While the network effect is a real thing and its quite hard for people to realize the need for migrating to a better project, projects like Revolt Chat set a good precedent on the fact that one can have a functioning, accessible public community without compromising browser privacy, given the open source and self-hostable nature of it (lack of federation though) and probable future e2ee for DMs. If nothing, matrix is always there.
The corporate existence is visible in the constant bombarding to buy nitro or gift nitro, even going as far as including the option in the message bar itself.
The first thing i did upon installing the browser to test it is uninstall the VPN extention. Im very skeptical of the browser myself but im wondering how much grounds your argument against the browser holds. Wouldnt the open-source nature (and hence being able to create our own binaries) and the firefox base create a decent enough privacy experience? One could even scientifically test the telemetry with the right tools, right?
Look, can we really blame the desperate, especially people suffering from mental health issues, to seek help that they can? i feel that the only solution to problems like these are better health care, which means proper and rigorous scientific and ethical education on the subject and proper support system and establishment for health care services
i think you confused piracy with privacy. there is a piracy community on lemmy but this isnt that