this post was submitted on 03 May 2025
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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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This is an open question on how to get the masses to care...

Unfortunately, if other people don't protect their privacy it affects those who do, because we're all connected (e.g. other family members, friends). So it presents a problem of how do you get people who don't care, to care?

I started the Rebel Tech Alliance nonprofit to try to help with this, but we're still really struggling to convert people who have never thought about this.

(BTW you might need to refresh our website a few times to get it to load - no idea why... It does have an SSL cert!)

So I hope we can have a useful discussion here - privacy is a team sport, how do we get more people to play?

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[–] [email protected] 4 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago) (1 children)

Tell them how governments, employees and scammers buy from data brokers the data collected from apps in their phones to surveil, blackmail or scam them. Do a research and send them a good summary with the links. When a told my brother in law about this, he was stunned. He's still using his phone as always lol, so don't have too much expectations.

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[–] [email protected] 5 points 2 days ago (3 children)

What moves people is stories of why you should care. Getting these stories highlighted and then providing the solution (or multiple solutions) is a sure way to call people to action.

Devs and marketing then need to have an easy onboarding experience. But if people have a will they will find a way. Just don't be an AH when they ask stupid questions.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 2 days ago

So can you provide some stories?

[–] [email protected] 2 points 2 days ago (1 children)

Just don't be an AH when they ask stupid questions.

I got nothing to hide!

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[–] [email protected] 6 points 2 days ago

It has to be easy, low effort, and something there friends are doing too.

[–] cardfire 2 points 2 days ago (2 children)

You're basically studying viral pathology and immunology at that point. Remember how restaurant little can be for making and for vaccinations in American culture?

On top of it taking the slightest effort ... We basically have to settle the solutions and then invite or incentivize them into it, which is hard when you're against disinformation networks with better fundling.

Not to say it's hopeless. Just that the incentives in a highly individualized society captured under surveillance capitalism are misaligned.

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[–] [email protected] 6 points 2 days ago (1 children)
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[–] [email protected] 2 points 2 days ago (1 children)

I sometimes wonder if NordVPN has done more for the privacy cause than anything else, purely for the sheer amount of advertising.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago) (3 children)

But most of their claims are false. And how does it do anything for privacy. And if you say obscures your ip address.

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[–] GrumpyDuckling 1 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago) (2 children)

I can use an sdr to read your water meter and determine how often you go to the bathroom, shower, wash your clothes, and when you're home and it's not illegal. I'm allowed to follow you around and take your picture as much as I want to. I can print off as many pictures of you as I want in public and wallpaper my whole house with your face and body, there's nothing you can do about it. I can do an 8 hour video essay about you and share this with everyone. As long as the info is publicly available (or not in most U.S. states), it's legal.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 day ago

Damn. that is creepy. Similar to the comment someone else left about stalking....

Maybe I'll so a series of case studies via the blog - thank you for sharing this!

[–] [email protected] 1 points 2 days ago (1 children)

You could get charged with stalking.

[–] GrumpyDuckling 2 points 2 days ago

In my state it's not stalking if you don't make any threats. You don't have an expectation of privacy in public. That's the argument they use with license plate cameras and other warrantless survelance, tracking, facial recognition, etc.

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