Reclaim Privacy

Privacy is best achieved through great laws like the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). Laws that seek to turn user data from a corporate asset into a legal liability. If we can get internet companies to treat user data the same way brick and mortar companies treat hazardous chemicals - occasionally necessary for some industrial process, but best avoided where possible, and always treated with respect - then it would be a big win for society.

Besides voting for pro-privacy politicians, you can help protect yourself, and others, by making changes the software and extensions you use to browse the internet.

Please note that Ask.Moe is free and open source software, where everyone is welcome to contribute to the project. The views expressed here does not necessarily represent all the current and future contributors.

Browser

Upgrade your browser to Firefox.

Extensions

Firefox has an amazing addon called Firefox Multi-Account Containers. This allows you to create different containers for different purposes as cookies are separated for each container. For instance, you can say you should always open mail.google.com with your 'Google/Gmail' container, which will allow you to automatically login while reducing tracking.

You should combine Firefox's official containers' addon with Temporary Containers by stoically. This addon allow to automamtically open all new tabs and links in disposable containers. If you have multiple accounts for the same site, then you can easily stay logged in to both accounts at the same time, separated by browser tabs.

You of course also need an ad blocker. Here you have two choices, either uBlock Origin by Raymond Hill, or AdNauseam by Daniel Howe, SallyC. AdNauseam is built on top of uBlock Origin, but goes a step further by automatically clicking on ads in the background, polluting your data profile and frustrating the trackers who violate your privacy and facilitate bulk-surveillance agendas.

Also be sure to add EFF Technologists' Privacy Badger, which will help block invisble trackers, and HTTPS Everywhere, which will automatically enable HTTPS on sites known to support it.

Backup

Syncthing is an open source alternative to proprietary sync and cloud services, such as Dropbox and Google Drive. The great thing about Syncthing is that it doesn't upload any of your files to the cloud. It instead sync files between the devices you choose, such as your desktop, laptop and phone, and thus make it possible for you to easily backup and transfer files between your devices.

File sharing

Firefox Send lets you share files with end-to-end encryption and a link that automatically expires.

VPN

It's my belief that ProtonVPN and Mullvad are the most trustworthy VPN providers. Please be aware that there's no gaurantee that a VPN isn't secretly logging everything.