It’s Sunday fun day! Hello, my friend! Let’s start with trivia. Four astronauts are headed to the International Space Station for a six-month mission today. How long was the longest spaceflight ever taken by an American astronaut? In days, was it … A.) 371, B.) 665, C.) 204 or D.) 225? Answer’s at the end!

🤖 Feeling like everything’s an AI bot? Nope, it's me here — real, human Kim Komando! And I need your feedback. Before we heat things up, take my quick survey to help me help you. Now, on to massive tech know‑how! — Kim

Today, we’re tackling a question I get a lot from readers and listeners: “Is the government spying on me?”

Obviously, if you’re on the no-fly list or get a letter from the FBI saying you’re under investigation, yes, there’s probably a folder somewhere with your name on it. But other than that, I can’t tell you if the U.S. government is tracking you specifically.

But I can tell you the government has access to a bunch of data about its citizens — you and me included.

Uncle Sam knows what you’re up to

If you’re doing, well, anything online, the government can know about it (unless you’ve locked down your activity — more on that below). Here are a few things we know they know.

▶️ Who you’re calling, emailing and texting — and what you’re saying

After 9/11, Congress enabled warrantless monitoring of foreign communications. That’s one thing, but then we learned the National Security Agency (NSA) was using a loophole to conduct mass surveillance of Americans’ communications.

So, uh, how do they get it? Some of the info is copied directly from fiberoptic cables (crazy, right?), and some is requested from companies like Google, Yahoo and Facebook. Oh, and with a “secret” program called XKeyscore, NSA analysts have access to internet activity in real time.

▶️ What you’re posting and who you’re following online

Facebook, X, Instagram and all the rest are goldmines of personal data. The government also monitors social media activity, so you can bet your posts and profile info are on their radar if they’re both set to public. If you’re set to display info to friends only, though, the government can simply ask the companies for access. Remember, friend: What you post on social media is out there forever.

▶️ What you’re doing on the internet: Buying, browsing and in-app activity

Data brokers buy metadata (aka little bits of info) from your internet service provider, Big Tech companies, app makers and even manufacturers of smart appliances. Then, they package this data and sell it to advertisers. Who’s also buying this commercially available information? The U.S. government.

By the way, we’re not just talking about the type of car you drive, your favorite apps and your buying history on Amazon. The information they’re purchasing about you is incredibly detailed and paints a shockingly accurate picture of who you are.

Block prying spies 👀

So how do you keep your data out of the government’s hands? The same way you keep it away from hackers — lock it up. Here’s how:

• Go to the source: Data brokers must remove your info if you ask or go through their online processes to do it. Warning: It’s a major pain to do this all by yourself. I used Incogni,* and now, 151 different data brokers and people-search sites have forgotten all about Kim Komando.
• VPN-visible browsing: A virtual private network encrypts your online activity so no one can see what you’re doing. This includes your internet service provider. My pick is ExpressVPN.*
• Encrypt it real good: End-to-end encryption ensures only you and your recipient can see your messages. Enabling it scrambles your texts, emails — whatever — into unreadable nonsense as they pass through your provider’s servers.
• Privacy, please: Your phone, browsers and apps can toggle off most tracking. Start with my 30-second privacy check for Google and Facebook.

It’s my mission to help protect you from anyone getting your data — hackers, advertisers and even the government. Use the sharing buttons below to send this email to someone who may not know how much they’re putting out there. Let’s protect ourselves together.

🍻 What’s a federal agent’s favorite beer? A spy‑craft brew. (I know, and I’m sorry.)

• Forget plastic baggies — swap in these reusable silicone zipper bags for sandwiches and snacks. Pro tip: Flip ‘em inside out and wash them on the top rack of your dishwasher.
• Beeswax wrap is organic cotton coated in beeswax — and it’s 100 times less annoying than plastic wrap. Reuse it for up to a year.
• Drop the single-use paper towels and replace them with these cotton cloths.
• These colorful silicone straws come with a travel case — pop them in your bag and leave the soggy paper ones behind.
• Fill these reusable cups with medium-ground coffee and keep the convenience of a K‑Cup — without the trash.

A data buffet: Golden Corral was hit by a cyberattack last August (and we’re just finding out about it now!), exposing the personal data of over 183,000 folks — current and former employees, plus their beneficiaries. We’re talking Social Security numbers, financial deets and medical info. If you've been on their payroll, freeze your credit ASAP.

See ya, CNET: Wikipedia just downgraded its trust badge for tech site CNET from “generally reliable” to “generally unreliable.” Since 2022, CNET’s use of AI has been, well, a mess — everything from outright errors to blatant plagiarism. PSA: Komando is the only name I know for tech news and advice you can trust. I pick the news here myself and write this very email every day.

