In februari of this year I decided to move away from Facebook due to their improper behavior with the data that they collect. However, I only disabled the account in order to be able to use their Messenger app. Didn’t go all the way.
Now, however, I have deleted the account and moved away from Messenger. I also ended my WhatsApp account and turned to more secure, and non-commercial, alternatives.
Once again it was a documentary – The Social Dilemma – that got me started.
In the documentary former employees and executives of Facebook, Instagram, Google and Twitter report on how our data is handled. If the product is free, You are the product. Well, that says it all. And, I sure do not want to be a product for these giants to sell.
So, what have I done to get around in the digital world and still be able to participate and stay in contact with family and friends? Used alternatives not produced by the megacompanies mentioned above.
Messaging: Wire and Signal are my preferred ones. In that order.
Browsing: Firefox with the addons ublock Origin and DuckDuckGo Privacy Essentials keeps me a bit more ”off the grid” (hopefully) than with the alternatives. And it sure helps me avoid all sorts of ads that has a potential for me becoming miserable. Using DuckDuckGo.com as a search engine is also helping me keep me and myself to myself.
It is time to bring down these giants that profit from us being the product. Together we can do it.