Improving your online privacy: An update • Hacker News Board

Re: Improving your online privacy: An update

#21

Post by gt2 » Tue, Sep 19, 2023, 5:14 PM UTC

ds wrote: post #3

Not mentioned: Removing your information from all social media / messengers : https://redact.dev (disclaimer, im on the team) Removing your information from all databrokers https://easyoptouts.com / incogni / deleteme / optery

Has anyone experienced a drop in recruiter spam when removing your information from databrokers with those services? I have daily unsolicited recruiter emails in the last few years, and I'm not on linkedIn since 2018-ish, so I have no idea where they are getting my info from.

Re: Improving your online privacy: An update

#22

Post by therealmarv » Tue, Sep 19, 2023, 5:15 PM UTC

And loose everything you gained in this article by using a standard smartphone and some very common apps.

Re: Improving your online privacy: An update

#23

Post by JohnMakin » Tue, Sep 19, 2023, 5:17 PM UTC

shortcake27 wrote: post #18

ds wrote: post #3

Not mentioned: Removing your information from all social media / messengers : https://redact.dev (disclaimer, im on the team) Removing your information from all databrokers https://easyoptouts.com / incogni / deleteme / optery

Where is the world collectively on outlawing data brokers? If your business model revolves around selling people’s data without their consent, you’re a nuisance. Literally nobody would explicitly agree to have their data sold and used to bother them. We have plenty of laws against nuisance, because nuisance doesn’t benefit society. Why is it taking so long to ban this business model?

> Literally nobody would explicitly agree to have their data sold and used to bother them.

I don’t think this is the case. fairly recently I’ve seen the old “if you dont want to be tracked by facebook, then dont use it!!!” take on here from people who are supposed to know better.

Maybe not explicit, but if you told them I guarantee most people do not care at all, or people would be far more upset than they currently are.

Re: Improving your online privacy: An update

#24

Post by jareklupinski » Tue, Sep 19, 2023, 5:36 PM UTC

troyvit wrote: post #14

Joel_Mckay wrote: post #8

The harsh reality is privacy became a commodity, and due to overabundance it is relatively cheap. Even apparent competitors sell each other marketing data in this ecosystem. If you want to participate in the modern economy, than you need to assume there is never any isolation. Even creeps with phones will show up taking photos on private property, as some app paid them $5 to risk their lives trespassing. Mozilla Fire…

> The harsh reality is privacy became a commodity, Yep. Almost every CMP and privacy statement accidentally confirms that: "We value your privacy!" Yeah you value my privacy. You want to own it.

real "to serve man" vibes

Re: Improving your online privacy: An update

#25

Post by fmajid » Tue, Sep 19, 2023, 6:17 PM UTC

shortcake27 wrote: post #18

ds wrote: post #3

Not mentioned: Removing your information from all social media / messengers : https://redact.dev (disclaimer, im on the team) Removing your information from all databrokers https://easyoptouts.com / incogni / deleteme / optery

Where is the world collectively on outlawing data brokers? If your business model revolves around selling people’s data without their consent, you’re a nuisance. Literally nobody would explicitly agree to have their data sold and used to bother them. We have plenty of laws against nuisance, because nuisance doesn’t benefit society. Why is it taking so long to ban this business model?

If you are a Californian, starting 2026 you will have a one-stop shop to opt out of all data brokers:

https://www.theregister.com/2023/09/18/california_passes_bil...

Re: Improving your online privacy: An update

#26

Post by fmajid » Tue, Sep 19, 2023, 6:20 PM UTC

Use multiple browsers. Set your primary browser to block cookies not explicitly allowlisted.

I use Vivaldi configured thus for general browsing, have Firefox for those annoying JavaScript-backed sites that fail miserably if cookies are blocked, with a one-click button to nuke all cookies just after reading the article, and Safari for e-commerce sites where I need autocompletion of shipping address and other stickiness.

Re: Improving your online privacy: An update

#27

Post by rodolphoarruda » Tue, Sep 19, 2023, 6:26 PM UTC

> “Delete cookies and site data when Firefox is closed“.

I have adopted this for almost a year now. Once I learned that it is possible to bypass Windows login, I thought that if the agent could get access to my browser with all cookies in, he could easily impersonate me in every possible corner of my digital life. So, no thanks. I live in a place where you can get your laptop stolen at any moment. So in my case, the perpetrator won't get much further as he won't have my password manager's master password. Local files are all inside a VeraCrypt volume so he won't have any luck finding them in readable form.

This is the bare minimum of my threat model.

Re: Improving your online privacy: An update

#28

Post by rodolphoarruda » Tue, Sep 19, 2023, 6:31 PM UTC

vpaulus wrote: post #5

I am really looking forward when this becomes a base topic in the elementary schools (including tips how to use mobile apps). Right now it’s self-evident that children learn using Chrome and Google

I have worked in that front 5 years ago. Schoolsec, that was our name. Our target niche was elementary schools in southeast Brazil. It didn't work. Most of the schools we spoke to didn't even understand what we were talking about, so they couldn't assess the risk and, finally, realize the value of our work.

Of course, as years pass, the need for more "digital self-defense" increases at all levels. Maybe one day we'll hear of someone who had pulled it off by presenting a great value prop for this kind of service.

Re: Improving your online privacy: An update

#29

Post by Terretta » Tue, Sep 19, 2023, 6:59 PM UTC

JohnMakin wrote: post #23

shortcake27 wrote: post #18

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Where is the world collectively on outlawing data brokers? If your business model revolves around selling people’s data without their consent, you’re a nuisance. Literally nobody would explicitly agree to have their data sold and used to bother them. We have plenty of laws against nuisance, because nuisance doesn’t benefit society. Why is it taking so long to ban this business model?

> Literally nobody would explicitly agree to have their data sold and used to bother them. I don’t think this is the case. fairly recently I’ve seen the old “if you dont want to be tracked by facebook, then dont use it!!!” take on here from people who are supposed to know better. Maybe not explicit, but if you told them I guarantee most people do not care at all, or people would be far more upset than they currently…

And "But I like ads that know what I want. Why would you want to see ads for things you don't want?" is hard to argue with until you realize there's no particular reason you have to see ads.

The '90s web was fine without ads, in its "pamphleteering" days when people spent an amount of money proportionate to how badly they wanted to say something, and that was it.

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

Re: Improving your online privacy: An update

#30

Post by m463 » Tue, Sep 19, 2023, 6:59 PM UTC

jareklupinski wrote: post #24

troyvit wrote: post #14

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> The harsh reality is privacy became a commodity, Yep. Almost every CMP and privacy statement accidentally confirms that: "We value your privacy!" Yeah you value my privacy. You want to own it.

real "to serve man" vibes

:)

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