I’m afraid I don’t know, sorry!

Thank you!

I don’t know, but that’s a great idea! I hope someone else here can answer.

Maybe I can bring it up in the group during the challenge. Any idea what good hosting alternatives are, especially for huge businesses?

Thank you!

Thank you! I WISH I could help people de-AWS. Do you think it would be worth writing to the biggest companies that use it–or companies that may be more amenable, like Signal–and asking them to use alternatives like X, Y or Z? I could always float that idea in the group after the challenge starts.

It’s just about doing what we can. I read an article by a tech journalist who experimented with de-AWS-ing, and it was pretty much impossible to use the internet. If you have any tips on how challenge participants can do that even to a small extent, that would be fabulous! But otherwise we’ll be disengaging from Amazon shops, Amazon-owned businesses, etc.

Oh yeah, I don’t think we’ll be getting off AWS or Google Cloud anytime soon unless the big websites decide to look elsewhere for hosting…but we are doing everything we can!

I can’t remember, but I think I wanted to be sure anti-tracker extensions was after installing a new browser…otherwise you’d double your work. This is not an iPhone guide; later in the course we talk about getting a privacy-forward phone OS.

Thank you! You think I should create a degoogling megathread in /privacy? (Sorry, I’m new.)

I closed it yesterday so we’re all starting in the same place. If you give me your signal handle I can add you manually!

Thanks for your comment! I’m fairly new at this myself…I started degoogling, etc. maybe 2-3 years ago.

If it helps, this article has info on a service that lets you buy throwaway numbers for verifying accounts. I used it once and it worked, and cost only a couple bucks: How to Verify an Account Without Using Your Real Phone Number

I think you only need your number to verify Signal, right? If that’s the case, this could work. (Or can you use your MySudo number?) I hope it helps, and hope to see you in the group!

Sounds like you are a lot more advanved than me!

Yes, those look amazing and are next on my list!

Hi there! We’ll be following the checklist I linked to in the main post. It will be very casual, and we’ll all just do the best we can!

Appreciate it! If this goes well I might do a de-Amazon, Meta, Microsoft, or something else…or run this one again.

Thank you!

I’m only about 3/4 of the way through but I love it! I’m on a trip, but as soon as I get back I can’t wait to try this. I’ll also share it with some groups I’m in. THANK YOU.

We should even make a video where I interview you on some of these things for a MUCH less techie audience. There are a LOT of retired people I know who have money, they have time, and they hate what’s happening here…but I would never be able to convince them to do some of this stuff. And these people are ignored!

What do you think? I could ask the most very basic questions on why this is important, how to make it as simple as possible, etc. (I’m a semi-retired journalist so I have LOTS of experience interviewing. :)

I hope you’ll join my 5-week degoogle challenge! https://signal.group/#CjQKIPfv-Xa5mSVIES2Rwx5-8tQHT8wgADjmXXAp6Glu23V-EhCM50toN-KpLV4lXJg1TM3Q

Wow, thank you! I’ll check it out later!

Thanks! I recommended SimpleSearch because it’s good for people who can’t/don’t want to stop using Googl Search.

Fixed, thanks!

Thanks for the tips! Yeah, it’s hard to know where to draw the line, but since I’m focused on beginners, I figured these tools/platforms were the basics.

Good idea to bundle mail and calendar. I can do that with a few tweaks. And will fix the extra mention of uninstalling Chrome.

Thanks again!

Thank you…I’m CERTAIN I’ll need help!

May I suggest my free book DISENGAGE: Opting Out—and Finding New Options—to Reclaim Your Life from Spammers, Scammers, Intrusive Marketers and Big Tech?

I recommend the PDF because it has clear “try this now” actions and other sidebars. It’s written in a Dummies style (I used to write Dummies books and Idiot’s Guides. :)

Thanks! I de-Microsofted myself and have been using LibreOffice. Also don’t use Apple apps like Pages. I can switch other apps as needed.

