Cape Cellular

Cape Cellular

@cape.co

America's Privacy-First Mobile Carrier

246 followers 12 following136 posts

The Pentagon’s inspector general found that over 568,000 service lines weren't fully secured: SMS texts were unprotected and metadata like when and where messages were sent could be used to pinpoint locations. Full story: https://taskandpurpose.com/news/pentagon-wireless-location-services-exposed/

taskandpurpose.comPentagon’s wireless services left locations, data exposed, watchdog findsAn inspector general report found vulnerabilities with a large military wireless contract left locations and personnel open to being tracked.

Google Play Services is now auto-linking your phone number to every Google account signed in on your device, including secondary ones, and it seems to be on by default. Read the full story: https://bit.ly/4jyaLsV

techradar.com‘I'm so sick of this:’ Google has started automatically linking your phone number to all your accounts, and Android users are calling it a privacy nightmareGoogle has started linking phone numbers to every signed in account on Android devices, which could prove a major privacy problem.

Cell-site simulators, which mimic cell towers, were used to locate a student protestor (and could collect info from anyone standing nearby). Read the full story: https://www.wired.com/story/feds-got-warrants-to-use-fake-cell-towers-to-hunt-down-don-lemons-producer/

wired.comFeds Got Warrants to Use Fake Cell Towers to Hunt Down Don Lemon’s ProducerInvestigators also sought permission to use an invasive surveillance tool called a cell-site simulators against journalist Georgia Fort and a Minnesota state Senate candidate.

Journalist Brian Krebs found a dark web site selling millions of US and Canadian drivers' license scans and confirmed their authenticity with nine people. The site vanished after his report, and the source of the data hasn't been established. Full story: https://reut.rs/3VoCsdJ

reuters.comFBI probes report of data breach exposing millions of drivers' licenses in US, CanadaThe FBI said on Wednesday it was investigating a report that tens of millions of drivers' licenses belonging to people in the United States and Canada were being sold on the dark web.

A former AT&T retail worker got 16 months in federal prison for SIM swap attacks. Accomplices impersonated victims in person, he moved their numbers, and the group used the intercepted 2FA codes to reach victims' bank accounts, intending losses of $600K. Read the full story: https://bit.ly/4ydTuc5

theregister.comAT&T store worker gets 16 months inside for SIM-swap side hustlePhone shop staffer claimed he was paid less than $4k for in his part attacks leading to combined intended losses of $600,000

An investigation looked inside data broker Acxiom's files on consumers. It found predictions in 3,000+ categories, from BMI percentile to mammogram likelihood, and 100+ named buyers, including GEICO, JPMorgan, GM, and T-Mobile. 🔗 Read the full story: https://bit.ly/4hAqp5x

themarkup.orgWho’s buying your personal data: Disney, GM, your insurer and bank. Here’s what they get – The MarkupConsumers asked a major data broker for their files. What they got back shows interest in how fat they are, how much they drink, and how likely they are to get a mammogram, among many other characteri...

Cape's Ruddy Wang joined the Easy Prey Podcast to talk mobile privacy and tracking: what metadata your phone leaks, how IMSI/IMEI identifiers work, how signaling attacks happen, MNOs vs. MVNOs, and practical steps to protect yourself. Full episode: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hlJKHIA3VWk

youtube.comThe Real Truth About Mobile Privacy and Tracking | Ruddy WangYouTube video by Easy Prey Podcast

@protonprivacy.bsky.socialy broke down seven tools privacy experts use to stay private online: GrapheneOS, Qubes OS, Tor Browser, Organic Maps, RSS Reader, F-Droid, and Cape. Thanks for including us! Watch the full video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5mq_7IMJF6g

youtube.comSeven Tools To Stay Invisible OnlineYouTube video by Proton

If you already have an account with Cape, you can now port-in a phone number to replace your current primary number into your existing account, without losing your referrals or any other settings. See how here: www.cape.co/port-in

cape.coPort In - CapePort your primary number to Cape without losing your account, referrals, or settings.

