#consumer alert

A new study has found that your car likely knows more about you than your mom. That is disconcerting, but what’s even more so is what is being done with your information. It’s all about the Benjamins. Our private information is being collected and sold.

The Mozilla Foundation, a non-profit that studies internet and privacy issues, studied 25 car manufacturers. And it found every manufacturer sold in America poses a greater risk to your privacy than any device, app or social media platform.

Our cars are rolling computers, many of which are connected to the internet collecting information about how you drive and where. New cars also have microphones and sensors that give you safety features like automatic braking and drowsy driver detection. Those systems are also providing information. Got GPS or satellite radio? Then your car likely knows your habits, musical and political preferences.

Did you download your car’s app which gives you access to even more features? Well that also gives your car access to your phone and all the information on it.

The study found that of the 25 car brands, 84% say they sell your personal data.

And what they collect is astounding.

One example the study sites is KIA’s privacy policy. It indicates the company collects information about your sexual activity. I initially didn’t believe it until I pulled KIA’s privacy policy and read it. And it’s right there in black and white. It says it collects information about your “ethnicity, religious, philosophical beliefs, sexual orientation, sex life, or political opinions.

And it says it can keep your info for “as long as is necessary for the legitimate business purpose set out in this privacy notice.”

Translation: Nissan can keep your information as long as they want to. And more than half of the manufacturers (56%) say they will share your information with law enforcement if asked.

Fans of mine, don't buy tokens on this app,they are not paying live content creators...this is a garbage app!

#Consumeralert

#Crowdfunding

#livestreaming

#apps

#PeeksSocial

#Badforbusiness

DO NOT BUY GLASS MASON JAR MUGS FROM BED, BATH, AND BEYOND.

You see those cracks all along the mug? Well, that’s from me pouring normal hot water into the mug to make myself some tea. At night. In low lighting. This is HOT, BOILING WATER. Poured into a product that boasts that it’s MEANT for tea. I’m very lucky I didn’t get hurt, as the moment it cracked, the hot water started spilling EVERYWHERE. And it was BOILING HOT, you know, like the kind you use FOR TEA?!

The frustrating thing about this is, several times prior, I HAD NO PROBLEMS WITH THIS MUG AND TEA. It would take the hot water happily and there would be no damned issues whatsoever. I think I had maybe four glasses of tea in total before last night’s shattering issue.

So save yourself the potential burns and wasted money and DO NOT BUY THIS MUG. Seriously, it’s not worth it. Just buy a standard ceramic mug for tea, or a glass mug sold in actual tea stores.

Photo by Pırıl Şahin on Pexels.com Raw Pet Food Recall Raises Health Concerns Nationwide—Here’s What Pet Owners Need to Know A pet food recall tied to dangerous bacteria is raising concerns beyond the Northeast, highlighting growing risks associated with raw pet diets. The recall involves products from Raaw Energy, LLC, a New Jersey-based company, after testing revealed contamination with…

METRO MANILA, NATIONAL CAPITAL REGION -- Between the impending Christmas and New Year festivities, joyful instruments of music are inquisitively right beyond the archipelago. The toxics watchdog group 'BAN Toxics' cautions the public to be particularly vigilant when purchasing plastic hornpipes or "torotot", which may contain harmful chemicals such as lead and mercury, a poisonous chemical that may severely disrupt their brain development, whether you are a kid or a teenager.

Plastic hornpipes are being marketed as a safer, potentially alternative to firecrackers, which are believed to drive evil spirits out of hell. The group, which supports the use of safe toys, pointed out that the torotot could contain harmful chemicals, warning parents and caregivers to closely monitor children and teens whenever utilizing and playing with them.

At one time, in mid-December 2025, according to a recent market monitoring report… 'BAN Toxics' acquired 12 pieces of colored plastic hornpipes from ambulant sellers and toy stores who independently bought them in Baclaran, Pasay City and Divisoria in Metro Manila. The smaller ones were priced at PHP15 Philippine pesos, and as high as PHP40 on the larger ones. Both of these prices are worth less than a dollar in America's currency.

These tests, conducted by 'BAN Toxics' found lead of up to 980 parts per million (ppm) and mercury of up to 190 ppm, which exceeded the limits of safe toys. Other chemicals that were found to be hazardous were barium, bromine, chlorine and chromium. The group has also indicated that the samples were not labeled properly, as mandated under Republic Act #10620 or the 'Toy and Game Safety Labeling Act of 2013'.

