> The best replacements would be local applications under one's full control that seamlessly sync all data on a peer-to-peer network encompassing all of one's d

> The best replacements would be local applications under one's full control that seamlessly sync all data on a peer-to-peer network encompassing all of one's devices -- desktop PC, tablet, phone, etc. Alas, AFAIK, such applications don't exist yet. This is the kind of thing we're working on (http://perscon.net http://perscon.net). It's a open-source effort, currently happening through academia. That gives us the luxury of solving some tricky problems without the pressure to 'lash something together' (though academia has other issues). Privacy conscious software will eventually reach the masses but I've no idea how long it'll take. I also believe it needs to be created from the ground up if it's really meant to care about your privacy. An open question is how such software can be commercialised, since the economic incentive is currently around 'Big Data', and people don't want to manage their own infrastructure. Both of these push us towards more centralised services. DEspite this, nearly everyone I speak to seems wary of how much companies like FB/Google "know about you" but people just accept the data-leakage almost as a cost of engaging online.