Cell-site simulators are seeing new adoption among US police. DC Metro PD, NYPD, and Texas State Police have all signed contracts with Israeli firm Cognyte in the past year. EFF has tracked 80+ departments using this tech nationwide. Read the full story: https://bit.ly/4qXam4Y

responsiblestatecraft.orgThis creepy Israeli spy tech is likely operating in a city near youPolice departments across the US are buying phone tracking equipment from Cognyte Solutions

Comcast's new Wi-Fi Motion feature turns newer Xfinity routers into home motion sensors. Enabling it means Comcast can share the data it generates with third parties, without notifying you, for law enforcement requests, subpoenas, or legal disputes. Full story: https://bit.ly/46wcXcy

techcrunch.comComcast adds motion sensing to millions of its newer routers, with a privacy catch | TechCrunchA new feature added to Comcast's newest routers can detect if there is motion inside your home without needing traditional motion sensors.

Cape CEO @jdcape.bsky.social on why we joined the top tech infra providers in calling out the risk of legacy systems: “It was already failing us in telecom–critical infrastructure that’s been breached with serious consequences for everyone.” 🔗 Full article: cyberscoop.com/ai-cyber-def...

cyberscoop.com100-plus companies call for ‘global surge’ in AI-powered cyber defenseOver 100 leading tech companies, including OpenAI and Microsoft, have signed an open letter calling for a global surge in AI-powered cyber defense to secure critical infrastructure before attacks esca...

Cape joins OpenAI and other tech infrastructure providers in calling for greater defense against AI attacks: www.nytimes.com/2026/08/27/t...

nytimes.comOpenAI and 100 Others Warn That Window to Defend Against A.I. Attacks Is NarrowingIn an open letter, OpenAI, Anthropic, Google and others said a wave of A.I.-enabled cyberattacks was coming and organizations and governments needed to prepare themselves.

Telecom is perhaps the critical infrastructure that is most mired in legacy systems. Status quo security has exposed us to unacceptable risk before, and is digital suicide in the age of AI. Without collective action toward innovative cyber defense, the consequences will only get worse.

Over the last year, we donated the 1st month of each Cape subscription by GrapheneOS users to GrapheneOS to help fund their independent development. To date, we've donated $89,790.19. Over the next year, we're donating $100,000 to GrapheneOS. Read more: https://bit.ly/4xU1nU7

cape.coCape Supports GrapheneOS - CapeWe're donating more than $100,000 to the GrapheneOS project to help fund their independent development.

A Washington judge ruled T-Mobile violated the state's data breach notification law 722,000+ times, tied to its 2021 breach. The violation isn't the breach itself: the text notifications sent to affected customers didn't meet the state's legal requirements. Full story: https://bit.ly/4hB7DLP

seattletimes.comT-Mobile violated WA data breach notification law, judge rulesT-Mobile used text messages to notify hundreds of thousands of Washington customers of its data breach. The court says their content was insufficient.

A security researcher walks through a real SIM swap attempt against their own account: the swap happened days before the follow-up call ever came, disguised as a routine customer service check-in. Only a passcode stood between the attacker and full takeover. 🔗 Full story: https://bit.ly/4wBMncD

securityweek.comWhen Identity Verification Fails: Lessons from a Real-World SIM Swap and Near Account TakeoverAs identity attacks are sophisticated and AI-driven: Identity confidence changes throughout every interaction and should be reassessed continuously as new risk signals emerge.

T-Mobile is expanding its T-Life customer profiles, pulling in device, network, app, and location data, some of it collected automatically at the account level even if you never open the app. Opting out means hunting through several separate settings. Read the full story: https://tek.io/4pp21Gk

tek.ioT-Mobile Expands T-Life Profiles: What Data It Uses and How to Opt Out - TechRepublicT-Mobile is expanding T-Life profiles and interest preferences. See what data its ad programs use, how to opt out, and what IT teams should audit.

