Advice Request Is privacy just a ruse?

[Atlas147]

So there are many privacy guides out there telling you to get rid of google chrome and use a safer and more privacy oriented browser like Brave or Firefox. They also recommend using a VPN to help anonymize yourself. However since google owns most things these days, from the search engine, to youtube, to gmail, and even google docs, all of which can be linked through your google account, is there even any point of trying to hide yourself from google anymore?

You could be using firefox with all the recommended settings for the best privacy, and be surfing the web over a VPN that takes your privacy very seriously, however the moment you login to your google account on youtube, gmail or even google search your identity is immediately revealed. Even though there are many alternatives to google products such as duckduckgo, protonmail etc, there are certain products such as youtube that doesn't really have a strong competitor in the market right now, so you are forced to stay on youtube.

I'd love to hear what you guys think of this and maybe get some of your inputs and suggestions further steps to take to break free from this google monopolized era (I say as I type this from my google chrome browser)

 

[HarborFront]

Try to ungoogled yourself. You can use NewPipe

 

[Svoll]

Privacy is not a ruse, its just a belief or fight that we don't want give up on.

Its just to limit as little data as possible to whoever is gathering such info.

I am rather more concern about my phone than PC in terms of privacy as I am on the phone a lot more than my PC

 

[Arequire]

I don't like Google's monopolisation but I'm powerless to do anything about it. Unlike some I don't see Google as this unequivocal "evil" company that I have to avoid like the plague if I'm to retain any privacy online. If I find a specific Google service useful and I can't find a private alternative then I'm willing to use that service.
It's a battle between privacy and convenience and I've found its better to strike a balance between the two rather than making yourself miserable trying to achieve anonymity. Use whatever you feel comfortable using and don't let others project their threat model onto you.

 

[Kuttz]

100% privacy while using internet is impossible or not practical. All one can do is reduce their footprint while using the internet which is possible in many ways. For example using a more privacy aware browser + privacy tools + those Google services you said is better than using bare Google Chrome + Google services. Those who say I have nothing to hide so whoever can use my data for anything is a joke and those people in fact ignorantly supports ever increasing user privacy invasion business model by Google, FB, MS etc.

 

[Atlas147]

Try to ungoogled yourself. You can use NewPipe

Thanks! I'll have a look at it!

 

[Atlas147]

I don't like Google's monopolisation but I'm powerless to do anything about it. Unlike some I don't see Google as this unequivocal "evil" company that I have to avoid like the plague if I'm to retain any privacy online. If I find a specific Google service useful and I can't find a private alternative then I'm willing to use that service.
It's a battle between privacy and convenience and I've found its better to strike a balance between the two rather than making yourself miserable trying to achieve anonymity. Use whatever you feel comfortable using and don't let others project their threat model onto you.

This is exactly how I feel right now, google just has so many great services that I find it hard to ditch it all just for privacy. I think the few that they have me hooked would be youtube and google docs, I can definitely find alternatives to their other services

 

[Atlas147]

100% privacy while using internet is impossible or not practical. All one can do is reduce their footprint while using the internet which is possible in many ways. For example using a more privacy aware browser + privacy tools + those Google services you said is better than using bare Google Chrome + Google services. Those who say I have nothing to hide so whoever can use my data for anything is a joke and those people in fact ignorantly supports ever increasing user privacy invasion business model by Google, FB, MS etc.

I definitely agree that all data is valuable even if you don't see the value in it. I was just wondering to what extent would using a non-chrome browser affect google's "surveillance" since most of the services I use are already google owned

 

[AlanOstaszewski]

Privacy is your right and you should fight for it. Even if you use Google Services, it's not bad. You can protect yourself from tracking with addons like Google Container.

I personally use Google Search and YouTube, but my browser doesn't store any data, so I'm never logged in with my Google Account. I'm also connected to a VPN 24/7. Maybe that would be an option for you.

Even though many people think that you can never be anonymous on the Internet... The perfect example is the Darknet. There they are all mostly anonymous and it rarely happens that a user is punished for illegal activities.

 

[Deleted member 178]

Reducing your fingerprint to get serious privacy is not so difficult to obtain if you have a bit of resources and time but you can't become totally invisible anymore , it is too late unless a massive EMP bomb hit all datas centers...

