I have been trying to take my digital privacy more seriously as of late, but I find myself falling into a cycle of all-or-nothing. I will do a little bit to improve my privacy and then will suddenly feel like I need to go full-on down the rabbit hole. This leads to burnout, and then I’ll convince myself that it’s all futile and I should just use what’s most convenient.
How do you all find a balance that works for you? Or do you just change things constantly?
Set a realistic threat level that meets your balance of privacy/convienience and stick to it. I know it is easier said than done, but once you start to get used to it, then you can think about making slight adjustments to better your privacy here and there. If you try to go full privacy right off the bat, you are going to get frustrated.
Start with changing 1-2 things at a time and go from there. Perhaps just change your browser/settings and your email. Adjust from there after a few months
Do what you can. I use WhatsApp even though I despise it…why because I need to for elderly family and friends. I have signal also and will opt for that and use that where possible. Its a marathon not a sprint. If you need to use fb or instagram use the website with ublock for example.
Of course you can avoid them too but its not always realistic. Like some bank apps won’t work without google play services for example. So make up a bullshit google account and use that. Then use your real email in k-9 mail for example.
Need to sign up for something use aliases such as mozmail duck.com or simplelogin.
Don’t let perfect be the enemy of good. We are social creatures by nature.
Using Linux with Firefox and ublock for example is a great start. Then work on limiting stuff you don’t want out there, closing old accounts. Using a password manager for example keepass xc. Signal if you can.
I didn’t have a reddit profile but I made one here as I’m ok with sharing stuff here on my terms. There is no trackers or corporation or nasty ads.
Awesome, thanks for the tips! I like the “marathon not a sprint” analogy.
Accept that privacy is important, but being able to live normally is more important. That means if you have to choose between the two, you compromise and do the not-really-privacy-friendly thing.
A common example might be WhatsApp. Depening on where you live and your circle of friends, not having it has serious real-world consequences - social exclusion, missing out on important information. If that’s your situation, you get it. You can still use Signal with any contact that has it and ask “do you have Signal instead” if someone offers you their WhatsApp contact and explain why you prefer it, but absolutism doesn’t work.
How do you all find a balance that works for you? Or do you just change things constantly?
Honestly, for me it’s a hobby to see how far I can take it while also having all the ease of modern life, and my partner supports that but doesn’t follow it all himself. It takes some time researching and setting stuff up, but after that you cán have most modern ease and fancy things. As it’s a hobby for me, I never felt burned out by it.
That being said, if it’s not your hobby I can totally understand it feels like a rabbithole and becomes a bit much. Just remember that everything you do is better than nothing. If it’s getting too much, take a halt, and take satisfaction in what you did already do instead of worrying about all that you didn’t. Every step taken is one, they all count.
There is always more you cán do. Everything is hackable, if not technically then by social hacking. Nothing is 100% safe. In the end, there is always a risk somewhere. If that risk is likely, is a different question. So just look at what is worth it for you, how far yóu want to take it. Understand that understanding the risks doesn’t mean you have to block it. It just means you can do a proper assessment about if something needs to be done about it or not. Sometimes, it’s ok to say the risk is acceptable. It depends on your situation really.
Honestly it’s easy to turn good privacy hygiene into an unhealthy obsession and it can strain your relationships with friends and family. You have to be aware that things are going to change constantly and that’s ok. Your probably not using internet explorer anymore and you’re happier without it so switching to the new mullvad browser is no big deal. Your friends probably use Snapchat and WhatsApp but i bet a more of them are on signal than you think. It used to be enough to not give your phone number to websites and not have your name in your email address but threats have evolved and so have our protection tools. You are probably not on the run or in witness protection so a small leak with your info isn’t life threatening just take a deep breath and keep trying to make good choices.
