Google Chrome has become surveillance software. It’s time to switch.

I switched from Chrome to Firefox, and then to Safari (I use a Mac). Firefox was great, but it was using a bit too much of my battery for my liking. I ended up just using Safari and installing AdGuard which has seemed to work pretty well so far. I don't find myself missing Chrome one bit.

I have a couple of Gmail accounts which have been the biggest issue to deal with so far. I could not believe the amount of data they had stored on me over the years that I was able to see in the privacy section. Google searches, YouTube history/comments, location tracking, you name it...it genuinely made me uncomfortable. It took me a couple of hours to remove my history and opt-out of all the "settings", and even then I know my data will never be permanently deleted.

Right now I've been deleting multiple accounts I've made with other websites/companies with my Gmail accounts, which has been very tedious. It's irritating how many websites simply will not allow you to delete your account, or only give you the option to "deactivate", which is ironic since I'm using Reddit right now. If I've put my credit card and personal address on your website, I should have the right to have that permanently deleted, along with any other data.

Email wise, I'm going to primarily be using iCloud moving forward. It seems like the best option at this point, even though Apple isn't perfect, at least they appear to care a tad bit more than most about respecting privacy. I'm not fully on board with ProtonMail, but I am using them for my "burner" email for sites like Reddit or Letterboxd. I've essentially removed myself off of all social media (Instagram, Facebook, Twitter) as well. The bad easily outweighs the good at this point, as if there was any good with Facebook in the first place. I suggest most people do the same, especially for Facebook/Instagram. You absolutely cannot trust the Zucc. I know most of the big dogs in the game already have shadow profiles anyway, so we there never will be a perfect "out".

A bit cheesy to say, but as the Wu-Tang Clan said "Cash rules everything around me"...these companies will push the needle as far as they can to monetize you, even if you are just a regular person. The internet and your data is a goldmine for them.

/r/privacy Thread Link - ashingtonpost.com