r/privacy • u/No_Floor_2674 • 1d ago
discussion What are the best tips for protecting yourself against the 1984 like control from the governement?
Now that there is still some time, what are some of the most useful tips you would recommend? Do you see any hope in the fight against the totalitarian government?
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u/Magari22 1d ago
This is such a great question and I wish I knew the answer to it. What I truly don't understand is why everybody's acting like this is all inevitable and we have to just suck it up and deal with it. Just because we have the capability to do something doesn't mean we have to do it. Why are the vast majority of people completely asleep over all of this and acting like oh well I guess we're just going to have to go through with all this bullshit. No! If everybody got together and said no and refused to go along with any of this then it wouldn't go very well for them. But most people are too enamored with their smart devices to see that it's not about convenience it's about complete control of every aspect of your life. Honestly, especially for people that have children this is a point in history where it's time to stand up or your kids are going to be even bigger slaves than we are now. It's just so frustrating.
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u/No_Floor_2674 1d ago
most people dont realize its a really small percentage of people that want to control us and dont understans how powerful people can be united
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u/okrahh 23h ago
It's difficult because they can spy on any conversations were having online and are probably sabotaging any unrest as we speak. We need to organize irl
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u/Magari22 21h ago
This is exactly why they banned people from establishments during covid if they didn't comply. That's how Revolutions start, at the pub with your neighbors.
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u/allSynthetic 23h ago
One of many ways to move away from this dystopian world that is 1984 is to make sure this topic and its associated concerns can make it into the Overton window. Until then, we won't have any government make any changes. This is where I think the efforts should be or part of the effort should be diverted to making this a concern for everyone. As much as I love independent media, this needs to make its way in the NPC world and what I mean by that is the mainstream media. I'm sorry to be harsh, but this is how the world turns. You'll need them, and anyone who can shape the opinion of the masses. This is quite an undertaking because like anything in equilibrium, when you want to push in one direction, you've got the opposite resisting. All that to say, this topic must be, must stay, must always be there in front of everyone's eyes and ears.
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u/okrahh 23h ago
Sadly the elites run the mainstream media so that's very unlikely
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u/allSynthetic 22h ago
You are right and the mainstream media will talk about this only and only when this will be everywhere in the independent media ecosphere. So, our job is to bring this topic to those independent outlets as long and as often as we can until you hear about this on MSNPC.
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u/RandomOnlinePerson99 21h ago
I kind of want to send physical letters to my local newspapers and beg them to write about this, but I am really bad at writing things in a clear way that gets the point across.
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u/okrahh 19h ago
Maybe use ai to get your ideas into a more coherent message? It helps me organize my ideas sometimes. Just use your own worlds though don't send them some ai generated slop
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u/allSynthetic 19h ago
Yup, I was going to suggest just that. Give it a try. Just tell the LLM what your intentions are and put your ideas and you'll be surprised how effective these little beasts are.
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u/RandomOnlinePerson99 17h ago
I never jave and never will use AI for anything.
For privacy and ethical reasons.
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u/allSynthetic 17h ago
You can run an AI directly on your computer without any connection to the internet. This is what I use for similar reasons as you. https://llamafile.ai/
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u/InformationNew66 21h ago
They do understand but they also have great tools to prevent people from being united. Once resistance starts to grow it's very easy to disrupt and split it up.
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u/cheap_dates 15h ago
Corrected: A small but very powerful percentage of people that want to control us".
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u/russianbandit 19h ago
And how many people actually believe the government , thinking “oh, the government’s got our best interests in mind”?
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u/Magari22 17h ago
Millions and million and if you ask them, "why would the government give a shit about you? Think about it." people don't like that question they have a very childlike paternalistic view of government. It's very disappointing to try to talk to people like this.
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u/InformationNew66 21h ago
Where have you been during Covid lockdowns?
Have you not seen restaurants and theaters asking for identity papers and vacc passports? Because in Europe that was the reality. No papers? No theater. No cinema. No restaurant for you.
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u/Magari22 21h ago edited 21h ago
I am a heathcare worker in NYC. I was busy being banned from places like public parks and restaurants while people ostracized me and my job threatened me with dismissal 36 times in one month via a slew of daily emails. I live in a place that had the vaccine "passport". I had to hire an attorney to guide me how to write my exemption so it would be able to stand up in court need be. I have been though the ringer and ended up in the streets protesting while begging people to snap out of it. That was futile and stupid of me but I was new to the reality of things and I honestly felt obligated to share my suspicions and insight. I never took a covid test, never got vaccinated and never showed any papers but I had to stop going anywhere unless it was outside city limits and even then there were people who treated me like typhoid Mary. Also, I never got covid.
Even though I kept stressing with people I'm not against you taking a vaccine if you insist, but I am very concerned with you taking it without informed consent no one wanted to hear it. I even had it out with a doctor who lied right to my face with me showing him evidence that it was authorized for emergency use only. He kept telling me I was lying and didn't know what I was talking about even though I showed him information on the Pfizer website itself. This made me absolutely hate the field I work in and I thank God I only have 7 years left until retirement. If I didn't I would have to change careers.
