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.

  • poVoq
    10•3 years ago

    Some people definitely have an unhealthy obsession with privacy, especially if they fall into the trap believing that social issues can be solved with technological solutions.

    However, there is a big gulf between obsessing over privacy and giving up, and a lot of the more privacy preserving options are not only that but also respect you in other ways much more (no vendor lock in etc.).

    Sure, they often are a bit more inconvenient, but most of the good things in life are not the easiest.

    • @Question39@lemmy.mlOP
      3•3 years ago

      Yes, for most part I still use privacy respecting free software it is better in every way. And I agree I could live fine life without bike sharing or convenient banking or apps that help me with health. But what I lose if I use those in addition to F-Droid apps, that Google knows my location, and health data is possibly being sold… The only negative to me is battery life, and possible data breaches.

      I kind of just have stopped caring about it and so I am no longer able to see why I was so against it before. And this is so unlike me past ~5 years or so.

      • poVoq
        3•3 years ago

        Yeah, that seems mostly fine then. Do what is best for your mental health :)

        Just try to stay out of the typical vendor lock in traps and keep in mind that some data seems irrelevant individually, but can be used is unexpected ways in aggregate. For example your health data might end up negatively effecting your credit score sometimes in the future. Truth to be told though: having no data available can probably also negatively effect for credit score ;)

    • SnowCode
      1•3 years ago

      Can you give an example of obsession with privacy? And the trap in question?