Thony Dizon, Advocacy and Campaign Officer of 'BAN Toxics' told media reporters that the potential risks of plastic hornpipes were so critical, including choking due to small components, laceration risks due to the sharpness of plastic edges, chemical risks due to color pigments, and hearing risks on loud decibel levels due to blowing the hornpipe into the human ear: "Let us be mindful and practice safety first when buying and using torotot or similar plastic noisemakers for our children [and teens]. Parental supervision and guidance are important to ensure their health and safety", concluded Dizon. The current health problem was not observable to the naked eye, according to the fact sheet of the World Health Organization (WHO).

The mentioned group also advised the public to be vigilant when buying children and teens' products, recommending that they always check the fine print of labels, inspect the colors and materials used, and ensure proper labeling as strictly mandated by law. BAN Toxics stressed a need to abandon traditional firecrackers and fireworks and find a non-polluting means to celebrate the New Year of 2026.

PHOTO COURTESY: BAN Toxics via PR PHOTO BACKGROUND PROVIDED BY: TEGNA

(Written by Rhayniel Saldasal Calimpong & Andrea Davenport / Freelance News Writer & Presenter of OneNETnews, Online Public Media Broadcaster & Founder of ONC Holdings, Barangay PWD President of Pulantubig Persons with Disabilities Association, and Online News Correspondent of The Brighton Bugle)

METRO MANILA, NATIONAL CAPITAL REGION -- Christmas decorations are so popular in the scientific world, us something was really off in your holiday household. Recently, the environmental group 'BAN Toxics' has issued a warning over the potential public-health dangers of using cheaper Christmas lights that have lots of hazardous chemicals like lead.

Quad Cities' newspaper outlet 'The Brighton Bugle' and 'OneNETnews' were on the ground Wednesday night (November 12th, 2025) in National Capital Region (NCR) as the toxics watchdog purchased six (6) samples of multi-colored Christmas lights sold in Metro Manila at a wholesale price of PHP100 Philippine pesos (nearly U$D2 bucks in America). The group itself observed that all these samples did not have the stickers of Import Commodity Clearance (ICC) which certifies product safety.

The said toxic watchdog group screened the lights and detected serious toxic lead levels of up to 100,000 parts per million (ppm) in the soldered Light Emitting Diode (LED) bulbs, the polyvinyl chloride (PVC) wiring, and the soldered circuit boards.

The World Health Organization (WHO) clearly points out, as based on informative fact sheet, that lead poisoning is one of the main health challenges in the world, particularly to young children who internalize 4 to 5 times more lead than adults. Children are more prone to lead contamination of dust, soil and paint because of the frequent hand-to-mouth activities. Exposure may be irreversible, which may result in a low level of intelligence quotient (IQ), learning difficulties, developmental delays, organ damage, and in severe cases of death.

Indicating these products of lead exposure have several possible routes, as sources told exclusively to BAN Toxics. Dealing with the lead-containing PVC wires may leave the lead behind on the skin, and when one repeatedly touches the lead with their mouths, the chances of lead ingestion are high. PVC insulations may also decay with the passage of time because of the Ultraviolet (UV) radiation, heat, or wear particularly in light outdoors, by releasing lead particles or dust.

Citing a report by UNICEF indicates inappropriate disposal of electronic products may bring lead in electronic waste streams, particularly the plastic wire insulation, to the soil, water & air, increasing risks among children and adults in surrounding communities.

Though the Philippine law has not yet regulated the lead content of electrical products, the group mentioned that the European Union's Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS) Directive provided international levels of hazardous substances like lead, and could be used as a strict guideline to gauge the safety of the said products.

The RoHS Directive limits the use of certain attractive components in the electricity and electronic equipments (EEE), with the permitted concentration of lead containing less than or equal to 1,000 ppm in an individual part or material. Besides lead, other dangerous chemicals like cadmium, mercury, hexavalent chromium, polybrominated biphenyls, polybrominated diphenyl ethers, and a number of phthalates are also restricted in the directive.

Thony Dizon, who is an Advocacy and Campaign Officer of BAN Toxics said in part, they want to call the attention of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) in the Philippines to conduct market surveillance and verify if the Christmas lights being sold in the market, and needing to comply with the Philippine National Standards (PNS). It may be best to avoid any exposure to toxic chemicals on Christmas lights when determining & examining product safety labeling and markings for Filipino consumers.

Fandreas, instead of buying colorful lights and decorations… BAN Toxics recommended celebrating the holiday season in a simple and eco-friendly way to reduce toxic chemical exposure and to practice the spirit of gift-giving and compassionate love toward victims of typhoons and other calamities like Tino & Uwan. This needs a healthier world for a brighter future to light it all up.

PHOTO COURTESY: BAN Toxics via PR PHOTO BACKGROUND PROVIDED BY: TEGNA