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Yes, I think this is right. I have very privacy-conscious tech habits, and companies have some data on me, but probably far less than on the typical user of mod

Yes, I think this is right. I have very privacy-conscious tech habits, and companies have some data on me, but probably far less than on the typical user of modern services. Some ways I protect myself: 1. Google account - I have one because it's required for Android, but I have never used Gmail, do not search from my Google account or ever log into it from my browser. 2. Facebook or any subsidiaries - never. 3. General Web browsing - reject 3rd party cookies automatically, browse with uBlock Origin, disabled JavaScript (via ScriptSafe) with selective enabling of scripts, Privacy Badger. 4. Only enter my real name online for things I explicitly need/want associated with me. Only enter my real address if actually needed for a delivery or other reason. 5. My mail client is set not to load remote images, which protects me from those 1x1 tracking images. Many of these make the Internet a better experience, and certainly protect my privacy to a large degree. Yes, corporations have some data on me, but not much, and it's not all correct. I also don't feel I'm missing out on too much cool tech stuff, a lot of the privacy-unfriendly stuff is entirely unnecessary, for me at least, or replaced by alternatives that are not much worse.

colordrops 10y ago
Your steps are not even close to enough to mitigate tracking.
- Sylos 10y ago
  ...which he didn't say. And while his/any steps aren't enough to mitigate all tracking, they do mitigate a lot of tracking, which is far better than doing nothing.
- ACS_Solver 10y ago
  Never claimed otherwise, although my steps are enough to expose far less data about myself than the average Internet user. These steps are also completely usable in everyday life without sacrificing much time or convenience. On the comparatively rare occasions when I need more privacy, I do more. For instance, I tend to use Tor if I'm staying at a hotel that ties the WiFi connection to you personally - I think those connections are as bad as it gets for privacy.
Sylos 10y ago
> 1. Google account - I have one because it's required for Android, but I have never used Gmail, do not search from my Google account or ever log into it from my browser. I haven't run stock Android in a while (and instead just CyanogenMod), but I'm pretty sure that it's not actually required, i.e. you can skip account creation during setup and then install alternative app stores like F-Droid, Aptoide or Amazon. If we include CyanogenMod or other ROMs, then it's definitely possible, though. I do own and use an Android phone and deleted my Google-account probably half a year ago...
- ACS_Solver 10y ago
  I also prefer Cyanogen, although I like having access to the Google Play store even on that. While that's tied to my Google account, it's an informed choice, I am fine with Google knowing what Play Store apps I have installed, and I use F-Droid at the same time for some other apps. One of the great things about Cyanogen is maintaining tight control even over Google's apps and how much they track me.
  - ryukafalz 10y ago
    > One of the great things about Cyanogen is maintaining tight control even over Google's apps and how much they track me. Are you sure? How much is Play Services tracking you? I run MicroG on my own phone, personally. It's a FOSS implementation of (most of) the Play Services APIs. https://microg.org/ https://microg.org/
- Gorgor 10y ago
  But is it possible to use Google Play Services without a Google Account? For many people, that's synonymous with using Android.
- snthd 10y ago
  If you have the option to log in to a google account you have google play services installed. It keeps a connection open to google (even if you aren't logged in) to support push messaging - which many apps use.
duncan_bayne 10y ago
Do you send email to Gmail accounts? Because if so, Google has at least some of your mail anyway.
- ACS_Solver 10y ago
  When I send an unencrypted email, I consider that to be data out of my control, but at least my incoming mail is not getting scanned by anyone.
meowface 10y ago
It's such an uphill battle, though. There are many clever ways you can be tied across websites. Unless you are using some sort of VPN or proxy that's constantly changing your IP as you're browsing, and a browser that consistently changes or masks fingerprintable information and wipes all persistent tracking beacons, then what you're doing is not even remotely sufficient to evade tracking by any entity. What you're doing is definitely not enough to avoid Google or Facebook. At this time I believe nothing can do this with 100% effectiveness. The closest would be to use Tor Browser and never disable NoScript and only use sites that don't rely on JS... but even then there are many theoretical workarounds, many more to come in the future, and probably various unknown techniques currently being tested or deployed. I know enough about the technology to realize it saves me a lot of time, effort, and stress to just accept my fate. I no longer include ad networks or big tech companies in my personal threat model, even though I dislike what they're doing.
- robattila128 10y ago
  > I know enough about the technology to realize it saves me a lot of time, effort, and stress to just accept my fate. I no longer include ad networks or big tech companies in my personal threat model, even though I dislike what they're doing. That's the reasoning I came to as well, I'm fine with certain sites using JS, session data and filling up my .cache if it's convenient. The more I understand my fingerprint on the web the less paranoid I get. Lots of comments here advising not storing anything, or using anything... they may as well use tails as their main OS or throw out their computers entirely. The same privacy-intense users lose credibility when they advice people to trust a bunch of add-ons instead of using system-wide blocklists in their host file or strict IDS rulesets.

