#internet privacy

[thoughtportal]

[frogliftcertified]

(Edit 2: Closing replies for this and muting the post, if you have issues just leave a message in my PM's, I promise you it'll be my pleasure to (try to) help.)

Good news, the ReVanced project (of YouTube ReVanced fame) has added Tumblr patches to their arsenal, so not only can you patch YouTube with it now, but also Tumblr (and more, even). This can let you remove ads from the Tumblr app, and even nuke Tumblr Live.

Grab the ReVanced Manager and give it a shot. Android only, sorry.

Edit, FAQ:

Disable Play Protect in the Google Play store, it's useless anyways.

You don't need to update your app to the newest version, pick an APK of any Tumblr version you want and patch that. Not all will work, but just keep trying different versions if so.

For the old layout and the ability to go directly to previous reblogs, patch an APK of this version: 29.7.0.110

For users without root access, you need to find an APK for the Tumblr app (a version of it of your choice), then uninstall Tumblr from your device, THEN use the patcher, and install it when prompted.

Do not download "split", "bundle", or "xapk" when given the choice.

You don't need MicroG unless you want to use non-root patched YouTube.

[jessiarts]

Hey, PSA:

On your phone, go to Settings> Security and Privacy> Privacy> Other Privacy Settings> Ads> Delete Advertising ID

Then go back to Other Privacy Settings> Google location history> Turn off Location History &/or Turn-on Auto-Delete (you can set a time period of how long to keep it)

Then, staying on Other Privacy Settings, go to '+ See all activity controls'> Web & App activity> Turn off (you can also turn-on Auto-Delete for here too)

Then Scroll down to Personalized ads> My Ad Center> Turn Off Personalized Ads.

Google has no business knowing/storing everything you do online, and knowing/storing where you go everyday. Turn it off.

These instructions are for an Android phone, IOS might be different. If you have IOS or another operating system feel free to add on with your own map to where they've buried these settings in your phone to help others.

[titleknown]

So, Dove soap and Lizzo are endorsing KOSA, in the name of "social media is bad for teens' self-esteem" (even though that's bullshit) and I am mad.

If you don't know, long story short KOSA is a bill that's ostensibly one of those "Protect the Children" bills, but what it's actually going to do is more or less require you to scan your fucking face every time you want to go on a website; or give away similarly privacy-violating information like your drivers' license or credit card info.

Either that or force them to censor anything that could even remotely be considered not "kid friendly." Not to mention fundies are openly saying they're gonna use this to hurt trans kids. Which is, uh, real fucking bad.

Given that in terms of their actual products they don't have a direct stake in it, it might be possible to get Dove to rescind this (can't find contact info for Lizzo sadly), if you want to contact Dove about this, here's their contact page.

And, as per usual, I urge you to contact your congresscritters, especially given that as of now (Thursday, 4/13/2023) they plan to re-introduce the bill this Monday, and we're going to need a flood of people saying this is awful to kill it.

[lordbeelz]

It's crazy how kosa will affect the entire internet and yet there's barely enough of anyone speaking out about this. If you can raise awareness and spread the word, you should do it to the best of your ability. When the internet is a means of communication for so many people, it's unfair not to take action. I've seen people who thought it was dead just because we stopped talking about it! Don't just reblog posts or whatever, tell those in your actual personal life. Contact your senators and make your opposition known. I know they bring this back every year, and it's tiring, but don't give up now. We need to try all we can to prevent this from passing.

[incognitopolls]

We ask your questions so you don’t have to! Submit your questions to have them posted anonymously as polls.

[fixing-bad-posts]

[Image description: A screenshot made to look like a Google Chrome browser notification. Transcript is below.]

---

We at Google think you're fucking stupid

We're launching new privacy features. You are cattle to us. Soon you will have more choice over the ads you see.

