Privacy FTW

by Peter Saint-Andre

2018-01-27

Tomorrow (January 28th) is Data Privacy Day. Why not join in the celebration? Here are some suggestions to prevent absolutely everything you do online from being tracked:

• Delete your Facebook account.
• Skip the ebooks and read on paper.
• Switch from Google Search to DuckDuckGo.
• Switch from Gmail to FastMail, ProtonMail, or a similar service. (I've been quite happy with FastMail.)
• Improve the privacy settings on your devices (e.g., by not sharing your location).
• Install a privacy-respecting web browser like Firefox or Brave.
• On your phone, switch from the default web browser (e.g., Safari) to Firefox Focus. (Click the little gear icon in the upper right of the home screen to maximize your privacy settings.)
• If you use Firefox, configure it for greater privacy by spending some quality time with the privacy and security preferences (e.g., disable history, refuse third-party cookies, and turn on tracking protection).
• If you use Firefox, install privacy-enhancing add-ons like Disconnect (blocks trackers), uBlock Origin (blocks ads), NoScript (enables you to opt in to JavaScript code), and HTTPS Everywhere (encrypts as many of your web interactions as possible).

Peter Saint-Andre > Journal