An Israeli surveillance firm is selling $1M+ "spy vans" to US police departments. Built into ordinary-looking SUVs, they force every phone in range to connect to a fake tower and hand over location + device data. Read more: https://cybernews.com/privacy/us-police-israeli-spy-vans-falconet-cognyte/

cybernews.comUS police SUVs can sweep up every nearby phone signalThe controversial devices impersonate legitimate cell towers, compelling nearby phones to connect and revealing their unique identifiers and locations.

Cape Cellular reposted

@privacyguides.mastodon.neat.computer.ap.brid.gy

We'd like to extend our gratitude to Cape for becoming an organizational member of Privacy Guides. Becoming a member is the best way to support our privacy advocacy work and protect privacy rights at a time when the world needs it most 💛 https://www.privacyguides.org/en/about/donate/

We had Trail of Bits independently audit our Disappearing Call Logs feature, where our internal systems delete CDRs after 24hrs instead of the months-to-years telecoms usually keep them.

Here are their findings: ✅ CDRs deleted within our retention policy ✅ Only per-subscriber data kept: daily usage totals, deleted within 60 days Read the full attestation: www.cape.co/blog/disappe...

cape.coAudit of Disappearing Call Logs - CapeMost carriers retain your call logs and metadata for years, which they use to build detailed profiles of your behavior to sell to ad networks and data brokers. At Cape, we believe your data belongs to...

#Cape CEO @jdcape.bsky.social sat down with Founders Explain The World to break down all the ways your phone is tracking you, and what you can actually do about it. Full episode: www.youtube.com/watch?v=frS2...

youtube.comThe Real Reason Your Phone Isn't SafeYouTube video by Founders Explain The World

New op-ed from our CEO @jdcape.bsky.social: The FCC's proposed rule for carriers enriches telecom databases with personal info that China has already been looking for. Read here: broadbandbreakfast.com/john-doyle-t...

broadbandbreakfast.comJohn Doyle: The FCC’s New ID Rule is a Gift to America’s AdversariesThe FCC's proposed ID collection rule would build the exact database Chinese hackers are already inside U.S. telecom networks looking for.

Cape keeps your calls, texts, and mobile activity private. Now, we’re teaming up with @joindeleteme.bsky.social to help Cape subscribers erase what’s already out there. Cape subscribers get 40% off their first year of DeleteMe.

Cape joins @eff.org, @accessnow.bsky.social, and other privacy/civil liberty orgs in a letter urging the FCC to reject mandatory ID collection for phone service. Universal KYC would harm survivors, whistleblowers & vulnerable Americans, not stop robocalls. Full letter: www.fcc.gov/ecfs/documen...

Signaling network attacks have been around over a decade, and the problem's still not fixed. Now it's being used to target US military personnel overseas. Full conversation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R9rKuu5HikU

youtube.comHow Iran Uses Cellular Infrastructure to Target US Military PhonesYouTube video by Cape

Read more about signaling attacks and how Cape protects our customers from them: www.cape.co/blog/how-cap... And general tips to keep your phone location private: www.cape.co/blog/phone-l...

cape.coHow Cape Blocks Hackers Exploiting Telecom Protocols to Monitor You - CapeSignaling is also one of the most overlooked attack surfaces in mobile security. Cape has built four protections to defend against signaling attacks.

Cape just became the only U.S. mobile carrier with SOC 2 Type 2 certification across all 5 Trust Service Criteria, covering every customer, enterprise and consumer alike. Full report → https://www.cape.co/blog/soc-2-type-2-compliance

Massachusetts voted to pass a new privacy rights bill that will ban selling precise geolocation data (applying to residents and visitors alike), require explicit consent for sensitive data, and gives new rights to access and delete personal data. Read the full story: https://tcrn.ch/3SI0Dm5

techcrunch.comMassachusetts votes to pass new privacy rights bill that bans sale of precise location data | TechCrunchThe bill is expected to blanket-ban companies and startups from selling people's precise location data across the state.

