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Consumer Daily Reports

Researchers sound alarm on FreeVPN.One

By James R. Hood of ConsumerAffairs
August 20, 2025

  • Security researchers say FreeVPN.Ones Chrome extension can take screenshots of the websites people visit raising big privacy concerns.
  • The extensions privacy policy has changed multiple times in recent months, dropping key details about data collection and who actually runs the service.
  • Investigators say the company behind the app has been evasive, providing no proof of legitimacy and operating under shifting, unclear identities.

A free Chrome VPN extension called FreeVPN.One is facing scrutiny after a security firm discovered it may be gathering much more user data than expected. According to a new report by Koi Security, the apps privacy policy admits it can take screenshots of the pages people visit including the page content and URL and send them to company servers.

While the company says this only happens if users enable an AI Threat Detection feature, another part of the policy suggests data is collected regardless. Koi Security says this matches its own findings.

Shifting privacy promises

Adding to concerns, the extensions privacy policy has been quietly altered in recent weeks. A June 20 version made no mention of collecting anonymized usage data, nor did it include disclaimers about the tool being in beta or lacking guarantees. The latest version also dropped the name of the operator, previously listed as CMO Ltd., leaving users with no clear idea who is behind the app.

The only clue is an email domain that redirects to a barebones Phoenix Software Solutions page hosted on a free Wix site hardly the kind of professional presence expected of a privacy company.

Silence from the developer

Koi Security says the extension has morphed over the past few months from a basic VPN to what it calls a privacy-invading extension. When researchers pressed the developer for proof of legitimacy such as a company profile or GitHub account the developer stopped responding.

Why it matters

VPNs are supposed to protect privacy, but they also require users to place deep trust in whoever operates them. Experts say FreeVPN.One highlights the risks of using free, unknown extensions, which may offer little protection and instead create new privacy dangers.

As the report puts it, putting your browsing data in the hands of an obscure developer who can screenshot every page you visit is not exactly confidence-inspiring.


Perfect heres the merged consumer tip sheet, combining the what to do warnings with the trusted alternatives advice in one easy-to-drop-in box:


Consumer Tip Sheet: Staying Safe With VPNs

What to Watch Out For

  • Beware of free VPNs: If youre not paying, your data may be the product. Many free services track or sell user activity.

  • Check the developers transparency: Legitimate providers disclose who they are, where theyre based, and how they handle data. If that info is missing or vague, steer clear.

  • Read the privacy policy carefully: Look for plain statements about what is collected (or not collected). Sudden changes in the policy are a red flag.

  • Avoid browser extensions as your main VPN: Extensions are easier to manipulate. A standalone VPN app from a trusted provider is generally safer.

  • Uninstall questionable tools: If youve installed FreeVPN.One or something similar, remove it and consider changing your passwords.

What to Look For Instead

  • Paid services: Reliable VPNs usually charge a fee, which supports secure infrastructure instead of monetizing your data.

  • Independent audits: Top providers (e.g., ExpressVPN, NordVPN, Surfshark, Proton VPN) have undergone third-party audits verifying no logs claims.

  • Clear ownership: Trustworthy VPNs name the company and jurisdiction they operate under.

  • Strong privacy stance: Look for no-logs policies, open-source apps, and clear data-handling practices.

  • Extra protections: Many quality VPNs now include malware blocking, tracker prevention, and kill switches for added security.

Pro tip: Before committing, check for independent reviews from outlets like Wired, PCMag, or TechRadar. Transparency and outside verification are key signs of trustworthiness.




Posted: 2025-08-20 19:21:10

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More News From This Category

Consumer News: LIANTRAL storage rack warning over impact hazard

Fri, 22 Aug 2025 01:07:04 +0000

Consumers should immediately stop using LIANTRAL heavy duty storage rack wall mounts due to collapse risk

By News Desk of ConsumerAffairs
August 21, 2025

  • Sold on Amazon.com November 2023 to July 2025

  • CPSC urges consumers to stop use and dispose of the product

The Consumer Product Safety Commission is warning consumers to immediately stop using LIANTRAL Heavy Duty Storage Rack Wall Mounts sold on Amazon.com. The racks have been reported to collapse, buckle or fail, creating a risk of serious injury.

