Weaning myself off Google (personal stuff, not work)

[jthompson]

Having been a keen Google user for many years (Android, Gmail and Calendar in particular) I now feel that I should be scaling back my reliance on them and shifting over to more privacy-conscious services and software.

 

About a year ago I ditched Google Search and Chrome on all platforms in favour of DuckDuckGo and Firefox, and haven't looked back. I use KeePass for all of my accounts and am increasingly turning to apps from F-Droid. I've just signed up with a Protonmail account in the last few days with a view to using that rather than Gmail.

 

Has anyone undergone a similar transition to take back more control over their privacy? If so, what tips would you share for services, apps, browser extensions, practices?

[LeMarchand]

If so, what tips would you share for services, apps, browser extensions, practices?

 

FF: UBlock, NoScript, Privacy Badger.

Phone: https://smartphones.gadgethacks.com/how-to/4-best-phones-for-privacy-security-0176106/ and turn off as many services as you can whilst keeping it functional.

Satnav: use maps.

 

...and:

[DJ-1701]

Can't say I blame you... long gone are the days of their old motto 'Don't be evil'... if they ever did comply with it.

[jthompson]

Can't say I blame you... long gone are the days of their old motto 'Don't be evil'... if they ever did comply with it.

 

It's also just the sheer scope of them now. Having Google Assistant or some other AI/ML working into everything just doesn't sit comfortably with me.

[LeMarchand]

Also:

 

Phones: Get a dumb phone.

Pay cash as much as possible. If you have to have a use a credit card, might be worth researching "anonymous" ones.

 

Having Google Assistant or some other AI/ML working into everything just doesn't sit comfortably with me.

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demon_Seed

Edited November 24, 2017 by LeMarchand

[jthompson]

FF: UBlock, NoScript, Privacy Badger.

Phone: https://smartphones.gadgethacks.com/how-to/4-best-phones-for-privacy-security-0176106/ and turn off as many services as you can whilst keeping it functional.

Satnav: use maps.

 

...and:

 

Took me a while to work out that what you meant by 'maps' was actually the paper variety.

I've had a look at OsmAnd, which downloads maps for offline use. It didn't seem too clever in terms of deciding on my route to work, though. Google's traffic and big data clout give it a clear advantage there.

[enjay]

Google's traffic and big data clout give it a clear advantage there.

 

And therein lies the beauty of Google's invasiveness and why we're willing to tolerate it.

[cpjitservices]

I don't think I'll be ditching Chrome anytime soon, I like the way it follows me around, on phone and my machines. I go to work I have my bookmarks synced, I go home and they are synced etc...

 

I'm not too fussed about anyone spying or knowing what I look at on the internet etc, like they would be interested in the like sof you and me anyway - have nothing at all to hide.

[LeMarchand]

I'm not too fussed about anyone spying or knowing what I look at on the internet etc, like they would be interested in the like sof you and me anyway - have nothing at all to hide.

 

Until May & Rudd decide that anyone who has too much technical knowledge must be a dangerous subversive wanting to hold the country to cyber-ransom. Then that visit to "PrettyLadiesWithNotVeryManyClothesOn.com" you made when you were 14 might be all they need to get an arrest warrant.

 

And therein lies the beauty of Google's invasiveness and why we're willing to tolerate it.

 

I'm on Windows 10M.

 

Hello? Is there anyone there?

Edited November 24, 2017 by LeMarchand

[jthompson]

And therein lies the beauty of Google's invasiveness and why we're willing to tolerate it.

 

True, but a lot of the tricks that they can perform for users are not actually all that useful, I feel. Some are, but a lot aren't.

 

For instance, Google Now. It can do lots of things like show me package delivery info, a QR code for a cinema ticket, news related to my supposed interests, tell me when I should be leaving for an appointment, but tbh there's about zero inconvenience to not having them. I either know it already, or have the information to hand anyway. And one of the things that always seems to crop up when tech firms are showing off what a product can do: telling me sports scores. If I was at all interested, I wouldn't want to have the result spoiled in that way.

Google Now On Tap: never, ever had a need for it. I've only ever triggered it accidentally.

Google Maps: the Android app is full of tat, and likes to notify me when I'm at the supermarket that I might like to share a picture or post a review of it.

Google Photos search (e.g. searching for "cats"): kinda cool, but has never actually been useful.

 

I feel like all this lifestyle stuff is much more useful for Google than it is for me.

[jthompson]

I don't think I'll be ditching Chrome anytime soon, I like the way it follows me around, on phone and my machines. I go to work I have my bookmarks synced, I go home and they are synced etc...

 

I'm not too fussed about anyone spying or knowing what I look at on the internet etc, like they would be interested in the like sof you and me anyway - have nothing at all to hide.

 

I felt like that about Chrome and the utility of the sync stuff, but I've found Firefox sync does the job for me just as well. With the added bonus that on Android I can run blocker extensions: massively speeds up browsing on mobile, if nothing else. Most of my mobile browsing is done in Firefox Focus now, which is faster still. I'll push the page out to full Firefox if I need to use bookmarks or sign in somewhere.

