Your phone is a single big asset to your digital life, it's like a digital image of you and privacy is a big concern in this modern online world. It's very difficult to browse the internet with full privacy and anonymously without giving up your data to big tech corporations.
Problem
We all know about they collect our data, what we watch, and what we search on the web for how long but it is not about what data they collect but it's about what they do with that data.
They link every single search and all data of our online activities and connect to your real name, creating a perfect record of research of your browsing history and constantly feeding the A.I. to predict your future behavior. These predictions are building a profile that is used as a universal measure of your potential worth as a customer. It directs to advertisements and even banks and insurance companies.
What app do you have on your phone and how do you use them, your employment history, income, and Bank statements? they also track how much active are you on social media and much more.
Even your search results on Google are manipulated
Search neutrality does not exist in Google search. Google search results are simulations, A.I.'s predication goal is to keep you on the platform.
Tracking our location
Even if you are using a VPN, they can track your location as most apps have access to your location via GPS, Wi-fi, and cellular Triangulation.
Privacy v/s Encryption
You have seen the promises of full end-to-end encryption, but encryption and privacy are two different things.
End-to-end encryption (E2EE) is a method of secure communication that prevents third parties from accessing data while it's transferred from one end system or device to another.
And, Privacy means the level of privacy protection an individual has while connected to the Internet. It covers the amount of online security available for personal and financial data, communications, and preferences.
Modern Surveillance
Must watch the video. %[youtube.com/watch?v=ucRWyGKBVzo]
Solution
1. Searching on Web
What do we need?
- No data collection
- Neutral search results
- Anonymity
- Even if you have to use services that collect data then your ID must remain anonymous so they can't link that data to your ID and it'll be useless.
Search Engines
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DuckDuckGo is an internet search engine that emphasizes protecting searchers' privacy and avoiding the filter bubble of personalized search results. DuckDuckGo does not show search results from content farms.
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Other search engines are
2 . Browsers
We need to use privacy-focused and secure Browsers
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Bromite is a Chromium fork with ad blocking and enhanced privacy.
Official DuckDuckGo browser.
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if you want to browse the internet completely anonymously but it didn't prevent data collection and that collected data will be worth nothing as it can't link this data to any ID. It works on the Tor network.
Never sign in to any account or add any extensions or themes because it'll destroy the whole idea of complete anonymity.
Never sign in to Browser
Block ads and stop Data Collection using extension
We need to use some browser extension.
2. Turn Off Location access.
- Turn off location access from your device setting
- Don't use the google maps native app, use it on the web so that it doesn't have access to your location whole the time.
- Use open source application Osmand for maps.
4. Use a Firewall.
A firewall is a network security system that monitors and controls incoming and outgoing network traffic based on predetermined security.
Use Netguard
A simple way to block access to the internet per application.
Why on earth does your calculator need internet access?
5. Encrypt your DNS
- Go to Network Settings > Advanced Setting > DNS and change it to dns.google
the whole point of doing this is to encrypt it not decentralize it
5. Switch to Opensource Android Operating System.
Say a big NO to Google
One of the best security and privacy-based Android OS is Graphene OS with the hardware of the most secure phone Pixel.
Recommended by Edward Snowden
For more details watch - Most Private and secure phone on the planet
Other Android OS are
The Second solution is to build your own Android OS
Android is open source, so go ahead and build your own OS which complies with your needs.
- If you can't switch to another OS, then there are some things we can do to maximize our privacy while using Google services.
Switching to Opensource services.
What are the most services we use on our phones? Browser, Mail, Camera, Keyboard, Notes, Social Media, Youtube, Maps, Cloud, and many more. There is many open-source application for most daily use.
Check out this amazing website to guide you for open-source applications.