Hi, I recently have started caring less about privacy and fell for convenience as I installed and started using Google and Huawei apps and services on my phone.
I am not sure what shifted my mind, I no longer feel like the companies are up to no good and that they spy on me in particular in harmful way. This might be because my mental illness has gotten better, which made me paranoid with some other things too.
Wanted to hear your thoughts regarding this decision and privacy, free software and mass surveillance. Am I being a fool “giving up” ? I know its important that journalists and politicians have privacy, but does it matter to me that I’m no longer sure of.
I think it is important for everyone to do what is in their power and knowledge level to better their privacy. If your privacy measures affect your professional or personal life, then I think you went too far. If it’s just a matter of convenience, then maybe you would want to revise that aspect and see if you go the privacy or the mainstream way.
For example, if using whatsapp is needed for work, or for communication with your family and you refuse to use it due to privacy reasons, that would be taking it a step too far. Not all of us are in the position of making such sacrifices for privacy and ethics, although I admire those who do so. But if you use Google Maps once a month and you keep using it because Osmand+'s search function is annoying to use, then you should have a look and see if you really need GMaps or not.
Privacy and how far we go to keep things to ourselves is 100% a personal (private) thing. What is most important is to be aware of how much of it we are giving away to big tech and then what they are doing with the information in order to manipulate us. We need to be able to take an informed decision on what we do with our information.
Agreed, except that privacy isn’t a 100% personal thing. Others might have more urgent privacy needs than you (for whatever reason) and are unable to hide in the mass if the majority doesn’t care about privacy.
In a sense privacy works a bit like herd immunity to take a current metaphor. Only in a general population that ensures some base level of privacy it is possible for especially vulnerable persons to have a higher level of privacy without sticking out too much.
In addition I think that people with the technological know-how have a responsibility to go ahead as a good example even if their personal privacy needs might not require it that much.
I have never thought about it this way. Not related to current comment, but whenever I hear more of “I have nothing to hide” or “I don’t care if they have my data & suggest me ads” people, it’s easy for corporations and states to do their deeds, while people who need that privacy are impacted.
By personal I was referring to privacy needs only, as in some may have a higher need / desire need for privacy than others. I must have expressed myself in a weird way. I completely agree with everything you say, especially the last point. I am trying to hit a balance between promoting private alternatives and not being “the privacy nut”.