[enjay]

I felt like that about Chrome and the utility of the sync stuff, but I've found Firefox sync does the job for me just as well. With the added bonus that on Android I can run blocker extensions: massively speeds up browsing on mobile, if nothing else. Most of my mobile browsing is done in Firefox Focus now, which is faster still. I'll push the page out to full Firefox if I need to use bookmarks or sign in somewhere.

 

And what are Firefox doing with all the data you're giving them??

[cpjitservices]

I felt like that about Chrome and the utility of the sync stuff, but I've found Firefox sync does the job for me just as well. With the added bonus that on Android I can run blocker extensions: massively speeds up browsing on mobile, if nothing else. Most of my mobile browsing is done in Firefox Focus now, which is faster still. I'll push the page out to full Firefox if I need to use bookmarks or sign in somewhere.

 

Strange, Ive never seen any ad's and have never had 'slow internet' on my Chrome on my Phone.....

 

Still, prsonal preference and all that

[jthompson]

And what are Firefox doing with all the data you're giving them??

 

Probably not as much as Google.

[LeMarchand]

And what are Firefox doing with all the data you're giving them??

 

Probably much the same, but at least you're spreading your data across multiple baskets to slightly decrease the risk.

[mavhc]

Yesterday I searched my photos for rabbits, that was useful.

Today google warned me to leave early because of extra traffic.

I use "what's on my screen" a lot in Assistant.

 

Privacy is a 20th century invention, you can live on an island by yourself if you want though.

 

Anyway, tips, wear a Scramble Suit by Philip K. Dick from A Scanner Darkly when you go outside

Don't carry anything that's on and has a radio, or anything with rfid

Don't travel by car, number plate recognition + tyre sensor broadcasts

Only use coins, notes have serial numbers

Never post to the internet, your use of words can be used to trace you

Always use TOR, get really good at google captchas, but not too good, or they'll trace you again

Don't own a passport or a driver's licence

Don't vote, every voting slip has a number on to track you

Don't speak without a randomising voice modulator, and pick the words you're going to say at random from a thesaurus

Always wear gloves to avoid fingerprints, and don't lose any hairs or skin

And lastly: Don't stand out by doing anything different from the crowd

[jthompson]

Just because a person has concerns about the privacy implications of using Google services extensively, it doesn't mean they want to go full Snowden, become the next Richard Stallman or live like that hermit with the juniper bush from Monty Python and the Life of Brian.

[jmak]

I used to try quite hard to avoid giving more than the minimum amount of data personal data to Google, but I came to the conclusion that I should either take their deal or not. I decided I'm quite happy to share my data with Google. It seems quite straightforward; they provide services and the price is they try and make money out of you.

 

I actually have far more misgivings about the data the Government collect and what they might do with it - and they don't need Google's help. Government can track where I am (because I'm not worried enough yet to not have a mobile phone) and with a trivial amount of analysis work out who I'm there with. If I let Google have a similar amount of information, they can help me avoid being late and quickly find a coffee shop that has a reasonable chance of being decent when I get there.

 

I think the loss of privacy is a big deal, but because too few people cared, that ship has sailed. Now the issue is understanding/teaching others what the data is used for and how it's being used to manipulate them.

[spacebar]

Yes, I moved from Google Mail and Android to other platforms. The longest part was going all through my emails and changing my email address to my new provider. It took days. In addition I left my old account open for two or so years to catch any accounts I missed. Also moved my cloud services and deleted ALL social media accounts and moved to a VPN for nearly all connections. Privacy is a valuable thing.

 

Privacy is a 20th century invention, you can live on an island by yourself if you want though.

 

Absolutely. I love the privacy island. I never want to leave.

 

That being said, I am not in full privacy mode, I have a mobile, I use contactless payments, I pay for stuff online and use online banking, I watch VOD services, all these leave traces.

Edited November 24, 2017 by spacebar

[spacebar]

And what are Firefox doing with all the data you're giving them??

 

Brave would be a better browser. That had ads also but ones they choose or something like that..

[LeMarchand]

Another precaution: run CCleaner slim or similar at startup (shutdown makes more sense, but a bit more effort).

[free780]

Anybody moved their personal stuff to MS?

[mavhc]

Absolutely. I love the privacy island. I never want to leave.

 

What do you gain?

[spacebar]

What do you gain?

 

Privacy. That is what I want, near total privacy, I value it, as I am naturally a very private person.

 

I can only throw in a classic quote.

 

I will not be pushed, filed, stamped, indexed, briefed, debriefed, or numbered! My life is my own!

 

Of course, we are all filed, indexed and numbered these days!

Edited November 24, 2017 by spacebar

[mavhc]

Privacy. That is what I want, near total privacy, I value it, as I am naturally a very private person.

 

I can only throw in a classic quote.

 

Of course, we are all filed, indexed and numbered these days!

 

What advantages does having privacy give you?

 

Have you been kidnapped and taken to live in a welsh village recently?