colordrops 10y ago

Your steps are not even close to enough to mitigate tracking.

Sylos 10y ago
...which he didn't say. And while his/any steps aren't enough to mitigate all tracking, they do mitigate a lot of tracking, which is far better than doing nothing.
ACS_Solver 10y ago
Never claimed otherwise, although my steps are enough to expose far less data about myself than the average Internet user. These steps are also completely usable in everyday life without sacrificing much time or convenience. On the comparatively rare occasions when I need more privacy, I do more. For instance, I tend to use Tor if I'm staying at a hotel that ties the WiFi connection to you personally - I think those connections are as bad as it gets for privacy.

Sylos 10y ago

> 1. Google account - I have one because it's required for Android, but I have never used Gmail, do not search from my Google account or ever log into it from my browser. I haven't run stock Android in a while (and instead just CyanogenMod), but I'm pretty sure that it's not actually required, i.e. you can skip account creation during setup and then install alternative app stores like F-Droid, Aptoide or Amazon. If we include CyanogenMod or other ROMs, then it's definitely possible, though. I do own and use an Android phone and deleted my Google-account probably half a year ago...

ACS_Solver 10y ago
I also prefer Cyanogen, although I like having access to the Google Play store even on that. While that's tied to my Google account, it's an informed choice, I am fine with Google knowing what Play Store apps I have installed, and I use F-Droid at the same time for some other apps. One of the great things about Cyanogen is maintaining tight control even over Google's apps and how much they track me.
- ryukafalz 10y ago
  > One of the great things about Cyanogen is maintaining tight control even over Google's apps and how much they track me. Are you sure? How much is Play Services tracking you? I run MicroG on my own phone, personally. It's a FOSS implementation of (most of) the Play Services APIs. https://microg.org/ https://microg.org/
Gorgor 10y ago
But is it possible to use Google Play Services without a Google Account? For many people, that's synonymous with using Android.
snthd 10y ago
If you have the option to log in to a google account you have google play services installed. It keeps a connection open to google (even if you aren't logged in) to support push messaging - which many apps use.

duncan_bayne 10y ago

Do you send email to Gmail accounts? Because if so, Google has at least some of your mail anyway.

ACS_Solver 10y ago
When I send an unencrypted email, I consider that to be data out of my control, but at least my incoming mail is not getting scanned by anyone.

meowface 10y ago

It's such an uphill battle, though. There are many clever ways you can be tied across websites. Unless you are using some sort of VPN or proxy that's constantly changing your IP as you're browsing, and a browser that consistently changes or masks fingerprintable information and wipes all persistent tracking beacons, then what you're doing is not even remotely sufficient to evade tracking by any entity. What you're doing is definitely not enough to avoid Google or Facebook. At this time I believe nothing can do this with 100% effectiveness. The closest would be to use Tor Browser and never disable NoScript and only use sites that don't rely on JS... but even then there are many theoretical workarounds, many more to come in the future, and probably various unknown techniques currently being tested or deployed. I know enough about the technology to realize it saves me a lot of time, effort, and stress to just accept my fate. I no longer include ad networks or big tech companies in my personal threat model, even though I dislike what they're doing.

robattila128 10y ago
> I know enough about the technology to realize it saves me a lot of time, effort, and stress to just accept my fate. I no longer include ad networks or big tech companies in my personal threat model, even though I dislike what they're doing. That's the reasoning I came to as well, I'm fine with certain sites using JS, session data and filling up my .cache if it's convenient. The more I understand my fingerprint on the web the less paranoid I get. Lots of comments here advising not storing anything, or using anything... they may as well use tails as their main OS or throw out their computers entirely. The same privacy-intense users lose credibility when they advice people to trust a bunch of add-ons instead of using system-wide blocklists in their host file or strict IDS rulesets.