Every time I talk about privacy online, the pessimists always come out. "It's impossible to have any online privacy." "They've already collected so much data about you. Why bother?" Is it really well and truly over? Or are there actually good reasons to still care about online privacy in the age of surveillance capitalism? 🌐 My website: https://ericmurphy.xyz 💸 Support the Channel: https://ericmurphy.xyz/donate 🎥 Watch my videos on Odysee: https://odysee.com/@ericnmurphy 0:00 Intro 0:48 It's over 3:08 "You'll never have total privacy online." 5:49 "They've already collected so much data about you." 6:41 Privacy goes mainstream 9:08 Under the influence 9:32 Why pessimism fails

In sharing this video here I’m preaching to the choir, but I do think it indirectly raised a valuable point which probably doesn’t get spoken about enough in privacy communities. That is, in choosing to use even a single product or service that is more privacy-respecting than the equivalent big tech alternative, you are showing that there is a demand for privacy and helping to keep these alternative projects alive so they can continue to improve. Digital privacy is slowly becoming more mainstream and viable because people like you are choosing to fight back instead of giving up.

The example I often think about in my life is email. I used to be a big Google fan back in the early 2010s and the concept of digital privacy wasn’t even on my radar. I loved my Gmail account and thought it was incredible that Google offered me this amazing service completely free of charge. However, as I became increasingly concerned about my digital privacy throughout the 2010s, I started looking for alternatives. In 2020 I opened an account with Proton Mail, which had launched all the way back in 2014. A big part of the reason it was available to me 6 years later as a mature service is because people who were clued into digital privacy way before me chose to support it instead of giving up and going back to Gmail. This is my attitude now towards a lot of privacy-respecting and FOSS projects: I choose to support them so that they have the best chance of surviving and improving to the point that the next wave of new privacy-minded people can consider them a viable alternative and make the switch.

  • Zerush@lemmy.ml
    2·
    7 months ago

    Short answer, yes, its impossible, even using TOR network ith VPN and other security measures. We can only minimize our digital footprint, but certainly no one should have any illusions about being able to avoid, with a shitty Laptop or PC, large companies and governments with large data centers, IT specialist squads and even Quantumcomputers can profile us. Absolute privacy on the Internet does not exist, if you want privacy, turn off your PC and read a book.

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_government_mass_surveillance_projects

  • Rikj000@discuss.tchncs.deEnglish
    1·
    7 months ago

    Never give up,
    each eye you poke out is one less they can use for data collection.

    It’s a slow process and they’ll grow more eyes,
    but the less they have on you,
    the more private you’ll be.

    • Tangent5280@lemmy.world
      1·
      7 months ago

      Also remember there are many many people like you poking out eyes by themselves, day in and day out.

      You’re not alone, and you only need to hold the line till we can bring in legislative measures to hold it for you.