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# Microsoft Gave FBI Your Encryption Keys
- URL: https://techlore.tech/microsoft-gave-fbi-your-encryption-keys/
- Published: 2026-01-30T03:24:13.000Z
- Updated: 2026-04-07T23:21:30.000Z
- Description: Techlore Surveillance Report: Weekly News for Your Digital Freedom
- Author: Henry Fisher
- Tags: Surveillance Report

This week's Surveillance Report covers Microsoft handing BitLocker encryption keys to the FBI, meaning your "encrypted" Windows data isn't as secure as you thought. This two-week Surveillance Report covers age verification laws spreading across three continents, 840,000 malicious browser extension installs, WhatsApp's encryption challenged in court, a trusted Android launcher turned spyware, and how social media platforms engineer addiction by design. Plus major breaches, and essential security updates you need to know about.

📰

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#### Episode Timestamps

00:00 SURVEILLANCE REPORT INTRO  
00:53 HIGHLIGHT STORY: BITLOCKER ENCRYPTION  
09:36 MORE GLOBAL AGE VERIFICATION   
14:24 DANGEROUS BROWSER EXTENSIONS  
19:44 WHATSAPP ACCUSED OF NO ENCRYPTION  
26:20 PROMO SEGMENT!  
28:10 NOVA LAUNCHER SELLS OUT  
31:50 SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS CAUGHT BEING ADDICTIVE  
37:38 THE DEFENSE BULLETIN

#### Episode Sources

****Highlight: Microsoft Handed BitLocker Encryption Keys to FBI**

- <https://techcrunch.com/2026/01/23/microsoft-gave-fbi-a-set-of-bitlocker-encryption-keys-to-unlock-suspects-laptops-reports/>
- <https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2026/01/how-to-encrypt-your-pcs-disk-without-giving-the-keys-to-microsoft/>
- <https://techlore.tech/microsoft-hands-your-encryption-keys-to-the-fbi/>
- <https://veracrypt.jp/en/Home.html>
- <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C25VWAGl7Tw>

****Age Verification Tsunami Hits Three Continents**

- <https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cgm4xpyxp7lo>
- <https://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/15/world/australia/social-media-ban-australia.html>
- <https://reclaimthenet.org/florida-app-store-accountability-act-privacy-first-amendment>
- <https://www.miamitech.club/oppose-sb-482/>
- <https://www.reuters.com/sustainability/society-equity/frances-national-assembly-debates-banning-under-15s-social-media-2026-01-26/>
- <https://youtu.be/m%5F%5FkJCz2oS0>

****Malicious Browser Extensions Installed 840,000 Times**

- <https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/malicious-ghostposter-browser-extensions-found-with-840-000-installs/>
- <https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/credential-stealing-chrome-extensions-target-enterprise-hr-platforms/>
- <https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/new-malware-service-guarantees-phishing-extensions-on-chrome-web-store/>

****WhatsApp's End-to-End Encryption Challenged in Lawsuit**

- <https://www.pcmag.com/news/lawsuit-alleges-that-whatsapp-has-no-end-to-end-encryption>
- <https://blog.whatsapp.com/whatsapps-latest-privacy-protection-strict-account-settings>

****Popular Android Launcher Sold, Now Spies on 9 Million Users**

- <https://www.theverge.com/news/864585/nova-launcher-instabridge-acquisition-owner-ads>
- <https://youtu.be/yj5QL1-jJLg>

****Social Media Addiction by Design**

- <https://edri.org/our-work/new-research-reveals-how-snapchat-uses-notifications-to-manipulate-users/>
- <https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2026/01/tiktok-settles-hours-before-landmark-social-media-addiction-trial-starts/>

****The Defense Bulletin**

- <https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/have-i-been-pwned-soundcloud-data-breach-impacts-298-million-accounts/>
- <https://www.404media.co/match-group-hacked-tinder-okcupid-hinge/>
- <https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/escan-confirms-update-server-breached-to-push-malicious-update/>
- <https://techcrunch.com/2026/01/22/under-armour-says-its-aware-of-data-breach-claims-after-72m-customer-records-were-posted-online/>
- <https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/nike-investigates-data-breach-after-extortion-gang-leaks-files/>
- <https://techcrunch.com/2026/01/20/ustrive-security-lapse-exposed-personal-data-of-its-users-including-children/>
- <https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/acf-plugin-bug-gives-hackers-admin-on-50-000-wordpress-sites/>
- <https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/new-android-malware-uses-ai-to-click-on-hidden-browser-ads/>
- <https://www.wired.com/story/security-news-this-week-us-hackers-reportedly-caused-a-blackout-in-venezuela/>
- <https://yro.slashdot.org/story/26/01/23/236200/tiktok-is-now-collecting-even-more-data-about-its-users>
- <https://blog.popey.com/2026/01/malware-purveyors-taking-over-published-snap-email-domains/>
- <https://itsfoss.com/news/check-snap-packages-vulnerabilities/>
- <https://blog.cakewallet.com/cake-adds-support-for-arbitrum-jupiter-dex-blink-api-plus-birdpay-aliases-for-zcash/>
- <https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/customize-keyboard-shortcuts-firefox>
- <https://itsfoss.com/news/nexphone-returns/>
- <https://alternativeto.net/news/2026/1/jan-v3-model-debuts-with-updates-to-jan-desktop-v0-7-6/>
- <https://blog.notesnook.com/notesnook-v3.3.8>
- <https://alternativeto.net/news/2026/1/f-droid-basic-2-0-alpha-debuts-with-rewritten-ui-better-search-and-improved-app-discovery/>
- <https://alternativeto.net/news/2026/1/immich-2-5-adds-space-saving-option-non-destructive-image-editing-ui-upgrades-and-more/>
- <https://alternativeto.net/news/2026/1/1password-introduces-a-new-phishing-prevention-tool-to-flag-unlinked-websites/>
- <https://www.mullvad.net/en/blog/2026/1/21/new-security-audit-of-account-and-payment-services/>
- <https://signal.org/blog/pinned-messages/>