How do you maintain privacy in this modern world?

[J T]

In the past few years, I've become increasingly interested in maintaining my digital and online privacy. I greatly dislike the idea of giant piles of data being collected about me to be "big data" analyzed at some current or future point in time to create statistically derived personality dosiers on me. This data may only be used for marketing now (which is mildly irritating as it is), but there is always the possibility that it may one day be used for something more nefarious like China's upcoming Social Credit System.

So I'm wondering, what kind of methods do you guys use to protect your privacy and boost personal security?

Here are some of the things I already do:
Add-Ons: I use an "HTTPS Everywhere" add-on in Firefox to make sure every site I use takes advantage of HTTPS encryption, even if the site isn't designed for that to begin with. I also use the "Self-Destructing Cookies" add-on to eat up cookies as soon as I leave a page, except for a few whitelisted sites.

VPNS: I frequently access the web via a VPN to mask my IP address.

Social Media: I do not have a facebook, twitter, imgur, or other social media account. I first did this because I dislike the time-suck of these things, but I continue to do it for privacy reasons as well. I have a very cryptic LinkedIn account that I should get around to deleting. I see LinkedIn as a tool for your employer to browse so they can easily replace you with one of your qualified peers. No thanks.

Anti-malware: I use SpyBot Search & Destroy and Malwarebytes to regularly scan and remove potential spyware/malware from my devices.

DIY: I keep my built-in forward facing webcams covered with a sticky note and some black electrical tape. I also line my wallet pockets with tinfoil so that RFID scanners are not able to easily read the data off of my credit card chips. I have not worn a tinfoil hat yet, for those that think I have lost my mind.

Privacy Agreements: I actually read these damn things. I've learned to skim them pretty quickly to decide if I actually agree or not. I hate not being able to use something I want to use, and I've made some stupid "I agree" clicks in the past, but I've also been more willing lately to turn away good software with bad policies. I'm terrified of what Windows 10 wants access to at default. I'm trying to keep to Windows 7 for as long as possible.

Settings: I've "paused" the data collection on me from Google, for whatever good that does. I've also deleted my history from Google. They still send me some targeted ads and suggestions that suggest I'm still being followed somehow.

Facial Recognition: The .face folder on my Android device is always filling up with pictures of anyone in my photos. I delete these every so often, but I haven't figured out a way to keep it from repopulating itself.

Voice-to-text: I don't use things like "Google+" or Siri that I know are collecting information from this method. There are programs that can turn phonecalls into easily storable and searchable information. Voice recognition isn't perfect yet, but it's really good. I don't know which apps can do this, or where they store their information, but I try to avoid anything that seems to have voice-to-text software as a known feature.

Text prediction keyboards: I've removed this feature from my tablet because I don't like that these programs need access to my files and e-mails to enhance text prediction, which means that data is being collected and stored somewhere where it probably shouldn't be. Admittedly, I use SwiftKey on my phone, which does this. I'm debating going back to a standard non-predicting keyboard, but this is a hard feature to give up on a smartphone.

Well, these are a few of the privacy measures I take. I'm wondering if you guys have others to add. I'm always looking to beef up my personal security, which is becoming an increasingly challenging task as big data tactics proliferate and technology improves. Tips?

[JoeAwesome]

Stay off the grid. Live in the woods. Tin foil hat.

Seriously, though, in the modern world, I dare say it's impossible to not have a digital footprint, even with measures. You just have to find a point you can live with.

[MrPopo]

My suggestion is to learn to stop worrying and love the big data.

[Tanooki]

I avoid social media almost entirely, do have a locked down facebook just to keep in contact with a super short list of mostly family and a few friends and that's it and normally I wouldn't admit to having it.

I do my bills and stuff online, that's one compromise because I feel the USPS is borderline incompetent and I don't like checks either so the combo is a total turn off.

I don't like to sign things, any time I can avoid it I will. And also with other info that can be collected much of it I will lock down including even adblocking so data can't be collected that way either.

Just don't see the point in going full on paranoia mode as it's not going to do any good because if someone wants your info they're going to get it, and if you're living within a paper trail only it's probably even easier as there's always forgery and with no digital proof of fraud you really could be in for it.

[Exhuminator]

My suggestion is to learn to stop worrying and love the big data.

This. Being private in a modern world is an oxymoron at this point. Data aggregation is done through various vectors in our lives we can't even imagine. Every day. Parties we're not even privy to make money off our very existence, on statistical analysis data mining we'd never expect. But if my ass is living it's trending that sweet sweet dataset, so I'm worth more alive than dead to big bro.

That said, I do avoid social media entirely. I don't care what people are randomly doing, and I don't expect them to care what I'm doing either. Racketboy is the closest thing to an online community I bother with.

[MrPopo]

That said, I do avoid social media entirely. I don't care what people are randomly doing, and I don't expect them to care what I'm doing either. Racketboy is the closest thing to an online community I bother with.

I've found certain social media outlets to have a place. Several employees at Wizards of the Coast maintain a tumblr (including Head Designer Mark Rosewater) that they use to communicate with fans and I think it is a really great thing. But basically everything involving Facebook can die in a fire.

[MrEco]

I don't know, I never really think about it. I do tend to avoid social media because people are usually pretty annoying. But then I do have a twitter account for my stupid youtube stuff. I guess I'm a hypocrite for that, oh well.

I wanted to say that one little security measure I take is that I never save my credit card info on any websites. Like Steam for example, I don't let them save my info and instead I type it in each time I buy something. But then I remembered that Paypal has my info saved, so never mind I guess. :/

[flojocabron]

Be like this guy.

[J T]

I wanted to say that one little security measure I take is that I never save my credit card info on any websites. Like Steam for example, I don't let them save my info and instead I type it in each time I buy something. But then I remembered that Paypal has my info saved, so never mind I guess. :/

I forgot to mention that I do this too. I have a couple sites where I don't because I use them frequently and it's awkward to add and remove all the time, but I generally take this precaution as well.

Has anyone watched Citizen 4? It is an amazing documentary of Edward Snowden filmed while he was whistle blowing on the NSA. It is something you really should watch if you care about privacy and freedom, which are intimately linked topics.

https://citizenfourfilm.com/

[Thierry Henry]

I use a VPN for the sole reason that our region specific Netflix content sucks balls.

But yeah, I'm also not on Twitter, Facebook and what have you.
Don't have an account there. Probably never will.


Speaking of security via VPN's,

this is a decent test to determine the level of your "anonymity":
https://www.doileak.com/