The Digital Invasion: Why Privacy Matters and How to Protect Yourself

Quick question: Can you confidently tell who are having your digital data, and what are they doing with it?

Privacy, as all citizens of the $21^{st}$ century have known too well, is long dead. In this digital age, you can’t be too paranoid about your privacy. But it doesn’t hurt to try!

Bad puns aside, privacy’s something we often take for granted, like the air we breath - we don’t even notice until it’s gone. But the truth is, privacy is a fundamental human right, and it matters now more than ever, in the era of social medias, tracking smartphones, big tech companies living on users’ personal information (yes, Google, you), and in the latest news, the dawn of ground-breaking, generative Artificial Intelligence.

Why Privacy Matters?

“Why should I care? I don’t have anything to hide anyways.”, said almost every non-technical person ever.

Basically, privacy is like underwear: you don’t want everyone to see it, but you also don’t want to go without it.

First and foremost, privacy gives us control over our lives. When we have privacy, we can make decisions without fear of judgment or interference from others. We can bravely be ourselves, express our opinions, and explore our ideas. In this aspect, your mind is a bit like a burrito - it’s great, it’s satisfying, and it’s nobody else’s business what’s inside.

But privacy is also critical for our safety and security. When our personal information is out there in the world, we become vulnerable to identity theft, cyber attacks, and other forms of digital harm. Our privacy is also crucial for our emotional well-being, as it allows us to protect our personal relationships and avoid negative consequences like judgment and rejection. A quick Internet search can reveal many cases of privacy violation:

• Zoom game data to third parties without users’ knowledge
• Google violated children’s privacy laws
• Facebook got fined for its role in Cambridge Analytica data harvesting And many, many more.

The real problem is, it has not always been this way. As humans, we do have a natural desire for privacy. We lock the bathroom doors, draw the curtains, and even use code words when discussing sensitive topics. But when it comes to our online privacy, things get a little more complicated. We start out strong, with strong passwords and a healthy dose of skepticism about the companies and platforms we interact with. But as time goes on, we get comfortable. We start clicking “Agree” without reading the longer-than-Amazon-river privacy policies and just hope for the best. Then we share with those faceless companies in the Silicon Valley more personal details than we would with our own therapists. We’re like the frog in the pot of boiling water, slowly getting cooked without even realizing it. So let’s take a moment to appreciate the irony of our digital age. We spend so much time and effort trying to protect our privacy, only to give it away in exchange for a little convenience. It’s like we’re trying to keep a secret, but we’re shouting it from the rooftops.

If you’re still not sold on the importance of privacy, fear not my friend, for Reddit has come to the rescue. Allow me to introduce you to the digital privacy warriors of the r/privacy subreddit, who have started a “woke” wave in the privacy world. They’re fighting for the right to be anonymous, to keep their secrets secret, and to keep their data out of the wrong hands. And if that’s not enough to convince you, well, then you must be living under a digital rock.

The Threat to Privacy in the Digital Age

When was the last time you left your smartphone at home? When was the last time you check your Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, or Reddit news feed? The last time you send an message on WhatsApp, Messenger, or WeChat? Do you know where are all those data stored, and who have read them? Worse, what are your last Google searches? We conceal our most personal problems from our loved ones, but we happily share them with a search engine of an advertisement company, why is that?

As such, it’s not hard to realize that privacy is under attack in the digital age. With the rise of social media, online shopping, and other digital platforms, we are constantly sharing more and more of our personal information with the world. And while this information can be used to create targeted advertising campaigns, develop new products, and improve customer service, it also poses significant risks to our privacy.

One of the biggest threats to privacy in the digital age is data mining - the technological equivalent of a nosy neighbor peering through your curtains to find out what you’re up to. Companies love to use data mining to spy on our every move, from our shopping habits to the types of toilet paper we prefer (double-ply, obviously). And what do they do with all this juicy info? Well, they create ads that are so targeted, it’s like they’re inside our heads. But don’t worry, it’s all perfectly legal (or so they say), and they only share our personal info with a few hundred of their closest friends. Sounds like a party, right?