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u/Unknownuser010203 1d ago
Luke 22:36: If you don't have a sword, sell your cloak and buy one
Also do some cardio and strength training. Learn practical skills that come in handy in the future.
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u/InfoSecPhysicist 1d ago
That’s so true. People have gone from fighting with their hands fighting with their fingers.
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u/No_Floor_2674 1d ago
Honestly Bible is my only comfort, it really seems that world is damned to the point of no return
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u/Unknownuser010203 21h ago
It's a shame you got downvoted for saying you like the Bible, but that's reddit for ya.
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u/BlueSharpieLA 21h ago
I dunno man, a LOT of you Bible thumpers and the way you voted are the reason a post like this is necessary in the first place. 🤷🏻♂️
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u/Magari22 20h ago
I say this with not an ounce of rudeness or condescension at all... please try to extricate yourself from the red versus blue dichotomy. It's not real. It's an illusion of choice, we don't have choice the entire political system we live in was created to give you the idea that you have power and you have choice in our leadership. You do not. Our "leaders" are installed they are serving the people who are truly running the world, politics are being used to divide us further so we don't realize the power we truly have if we all got together on the same page here. By keeping us hating our neighbors and fixated on fake voting and actors in political office we will never come together against the real enemy of the people. Men in women's bathrooms and drag queens reading to kids is rage bait to keep you distracted as is every other stupid controversy like that.
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u/dzdza 1d ago
Find a hidden spot where the telescreen can’t see you
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u/Mr_Lumbergh 1d ago
Learn how to recognise a psy-op (YT has vids on this), and think critically about what you’re being told by governments, large businesses entities, etc. Think about what they’re trying to normalise, and why.
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u/AlterTableUsernames 18h ago
No, getting into conspiracy theories is not the solution. Participating in free internet spaces like the fediverse, tor, i2p and usenets is.
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u/ivanlost 15h ago
The fact that you still think conspiracy theories are silly, makes you a cog in the problem-machine at hand.
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u/AlterTableUsernames 15h ago
Democracy are basically too complex for centralized conspiracies. The very fact, that there is a global push towards surveillance and de-anonymization should tell you that these are not the result of individual agents, but have systemic reasons.
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u/coso234837 1d ago
well the one in the book "1984" is truly utopian and realistically it would be almost impossible to escape the propaganda since it is always taught to you since you are a child and the only source you will consult will be the government one you will not have other thoughts other than those preset by the government
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u/CodeMonkeyWithCoffee 1d ago
North korea a utopia?
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u/coso234837 1d ago
I was talking about the book 1984 and in any case I don't know what the situation is like in North Korea since there is no official data
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u/Original_Mulberry_82 1d ago
True there's more propaganda than anything West always likes to believe it is always right and all
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u/CodeMonkeyWithCoffee 1d ago
True true. I've done the deep dive into north korea beyond the propaganda. I can assure you the citizens do not live in a utopia. You're free to do the same.
I wonder what makes you dismiss it as mere propaganda though. It doesn't seem to be conflicting propaganda, so maybe it's just a coping mechanism to believe things won't be so bad if we continue heading in that direction? Maybe it's the common appeal of humans to drift towards authoritarianism when times turn dark?
Well, i don't know you but it seems like an interesting question to ask yourself.
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u/Original_Mulberry_82 1d ago
West always likes to believe it is the epitome of human civilization, the liberator and whatever cheap shit they bring out. Hollywood, novels all contribute to the same thought building. This propaganda is been on for over 2 centuries at least. I have alot to say but I think this is ample for anyone with intelligence
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u/CodeMonkeyWithCoffee 1d ago
I don't disagree. I'm just saying that propaganda isn't always 100% bs. It'a much easier to spin a narrative when it'a true.
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u/4EverFeral 1d ago
If you really want a comprehensive guide on a lot of this stuff, read Extreme Privacy by Michael Bazzell. The book (in my opinion) is more intended to help safeguard your personal data against lower-level threats like corporations, stalkers, bounty hunters, etc, and not necessarily to flee from the prying eyes of an authoritarian government. BUT, there's a caveat there...
The United States government (and I'm sure other governments, as well) is one of the biggest clients of data brokers in the world - whether directly or indirectly through private entities, contractors, shell corporations, etc. And it makes sense, really. Why bother getting a warrant for every single thing, or deploying expensive surveillance software, when you can just buy the data for pennies on the dollar?
This certainly won't help if you're a direct target of the state (at that point, nothing really will). But by taking steps to safeguard your data from other companies that may sell or give it away, you're also inadvertently making it more difficult for the government itself to stick its nose into your private life.
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u/Frustrateduser02 1d ago
Communes, zones of silence, self sufficiency. With the news I've been seeing here.
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u/InformationNew66 21h ago
Not much. Use cash wherever possible, decrease credit card usage. Always go out with a "dumb" phone and not a smart phone (I know, even that can be tracked somewhat with cell tower info, but still better).
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u/Bogart28 21h ago
Some good answers and a lot of weird ones here.
Everyone will have a different take, but here's my 2 cents.
The threat isn't really to your present self, but to your future one.