Docs off my box: At least 100 people — and potentially thousands — are suing LG over faulty fridges that kicked the bucket well before their best-by date. But LG says the suits are moot because it printed an arbitration notice on — get this — the cardboard box the fridge came in. In 2017, a federal judge threw out a similar claim by Samsung and said a notice on the box (or in the user manual) does not a contract make.

🖥️ Heads up, Windows 11 users: The “Moment 5” update is rolling out for versions 23H2 and 22H2. It brings an expansion for Microsoft Copilot, AI-boosted ClipChamp and Photos editing, better Snap suggestions and Widgets, and improved accessibility with Voice Access and Narrator. Go to Settings and hit Check for Updates.

🔋 Charge up, Ford fans: Drive a Mustang Mach‑E or an F‑150 Lightning? Ford and Tesla are teaming up to give you access to 15,000 EV chargers across the U.S. and Canada. Snag a free adapter through Ford's site or the FordPass app (iOS and Android) before the end of June. Hurry — the chargers will cost $230 apiece starting July 1.

Running a successful business comes down to having the right people in the right roles. Hiring is a big job and a huge time-suck — unless you use the tools that make it easier.

LinkedIn is a no-brainer. Millions of people are there every single day hunting for their next career move. We've used it to find superstar team members who make this newsletter and everything else we do possible.

Stop wading through endless resumes from folks who aren't a good fit. LinkedIn's suite of tools makes it easy to find the right person faster. And we can all use a little more time, right?

🎮 Still using Facebook Messenger? Might as well have fun. Tap the + (plus sign) in the bottom left during a chat, then hit the icon that looks like a game controller. Hello‑o‑o, timewasters! Play classics like Snake, Pac‑Man, Solitaire and Tomb Runner without any extra downloads.

Proof tech can teach: Scan any math problem with Photomath for a step-by-step solution. The app was created by a dad to help his three kids with their math homework. Millions of users are already using it on iPhone, and this week, it's finally available for Android, following Google’s purchase of the company last year.

Look out for your kids: Criminals are stealing little ones’ Social Security numbers to take out loans. It’s a clever (albeit awful) ploy because it’ll be years before the victims realize their credit is ruined. Stop cyberthieves in their tracks by using Experian's minor request form to see if there's a credit report in your child’s name.

💰 Small-biz tip: Getting the right domain is an important part of settling on a name. Check for a site name across different top-level domains (think .com, .net., .biz) and see how much they cost at iwantmyname.com.

AI hack: ChatGPT can spit out info in just about any format you want. For a table, use a prompt like this: "Create a table for the top AI tools. Include the following columns: Name, category and description. Here are the tools I want to summarize: [list of tools]."

❓ Every week on my show, I talk with fascinating folks and those who could use a little help with something digital. Catch these convos this weekend on a station near you or as a podcast.

• Kat Callaghan in Ontario, Canada, is the voice of TikTok's text-to-speech “Jessie” (you've def heard her before). She tells me what it's like to have her voice featured in millions of videos.
• Dr. Avi Loeb in Massachusetts is a Harvard professor and leading astrophysicist. He says he has proof of alien life after finding small magnetic orbs in the Pacific Ocean. Whoa.
• Robert in Lakeland, Florida, tragically lost his wife to cancer. He’s looking for ways to remove her digital footprint and get her personal data off the internet.

Plus, Dr. John looks for single-use passwords for patients, Gene aims for secure remote work, Paige wants a cam for her son's sleep apnea, Linda needs iPhone battery advice and much more!

Marvel: At award-winning underwater photos. These are phenomenal!

Watch: A livestream run by Friends of Big Bear Valley, and maybe you’ll see baby bald eagles hatch. So cool to watch Jackie, the mama eagle, sitting on her eggs.

Hang: Pictures and art the right way. Here’s a guide.

Eat: Cookies for breakfast! I want one of these.

Skip: Woodrow Wilson’s “healthy” breakfast shake … and the rest of these presidential recipes. Ham mousse sounds like true nightmare food.

Car seat from the 1940s. I wouldn’t put my laptop on that.

The answer: A.) 371. Astronaut Frank Rubio set NASA’s record for the single longest spaceflight just last year. Luckily, he was relatively comfortable on the ISS.

If you guessed B.) 665 days, get this: That’s how long Peggy Whitson spent in space during her career, the most of any NASA astronaut. And I’m not at all surprised they didn’t let her get in one more day. 👀

🤣 Why are dogs afraid to go to space? Because of the vacuum. Ooh, sorry, that was a ruff one.

Have a beautiful Sunday. Oh, and if you’re hiring, use my link for a free job post on LinkedIn.* They make it easy to find the best candidates. And with that, hit the rating below as I bid you adieu! See ya back here tomorrow with a fun story about the cash that could be hiding in your house. — Kim