Our services are free to use because you are the product we sell. Chrome notes topics of interest based on your recent browsing history. Chrome wants to make you a fatter hog for our advertisers. Sites you visit can determine what you like. If we don't know what you like, we can't strangle you for money. Sites can ask for this information to show you personalized ads. This is a privacy feature. Yeah, of course it is. What are you talking about? Just believe us, you idiot.

We know most of you will not even stop to read this. Thank god.

Did you know we removed "Don't be evil" from our code of conduct in 2015?

[fabaulti]

I think most of us should take the whole ai scraping situation as a sign that we should maybe stop giving google/facebook/big corps all our data and look into alternatives that actually value your privacy.

i know this is easier said than done because everybody under the sun seems to use these services, but I promise you it’s not impossible. In fact, I made a list of a few alternatives to popular apps and services, alternatives that are privacy first, open source and don’t sell your data.

right off the bat I suggest you stop using gmail. it’s trash and not secure at all. google can read your emails. in fact, google has acces to all the data on your account and while what they do with it is already shady, I don’t even want to know what the whole ai situation is going to bring. a good alternative to a few google services is skiff. they provide a secure, e3ee mail service along with a workspace that can easily import google documents, a calendar and 10 gb free storage. i’ve been using it for a while and it’s great.

a good alternative to google drive is either koofr or filen. I use filen because everything you upload on there is end to end encrypted with zero knowledge. they offer 10 gb of free storage and really affordable lifetime plans.

google docs? i don’t know her. instead, try cryptpad. I don’t have the spoons to list all the great features of this service, you just have to believe me. nothing you write there will be used to train ai and you can share it just as easily. if skiff is too limited for you and you also need stuff like sheets or forms, cryptpad is here for you. the only downside i could think of is that they don’t have a mobile app, but the site works great in a browser too.

since there is no real alternative to youtube I recommend watching your little slime videos through a streaming frontend like freetube or new pipe. besides the fact that they remove ads, they also stop google from tracking what you watch. there is a bit of functionality loss with these services, but if you just want to watch videos privately they’re great.

if you’re looking for an alternative to google photos that is secure and end to end encrypted you might want to look into stingle, although in my experience filen’s photos tab works pretty well too.

oh, also, for the love of god, stop using whatsapp, facebook messenger or instagram for messaging. just stop. signal and telegram are literally here and they’re free. spread the word, educate your friends, ask them if they really want anyone to snoop around their private conversations.

regarding browser, you know the drill. throw google chrome/edge in the trash (they really basically spyware disguised as browsers) and download either librewolf or brave. mozilla can be a great secure option too, with a bit of tinkering.

if you wanna get a vpn (and I recommend you do) be wary that some of them are scammy. do your research, read their terms and conditions, familiarise yourself with their model. if you don’t wanna do that and are willing to trust my word, go with mullvad. they don’t keep any logs. it’s 5 euros a month with no different pricing plans or other bullshit.

lastly, whatever alternative you decide on, what matters most is that you don’t keep all your data in one place. don’t trust a service to take care of your emails, documents, photos and messages. store all these things in different, trustworthy (preferably open source) places. there is absolutely no reason google has to know everything about you.

do your own research as well, don’t just trust the first vpn service your favourite youtube gets sponsored by. don’t trust random tech blogs to tell you what the best cloud storage service is — they get good money for advertising one or the other. compare shit on your own or ask a tech savvy friend to help you. you’ve got this.

[broeikas]

okay now that the committee hearing about KOSA is started, i need all of you to do something.

i need all of you to call them like you're being put on voicemail and your grandma's dying.

you will make sure these fuckers phones buzz so much they fall off the table. they will get ANNOYED with you. MAKE SURE IT HAPPENS.

the number is 813-492-2379, and you will just give them a piece of your mind. make the ringtone your favorite song to make you feel better. if it makes you feel cooler, imagine you're going off to battle or something.

while calling, you can use a script, or simply say that you are calling about KOSA and the earn it act and restrict act, and say YOU DO NOT SUPPORT THEM!

for more info go to:

stopkosa.com

badinternetbills.com

MAKE SURE THAT THEY HAVE TO FUCKING THINK ON IT!

