Passkeys and user control concerns & Browser fingerprinting replaces tracking cookies - Hacker News (Oct 12, 2026)

Support The Automated Daily directly: Buy me a coffee: buymeacoffee.com/theautomateddaily Please support this podcast by checking out our sponsors: - Effortless AI design for presentations, websites, and more with Gamma - https://try.gamma.app/tad - Lindy is your ultimate AI assistant that proactively manages your inbox - https://try.lindy.ai/tad - Prezi: Create AI presentations fast - https://try.prezi.com/automated_daily Today's topics: Passkeys and user control concerns - A critique argues passkeys, marketed as a password replacement, hand websites and vendors more control through restrictive configurations and attestation, while authenticator apps already offer strong security. Browser fingerprinting replaces tracking cookies - Browser fingerprinting combines GPU, audio, font, screen and locale signals to track users without cookies; Chrome offers little defense, while Brave, Tor and Mullvad Browser resist it at the browser level. NYC Click to Cancel rule - New York City's Click to Cancel rule, in effect since October 1, 2026, requires subscription cancellation to be as easy as signup and lets consumers file complaints with DCWP, with civil penalties and refunds. Deloitte Cyprus and Abramovich leak - BBC Panorama and the Bureau of Investigative Journalism report leaked files suggesting Deloitte Cyprus backdated documents to hide Roman Abramovich assets and cut tax bills; both deny wrongdoing. Nanolathe revives Total Annihilation - Nanolathe is an open-source, MIT-licensed clean-room engine for the classic RTS Total Annihilation, with a browser demo, modern GPU rendering, skirmish, campaign and online multiplayer in beta. The Onion rebuilds print archive - The Onion is asking collectors to help fill gaps in its print archive from the late 1980s through 2013, a digital preservation effort to recover rare satirical newspaper issues. Who mapped North Korea on OSM - A survey of 211 OpenStreetMap contributors shows North Korea was mapped mostly by hobbyist volunteers using satellite imagery, motivated by open data, curiosity, reunification and humanitarian goals. Linux phones as a niche alternative - Linux phones are closer to viability thanks to chips like the Rockchip RK3588S and better mobile Linux software, but the market still lacks enough companies willing to invest beyond Android and iOS. Terence Tao on Math 2.0 - In an update, Terence Tao warns that AI-driven Math 2.0 needs transparent evaluation, including failed attempts, and should strengthen huma