Kim Komando Daily Tech Update

Google owes you $100

10 min
Apr 11, 20268 days ago
Listen to Episode
Summary

Kim Komando discusses a $135 million Google settlement for unauthorized mobile data usage, provides practical AI-powered tips for vetting people via public records and Zillow, and shares travel security warnings about voice cloning scams and customs device searches.

Insights
  • AI chatbots can synthesize public records to infer financial situations and lifestyle patterns beyond what's visible on property listing sites
  • Voice cloning technology has advanced to the point where 3 seconds of audio can be weaponized for family emergency scams targeting travelers
  • Powering off devices at customs forces biometric bypass, preventing authorities from accessing phone contents without a passcode
  • Google's quiet settlement reveals companies may be monetizing user data in ways customers never discover without legal action
  • Social media vacation content creates exploitable material for scammers and should be posted only after returning home
Trends
AI-powered due diligence becoming mainstream for personal vetting and financial assessmentVoice synthesis and deepfake technology escalating as travel-specific scam vectorsIncreased awareness of border security device search capabilities and privacy implicationsClass action settlements against tech giants for undisclosed data monetization practicesShift toward preventative security measures (family code words, delayed social posting) for personal safetyIntegration of public records databases with AI for pattern recognition and lifestyle inferenceGrowing consumer skepticism about what happens to mobile data on carrier networks
Companies
Google
Settled $135M lawsuit for secretly using customers' paid mobile data without consent since 2017
Zillow
Property listing platform used as starting point for AI-powered financial vetting and background research
OpenAI
ChatGPT mentioned as one of several AI chatbots that can synthesize public records for financial analysis
Anthropic
Claude AI chatbot mentioned as tool for analyzing public records and inferring financial situations
Google
Gemini AI mentioned as option for querying public records and financial data analysis
xAI
Grok AI mentioned as alternative chatbot for public records analysis and financial inference
People
Kim Komando
Podcast host sharing tech news, security tips, and product recommendations
Quotes
"Google was quietly using customers' paid mobile data to send information back to Google, effectively stealing data you paid for, and they did it while your phone sat idle, so you never noticed."
Kim KomandoEarly segment
"AI can now clean up voice from as little as three seconds of audio. So when you're saying, hey, greetings from Cabo, your family back home may get a phone call and it's your voice and you're crying."
Kim KomandoTravel tips segment
"If your phone is actually off, in order for you to open your phone, that you're going to need to put in your passcode, not just by biometrics."
Kim KomandoCustoms security segment
"AI is remarkably good at connecting dots you didn't know existed."
Kim KomandoZillow AI analysis segment
Full Transcript
I've tried a lot of antivirus software over the years. And when something better comes along, I switch. That's why I've moved to Webroot Essentials. Webroot Essentials is a cloud-based AI-powered antivirus app that was designed to evolve with today's threats. It's fast, lightweight protection that works across all my devices, without slowing me down. If you need another reason to switch, get this. Webroot Essentials recently ranked number one in independent Passmark performance studies against nine other brands like Norton, McAfee, and even Microsoft Defender. The study found that Webroot Essentials scans six times faster, uses far less memory, and takes up 33% less space on your computer. I've seen the difference Webroot has made for my devices, and now you can too. My listeners get 62% off Webroot Essentials at webroot.com.com. Get the number one ranked antivirus protection for just $19 a year right now at webroot.com.com. Webroot.com.com. Go now while you're thinking about it. Webroot.com. Hey there, it's Kim, of course. After today's Daily Tech Update, this is amazing. I'm gonna share with you this week's Saturday Steals. It's just some of my favorite finds that will make life a little smarter, easier, and tech ahead, haul at a great price. If you used an Android device on any mobile carrier back to November of 2017, Google owes you money. Here's why, and exactly how much. Six years ago, a group of angry Google customers filed a David and Goliath lawsuit. Their claim, Google was quietly using customers' paid mobile data to send information back to Google, effectively stealing data you paid for, and they did it while your phone sat idle, so you never noticed. Naturally, Google denied everything, admitted nothing, and then quietly agreed to pay those customers a total of $135 million. You won't get rich. Most victims will see around $100. But hey, that's $100, Google hope you'd never know they took. File your claim at federalcellularclassaction.com. That's federalcellularclassaction.com. And now it's time for your Saturday Steals. If you like tech that works hard and costs less, you're gonna love these. Now, let's jump into some of my best finds from this week. And don't forget to visit my Amazon shop, where you can find all my deals and recommended tech on demand. Just head to amazon.com. Slash shop slash Kim Commando. All right, let me give it to you again. Amazon.com slash shop slash Kim Commando, with a K of course. You know that glow that you see on people just seem to radiate health. It's not just great lighting. It's what's happening inside their body, and one of the best kept secrets to looking and feeling amazing is collagen. You see, as we age, our bodies naturally produce less collagen, which can lead to wrinkles, thinning hair, brittle nails, and just feeling less flexible than we used to. But the good news is, is that you can support your body naturally. With high quality collagen from nativpath, you're giving your body the building blocks it needs to support smoother looking skin, stronger nails, and shinier hair. And some studies also suggest collagen supplements may help support bone health too. You see, it's not about turning back time. I know we wanna do that, but we just can't. It's about feeling your best at any age. And right now, as a Kim Commando listener, you can get nativpath collagen for just a fraction of the retail price, plus free shipping and a free gift bundle. Just go to getnativpath.com slash Kim. That's getnativpath.com slash Kim. These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Individual results may vary. I'm Kim Commando with Saturday Steel, so let's do this. First up, Ring's Outdoor Camera Plus. 40% off, 60 bucks, 2K wide angle view, full color night vision, two-way talk. It runs on batteries so you can mount it anywhere. No electrician, no more excuses. And this one's for you and your kids. It's a birdie personal safety alarm. You pull the pin, this is amazing. 