Social Security Administration to require in-person identity checks for new and existing recipients
submitted by https://lemmy.world/u/MicroWave
Summary
The Social Security Administration (SSA) will require in-person identity verification for new applicants and recipients changing direct deposit, ending phone-based verification.
The move comes as the agency plans to close 47 offices and lay off thousands of workers. Critics warn it will burden seniors, disabled individuals, and rural residents.
Democrats accuse Trump and Musk of undermining Social Security to push privatization.
Unions have sued to block DOGE from accessing sensitive Social Security data.
Actions and consequences
submitted by https://lemmy.world/u/PugJesus
https://lemmy.world/pictrs/image/14a815d3-f833-4fe3-a49f-2c7b88e78545.webp
May be a new scam tactic
submitted by https://lemmy.world/u/kaerypheur
Beware. I am glad that I was informed by the news that these kinds of chats may be a new scam tactic, especially when someone we do not know well messages us for the first time. As you can see, this account hasn’t replied to anything, giving me the impression that this is indeed a scam tactic.
"Bedeutet eigentlich gar nichts": Pistorius nennt Trump-Putin-Deal eine "Nullnummer"
submitted by https://feddit.org/u/Hubi
https://www.n-tv.de/politik/Pistorius-nennt-Trump-Putin-Deal-eine-Nullnummer-article25639784.html
Thousands take to the streets after Hungary passes new anti-LGBTQ+ law banning Pride events
submitted by https://lemmy.world/u/MicroWave
Summary
Hungary passed a new anti-LGBTQ+ law banning Pride events and allowing facial recognition to identify attendees, sparking large protests in Budapest.
Protesters blockaded the Margaret Bridge over the Danube, blocking traffic and ignoring police orders to leave. The law, passed 136-27, amends Hungary’s “child protection” legislation, which already restricts LGBTQ+ content.
Critics call it an attempt to scapegoat LGBTQ+ people and distract from economic issues.
Despite repression, support for Budapest Pride is growing, with many vowing to attend in defiance of Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s crackdown.
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/hungary-anti-lgbtq-law-pride-banned-protests-budapest-rcna197018
Yukon premier testifies on Alaska legislature resolution recognizing Canada’s sovereignty
submitted by https://lemmy.blahaj.zone/u/ploot
Nicole the 32nd messaged me, but REMOVED It!! How Rare Is That?
submitted by https://sopuli.xyz/u/Tope
please don’t just say the acc was banned i… uh… want to feel special
https://sopuli.xyz/pictrs/image/483f60d0-0fa0-41ec-b25b-9de86da5b695.webp
What song makes you think of old happy memories? What time was this from in your life? Do you have a certain day or event attached to that song?
submitted by https://pawb.social/u/Wahots
Tonight, I attended a talk on neuroscience and brain research, and there were a lot of interesting links between memories, behavior, and mental health. So I’m doing my own little version of that in this thread. What song do you associate with happy memories, even if it’s just a general feeling of happiness? Can you recall one of your oldest ones?
, by Fleetwood Mac makes me think of fun car trips with my parents, roughly around 6-8 years old. Nothing terribly specific, though I do associate it closely with one of the city highway on ramps used to go visit relatives, go skiing, or get to the airport. :)
Amazon accused of using algorithms to push warehouse workers to breaking point
submitted by https://lemmy.nz/u/throws_lemy
https://www.theregister.com/2025/03/18/amazon_algorithmic_worker_management
I believe that the "Nicole" images being sent to Threadiverse users may be intending to deanonymize accounts
submitted by https://europe.pub/u/tfm
For those not familiar, there are numerous messages containing images being repeatedly spammed to many Threadiverse users talking about a Polish girl named “Nicole”. This has been ongoing for some time now.
Lemmy permits external inline image references to be embedded in messages. This means that if a unique image URL or set of image URLs are sent to each user, it’s possible to log the IP addresses that fetch these images; by analyzing the log, one can determine the IP address that a user has.