[thoughtportal]

stop telling people to ‘just move’

[ahb-writes]

(from The Mitchells vs. the Machines, 2021)

[gen-z-superheroes]

"Stopncii.org is a free tool designed to support victims of Non-Consensual Intimate Image (NCII) abuse."

"Revenge Porn Helpline is a UK service supporting adults (aged 18+) who are experiencing intimate image abuse, also known as, revenge porn."

"Take It Down (ncmec.org) is for people who have images or videos of themselves nude, partially nude, or in sexually explicit situations taken when they were under the age of 18 that they believe have been or will be shared online."

[frameacloud]

(The image descriptions are in the alt text.)

These are two slides from a presentation that I did together with my partner @who-is-page: "You Are Not A Museum Piece: Putting Yourself Out There In The Alterhuman Community." You can watch the whole presentation on Youtube here.

You can make informed decisions about your privacy on the internet, and pick and choose to make it just right for your own personal needs. It doesn't have to be all-or-nothing. A risk that's acceptable for one person may be too big for another person. These lists are based on sources such as the book The Smart Girl’s Guide to Privacy: Practical Tips for Staying Safe Online, by Violet Blue. We recommend reading it to learn more.

[sharpandgloriousth0rn]

This is a website where you can write to your representatives and call them to stop KOSA from passing. If passed, this bill will negatively impact everyone, especially those in the LGBTQ+ community. I am asking you to please mail your representatives, you only need to put in your information. Call if you can.

[whyislenaluthorsohot]

I didn't know about KOSA until today so I'm trying to help spread the word too

KOSA stands for Kids Online Safety Act and by wording of the bill would give state attorney generals the power to sue and ban websites that have content that is "harmful and explicit" which is stated in the bill. Sites that would be attacked would be Twitter, A03, Tumblr, Tiktok, and many more and the people that made this bill and are pushing for it have clearly come out to say that they will be using this to ban trans and LGBTQ+ content. They are pushing it as protecting kids online and helping to prevent eating disorders but in reality, it is to censor people and continue the attack on trans and queer people and children. The sponsors of this bill are publically homophobic and transphobic and these same people and offices are also co-sponsoring the Restrict Act.

If any site has any type of content that contains queer themes, state attorney generals will have the power to take them down.

Over 100 LGBTQ+ and human organizations expressed concern over this bill that was originally brought up last year and they have repeatedly said that their concerns have not been addressed. They are being actively ignored by the offices that are writing this bill.

This person on Tiktok explains it all very well

And this is her link tree for petitions and to explain

This is a very important topic and is not getting enough attention. This bill threatens LGBTQ+ and trans children and Republican offices are ignoring organizations that say it's a bad bill. We are on a very slippery slope regarding LGBTQ+ issues

If you can, please reblog. We need to spread the word about this bill

[bisexualbaker]

Dreamwidth and privacy, Dreamwidth and apps

I got an ask about Dreamwidth that has since completely vanished from my inbox and my activity feed, but it had some important questions that I wanted to answer, so I'm going to try and address them anyway:

"How's Dreamwidth on privacy? Do they data mine?"

They only take as much information as they are legally obligated to and/or is needed to make the site actually function. You are the only one who gets to decide how much of that you share with the public, or how little.

Dreamwidth makes the money it needs to run the site entirely through its userbase. They do not sell our data and do not want to.

"Do they have a mobile app too?"

No, and they probably never will. I know this is a disappointment for a lot of Tumblr users, but it's one of the primary ways that Dreamwidth can ensure that it's free to use for all users, and that we can post as much NSFW stuff there as we want.

That said, the Dreamwidth team has done everything they can to make the site friendly to mobile browsing! IIRC there are even some layouts that are particularly friendly to mobile browsing. Install Firefox/Mozilla on your phone, or a clone of it you particularly like, and log in through that, and you should be able to use the site just as well as you could from a desktop computer.