I imagine most of you might know at least the basics of keeping your privacy and preventing tracking, since you're on here instead of Reddit.
But I thought it would be sure to expand on it a bit just in case after the US elections. These are easier to use solutions for people who don't know or can't for whatever reason run their own home server, email, etc.
- don't use Google products (at least, unaltered ones). Don't use Chrome, don't use Search, don't use Android*. The government will use Google to buy profiles of their enemies and possibly do even worse. Use a Fairphone with /e/is or install /e/ on a Samsung, or get a *Pixel and install GrapheneOS. /e/ does at least have an easy to use installer for certain phones (https://doc.e.foundation/easy-installer).
For email, Proton is easy to sign up for and outside of the USA. For messaging, I recommend going with something that won't use a phone number, like encrypted XMPP (removed Matrix from recommendation due to possible encryption issues). For keeping social networks I recommend taking a look at this as well (https://circles-project.github.io/). You can also keep apps updated easily using something like Obtanium. For browser, I'd avoid Firefox too if possible and maybe go with something a bit more hardened, like Librewolf or Mullvad. Also use a VPN. Proton has one, and so does AdGuard for phones, both being easy to install and use.
I'd avoid Apple phones because they can still be tracked easily, but it's still better than an unaltered Android phone.
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don't use Windows. Use any Linux distro, but not Windows. If you absolutely must use Windows, look into using Rufus to stop the telemetry, and using a non-consumer version of Windows (massgrave.dev/windows_ltsc_links) or look into ReactOS (although in Alpha, apparently still runs many popular Windows applications).
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turn off any smart features your TV has, and don't use Netflix etc. Eventually they'll target media habits as well if they can. Although I sell a device that uses Plasma Bigscreen to legitimately run things that use DRM in Europe, I'm making a package that'll run on an Odroid C4 that instead includes programs like Lidarr, Radarr, etc and release the package publicly so people can install it easily themselves.
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block trackers on the router level. Easiest way of doing this for someone not too technology inclined is to just get a Gl.inet router and activate/install the AdGuard Home plugin on it.
These are just some basic quick tips. Stay safe. You still have some months to prepare at least.
We would not recommend Matrix, there are both many fascists on it and they didn't fix a security vulnerability with their encryption for years that they knew about. Also if you must use Matrix don't use fluffychat as it doesn't have the encryption fix yet.
Signal is a better choice for privacy as everything is encrypted by default and it has both the audits and legal testing to prove its safety and code. Something which no other messenger we have seen can honestly say.
I removed Matrix and Fluffy Chat from the recommendations, due to the encryption issues until I can look into it.
Just for clarification tho, Matrix and XMPP are not social media networks - it runs local on your phone, and if deleted from the phone, your account is deleted too. So how many fascists are using Matrix doesn't matter if you're not hanging out with fascists. You have to invite and know the people you'll be messaging, and if you want a large group, someone has to self host the Matrix instance on your own.
I don't recommend Signal because it requires a phone number, and not all Voips (especially privacy voips) work with it . They're also based in the USA and contain proprietary blobs. I think they've only had the protocol audited as well.
If you really want something like Signal (that's also not on the Play Store btw but F-droid instead) then Molly is a fork I'd recommend:
https://molly.im/
Yes, fair criticism.
Sure, but the way the protocol and servers work there is no metadata etc unlike Matrix and XMPP, so nothing to hand over.
This is probably true of the version from the play store, desktop and maybe iOS version. However the apk from Signal's site on android might not, I am unsure.
Sadly Molly is only available on Android, so that leaves out iOS and Desktop users.
On desktop, you can use Waydroid on Linux to run it.
But yeah, iOS would be out of luck. Then again, Apple doesn't really spy on you like Google does, at least. Best option is still something like GrapheneOS or /e/ of course.
This is categorically false. The accounts exist on servers for both Matrix and XMPP and hold the messages for them, so no in fact no accounts etc get deleted if you delete the app. You actually have to delete the accounts from the app first.
My mistake, you're technically right. Thanks for the correction.
I haven't used Matrix or XMPP in awhile, but when I did I had apparently set up some sort of localized server-relay thing, which was more experimental and defeats the purpose of the post (not easy to use, and was buggy sometimes).
Fluffy Chat I still gotta investigate more now, but I remember I used Unified Push rather than Firebase Cloud.
Either way, Molly might be the easiest solution.