CPSC has received 13 reports of these storage racks failing. The products were available online from November 2023 to July 2025.

The hazard

The LIANTRAL storage racks may collapse or experience weld failure, posing a significant impact hazard to users.

What to do

Consumers should stop using these storage racks immediately and dispose of them as advised by CPSC.

Company contact

Report incidents involving these storage racks, or any product-related injury, on www.SaferProducts.gov. Call CPSCs Hotline at 800-638-2772 (TTY 800-638-8270).

Source

Read the official warning



Read More ...


Consumer News: IBC Technologies recall for 1,100 combi boilers due to burn hazard

Fri, 22 Aug 2025 01:07:04 +0000

Homeowners with affected IBC Technologies combi boilers should arrange for a free repair to prevent burn risk

By News Desk of ConsumerAffairs
August 21, 2025

Homeowners with affected IBC Technologies combi boilers should arrange for a free repair to prevent burn risk.

  • Hot water can exceed safe temperatures, posing a burn hazard

  • About 1,100 units affected in the US, models CX-199 and CX-150

  • Contact IBC for free in-home repair; central heating use is still allowed

PRODUCT IMAGE: Link to product image

IBC Technologies USA Inc. is recalling about 1,100 CX Combi Boilers in the United States due to a risk of hot water exceeding the set temperature, which may cause burns. The recall includes models CX-199 and CX-150 with specific serial numbers, sold through home improvement distributors nationwide between May 2023 and June 2025.

The company has received five reports of fluctuating hot water temperatures but no injuries. Consumers should arrange for a free in-home repair.

The hazard

The recalled combi boilers can deliver hot water that exceeds the temperature selected on the control panel, creating a burn hazard for users.

What to do

Consumers should contact IBC to schedule a free repair by an authorized technician, who will install a mixing valve if necessary. The boilers may still be used for central heating, but users should avoid using the hot water function until repairs are complete.

Company contact

IBC toll free at 844-432-8422 from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. ET Monday through Friday, email at sales@ibcboiler.com, or online at www.ibcboiler.com/recalls or ibcboiler.com and click on Recall at the bottom of the webpage.

Source

Read the official recall notice


Read More ...


Consumer News: CPSC drops key safety rules on table saws, off-road vehicles, and aerosol dusters, prompting backlash

Thu, 21 Aug 2025 22:07:07 +0000

Major safety proposals get the ax from the new Trump-appointed safety regulators

By James R. Hood of ConsumerAffairs
August 21, 2025

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission has withdrawn multiple proposed safety rules, including standards targeting table saw injuries, hazardous off-highway vehicles, and toxic aerosol dusters.
Consumer advocates blasted the decision as politics and cruelty, warning it will mean more amputations, impalements, and poisonings.
Acting Chairman Peter A. Feldman defended the move as a return to sound science and common sense, while affirming the agency will not regulate gas stove emissions.


The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) announced Wednesday that it is scrapping several proposed regulations meant to reduce product dangers, from table saw blade-contact injuries to off-highway vehicle rollovers and aerosol duster inhalation deaths.

The withdrawn rules include a table saw blade safety standard, a recreational off-highway vehicle stability rule, a debris penetration hazard standard, and a ban on aerosol dusters with certain propellants.

Consumer advocates say the decision will put lives at risk. The withdrawal of vital safety rulemakings is not grounded in evidence or morality, but in politics and cruelty, said Daniel Greene of the National Consumers League in an email to ConsumerAffairs. The CPSC chose less safety and more amputations, impalements, and poisonings.