Personally I don't care of data collection and yes, I have nothing to hide (to tech giants, not other people, which is different) since I dont expose sensitive infos about me online, I just "hide in plain sight" by having dozen of personnas, each doing different stuff.
My real name is only used on gov or bank sites for obvious reasons.

No need to be paranoid, it is useless and a waste of time, learn to be smart and discreet online.

 

[Arequire]

This is exactly how I feel right now, google just has so many great services that I find it hard to ditch it all just for privacy. I think the few that they have me hooked would be youtube and google docs, I can definitely find alternatives to their other services

I personally use Android, Google Pay, Google Maps and YouTube. I've tried alternatives for both Android and Maps but none have satisfied me so I've stuck with them. Sure, there's privacy implications associated with them but they aren't causing me any actual frustration like said alternatives did.

 

[Deleted member 178]

Only delusional paranoids (remember paranoia is a sickness) worry about tech giants, as if they will use your datas to harm you... i use Google/MS services since ages, and they helped me more in my daily life than anyone and I never got negative effects from them...
We are just a number for them, they want ad-target you better to eventually trigger an impulsive purchase from you.

 

[ForgottenSeer 69673]

Gee I wonder why Google removed this app from it's play store?
NewPipe

 

[Arequire]

Only delusional paranoids (remember paranoia is a sickness) worry about tech giants, as if they will use your datas to harm you... i use Google/MS services since ages, and they helped me more in my daily life than anyone and I never got negative effects from them...
We are just a number for them, they want ad-target you better to eventually trigger an impulsive purchase from you.

You don't understand, Umbra! The Illuminati gets handed every little byte of data collected by the tech giants and they use that data to identify whose immune to their chem trails, and those chem trails are designed to keep the population ignorantly believing that the Earth is round, when it is, of course, flat. Those who refuse to believe it's round will be culled and the only people left will be ignorant Illuminati slaves! WE MUST PROTECT OURSELVES!

Gee I wonder why Google removed this app from it's play store?
NewPipe

It was never on the Play Store. It breaches the Play Store's ToS because connects to YouTube without using the official YouTube API.

 

[ForgottenSeer 69673]

The only links I see in a search it to google play store, unless you know of a good download spot?

 

[Arequire]

The only links I see in a search it to google play store, unless you know of a good download spot?

You can either install it via F-Droid or you can install it as a standalone APK. F-Droid requires installation but it's the better option as it'll notify you when apps have an update available.

 

[Thales]

Reducing your fingerprint to get serious privacy is not so difficult to obtain if you have a bit of resources and time but you can't become totally invisible anymore , it is too late unless a massive EMP bomb hit all datas centers...

Personally I don't care of data collection and yes, I have nothing to hide (to tech giants, not other people, which is different) since I dont expose sensitive infos about me online, I just "hide in plain sight" by having dozen of personnas, each doing different stuff.
My real name is only used on gov or bank sites for obvious reasons.

No need to be paranoid, it is useless and a waste of time, learn to be smart and discreet online.

Amen!
Plus we should use the "discreet" word mostly instead of the anonymous and private. That word explains itself.

 

[Moonhorse]

For me privacy is using trusted vendors/ services/ companies and in result im getting the security they provide

Just enjoy life, dont do anything stupid and youre fine

 

[TairikuOkami]

Privacy, that depends, what it kind of privacy you need. Some people have no choice, but to use VPN and such, because they could get persecuted, jailed or even killed for their opinions. But for the majority, privacy is just a hype, they restrict everything to be as anonymous as possible, but why? People, who attract attention, are actually more suspicious than others. "When you are in Rome be a Roman."



As for social accounts, the whole idea of them is to meet new people. Making a private profile is counterproductive. I got tired of answering the questions, like how old are you, where are you from or what do you do. Though some are still too lazy to even look at my profile and still ask. Yes, some info can be used in identity theft, but the gain overweight the risks, like FB or searches suggesting friends/topics based on your interests.

I use encrypted DNS queries and searches, clean cookies/cache on the go, block trackers (mostly to speed up browsing), but I try not to overdue it. I still try to act as "a normal" person, commenting using my FB/Google. I have no use for VPN, yet (though I might need it in EU eventually).

 

[bribon77]

Privacy is fine and should be sought, Another thing is to be anonymous always, and I always say why it is possible to be anonymous for a while. But not always.
I do not dream of any of this because in the end I'm not Snowden.