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Which makes me tempted to spend a day writing up how I do the internet.
A summary would be:
- Pi-hole at home with almost all lists subscribed to and DNS-over-HTTPS configured against Cloudflare.
- NetGuard on my mobile in a default deny config and I have manually allowed every domain from every app - only web browser use is allowed by default
- Disable notifications on most apps (prevent background processing)
- Use an app like Bouncer to grant app permissions like location temporarily rather than permanently
- Delete most apps... just save links to their website on your device. i.e. Guardian app is riddled with tracking and adverts, but a link to the website that launches in Brave with JS disabled is not only faster but shows zero ads, and tracks nothing
- Different browsers everywhere: Chrome = Google properties only, Brave with JS disabled by default = most browsing, Firefox for things I care about and want long sessions on (i.e. LFGSS), Firefox Focus = must have full JS but zero trust
- Get off Facebook, Twitter, etc
- Disable automatic image viewing in Gmail
- Consider Protonmail if you want to go Google-less
- I prefer Signal or Keybase. I tolerate WhatsApp and Slack (but no privacy on Slack - so professional use only). I won't use Telegram, kik, others.
- I use BitWarden for password manager.
- 2FA with dual-yubikeys on every service that allows it
- Unique emails with every website - I'm a bit nuts and have wildcard aliases on multiple domains, but just using a couple of Google accounts and using the
+
separate is good enough in most cases:first.last+lfgss@gmail.com
but if you have a few Google accounts that you use according to level of trust that is better (because websites will normalise email and some remove the+
suffix) - Only use Google sign-in on sites I absolutely trust (LFGSS, Philips Hue, etc)
- Only use home automation that functions without a working internet
- Bluetooth disabled whenever I'm not actually using it (i.e. wireless headphones)
- Google Maps timeline, Google Fit, etc... all disabled. The value is very minor but the data you provide to them is huge.
- Garmin Fenix configured not to upload to Garmin Connect - reduces utility but you still have a watch with info, and can get the data files for activities and use offline - I do the same with my Hammerhead.
- Use Plex and continue to buy and rip music and films and own your own copy
- Don't connect your "Smart TV" to a network, if you have you should factory reset it
- Connect games consoles and the like to your guest network
- Have a guest network... either the one that a decent networking device supplies, or if you're an advanced user VLAN that stuff
- If you can live with it, use a Linux - Ubuntu is good enough
Of all of that... the things you should care about and do most:
- Get off social media
- Use unique email addresses
- Use multiple browsers (uBlock in all) with JS disabled by default in the one you browse the web with
- Pi-hole at home with almost all lists subscribed to and DNS-over-HTTPS configured against Cloudflare.
Tempted to dedicate a morning to reading this entire thread to get clued up, having discussed data and encryption with a chap at a bike coop we both volunteer at.
Does anyone use signal over whatsapp? Just watched 'The Great Hack' tonight and its really scary being so naive