Big Tech and Privacy Alternatives

Big-TechPrivacy-AlternativesTechnology

Hello Everyone, In this blog post, we are going to talk about the problems with big tech companies like Google, Facebook (Meta) and more, and as well talk about privacy alternatives like Tuta.

I have also changed my domain (again) to a subdomain (blog.azzyaz.net), like before, you can access the blog via either domain.

Moving On, Google, Meta and more, have been tracking you, maybe stealing your data, selling them too.

This wake up call began in June 2013, when whistleblower Edward Snowden revealed extensive surveillance programs in the US operated by intelligence agencies like NSA and the FBI (without judicial authorization).

This had inspired many privacy focused alternatives like Tutanota (now Tuta) and Threema, and i am almost completing my privacy switchover from Google Apps to alternatives like Tuta. I have also created a privacy pack (below)

There have been cases with Google scanning and going through your emails, like in 2022, a Father got his Gmail account blocked by Google for sending naked pictures of his child to a doctor, but even though investigations were closed, Google was still not letting the father get back access to the account, this is a example that Google scans through messages for “safety”

Google can also influence you by ad-based systems (eg, Recommendations on Youtube and what-not). And something else i had discovered today, in Copilot, there is a Lab feature called Copilot Vision, which allows you to share your screen with Copilot if you need help with your screen, to me, this is very privacy invasive since it has access to your screen, and can see private documents too, when i tried it, it already described the wallpaper i had on my desktop.

But Fortunately, there is a way to escape Big Techs constant tracking and stealing data from you to data brokers, you could either:

  • Self-Host - If you know what you are doing , you can self-host popular software like Immich (self-hosted Google Photos alternative) or Nextcloud (self-hosted Google Drive alternative), downside is, its unreliable, so it’s recommended you use the 3-2-1 backup method for any important data.

  • Cloud Hosting - This is like self-hosting at home, but you do it at a cloud hosting service, which they manage the server for you, there are popular options like DigitalOcean or Hostinger, but again, its not reliable, and you don’t have physical access to the machine, which makes it harder to troubleshoot, again, use the 3-2-1 backup method i have mentioned earlier.

  • Existing Alternatives - FOSS Projects like Tuta or Ente you can use if you don’t wanna go through the pain of self-hosting, the ones i have used are reliable and trustworthy, so great option, but use the 3-2-1 backup method if you don’t wanna lose access to your precious memories.

So there are options for getting away from Big Tech, but the important thing is, take your time, you can explore privacy options, but you cant do it in a poof, for me, i took months and breaks from getting over to the other side because there was a obstacle between from Google Photos to Ente, i used Googles Takeout, which separated the EXIF metadata from the photo, it was frustrating, but now, i am half done with the switchover thanks to this life saving tool you can find here (which sorts your photos in years and unifies the EXIF files with the correct photo.

In the End, you can escape Big Tech by either the 3 options i have mentioned earlier, it takes time, but soon, i will conduct a list of more privacy-focused alternatives to Google Products, but it isn’t just Google to be pinned, its also Microsoft and Meta, their actions combined are disgusting too, it will be available on the site soon.

Anyways, i will see you in the next post!