Since most people don’t have the resources or knowledge to host their own servers, this post will provide recommendations for increasing digital privacy without self-hosting. If anyone can think of something to add, please comment and I will edit the post.

Alternatives to big tech services

This section will list alternatives to common big tech software that steals your data.

  • Discord: Matrix; Easy to use clients: Nheko, Element
  • Github: Codeberg
  • Twitter: Mastodon
  • YouTube: LBRY; Easy to use clients: LBRY Desktop, Odysee
  • Google Search: SearX/SearXNG; List of public instances: https://searx.space/
  • Windows: Any Linux distribution. Seriously, don’t use Windows. Linux isn’t as hard as people say it is. My parents and grandparents use it.
  • Google Chrome: Firefox. Do not use Chrome, it is one of the worst things that exists for privacy. Chromium (the open-source version of Chrome) is a little better but I still wouldn’t use it.

Suggestions for privacy-respecting hardware

Suggestions for privacy-respecting software

  • TOR: Encrypts your traffic in three layers, then routes across a randomized network of nodes, providing very high security and privacy, and making it near impossible to track your activities.
  • Mullvad VPN: VPN that allows you to make an account without providing any details, and pay in cash or crypto (or just with a card) to ensure your identity cannot be found out since it’s not even known by Mullvad.
  • LibreWolf: Browser focused on privacy and security. May break some sites, especially streaming sites like Netflix, Hulu, etc. Broken sites can be fixed by changing settings at the expense of some privacy if required.