A whistleblower complaint filed in 2020 alleges IBM and AT&T covered up repeated breaches by China-nexus APT10, and disclosed none of it to the government. Read the full story: https://securityboulevard.com/2026/06/ex-ibm-exec-accuses-big-blue-and-att-of-covering-up-foreign-data-breaches/

securityboulevard.comEx-IBM Exec Accuses Big Blue and AT&T of Covering Up Foreign Data BreachesIBM is being accused by a former cybersecurity executive of covering up multiple data breaches of its cloud systems by a China-nexus hacking group over several years as much as a decade ago and of hol...

Verizon's VoLTE network is missing IPsec protection on SIP signaling, leaving users potentially exposed to call interception and spoofing. Verizon promised a fix, then said the requirements weren't actually mandatory, and went quiet. Full story: https://bit.ly/4f2Op05

cyberinsider.comVerizon VoLTE network found missing IPsec protections for SIP signalingVerizon's VoLTE infrastructure lacks IPsec integrity protection on the IMS network, which is required by industry specifications.

The Supreme Court upheld the FCC's fines against Verizon and AT&T for selling customer location data to third parties. The conduct happened nearly a decade ago. Enforcement just now finished. That's how long accountability takes in telecom. Read the full story: https://bit.ly/3R8L6uR

bit.lySupreme Court upholds FCC’s fines against Verizon, AT&TThe Supreme Court rejected Verizon and AT&T’s constitutional challenge to massive fines imposed by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in an 8-1 vote on Thursday. Chief Justice John Ro…

Telcos run on 3% R&D, compared to tech companies' 16%. Telcos are just spectrum holding companies, collecting rent on that spectrum by outsourcing infrastructure to a fleet of vendors. Read the full piece: https://sebastianbarros.substack.com/p/the-techco-story-is-dead

The UK proposed new telecom security rules in response to Salt Typhoon. Carriers lobbied against them. Independent signaling detection, service account hardening, and more were all dropped or delayed Read the full story: https://therecord.media/uk-weakens-telecoms-defenses-after-industry-lobbying

therecord.mediaUK weakens proposed telecoms defenses against Chinese hackers after industry pushbackBritain has weakened proposed cybersecurity protections for its telecoms networks that were developed in response to the Salt Typhoon espionage campaign, after the companies responsible for implementi...

In May, Verizon's CEO proposed moving beyond 4 customer segments to thousands. Some call this "segmentation." We call it “using your data to figure out the max you'll pay and charging you exactly that.” Read more: https://bit.ly/4vHvopK

fierce-network.comOpinion: I’m afraid telco ‘segmentation’ is going to mean individual pricingIn May, Verizon’s new CEO Dan Schulman spoke at a MoffettNathanson conference, and one thing he said stunned me. | Telecom operators keep talking about segmentation, and it makes me wonder if they’re ...

We've submitted opposing comments to the proposed FCC rule requiring an ID and address for every phone in the US. The goal of the rule is to stop spammers, but having carriers run an ID registry is not the solution. Read our comments: https://bit.ly/3R0Hv1Y

The Pentagon has confirmed adversaries are using commercially purchased location data to target US troops in the Middle East. Read the full story: https://www.wired.com/story/the-pentagon-knew-enemies-could-track-troops-phones-for-years-now-they-are/

wired.comThe Pentagon Knew Enemies Could Track Troops’ Phones for Years. Now They AreThe US military has long known that cheap fixes could stop location data from exposing its troops. It adopted almost none—and now says adversaries are using the data to target soldiers during a war.

AI chatbots are giving out people's real phone numbers on request. Cape's secondary numbers help keep your primary out of the data pools that feed these models. Read the full story: https://www.technologyreview.com/2026/05/13/1137203/ai-chatbots-are-giving-out-peoples-real-phone-numbers

technologyreview.comAI chatbots are giving out people’s real phone numbersPeople report that their personal contact info was surfaced by Google AI—and there’s apparently no easy way to prevent it.

Mobile phishing has surpassed email as the top social engineering threat, with users 40% more likely to engage with a malicious link on mobile than via email. Read the full story: https://www.cybersecurity-insiders.com/mobile-phishing-surpasses-email-cyber-threat-says-research/

cybersecurity-insiders.comMobile Phishing surpasses Email Cyber Threat says ResearchMobile phishing surpasses email as a leading cyber threat, exposing users to increased risks through smartphones, messaging apps, and links.

