Privacy

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A place to discuss privacy and freedom in the digital world.

Privacy has become a very important issue in modern society, with companies and governments constantly abusing their power, more and more people are waking up to the importance of digital privacy.

In this community everyone is welcome to post links and discuss topics related to privacy.

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much thanks to @gary_host_laptop for the logo design :)

founded 4 years ago
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submitted 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago) by [email protected] to c/[email protected]
 
 

Anyone have any experience with this app? Could it be malware? Are there other Foss or FLOSS alternatives?

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submitted 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago) by [email protected] to c/[email protected]
 
 

I'm one of those oddballs who's never joined, but I'm in the market for a new to me bike, and it seems like all the action is on marketplace. Am I screwed, or is there an effective workaround ?

Edit: Not US. There are local alternatives that I know about, but they are worse, please answer question as asked ! Basically I'm thinking of alternative software ala FreeTube, or a way of spoofing facebook to make a dummy account only to be used for this and if so what precautions to take...

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Digital privacy seems quite straightforward, because your digital devices are environments you more or less can have complete control over if you want to. But when you're out and about, it's a much more uncontrolled environment. There are cameras everywhere.

I wear face masks everywhere for a combo of protecting myself from illness and privacy. But the limitation is social acceptability. If anything good came out of covid it's the normalisation of face masks, but you are far from unidentifiable if your only face covering is a covid mask. We're lucky that sunglasses and hoodies on their own are fairly normal, but all of the above in combination would draw attention to you. And it's definitely not socially acceptable to walk around in a balaclava.

The other thing is forensic data. If you don't wear gloves, you'll leave fingerprints everywhere, and hair too. I suppose wearing gloves is not particularly seen as weird or suspicious, but it just seems like there are a lot of considerations and challenges with preventing the state from knowing your every move when you leave the house.

What considerations do you make for IRL privacy, if any?

(Not particularly interested in "I don't care about IRL privacy so I don't do anything"—that's fine and your choice, but ofc this question is aimed towards those who do care)

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submitted 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago) by [email protected] to c/[email protected]
 
 

cross-posted from: https://infosec.pub/post/14981035

But as I and others looked closer, and thought about it more deeply, things became concerning.

These logs include:

Your precise GPS locations (which are also sent to their servers).
Your WiFi network name.
The IDs of nearby cell towers (even with no SIM card inserted, also sent to their servers).
Your internet-facing IP address.
The user token used by the device to authenticate with Rabbit's back-end API.
Base64-encoded MP3s of everything the Rabbit has ever spoken to you (and the text transcript thereof).
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Basically title. Recently I saw a new option in Chromium website permission settings called "allow access to local network" or something like that and I know some antiviruses on Windows that can list all devices connected to the same WiFi network. I'm usually using Firefox based browsers that obviously don't have the option to disable or enable that access. So can some really invasive websites mine data about my local network, connected devices etc? And if so, what can I do to prevent it except for just disconnecting everything else when visiting such websites?

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I switched over since I heard it was more privacy friendly than YouTube and have been using the platform for a while without issues, but this cookie banner just popped up. You can opt-out of things like "Access precise geolocation data" but a lot of other information is still shared by third parties and not opt-outable.

It seems "Reject All" is the correct choice here, but I'm not sure if it is the best choice for browser users who have to constantly log back into their accounts.

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Hey friends,

I'd like to:

  • Register for a social media account under a client's company name
  • Research the presence companies in the client's industry have on the site
  • Have a reasonable assurance the account will not be linked to my real name nor my network
  • Use a VM for 10-30? hr/mo, short term

I am:

  • US West Coast based
  • Tech savvy but don't code (unless copypasta)
  • Price conscious
  • Privacy conscious in terms of social media companies linking my account and my identity

Assumptions and UnderstandingsGiven the complexity of fingerprinting techniques, I am under the impression logging in to a remote computer and doing all this work from a browser there has one of the highest likelihoods of success. I'd measure success by not getting spammed with work-related ads, whenever I have to disable Ublock Origin at least. It seems likely a social network will know I'm using a remote desktop (based on IP and loading time/delays), but seems difficult for them to understand who exactly is using the cloud machine if I only use it for a singular purpose. I would hope data brokers aren't efficiently tying VM usage back to VM leasers.