Another threat to privacy is surveillance - the tech version of Big Brother is watching you. Governments and sneaky individuals alike use all kinds of methods to keep tabs on our every move, from old-fashioned CCTV cameras to high-tech internet monitoring and wiretapping. Thankfully, birds are still real… right?

It’s like we’re starring in our very own Truman Show, except we didn’t sign up for this reality TV gig. And who knows what they’re doing with all that information they collect? Maybe they’re just trying to figure out what toppings we like on our pizza, or maybe they’re plotting to take over the world. Either way, it’s enough to make you want to don a pair of Groucho glasses and a fake mustache before leaving the house.

Basic tactics for your privacy

1. Use Strong Passwords: This may seem obvious, but it’s important to use strong passwords that are difficult to guess. Avoid using the same password for multiple accounts, and consider using a password manager to help you keep track of all your different passwords.

And by “strong password”, I mean this:

2. Be Careful What You Share Online: Be mindful of what you share online, and think twice before posting anything that could be used to identify you or compromise your privacy. This includes personal information like your home address, phone number, and financial information.
3. Use Two-Factor Authentication: Two-factor authentication adds an extra layer of security to your accounts by requiring a code in addition to your password. This can help protect your accounts from hacking and other forms of digital attack.
4. Limit Your Social Media Presence: Social media platforms can be a goldmine of personal information for companies and other entities. Consider limiting your social media presence or adjusting your privacy settings to keep your personal information private.
5. Use a VPN: A virtual private network (VPN) can help protect your online privacy by encrypting your internet connection and masking your IP address. This can make it more difficult for companies and other entities to track your online activities. Proton’s head-on fight with Russia is one example for the empowerment VPN services give us. As a side note, some services I highly recommend using ProtonVPN. Or if you want something quick, easy and “just works”, I recommend RiseupVPN.

And here is one not-so-easy, and may come off as a bit of an surprise tactic, for the more passionate:

6. Use an iPhone: In this era, it’s no longer the problem of which big company does not invade your privacy, because all companies do. It’s just the matter of how far they would dare to push their little invasion to. Google has done an excellent job walking on the thin line between the barely acceptable tracking and outright illegal privacy compromise. It’s understandable, as their primary source of revenue come from advertisement, for which they must collect as much data on their users as possible. Apple, on the other hand, benefits from their sale of smart devices. Therefore, they won’t be as annoying as Google on the privacy frontline, as their lifeline is not dependent on it. One important notice is to not log into iCloud or whatever. Furthermore, a healthy dose of skeptimism is always encouraged.

Advanced tactics for your privacy

We can’t do much with the surveillance cameras on the streeet, but that’s not the case for the digital choices we make. With that being said, please remember that “privacy” is a mindset, not a final goal. As such, we need to strike for a balance between convenience and privacy, and this process must be tailored specifically for each individual.

That being said, if you have decided to embark on this journey and fight against the authoritarianism, Privacy Tools are happily here to help you.

This is my setup after being tested by trial-and-error, with some sacrifices on absolute privacy for just enough. Some of them will have their own respective review soon.

And then, there are even more technical options such as GrapheneOS over stock Android, or Linux over Windows. They deserve a separate post for themselves, though.

Afterwords

Privacy is one of the most important issues of our time, and it’s critical that we take steps to protect our personal information in the digital age. By using strong passwords, being mindful of what we share online, using two-factor authentication, limiting our social media presence, and using a VPN, we can help safeguard our privacy and keep our personal information out of the hands of others.

But protecting our privacy is not just about taking practical steps to protect our personal information. It’s also about recognizing the value of privacy as a fundamental human right. When we have privacy, we have control over our lives, and we can be ourselves without fear of judgment or interference from others. So let’s make privacy a priority in our digital lives, and work together to protect this essential right for ourselves and for future generations.