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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?

#21

Post by ffgh »

bm3719 wrote: post #6

Keep as much local as possible. Do anything involving money or your personal info inside a dedicated VM running a secure OS, or use QubesOS. Use a dumb phone instead of a smart phone. Keep your passwords in a local encrypted text file. If you need a password or other data on the road, SSH into your home machine from your laptop (which has an encrypted disk). Go back to using fake nick names instead of your real name…

I'm in the process of trying to de-Google my life. Apart from being forced to use Google at my workplace I want nothing to do with them other than google searches. I have 4 Gmails though, a few personal and a few for etc sites. I was thinking about setting up a forwarder for all to 1 email account. Any recommendations for a dumb phone? I know Google and Android phones go hand in hand.

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

#22

Post by expertentipp »

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?

these are very "low hanging fruit" measures TBH

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

#25

Post by lukeasch21 »

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.

Minor nitpick, but why are you adamant that you've had your Gmail for "over 20 years"? Gmail was made public in 2004.

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

#27

Post by nfriedly »

I'm not exactly a public figure, but I freelanced for a while, so I tried to "get my name out there" to drum up business. So, I've accepted that my information is mostly available if you're looking for me.

There's another guy with the same first name and last name as me, and I feel a little bad for him that any time folks go looking for him they get me. For example: I had a short conversation with his mom on instagram whey she tried to add me as a friend (to be fair to her, my profile picture is kind of silhouetted). He presumably has a similar gmail address - I got a few emails from the military about the blended retirement system; I replied to explaining things and they apologized and straightened it out right away. I also get some occasional emails from his apartment complex and I've never been able to get them to recognize that I'm not their tenant.

Things that I post on hn/reddit/etc are generally meant for the world to see, so it's rare for me to delete a post.

I do run a pi-hole and ublock origin to cut down on various forms of tracking.

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

#28

Post by 2fast4you »

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.

Do you really get a new IP every day? Every ISP I’ve had usually gives me the same IP after a restart

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

#29

Post by steponlego »

2fast4you wrote: post #28
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.

Do you really get a new IP every day? Every ISP I’ve had usually gives me the same IP after a restart

You should change the MAC address of your router. That'll trigger the cable or fiber modem to give you a new IP address usually.

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

#30

Post by ydnaclementine »

Generally I google my name for those directory data broker type websites every so often and see if any of the listings match up with my name/addresses I've been at (I have a fairly unique ethnic last name). Then I go through the process to get my info deleted (usually it involves giving them a link to the profile on their site, and an email to confirm delete. Use a temporary email, something like https://10minutemail.com/) Here's a list to get started: https://github.com/yaelwrites/Big-Ass-Data-Broker-Opt-Out-Li...

I've had the idea of auto scrubbing yourself from these websites as a side project idea, but never really committed to it

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