I understand a VPS isn't typically suited for GUI usage, and VPNs can leave me more vulnerable to fingerprinting.

Finally, it looks like most of the low-end cloud PC options would support web browsing at a reasonable speed.


Questions:

  • Have I betrayed any misconceptions?
  • Is a cloud PC one of my best options, and if so:
  • Can you recommend a provider and specs?
  • Is there anything I'm missing?

Providers in consideration w/screenshots

Caution: aggressive anti-privacy corporate behemoths below

Azure Virtual Desktop

Too cheap to be true? Requires some agreement...

Amazon WorkSpaces Personal

Yay Amazon. Inexpensive.

Windows 365 Business Cloud PC

Priciest option.

Vagon Remote Windows Desktop Cloud Computer

A little guy!


Thank you!

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submitted 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago) by [email protected] to c/[email protected]
 
 

Cunningham Law (backfired terribly)

Can someone please explain why PGP is needs all of these? All explanations of public key encryption mention any email embedded emails.

And I probably don't completely understand what PGP is, so please give me a good article or video on it.

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Hi everyone,

I've been checking this forum but I have not managed to find duplicates (I'm using Summit for Lemmy). If that's the case I'll remove this post.

I'm about to start a PhD. I've been told I will be required to partake in publications and other shenanigans. I am not against it, but I'm very concerned about having my full name flying around the internet, as I've always been hesitant of sharing any of that information (real name, pictures, etc).

Ultimately, I only care for potential employers to know that it's actually me the one who has written this or that, which I would happily disclose in private.

What's the usual stance in this situation?

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Yes, you can use Signal without sharing your personal phone number. Here’s how I did it.

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Curious what people think.

Do you think using the GrapheneOS operative system is useless if the user plans to/needs to install Play Store apps anyway?

I think I'm not alone in feeling this way, but sometimes I feel a sense of imposter syndrome because I'm not perfectly private and am dependent on some Play Store apps. This has caused me to question if the transition to GOS is meaningful at all.

Feel free to share your opinion. Cheers! ...posted from my GrapheneOS Pixel.

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submitted 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago) by [email protected] to c/[email protected]
 
 

I need a diary that works as an Android app and a web app. Ideally when I type something it automatically gets a time stamp.

Asking here because I want something private.

Does such a thing exist?

edit - Thank you for all the responses!! I did not expect so many replies.

The reason I said web app is because I’m looking for something I can use on my desktop and my phone. I use my desktop much more than my phone. While I currently use Windowz, I'm slowly migrating to Linux.

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I'm traveling to the US mainland for the first time in my life in a few weeks.

I am not overly stressed about privacy, but I have read that US immigration can really overstep their boundaries. Are there any simple specific steps to take on my devices to protect my privace when going through US border control?

Remove my main accounts from my phone/tablet and use dummy accounts? Or just removing my biometrics?

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That's a use case for aliases, catching if any company or service gives out your email to be abused by advertisers and whatnot. I tried looking for stories but didn't find any, I wonder if you have any to share.

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I was considering getting a LG G5. Some models support an older version of LineageOS and I love the replaceable battery.

What do you recommend?

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I have not any prior experience with installing custom ROMs, but after trying it out (and getting stuck, and googling and finding answers) I successfully did it. Below is my home screen if anybody is curious:

I use OpenBoard for my keyboard. Unfortunately I am still dependent on Play Store since some of the apps I need can only be found there. Sometimes it feels meaningless committing to this whole thing because I'm not perfectly private; then I think this is better than using a regular iPhone or Android phone.

So far I'm liking it. I am naturally inclined to feel hesitant about using this as my main phone and plugging in a SIM since it's custom, but I'm slowly making the transition.

Feel free to share any beginners advice or your own experience using GOS for the first time. Cheers!

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Is there something similar to privacy.com in Europe so I don’t have to enter my credit card information everywhere? Or another way to buy stuff online privately on many different stores and websites?

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I'm looking for ones that ideally don't log IP. Is there a guide somewhere that looks into each of these instances and whether or not they fulfill the privacy promise?

I'm most interested in Invidious.

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I prefer Librewolf as it is easier and simpler to use

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