Mastodawn

New, by me: Mounir Idrassi, the developer of the popular file encryption software Veracrypt, says Microsoft has locked his account used for sending software updates, and warned that Windows users who encrypt their PCs with his software may soon find it "impossible to boot," Idrassi tells me.

https://techcrunch.com/2026/04/08/veracrypt-encryption-software-windows-microsoft-lock-boot-issues/

Developer of VeraCrypt encryption software says Windows users may face boot-up issues after Microsoft locked his account | TechCrunch

The maker of the popular open-source file encryption software VeraCrypt said Microsoft locked his online account, which may prevent device owners from booting up their computers.

TechCrunch

Tokyo Outsider (337ppm)19h ago

@zackwhittaker This is just for people who have encrypted their OS partition, right?

Ivan Djansazov 19h ago

How long will the people use this bloatware ?
Choose a Linux distribution and live your lives!

Nobody in open source community cares about politics, corporations etc.

Get Linux, dump the corporate spyware and feel one less thing to worry about.

Koos Pol 🇺🇦15h ago

@idjansazov @zackwhittaker Now that's a really helpful comment! Thanks for enlightening us!/smh

A stopped clock never boils 14h ago

@idjansazov @zackwhittaker Nobody in open source community cares about politics, corporations etc."

Not sure *that* is true.

But yes, ditch Windows. The most friction in switching to Linux is still better than the least friction in staying on Windows.

Ivan Djansazov 14h ago

@Salty @zackwhittaker

"Not sure *that* is true."

What I meant was - give me my crypto, my oss and leave me alone!
Because if a person is familiar with oss, cryptography and math ... nobody can stop him..No government, no border, no language.

We live in age that thanks to computers the governments grip becomes less and less tight, but it is up to us to make it happen for real.

🐦‍🔥nemo™🐦‍⬛ 🇺🇦🍉19h ago

@zackwhittaker he should get in touch with the #patchmypc folks

https://patchmypc.com/product/home-updater/

Home Updater

Did you know your home device/computer needs regular updates to stay secure? Automate your patching for over 500+ applications free of charge.

Patch My PC

Nicole Parsons 18h ago

When Koch Network hijacks a corporation for its own agenda; there are no half-measures.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/mattdurot/2025/07/17/bill-gates-charles-koch-and-three-other-billionaires-are-giving-1-billion-to-enhance-economic-mobility-in-the-us/

https://newrepublic.com/article/206423/abundance-ai-problem-data-centers

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/08/15/books/review/kochland-christopher-leonard.html

https://www.theguardian.com/business/2014/dec/09/-sp-luxembourg-tax-files-how-junckers-duchy-accommodated-skype-and-the-koch-empire

https://www.politico.com/news/2024/05/12/ai-lobbyists-gain-upper-hand-washington-00157437

https://www.pcmag.com/news/even-astronauts-need-it-help-artemis-ii-faces-microsoft-outlook-login-issues

https://fortune.com/2026/04/03/microsoft-outlook-issues-nasa-space-exploration-artemisii-moon-landing-apollo-17/

https://nypost.com/2025/06/27/real-estate/a-mystery-microsoft-mogul-has-been-quietly-assembling-the-priciest-palm-beach-estate-near-mar-a-lago/

Five Billionaires Pledged $1 Billion To Boost Economic Mobility Using AI

Five of America’s top philanthropists are teaming up for a new venture aimed at helping low-income Americans rise from poverty. An AI giant has signed on to help.

Forbes

bouriquet 12h ago

@Npars01 @zackwhittaker One- never trust the honesty of things you read in Forbes when it comes to helping the poor
Two- never believe that AI will be used to “economically lift” anyone’s status without someone making a hefty profit
Three- Never trust AI with your money, given that AI people often have 6 fingers.
Four- since our society is standing on the brink of a precipice, why do anything risky with it right now

Nicole Parsons 11h ago

@bouriquet @zackwhittaker

I never believe Forbes on its coverage of "philanthropy".

Let's call it what it is; it is tax evasion melded with social engineering for the electorate.

Koch Network wants AI for many things; none of them are for "economic mobility".

The Epstein Class are experts at Orwellian corruption of language & meaning.
It's marketing for feudalist dictatorship.

"Liberty" this means voter suppression.
"Freedom" that means 'die to save the economy for the rich'.

1/

Nicole Parsons 11h ago

2/

Everything means its opposite.

"Progress" means Jim Crow economics.
"Enterprise" means public corruption of the courts.
"Family values" means impunity for child rapists .
"Choice" means subpar education at an all white "christian academy".
"Peace" means unprovoked warfare.
"Federalism" means divide & conquer.
"Heritage" means the disenfranchisement of women, immigrants, POC, and LGBTQ.
"America First" means bigotry.

The Forbes articles serve as revelatory illustrations of the groupthink.

bouriquet 11h ago

@Npars01 @zackwhittaker Forbes - The Capitalist Tool

kasperd 15h ago

This feels like an anti-competitive move.

@zackwhittaker yet another reason why not use ms-windows... the list is soon as long as the source code for ms-windows

@zackwhittaker
Other projects e.g. WireGuard have the same issue. Account closed. https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47687884

This is the same problem I'm currently facing with WireGuard. No warning at all,... | Hacker News

mike805 10h ago

@0815 @zackwhittaker Two similar projects at the same time, it should be obvious what is going on. Tools that can protect privacy from the state are being shut down, at least in Windows.

You have a binary choice. Use an open source OS or be watched. No in between.

The open source OS also runs well on old hardware, while new hardware is absurdly expensive, if that helps with the decision. It did for me.

𝙲:\𝚝𝚛𝚊𝚗𝚔𝚣𝚎𝚗> █1h ago

@zackwhittaker I've read that WireGuard and WindScribe (both VPNs) have also been recently been locked out of their accounts. An MS engineer said it was because they failed to renew in time, but it seems they never were warned they needed to review in the first place. What's going on at MS ? Did someone vibe code a notification system ?