4 ms·
Is it too late for it to be worth even trying to improve my online privacy?
The recent article about Eufy sending facial recognition data got me thinking about this. My fiances father recently got a bunch of these cameras for a pretty good reason.. Anyway, I took the rubbish bin up for them while leaving one day and have a smile and a thumbs up to the camera. I've walked past those cameras easily a hundred times. I'm sure that's plenty for facial recognition to build my profile. Not to mention those cameras have built in microphones too, so there's my voice. And what about cameras in all other areas of my life? Shopping Centres. Government Buildings. Work. The background of someone else's selfie.
Facebook and Instagram: I have these now and have had them for years. If I didn't post my own pictures, it wouldn't matter because my friends and family will post pictures of me anyway. It's just the way it is.
Google: I've used Google search my whole life. I have a Gmail account tied to just about anything and everything...
VPN? ToR? The internet in my area of the world is bad enough as it is, I didn't want to slow it down even more.
And yet...
I want to change this. If I start protecting the privacy of my digital footprint now, would it be worth it? Or is it too late?
I can't put a finger on it. But I feel concerned about my digital privacy, and the digital privacy of my friends and family. I don't know why. I just have a strong gut feeling that it's a dangerous and risky thing to ignore.
I want to trust my gut.
So, is it worth it or am I too late? If it's not too late, where do I start?
- tagawa 4y agoNot too late! I feel it’s similar to if you live in an old draughty house. It’s never going to be as insulated as a modern well-designed home but it’s still worth making improvements. With online privacy, there’s a lot of scope for reaching a balance of private v. cumbersome depending on what you’re comfortable with. Arguably the easiest and most effective first step is using a privacy-focused browser and search engine. There are good recommendations here: https://www.privacyguides.org/ https://www.privacyguides.org/ Oh, and always reject those cookie popups. Websites will still work fine.
- deleted 4y ago[deleted]
- 8bitsrule 4y agoAs time goes by, a lot of personal data ages (e.g. name, location, appearance, habits) and becomes less 'useful'. (And sinks into the data 'ocean'.) Tactics you take to 'lock down' (and/or confuse) now will become more worthwhile over time. Keep adding new ones! (I like cash) Friends and family may respond to polite requests to cut-it-out. Put yourself in charge of what 'gets out there'. Enjoy frustrating the collectors (make -them- pay?!)