In some earlier discussion, someone had claimed that local lemmy instances cache these on their local pict-rs instance and rewrite messages to reference the local image.
It does appear that there is a closed issue on the lemmy issue tracker referencing such a deanonymization attack:
https://github.com/LemmyNet/lemmy/issues/1036
I had not looked into these earlier, but it looks like such rewriting and caching intending to avoid this attack is not occurring, at least on my home instance. I hadn’t looked until the most-recent message, but the image embedded here is indeed remote:
I haven’t stored and looked through a list of these, but as I recall, the user sending them is bouncing around different instances. They certainly are not using the same hostname for their lemmy instance as the pict-rs instance; this message was sent from nicole92 on lemmy.latinlok.com, though the image is hosted on lemmy.doesnotexist.club. I don’t know whether they are moving around where the pict-rs instance is located from message to message. If not, it might be possible to block the pict-rs instance in your browser. That will only be a temporary fix, since I see no reason that they couldn’t also be moving the hostname on the pict-rs instance.
Another mitigation would be to route one’s client software or browser through a VPN.
I don’t know if there are admins working on addressing the issue; I’d assume so, but I wanted to at least mention that there might be privacy implications to other users.
In any event, regardless of whether the “Nicole” spammer is aiming to deanonymize users, as things stand, it does appear that someone could do so.
My own take is that the best fix here on the lemmy-and-other-Threadiverse-software-side would be to disable inline images in messages. Someone who wants to reference an image can always link to an external image in a messages, and permit a user to click through. But if remote inline image references can be used, there’s no great way to prevent a user’s IP address from being exposed.
If anyone has other suggestions to mitigate this (maybe a Greasemonkey snippet to require a click to load inline images as a patch for the lemmy Web UI?), I’m all ears.
Hungary's parliament passes law banning LGBTQ+ Pride events
submitted by https://lemmy.world/u/MicroWave
Summary
Hungary’s parliament passed a law banning LGBTQ+ Pride events, including the annual Budapest Pride march, in a 136-27 vote.
The ruling Fidesz party and its coalition partner fast-tracked the measure, arguing that Pride events harm children. The law allows authorities to fine attendees up to $550 and use facial recognition for enforcement.
Opposition lawmakers protested with smoke bombs, while Budapest Pride organizers condemned the law as political scapegoating.
Critics view the move as part of Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s broader crackdown on LGBTQ+ rights amid economic struggles and upcoming elections.
https://www.dw.com/en/hungarys-parliament-passes-law-banning-lgbtq-pride-events/a-71964198
Tesla Hate Is Making Insurance More Expensive for Owners
submitted by https://lemmy.sdf.org/u/some_guy
Tech billionaire and shadow president Elon Musk’s personal brand and fortune are linked to the cars. They are a visible reminder to people everyday that Musk is tearing through the federal government and destroying things with no oversight or regard for the human cost of the damage he inflicts. It’s pissed people off and they’re taking it out on Tesla.
Protestors are standing outside Tesla lots and waving anti-Musk signs. Celebrities and influencers are going viral with videos announcing the sell-off of their Musk-branded EV. People are throwing molotov cocktails at Teslas, spray painting them with swastikas, stealing their tires, and setting them on fire. During a Mardis Gras parade earlier this month, revelers repeatedly pelted a Cybertruck with beads, bottles, and other debris for three hours as it weaved its way through the parade route.
Good.
https://gizmodo.com/tesla-hate-is-making-insurance-more-expensive-for-owners-2000577467
As a professor and climate scientist, I'm suddenly on America's 'enemies list'
submitted by https://lemmy.blahaj.zone/u/ploot
Republican legislation seeks to ban Chinese nationals from studying in the US
submitted by https://quokk.au/u/Deceptichum
German national with U.S. green card detained at ICE facility, family says
submitted by https://lemmy.world/u/return2ozma
Empathy has grown in the United States, except for Republicans.
submitted by https://lemmy.world/u/Loduz_247
