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Ask HN: How do you manage your digital footprint in 2023?

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Re: Ask HN: How do you manage your digital footprint in 2023?

#11

Post by tilsammans »

a13o wrote: post #4

Use guest checkout whenever possible. If you do need to sign up, give fake info, or highly redacted info. If I decide later they actually need it, I can update it in the account settings. Nobody's ever cancelled my account because I said I was born Jan 1 over 120 years ago. Do digital purchases via some middleman, like a PayPal account backed by a credit card, Apple Pay, etc. Lots of sites have PayPal checkout flows…

It's solid advice for sure, but I've been doing the opposite in recent years. Sign up for everything, confirm accounts, setup MFA if possible, and consistently use the account. Then, when I want to terminate the relationship, request permanent account deletion. (I'm in EU, so GDPR applies)

This way I can be reasonably sure they've tied all my activity to my singular account. Instead of my shipping address, IP etc being all over the place. When they don't have a delete account button, I request it via email. Seems to work fine. Obviously can't be sure it's actually gone, but that's okay. Ever since Adobe leaked my PII, it's out there anyway.

Re: Ask HN: How do you manage your digital footprint in 2023?

#12

Post by ffgh »

zamnos wrote: post #5

As if https://xkcd.com/979/ wasn't bad enough, people are deleting posts and submissions now? Am I old and getting out of touch, or are kids these days not just not thinking through things before they post?

FWIW, I've never posted anything on SO and none of my GitHub comments/issues are going to be deleted. It's not so much what I post, it's more of a conscious thing, knowing I have stuff online for the world to see. It just doesn't sit well with me anymore. I'm not by any means a public figure or popular it's just tinhat things I guess.

Re: Ask HN: How do you manage your digital footprint in 2023?

#13

Post by blisterpeanuts »

steponlego wrote: post #9

Different account names for everything. I never use my real name and usually browse over Tor or with a VPN. If I watch a video it’s after I liberated it with yt-dlp. Reset my home Internet connection to get a different IP daily. I long ago deleted all my posts to Reddit and Facebook. I also ditched my gmail I had for over 20 years, I don’t trust those weasels.

These are very good suggestions. Do you use a smartphone? I was wondering if calling-over-wifi is less trackable than using a tower.

Re: Ask HN: How do you manage your digital footprint in 2023?

#14

Post by mfcl »

steponlego wrote: post #9

Different account names for everything. I never use my real name and usually browse over Tor or with a VPN. If I watch a video it’s after I liberated it with yt-dlp. Reset my home Internet connection to get a different IP daily. I long ago deleted all my posts to Reddit and Facebook. I also ditched my gmail I had for over 20 years, I don’t trust those weasels.

Is the CIA after you?

Re: Ask HN: How do you manage your digital footprint in 2023?

#15

Post by edent »

It depends who you are trying to defend against.

General spammers? Get a cheap / free SIM card every few months to rotate your number. Per domain email (hn@yourdomain.biz) makes it harder for people to match your emails between services.

Firefox containers, adblock, cookie control stops general tracking.

If you don't care about the longevity of an account, just sign up for a new one. Reddit makes that pretty easy, for example. That'll stop most people tying your Bigfoot Erotica to your political campaign.

If you want to defend against a nation state tracking you... Well, you can try using cryptocurrency, VPNs, disposable VMs, and solar-powered batteries from your cabin in the woods - but you only have to slip up once.

Re: Ask HN: How do you manage your digital footprint in 2023?

#17

Post by expertentipp »

blisterpeanuts wrote: post #13
steponlego wrote: post #9

Different account names for everything. I never use my real name and usually browse over Tor or with a VPN. If I watch a video it’s after I liberated it with yt-dlp. Reset my home Internet connection to get a different IP daily. I long ago deleted all my posts to Reddit and Facebook. I also ditched my gmail I had for over 20 years, I don’t trust those weasels.

These are very good suggestions. Do you use a smartphone? I was wondering if calling-over-wifi is less trackable than using a tower.

> calling-over-wifi is less trackable than using a tower.

Not if using whatsapp/messenger for calling over wifi and the probability that the other person has an app capable of calling over wifi different than whatsapp/messenger is rather low.

Re: Ask HN: How do you manage your digital footprint in 2023?

#18

Post by steponlego »

mfcl wrote: post #14
steponlego wrote: post #9

Different account names for everything. I never use my real name and usually browse over Tor or with a VPN. If I watch a video it’s after I liberated it with yt-dlp. Reset my home Internet connection to get a different IP daily. I long ago deleted all my posts to Reddit and Facebook. I also ditched my gmail I had for over 20 years, I don’t trust those weasels.

Is the CIA after you?

Snowden leaks proved they’re after everybody.

Re: Ask HN: How do you manage your digital footprint in 2023?

#19

Post by wgetisnotacrime »

mfcl wrote: post #14
steponlego wrote: post #9

Different account names for everything. I never use my real name and usually browse over Tor or with a VPN. If I watch a video it’s after I liberated it with yt-dlp. Reset my home Internet connection to get a different IP daily. I long ago deleted all my posts to Reddit and Facebook. I also ditched my gmail I had for over 20 years, I don’t trust those weasels.

Is the CIA after you?

[flagged]

Re: Ask HN: How do you manage your digital footprint in 2023?

#20

Post by steponlego »

blisterpeanuts wrote: post #13
steponlego wrote: post #9

Different account names for everything. I never use my real name and usually browse over Tor or with a VPN. If I watch a video it’s after I liberated it with yt-dlp. Reset my home Internet connection to get a different IP daily. I long ago deleted all my posts to Reddit and Facebook. I also ditched my gmail I had for over 20 years, I don’t trust those weasels.

These are very good suggestions. Do you use a smartphone? I was wondering if calling-over-wifi is less trackable than using a tower.

I have never owned a cell phone. My Librem 5 is “coming soon” LOL!
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