I can’t privacy anymore
I’ll start off with the tl;dr: I am tired of protecting my privacy online
Let’s set the scene: I’m not one to say “I’ve got nothing to hide.” or “What do I care what company X does with my email address?” In fact I’m pretty much aware of what can and does happen with my data. I’m also aware of possible consequences of my data being [mis]used and shared. I’ve made calculated concessions with some of my data, in exchange for convenience or other benefits. For example I use a shared Google calendar as a convenience to organise events and reminders between my wife and myself. I’ve always tried to minimise what data I share, and with whom. Lately though this seems like a herculean task.
The tracker in my pocket
I, like the majority of people around me, carry a mobile phone. Something that has evolved from a simple communication device to a multimedia computer with all manner of sensors, radios, processors, and software programs. I’ve switched between Apple and Android over the years, thinking one will be better than the other when it comes to a variety of things: customisability, user control, privacy, usability, security etc. When I had an Android I would spend ages trying “more secure/private” custom ROMs, or installing applications like firewalls that limit the amount of data Google or other applications get from my phone. On Apple devices I uncheck as many privacy sharing options as I need to, knowing that ultimately they’re still getting location data, usage data, etc from me.
What option do I have? Sure I can de-google an Android phone entirely, but then I’ve sacrificed a lot of convenience and useful tools. I’d be happy to share some data with Google as needed for using an application. But ultimately I know there’s a lot of extra data being sent back unrelated to the features I am using. With Apple I just think “they value privacy more”, but at the same time I know they’re collecting my data in much the same way. They might not share/sell it (to quite the same extent as Google), but hey, they have it. Is there a phone that can do run the apps I need and not spy on me? Will the Pinephone deliver me from evil?
That’s just the main operating system of the device. Let’s not forget about the other companies and applications that are collecting my data. Facebook et al, advertisements in games, and so on. Now WhatsApp is the big offender. I need to move off of it to something else? But what? Read enough articles and you’ll discover some shady practice or another for any piece of software. But worse, I need to move everyone I communicate with to a new platform. Will they? They might. But then they either have to use multiple platforms, or convince their friends to move and so on. It might work, sure, but it’s a big ask. As it is my phone currently has 8 different messaging applications because it seems everyone wants to use something different.
That box on my desk
Let’s not forget the browser and applications on my computer. I run Linux, so generally I worry little about the OS calling home, unlike Windows or OsX for example. However I do browse the web on my Linux box and there’s another huge data vacuum sucking up my browsing habits, clicks, system details, etc. I install extensions and configure my hosts and I’m still not convinced it does enough. Once again, read enough articles or user comments, and you’ll find that one or two of those extensions aren’t entirely innocent, or that they are owned by some shady company. Perhaps the block list you set up isn’t strict enough or whatever other issues there might be. Any cookie or script you block, will likely be replaced by some other means to keep at least a little tab on you.
Elsewhere too
It doesn’t end there. Smart TVs, intelligent home devices, IoT chaff, anything with an internet connection is potentially gathering data, listening in, looking at you, deciding what you want to do next, collecting all that info into the big boxes in the sky, ready for some darknet surfer to exfiltrate your passwords, birthdays and the names of your loved ones, or for some dystopian government to turn your stored “Hey Google” phrases and search history against you.
Keeping up with making my data safe and minimising what data I share is becoming more and more work, to the point where I feel like I should either just unplug entirely or just accept that fact that I can only reduce what I share with a few actions/plugins, and they’re going to get my data one way or another. It’s tiring to keep up with who’s considered the bad actor (outside of the big names) and what we can do about it. I’m just going to use my phone and turn off as much data sharing as I can, and rely on a few browser extensions to reduce the tracking. Then I’m going to relax and watch what Netflix suggests based on a conversation I was having near my neighbour’s Alexa the other day.
