this post was submitted on 13 Jun 2026
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Privacy
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Privacy has become a very important issue in modern society, with companies and governments constantly abusing their power, more and more people are waking up to the importance of digital privacy.
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I think it has to be more common. The idea that you have to live in the shadows won’t help resistance long term.
It needs to be an open conversation so people know they can and should unite and fight against civil abuses
I agree. I usually share certain concerns/issues sprinkled in with "e-mail blasts" at work regarding phishing, spam, how to avoid falling for scams, or protect yourself online, etc. I can't go too deep, but I have had a few people reply asking for help on maybe a new phone, making sure it's secured/safe.
I just started a small blog that I write, so I can start to share links without ads, paywalls, popups, etc. It's VERY basic and empty right now, but I plan on adding content over time. I want a balance of easily implemented security steps while also still allowing friends/family/coworkers to use social media and all the stuff they're used to, while eventually cutting back. Too tinfoil hat and they'll ignore it haha.
Sweet! Whenever you feel ready, please do share! At my workplace, I am kind of known as "the tech guy", but unfortunately not in a privacy oriented way... Only, "can you please set up my phone? I wanna Tiktok🥹🥹🥹"...
I mean, you can certainly check it out. It's live, but only a few posts so far. I'm sort of posting anything that I feel is worth talking about, so it gets political, techy, tinfoil hat, nerd, etc. Or, at least when I get to post more.
Let me know your thoughts on if it's good, easy to follow, too long, or sounds complicated
https://unitedwith.me/how-to-degoogle-your-life-regardless-of-your-technical-prowess/
Thank you so much for your contribution!!!
A few considerations\
Edit: I'd do some disambiguation on the title, because "degoogling" is in itself not a commonly known word. Perhaps changing it to "online hygiene", "digital privacy" or the likes and then defining a part of it as moving away from Big Tech, which in certain communities is referred to as "degoogling", Google being one of the biggest of these Big Tech.
I appreciate the feedback!!
A lot of good points and I will apply the tweaks. Funny you mention Codeberg because just shortly after the article I had heard of it. I don't do Dev stuff so I'm unfamiliar, but as I wanted to clone repos and make a sort of safe haven listfor good digital apps, I found Forgejo. I looked into hosting my own, but found Codeberg then too after isaw Gitea wasn't really as good and private as I hoped.
So, as I share with friends and family, I've got self-hosted URLs but also Codeberg on projects I'd like to contribute to.
I do also want to make a follow up to that with a deeper dive, should anyone care 😅. I think people are starting to realize just how crazy the rabbit hole goes, and it truly does feel Matrix-ish where the "machines" are in control as we live out our lives in this dream world... They control so much, and we cut their power by not using them. It's pretty freeing, honestly.
For some reason, every time I even mention the word "privacy" or "online integrity" or the likes, I get the retort "what do you have to hide? 😏😏😏😏😏" Shifting the conversation from "having something to hide" to privacy being a fundamental building block of democracy is what I try to put effort into. But it ain't easy. 😮💨 I have never said "ain't" in my LIFE before this. 😂
I don't think most people can acknowledge when their personal and online intersected, they can... but they see online privacy as an online thing, not a real life thing. You wouldn't give a stranger at the shop your driving license just to get in.
I believe I understand the psychological mechanism behind it, but it is unfortunate, nontheless, that people separate any part of their private life from politics. Even though the idea is that we have voted for whatever parliament/congress ultimately decides, as long as we are subject to law and order as defined by and for the profit of the ruling class, we are not safe. One day all contraception could become illegal. Sugar, butter, flower and other basic groceries could be rationed. Libraries could be forced to remove anti government litterature from the bookshelves. Or, as we have seen in, for instance, Iran and China, Internet access could become restricted, censored or removed all together.
One of the saddest examples of this collective mentality in which everyday life and politics are seen as separate worlds is Japan, which I experienced while living there for six years. A lot of people took democracy for granted, saying that politics is a discipline or a profession that they would rather leave to the "professionals", meaning the politicians. As if the people shouldn't put their noses where they don't belong. As if political decisions didn't directly impact their everyday life.
My latest reply is "They used the money they made selling your information to buy your government."
I should make a bumper sticker.
Then maybe follow up with "your careless habits fund fascism."
The only issue is, many people in my coutry (US) would think that only applies to the GOP, when dems also suck in that regard, even if just by inaction.