New leadership, new priorities

The withdrawals come under new CPSC leadership appointed by the Trump Administration. Acting Chairman Peter A. Feldman said the agency is shifting course, rejecting rules he called outdated, unscientific, and costly to industry.

Regulations and practices that do not reasonably advance safety but instead promote unscientific ideological agendas, impose unnecessary costs, restrict consumer choice, or reduce competition, entrepreneurship, and innovation are no longer agency priorities, Feldman said in a statement.

The agency also rescinded long-standing rules it deemed obsolete, including regulations on citizens band radio antennas and 1950s refrigerator safety mandates.

Gas stoves and the value of life

Feldman highlighted the Commissions decision to abandon proposals related to gas stoves, rejecting research on harmful indoor emissions as climate ideology. Critics, however, point to a growing body of evidence linking nitrogen dioxide from gas stoves to serious health risks.

The CPSC is also rescinding guidance on the statistical value of life, with Feldman arguing that it inflates benefits used to justify regulation. The statistics are frequently used in personal injury and wrongful deaths lawsuits to estimate the value of a life lost to defective products.

Documented hazards

Despite Feldmans framing, the risks associated with the withdrawn rules are well-documented:

  • Table saws: An estimated 29,000 ER visits per year for blade-contact injuries, according to past CPSC data.

  • Off-highway vehicles: At least 169 fatalities and 299 injuries tied to rollovers and ejections between 2003 and 2010.

  • Aerosol dusters: More than 1,000 deaths and 21,700 injuries linked to inhalation incidents from 2012 to 2021.

Advocates say Congress may need to step in. Its time for lawmakers to do what the CPSC wontrequire these safety standards by law, Greene urged.


Read More ...


Consumer News: Cancer vaccine shows early promise in hard-to-treat tumors

Thu, 21 Aug 2025 22:07:07 +0000

How a standard vaccine sparked impressive immune defenses in pancreatic and colorectal cancer patients

By Kristen Dalli of ConsumerAffairs
August 21, 2025
  • Ready-made, not custom: The ELI-002 2P vaccine is an "off-the-shelf" therapy targeting KRAS mutations common in pancreatic and colorectal cancers.

  • Strong immune reactions linked to better outcomes: Patients who mounted robust T-cell responses saw significantly longer relapse-free and overall survival than those with weaker responses.

  • Promising but early findings: Though the results are encouraging, this was a small Phase 1 trial without controls; larger studies are needed to confirm its benefits.


Imagine a cancer vaccine you dont have to personalize one thats made in advance and can be given to anyone whose cancer shares a specific mutation.

Thats precisely what researchers at UCLA and their collaborators are exploring with ELI-002 2P. Its a peptide-based vaccine designed to train your immune system to recognize and attack KRAS-mutated cancer cells mutations found in about 90% of pancreatic cancers and half of colorectal cancers.

This new approach could offer a more accessible, cost-effective alternative to highly tailored immunotherapies.

This is an exciting advance for patients with KRAS-driven cancers, particularly pancreatic cancer, where recurrence after standard treatment is almost a given and effective therapies are limited, first author of the study Zev Wainberg, MD, said in a news release.

We observed that patients who developed strong immune responses to the vaccine remained disease-free and survived for much longer than expected.

A look at the study

This was a Phase 1 clinical trial called AMPLIFY-201, involving 25 patients 20 with pancreatic cancer and five with colorectal cancer who had already undergone surgery and showed signs of minimal residual disease.

The vaccine was composed of peptides representing common KRAS mutations (like G12D and G12R), combined with an adjuvant known as CpG-7909 to stimulate the immune system, and administered in a way that targets the lymph nodes.

Over a median follow-up of almost 20 months, researchers monitored patients immune responses, tracked how long they remained disease-free, and measured overall survival.

Results & what they mean

Among the 25 participants, a majority 17 showed strong immune responses, meaning their T cells specifically targeted the KRAS mutant proteins.

