Why Privacy Matters

enaph

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Jun 14, 2011
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In the last couple of weeks I read a lot about the best practices for online privacy however there's one question which remains unanswered - does it really makes sense to change all my habits, services etc. after all those years of using Google and Facebook since they already know me better than I can imagine?
Even if I delete my FB account, erase all my Google history en so on, nothing will change as all my data has already been exposed for all the time I was using their services...
 

ZeroDay

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Aug 17, 2013
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I'll be honest - I love the convenience of Google's and MS services and we're never going to achieve full privacy. Well we can but at a rather large cost. Technology is supposed to make our lives easier and trying to achieve the highest privacy level possible, which would include using a totally free OS with not a single piece of proprietary code in it and never using any google or MS services or any services that even remotely have anything to do with anything proprietary would soon become a PITA. Imagine using the Libre UEFI, Customizing your own Linux Kernel, setting up your own domain and email, never using YouTube. Literally inspecting every piece of software and online service we use to make sure it's free and open source and respects privacy. We would end up working for our laptops and PC's not the other way around. A nice balance somewhere in between where you feel comfortable is the best way forward in my opinion.
 

Zorro

Level 9
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Jun 11, 2019
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In my opinion, privacy is not about being completely anonymous on the Internet so that no one can find out anything about you, and privacy is about keeping your "digital footprint" not too big. And to do this is not so difficult, it all depends on your own willpower and desire. It’s stupid to talk about privacy, uploading everything you do every hour on Instagram or another social network. And not only what you are doing now, but what are you just going to do in the future, what are you planning (travel, work, weekend). It’s stupid to say that everyone is being monitored from space satellites and through webcams, and at the same time putting geotags on a social network to indicate our location :))) We ourselves voluntarily fill out all personal data about ourselves (!! !), but even having done this, we won’t even think about looking at the privacy settings :))) The digital footprint would be much less, and privacy would be much higher if the users themselves would not be so interested in making it as possible more people found out about them :)))
 

oldschool

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Mar 29, 2018
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In the last couple of weeks I read a lot about the best practices for online privacy however there's one question which remains unanswered - does it really makes sense to change all my habits, services etc. after all those years of using Google and Facebook since they already know me better than I can imagine?
Even if I delete my FB account, erase all my Google history en so on, nothing will change as all my data has already been exposed for all the time I was using their services...

That's a good question, for which I have no immediate answer other than "better late than never". I've never used most of G's services and have never used FB, Twitter, etc. In my mind, I can't control what is out there about me in the web-universe, e.g. medical records, credit card purchases, etc., etc., but I can choose not to participate (be sucked into) and contributing more info by using some of these other services. I simply refrain from putting all my info eggs into one basket. And no, I do not wear a Tin Foil Hat. :D
 
L

Local Host

In the last couple of weeks I read a lot about the best practices for online privacy however there's one question which remains unanswered - does it really makes sense to change all my habits, services etc. after all those years of using Google and Facebook since they already know me better than I can imagine?
Even if I delete my FB account, erase all my Google history en so on, nothing will change as all my data has already been exposed for all the time I was using their services...
You can update the data with false information, before deleting the account (even if they keep the data, it will be innaccurate), however they'll keep backups of your old data for a while.
 

Burrito

Level 24
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May 16, 2018
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The Target/pregnancy example in the OP video is good. A dramatic example of destructive invasion of privacy.

It's very easy to give up, because they have so much of our data anyway. And, trying to live without giving away all the indicators of our existence could be a huge hassle.

We all find our balance -- because we have to The system gives us no choice.

Even though it's somewhat pie-in-the-sky, we must try to elect politicians who value privacy, and who are willing to give up 'corporate sponsorship' for their next campaign. In the USA, it's ironic. Many people who think they value those things vote for the party that is more in bed with corporate interests -- the party that has sold out.
 

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