So, I recently moved about 6 months ago. Have only given my real address and name to the DMV, Phone Company, Internet, and rental property(obviously knows my real address)
Ran Optery and found out that over 80 data brokers have my legit new address already.
Feeling like privacy is just some kind of wet dream at the moment. I do everything right, I think but no matter what the 4 companies I have given my information too will constantly sell my personal data no matter what.
It’s truly sad the direction America is going towards, all for some more money.
Privacy is a collective “war”, it’s not something that can be fought on individual level. You can adopt some precaution on a personal level, and try to do better, but it’s something that must be brought to a collective level.
Same as climate change policy and worker right.
It’s a collective war that I also feel is lost. Especially, when there is little to no policies in effect to stop these data brokers. Unless you live in California.
We have policies on Europe but even they do not help. The ad business is completely out of control, on some sites there are over 200 as companies gathering your data and selling them through the real time bidding system. it’s impossible to know who bought the data. just have a look what’s been uncovered lately.
Even then, not so much. I’ve been tugging on those particular wires, and the overall response seems to be, send a reply once, then ghost you until you’ve forgotten that you asked them. They do nothing during that time, and will probably continue to do nothing well after we forget.
First, remember that you’re not fighting this war alone. The most important part is educating people who are curious about it around you.
Second, it’s not about winning; it’s about being the biggest pain in the ass possible for people making money off our privacy.
Keep fighting in the way that suits you best.
Second, it’s not about winning; it’s about being the biggest pain in the ass possible for people making money off our privacy.
This. I don’t think I’m “fighting a war,” but I pay for my own email server, self host a number of services, and am waiting on my pixel 8 now to run Graphene OS on. I can’t be “off the grid” but I don’t have to fuel everyone’s data hoarding machines.
Your address is public information. Trying to hide that is pointless (well, it can be done, but is complex to do).
If you’re fighting a one man war for privicy? Yeah, that’s pretty much a lost cause. (Also, the “all or nothing” approach will leave you with a bitter taste in your mouth. Pick your fights, and accept that you’ll never be able to keep all away from companies selling em, and that sometimes, sacrifices to your privacy have to be made. Complete removal shouldn’t be the goal when it’s just you going at it–it should be the reduction of what they get as much as feasibly possible without inconveniancing the user)
If you spread and bring that war to the collective? That’s where things are gonna change. Slowly, yeah, but they’ll change.
“Phone company, internet”
Lol, there you go. Your ISP and wireless carrier are THE worst. They also have a lot of your financial info that they sell off. Tracking too. Your carrier routinely pings your phone for get location and records the calls, where you were at the time, how long etc. Unless it’s encrypted, they see and harvest it all.
ISPs don’t have as much liberty but they too track and sell off a fair bit of your life. They also have your financial info as most almost run a background check these days.