Those patients had notably better outcomes: for example, their median relapse-free survival wasnt reached yet, compared to just about three months in those with weaker immune responses.

Similarly, their median overall survival also wasnt reached, versus around 16 months for the less responsive group.

In terms of raw numbers, only four of the strong-responders died during follow-up, versus seven of the eight weak-responders. In other words, the vaccine appeared to boost the immune systems ability to keep cancer at bay at least for those who responded well.

That said, experts and the researchers are clear: these are early, promising signals, but further testing in larger, controlled trials is essential.

Targeting KRAS has long been considered one of the difficult challenges in cancer therapy, Dr. Wainberg said. This study shows that the ELI-002 2P vaccine can safely and effectively train the immune system to recognize and fight cancer-driving mutations. It offers a promising approach to generating precise and durable immune responses without the complexity or cost of fully personalized vaccines.


Read More ...


Consumer News: New study reveals what’s keeping Americans awake at night

Thu, 21 Aug 2025 22:07:07 +0000

How everyday worries are hijacking our rest and what to do about it

By Kristen Dalli of ConsumerAffairs
August 21, 2025
  • Money troubles top the list 78% of Americans report losing sleep over financial concerns.

  • Work, safety, and politics also weigh heavily with concerns about job security (56%), crime (61%), and politics (56%) disrupting sleep.

  • Small changes matter strategies like unplugging before bed, journaling, and gentle self-talk can help tame racing thoughts.


Sleep should be a time to recharge, but for many Americans, bedtime has become the hour when worries get louder.

According to a new survey by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM), stressors like money, work, crime, and politics are among the top reasons people are struggling to rest. Experts warn that these racing thoughts dont just steal sleep they also chip away at health and resilience during the day.

In todays high-stress world, its easy to become overwhelmed and many people carry their worries to bed with them, Dr. Andrew Spector, sleep medicine physician and AASM spokesperson, said in a news release.

This is magnified by a lifestyle where even a quick walk to the bathroom might include a check of the latest headlines or social media posts, leaving little time in the day other than bedtime for the mind to process all of these fears. When your stress level is too high when you go to bed, your sleep suffers, and that affects your physical and mental health.

The survey

The AASM survey, conducted in June 2025, polled 2,005 U.S. adults to understand what keeps them awake at night.

Participants were asked about a range of stressors, including finances, job stability, crime, politics, and even new technologies such as artificial intelligence. The results highlight just how widespread the problem of worry-driven insomnia has become.

The results

The survey results show that financial concerns top the list of what keeps Americans awake at night: 78% of Americans report losing sleep over money. Work is another major culprit 65% struggle with work-related thoughts at night, and 56% worry about job security.

Safety is also on peoples minds, with 61% saying concerns about crime or violence have disrupted their rest. Politics has grown into a larger factor too: 56% cite it as a sleep disruptor, up from 46% just one year earlier. Even technology plays a role, with 39% losing sleep over AI and related developments.

Sleep is essential to overall well-being, so its important to learn how to compartmentalize your worries to avoid having them interfere with your sleep, Dr. Spector said. The good news is that even small, consistent changes to your bedtime routine can lead to meaningful, long-term improvements.

Tips: How to calm your mind for better rest

While the problems themselves may not vanish overnight, there are ways to quiet your thoughts at bedtime. The AASM suggests:

  • Unplug an hour before bed by stepping away from news and social media.

  • Schedule worry time during the day so concerns dont flood your mind at night.

  • Jot worries down in a notebook to reassure yourself youll address them later.

  • Exercise regularly to manage stress, but avoid intense workouts close to bedtime.

  • Ease up on sleep pressuredont let worrying about sleep become another source of anxiety.

  • Seek help from a therapist or counselor if worries consistently prevent rest.

When we sleep better, we feel better physically, mentally, and emotionally, Dr, Spector said. Getting quality sleep is one of the most powerful tools we have to build resilience and face lifes daily challenges.


Read More ...


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