Hacker NewsWednesday, December 17

A security researcher discovered that Urban VPN Proxy, a Chrome extension with over 6 million users and Google's "Featured" badge, secretly harvests all conversations from AI platforms like ChatGPT and Claude. The extension injects scripts to capture every prompt and response, sending this data to servers where it's sold for marketing purposes. Eight extensions total are affected, impacting over 8 million users who had their private AI conversations collected without clear consent.

The author argues against the "inevitable future" framing used to justify new technologies like generative AI. They contend that modern technology is abusive and that people have been conditioned to accept harmful changes without agency. The post lists numerous examples of technologies that weren't inevitable, from internet-connected beds to AI browsers to unrepairable devices, emphasizing that nothing sold by tech companies is predetermined fate and that users can choose to resist rather than be complicit in undesirable technological directions.

ALPR.watch is a platform that tracks local government meetings discussing surveillance technologies like automated license plate readers and Flock cameras. It maps these meetings so citizens can attend and take action against mass surveillance systems that track residents' movements and build databases of daily activities.

The Atlanta Fed found that grocery store consolidation drives up food inflation by 0.46 percentage points where monopolies exist. A recently unsealed FTC complaint reveals Pepsi and Walmart colluded to maintain artificial price gaps, where Pepsi keeps wholesale prices high for competitors while giving Walmart special deals and prominent shelf placement. This partnership harms consumers through higher prices, kills independent grocery stores, and reduces competition. Trump's FTC Chair Ferguson tried to hide this complaint by dropping the case, but a nonprofit forced its release, exposing the illegal price discrimination scheme.

A BBC investigation uncovered a global scam network exploiting desperate families with sick children by filming fake fundraising videos and keeping the donations. The scheme, linked to Israeli-Canadian man Erez Hadari, raised millions while giving families only small filming fees, with children forced to cry on camera for fake medical campaigns.

SHARP is a new Apple-developed approach that creates photorealistic 3D representations from a single photograph in under a second. It uses 3D Gaussian representation and neural networks to enable real-time rendering of high-resolution images from nearby viewpoints, achieving significant improvements over previous methods.

GitHub is implementing pricing changes for Actions in 2026: GitHub-hosted runner prices will decrease up to 39% on January 1st, while self-hosted runners will incur a new $0.002 per minute charge starting March 1st. Public repository usage remains free, and 96% of customers will see no bill changes.

GitHub is updating its Actions pricing model starting in 2026, lowering hosted runner prices by up to 39% while introducing a $0.002 per-minute charge for self-hosted runners. Actions remain free for public repositories, and 96% of customers will see no bill changes.

Quill OS is an open-source operating system designed for Rakuten Kobo eReaders. It offers comprehensive reading features including ePUB and PDF support, Wi-Fi connectivity, web browsing, encrypted storage, dark mode, dictionary search, multiple fonts, and various customization options for an enhanced reading experience.

Ford is scaling back its electric vehicle plans, reducing its 2030 EV target from 40% to part of a broader 50% electrified portfolio including hybrids. The company is canceling its large all-electric truck, converting the next F-150 Lightning to an extended-range hybrid, and repurposing a Tennessee EV plant for gas cars.