Thank you! I wish I had sprung for the hardcopy edition of Extreme Privacy. I don’t have a rap sheet, I “have nothing to hide”…but it gives me a sense of peace feeling more in control of my data. (Oh, and I do run the Punching Up Press site, and I hope it doesn’t get to the point where I have to worry.

If I do something that actually lands me in the sights of the federal government, I’m sure it’s trivially easy for them to find me. I’m more anti-Big Tech, anti-surveillance out of principle, etc.

Because I already have a fairly new Mac. :) I bought it before I ever even thought of using a Linux OS.

Thanks! I had thought of that, but would like to hang on to my Mac. I just want it to be…not a Mac, I guess?

I considered cancelling my voter registration and then re-registering every election. However, the way things are going, I wonder if I will even be able to re-register in the future…

Thank you, this is just what I needed! Now I just need to figure out HOW to get it installed on my Mac. :)

This is amazing! Great information.

I read Extreme Privacy for fun…I don’t need to live totally under the radar. However, I’m tired of feeling/being tracked by Big Tech, having my data used inappropriately, etc. I managed to buy a used Pixel and install Graphene OS, but I’m stuck with my Mac until it dies. I’m also trying to divert my money away from Big Tech and unethical corporations like Amazon as much as I can. (Which I know is basically impossible, but I do what I can.)

I wrote a whole free book on the topic called DISENGAGE: Opting Out—and Finding New Options—to Reclaim Your Life from Spammers, Scammers, Intrusive Marketers and Big Tech. It’s meant for newbies (say, my mom) to light-medium tech savvy people like myself. (I’m a semi-retird journalist of 30 years and this was my passion project; you can read in there my motivation and how far I’ve gotten so far.)

I’m now trying to move into the more intensive privacy techniques, and they are often beyond my abilities. Switching to a more private OS is on my list.

I’ll look into this, thanks!

Thanks for the info!

Thank you! I actully have read that if you sell your Mac, your info is still attached to it. Which is actually good for you and bad for Apple, I guess, because they could be attaching the wring info to you.

I don’t know the details, but in Extreme Privacy, the author says that to be untraceable, you need to buy a laptop with cash, then wipe it and install Linux. I’m not super techie, but to me that means if you use a credit card, Apple can now attach the laptop to your identity… which is of course connected with everything else that’s been collected about you by third parties.

Thanks! Interesting, I didn’t know you can’t install Linux on a newer machine. Mine is just a few years old. I want to leave the Apple ecosystem, but I don’t want to have to ditch a fairly new laptop and buy a different one.

I always love a good infographic! I’d be happy to collaborate on projects related to the theme of the broligarchy and data privacy. Let me know if you have ideas!

The post is here! Thanks again for letting me use the infographic.

I say, (while out of range of the camera), “I’d like to opt out of the biometric scan, please.” I also opt out my kid if they’re with me.

I rarely get a blink. (There are signs saying you’re allowed to opt out.) Though I wonder if/how that will change with RealID! I didn’t get one because as of right now you can still use your passport, but I know they want everyone to have one.

ETA I have a whole section on this in the free book DISENGAGE: Opting Out—and Finding New Options—to Reclaim Your Life from Spammers, Scammers, Intrusive Marketers and Big Tech.

I didn’t notice that, but I DO know you can opt out of those scans. I do it every time. I was told by one security agent that they don’t store the images, but that doesn’t mean they won’t do so in the future! Also, during their beta, biometric data of many passengers was exposed through a breach.

I see from the company’s privacy page that people in “protected” states can have their data removed, but I assume that’s only data used for advertising/marketing…not data collected/shared for the purpose of tossing you out of the country. Anyone know if there’s a way to exclude yourself from this database? (I doubt it since they’re saying it’s for legal purposes, but you never know.)

Haha, I always love a good infographic! Who can I credit for the infographic and links? I have only like 65 subscribers since I don’t do much promotion, but I think this will be very helpful to them.