130 decibels, it has a strobe light, it's loud. I mean, clear the parking lot loud. 14% off, 30 bucks. And last, don't let the size fool you. This little LED flashlight clips right on your shirt has 10 modes, including a blinking SOS signal. 24% off, only $13. Perfect for walking the dog, a power outage camping, you name it. So you have a camera, an alarm, and a flashlight. Links are at WTOP.com, grab them before the deals disappear. Zillow, I think we talked about this before, but we can dive back in. I guess you should be careful about what you put on Zillow or things you can find out there. Actually, I Zillow people. I look them up because I wanna see exactly if they are who they say that they are. So like, for example, I had a gentleman who wanted to do a deal with me and he was presenting himself as a successful business man and all this other great stuff. And then when I looked up where he lived, it wasn't quite what he portrayed as his house and the mortgage and the interest rate and some other things. And, but when you Zillow people, you no longer have to do it the old way, meaning like you get their address and you just put it into Zillow. Now you're gonna open up your favorite AI chatbot. And whether it's chat, GBT, Claw, Gemini, or Grock, and you're gonna use something like this. I know someone who lives at and put in their address. Based on public records, what can you tell me about this person's financial picture? What did they likely pay? What do they owe? And what does this home say about their income bracket and their financial priorities? Wow, okay, let me tell you. What it gives you back is something that you would never just find in Zillow. And that's the baseline. And then you do something else. You say based on the neighborhood and the purchase price in this house, what kind of lifestyle does this suggest? What would I likely find out about this person's financial situation that they probably don't advertise? The second prompt is the one that makes you feel like you work for the FBI. Because AI is remarkably good at connecting dots. You didn't know existed. Like for example, when I looked up this gentleman's house and did all this work with AI, it came back and talked about priorities that he probably likely had a BMW in the driveway when he should only be driving a Ford truck. And guess what he drove up in? A BMW. Okay. So it sounds like it's more than Zillow with other public records that sounds like there's a lot of stuff out there that people may not be aware of. Well, it's interesting that AI can connect dots that you may not have thought of before. And is it going into other public records? Maybe, maybe not. But it's really going into the assumptions that could be made based on how somebody is maybe more interested in a particular zip code. In this case, Paradise Valley, Arizona, one of the most expensive zip codes in the entire country when he really could not afford to live in Paradise Valley based on the mortgage rates and everything that he had going on with this house. In addition to that, he was more, what AI said, and I believe this to be true, he was more interested in having a home with a status symbol in Paradise Valley when he could have gotten a better house that was less expensive and maybe a neighborhood 10 minutes away. Mm, good to know. Good to know. And travel tips. A lot of people are making summer plans. They may still be getting their spring break in. What should they know there? Well, first of all, let's start with every real TikTok vacation video that you post when you're traveling. It is giving scammers raw material that they need. AI can now clean up voice from as little as three seconds of audio. So when you're saying, hey, greetings from Cabo, your family back home may get a phone call and it's your voice and you're crying. You're in Mexico, you lost your passport, you were in an accident, you're in the hospital and you need $15,000 wired right now. So here's what you wanna do. Try not to post any vacation videos that have your voice or your image in it until you get home. I know that's really hard, but establish a family code word before you travel. One word that nobody outside your family would ever know. So somebody calls claiming to be you and can't say the word, it's a scam and then everybody knows. And even, I've heard about your cell phones, your laptops and potentially those being searched as you travel, go through customs or Homeland Security, whatever. Yeah, a lot of people don't realize this is that when you're crossing to the border, your smartphone can be taken from you and you could be asked by Homeland Security to open your phone and then they can look at anything. They can look at your photos, your texts, your videos, your documents, confidential files, anything that you may have on that phone if they think that there's a need for them to look at that. And in addition to that, it's not just your phones anymore, starting in January, it's basically anything in your possession, maybe it's a GPS, maybe it's a car infotainment system, maybe it's a camera, a SIM card, maybe you're still carrying an iPod, whatever it may be, is that they can take a look at anything. So there is one thing that you can do is that if this concerns you, because maybe you are traveling with corporate secrets or what have you, is that before you go into the customs area is that you power off your phone. Because the Homeland Security, they can't ask you for your passcode. So if your phone is actually off, in order for you to open your phone, that you're going to need to put in your passcode, not just by biometrics. And so that's one thing. Now, of course, there's a downside, because if you're using your phone to get through customs faster, well, there goes that opportunity. Hey, if you love staying tech ahead, then you're gonna love, love, love. I'm talking about my free newsletter called The Current. Join almost a million folks who get it every single day. It's quick, smart, it only takes five minutes a day. Yes, sign up right now at GetKim.com. That's GetKim.com.