market, a trailblazer in decentralized marketplaces. By combining proven technology with cutting-edge advancements, Nighttrader delivers a robust, user-centric platform that redefines what’s possible in Bitcoin and UTXO trading.

Join the Decentralized Revolution

After extensive beta testing and development, Nighttrader.exchange is now live—ready to bring true, trustless trading to the Bitcoin ecosystem. Experience the freedom, security, and speed of next-generation decentralized trading.

Welcome to Nighttrader: Your keys. Your coins. Your freedom.

What do you think the most 'disruptive' app or software would be for social change?

#TBOT 12: Google Demands IDs for Devs & Bans Sideloading, FCC Shuts Down 1,000 VoIP Providers, US Attorney Generals Warn AI Companies, Natural Health AI - Enoch AI

WATCH THE SHOW ON SUBSTACK

Here’s the stories for the week:

No anonymous apps: The biggest Android news this year, Google decides to wall off Android from anonymous developers and have complete control over apps on Android. This is the fracturing of the tech movement, starting in 2027.

FCC Shuts Down 1,000 VoIP Providers: Use a VoIP service? A thousand US VoIP companies will be forced to stop service August 28th by the FCC for not following RoboCall guidelines. Learn how this works and check if yours is on the list.

US Attorney Generals Warn AI: On the heels of Meta’s Internal AI leak, 44 US Attorney generals wrote a strongly worded letter to major AI companies.

Solutions: Uncensored AI - Enoch AI: A new AI project by Brighteon has trained its AI on sources of natural health information, and you can start using it today.

We aim for our show to be well-researched, well-informed and focused on the most impactful stories while being concise

⭐PLUS - Each story comes with recommendations and there’s one cool tech trick or open-source solution every week.

Full articles later this week.

Show Links:

🎥RSVP to Media Mastery Webinar
💻Enoch AI
🎉Follow the #TBOT show

#TBOT 12: Google Demands IDs for Devs & Bans Sideloading, FCC Shuts Down 1,000 VoIP Providers, US Attorney Generals Warn AI Companies, Natural Health AI - Enoch AI

WATCH THE SHOW ON SUBSTACK

Here’s the stories for the week:

No anonymous apps: The biggest Android news this year, Google decides to wall off Android from anonymous developers and have complete control over apps on Android.

FCC Shuts Down 1,000 VoIP Providers: Use a VoIP service? A thousand US VoIP companies will be forced to stop service August 28th by the FCC for not following RoboCall guidelines.

US Attorney Generals Warn AI: On the heels of Meta’s Internal AI leak, 44 US Attorney generals wrote a strongly worded letter to major AI companies.

Solutions: Uncensored AI - Enoch AI: A new AI project by Brighteon has trained its AI on sources of natural health information, and you can start using it today.

Full articles later this week.

Show Links:

🎥RSVP to Media Mastery Webinar
💻Enoch AI
🎉Follow the #TBOT show

⚡️No Anonymous Apps: Google Bans Sideloading by 2027

Google just announced that starting in 2027, Android users will no longer be able to sideload apps anonymously. Developers will have to hand over their personal identity and app signing keys to Google — giving the company complete control over which apps can run on “certified” Android devices.

This is about more than “malware.” It’s a direct strike at open-source apps that threaten Google’s monopoly and a way to choke out any tool that could disrupt Big Tech’s grip on communication.

The tech independence movement is growing — and Google’s response shows they see it as a threat.

📰 Read the article on Substack
📸 RSVP to Media Mastery Webinar

—
🫶 @takebackourtech
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⚡️44 US AGs Write a Letter Warning AI Companies

The letter condemns exposing kids to sexualized content through AI and cites disturbing cases — from Google’s chatbot driving a teen toward suicide, to Character.ai telling another to kill his parents.

Its okay if AI dominates the world, replaces everyone’s jobs and makes people dumber. Just watch out when it comes to children.

44 US Attorney Generals signed this letter, because they care about protecting children. In the coming months, we’ll see if they really mean that.

🎥 Read the full article on Substack

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🫶 @takebackourtech
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🌱 Above Supports Your Potential: Latest Update 🌱

From new support plans and the upcoming launch of Above Protect, to our first-ever community call with over 400 sign-ups, July was a big month for Above!

📖 Inside our recent newsletter:
• New Standard, Insider, and VIP Support tiers
• Free Guide: 5 Must-Change Privacy Settings
• Cath the replay of our Back to School Tech Awareness webinar
• Above Protect: hassle-free repairs + exchanges coming soon
• Hakeem on the podcast circuit: Shield Your Body, Beyond the Firewall, Healthier Tech
• Efani featured partnership & SIM Swap Survival Guide
• Above University + Learn.above.im updates
• New TBOT Show every week

✨ Read the full July update here → https://abovephone.com/your-potential/

⚡️FCC to Shut Down 1,000+ VoIP Companies

Do you use a VoIP service? On August 28, over 1,000 U.S. VoIP providers were forced to stop service under a new FCC order.

The reason: companies didn’t meet the latest Robocall Mitigation Database requirements under the TRACED Act. That means within 2 business days, all other carriers must block traffic from these providers.

This isn’t just about robocalls. It’s also about surveillance — with call lookups, timestamps, calling parties, and more stored for months at a time.

Check if your provider is on the list here:
📄 https://web.archive.org/web/20250826200157/https://docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/DA-25-737A1.pdf

📖Read the full article on Substack

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🫶 @takebackourtech
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📱 Above Phone — Easy to Use, Hard to Track

More than a phone — it’s your complete shield against mobile surveillance.
✅ Zero Big Tech connections by default
✅ Worldwide service — just pop in a SIM
✅ Modern updates & features through 2031

Above Phone gives you more freedom:
• Disable 5G, stick to secure 4G/LTE
• Create encrypted “phones” inside your phone
• Use multiple numbers on one device
• Encrypted calls, texts & apps

Every phone comes with a free 45-min onboarding call + guides, video courses, and monthly webinars.

👉 Discover Above Phone