Privacy has always depended on friction in the time/effort it takes to connect scattered data points to a real person. LLMs may be eliminating that friction entirely. Read the full story: https://www.technologyreview.com/2026/04/21/1135919/ai-surveillance-privacy-llms-bulk-data/

technologyreview.comHow LLMs could supercharge mass surveillance in the USThe technology could make commercially available bulk datasets even more of a privacy concern.

Cape commissioned The Harris Poll to survey Americans on mobile privacy. The results show that despite a rise in secure comms channels, Americans still use phone calls/texts the most, without understanding the extent cell networks are vulnerable. Read the full findings → www.cape.co/blog/harris-...

cape.coHarris Poll: Americans Underestimate How Exposed Their Cell Phone Data Is - CapeCape commissioned Harris Poll to research and understand how Americans think about mobile privacy, what they believe they control, and where those beliefs diverge from how mobile network operate.

Thank you to Founder Brew for featuring our CEO John Doyle alongside other veteran founders on the lessons military life brings to building a company. 🔗 Read the full piece: https://www.founderbrew.com/stories/startup-founders-veteran-military-lessons

founderbrew.comStartup founders on the lessons they learned from military lifeVeteran founders draw on military training to build companies rooted in structure, discipline, and speed.

Cape CEO John Doyle joined Crossing the Valley to talk about building a privacy-first carrier from scratch, from our $5M seed that became $50M to go live, to how we're becoming America's answer to Huawei. Full episode: https://youtu.be/V8U4OE5l6Qw?si=lnJiyNGkT-o_eDiA

youtu.beEp. 84 - John Doyle, CapeYouTube video by Crossing the Valley

Cape is honored to be named a winner of Fast Company's 2026 World Changing Ideas Awards! See the full writeup: https://www.fastcompany.com/91549081/cape-world-changing-ideas-2026

See what the ACLU, EFF, and Cape have to say about the FCC's new rule requiring telcos to collect government IDs for every phone line: www.404media.co/fcc-wants-to...

404media.coFCC Wants to Kill Burner Phones By Forcing Telecoms to Get All Customers’ IDsThe FCC wants to legally force telecoms to collect new and renewing customers’ government issued identity number and physical address, impacting everyone from the privacy-conscious to domestic abuse s...

Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger signed SB 338 into law, making the state the third to ban the sale of precise geolocation data. The law takes effect July 1 and covers data that pinpoints a user within a 1,750-foot radius. 🔗 Full Story: https://bit.ly/4dJdyfA

bit.lyVirginia Bans Sale of Geolocation Data

SCOTUS heard arguments in Chatrie v. United States, a case over geofence warrants, which let police demand location data on every device in an area with no specific suspect. A outright ban is unlikely, but some limits may follow. Decision expected early summer. 🔗 Full story: https://nyti.ms/4nWncyE

nytimes.comSupreme Court Wrangles With Police Use of Cell Location Data to Find Suspects

A Florida woman's phone went silent. Minutes later, someone had used her number to reset passwords and drain her accounts--a textbook SIM swap attack. 🔗 Read the full story: https://www.foxnews.com/tech/sim-swap-scam-drained-florida-womans-bank-account-minutes

foxnews.comSIM swap scam drained Florida woman's bank account in minutesSIM swap scams let hackers steal your phone number and drain accounts in minutes. Learn how one woman was targeted and how to protect yourself.

Google's reCAPTCHA now requires Play Services to pass verification, which means de-Googled phones like GrapheneOS fail by default. Choosing a privacy-first OS shouldn't mean getting locked out. These alternatives should be accommodated, not penalized. 🔗 Read the full story: https://bit.ly/4urTtj3

androidauthority.comGoogle's next-gen reCAPTCHA system could spell trouble for de-Googled phonesGoogle has introduced a Play Services requirement for passing its next-generation ReCAPTCHA system, which is bad news for de-Googled phones.