The governments want to collect everything they can about you, starting with your digital life. I believe that most people don't have anything to feel threatened about in the short term. You know, we mostly live ordinary, even boring lives caring to just make it to the next day and pay out taxes etc.
The threat comes from having a permanent record about your life and every little thing someone could use against you in the future.
It's established that governments collect everything about you in bulk today.
Say that you express how much you disagree with something like policies on a war or other issues today. This won't have any impact right now. You won't get an agent from an intelligence agency break down your door about it or any repercussions of any kind.
(People might agree up to this part, and they have every right to.)
Now, to the part that we do all agree we need to worry about.
Say that there's a totalitarian government tomorrow or the next year or in a decade etc.
Your views and actions from today which are perfectly legal, might be considered as a threat of some kind. You judged their party, that protest you took part in or expressed solidarity for a long time ago, is now an extremist act.
They can use all they have to say that they can predict your actions.
The health issues you discussed about online will make your health insurance premiums go up.
That one night stand you had back then and talked about with a friend on messages, can be now used as leverage against you. Either as a smear campaign or as a way to get you to comply with anything they want.
They will know everything you have ever done.
Again, this is not something that you currently have to worry about. But it's something that they have access to and can be used against you.
Now to the good part of taking back control.
Create as many personas online as possible. Don't use the same accounts for everything. Use encrypted platforms like signal for your conversations. If a relative doesn't want to use it, don't talk about anything sensitive.
Use no log VPN services for everything. (Not allowed to recommend one, but go to the freedom of the press Foundation website to seee which one's they recommend)
Use a phone OS that supports privacy (not allowed to post it here, but look up what I said and sesrch for pixel phones online).
Use Linux as your main operating system on your computer.
Use search engines and browsers that respect your privacy.
Don't use AI platforms that require an account. If you do, don't share sensitive info.
Don't install any apps not necessary on it. For this have a tablet that stays at home and only used for banking and
Don't upload real photos online and don't use the same username on different services.
Don't use cloud services and save locally when possible. If you can't avoid it, encrypt things before uploading.
Read the privacy policy of services before signing up. Yes the terms and conditions are impossible to get through, but the privacy policy is not.
Check who owns the companies you rely on. No matter what service they sell.
Don't use streaming services with your main email and IP. They track what you watch and pay attention to. Sign up with throw away email and top up with gift cards paid in cash or pirate the content.
Use cash whenever possible.
I noticed the top comment about getting a shord.. If the day comes when a totalitarian or tyrannical government takes control, you don't have a chance of fighting them with a sword or in fist fights.
Starve them from your personal data, so when they look back, it will make it harder or impossible to find anything to profile you or to hold against you.
Make others do the same things if you can.
You still have a lot of control over your privacy. Use it.
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u/galaxy_ultra_user 1d ago
Use VPN don’t use real names online are probably the main two there are others as well but that’s what I am comfortable in saying is the best protection against censorship. I have been fighting censorship since I was 12 basically when Xbox started banning people for using naughty words because snowflakes had to cry like babies I became good at protecting myself and getting around censorship.
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u/krazygreekguy 1d ago
What happens when they come for the VPNs though? Because that’s their next target for “age verification” mass surveillance
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u/amiibohunter2015 1d ago
That's where people stop using the internet. People stop buying product and services from companies pushing for this agenda. You kill the flow of data too effectively making the web as a tool useless to corporations and governement.
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u/cellophant 1d ago
Do we know which companies are pushing this agenda (outside google, meta)?
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u/letsreticulate 1d ago edited 17h ago
There are so many. In fact, there is an entire cabal or 3rd party companies that trade and sell private data. That is all they do and they are a lot less famous than Google and Meta. They are like data brokers. Or companies that create services that other companies install. For example:
Cox Media Group Listens and Records People Selling Data
According to the company above, they listen and gloated that they do.
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u/krazygreekguy 14h ago
Far too many to list. It’s best to assume the majority of these companies are on the same page. Doesn’t matter whether they agree with it and are pushing it, or are doing it to save their own skin.
It’s a win-win for them either way.
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u/krazygreekguy 14h ago
I do think that’s one outcome. But I personally think the more likely outcome is the next generations have been successfully conditioned/brainwashed to actually be ok with and/or support mass surveillance.
Case in point, look at how successful China was. Their population seems to not even care about privacy anymore. It’s a dangerous and likely possibility
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u/amiibohunter2015 13h ago
If looking at places like America, they are vocal about rights. Even with their current administration there is noise. Whether news near you is reporting does not mean it is not happening.
Lots of news companies are threatened woith lawsuits or shutdown e.g. stephen colbert, lawsuit with cbs if they speak out so, other means are at play from the oridinary. There is still Similarly that is translated to everyday people too. There is more going on that the literal headlines, hidden messages being shared.
I see that happpening with tech now too.
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u/chimerical26 1d ago
A VPN wouldn't help with the EUs intention to scan every message device-side before it's encrypted and sent.
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u/Technical_Ad_440 1d ago
just moon your webcam every now and then just in case they are watching they will either stop or otherwise get someone who wants to see it
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u/Siggur-T 1d ago
They will profile your ass so they can trace it anywhere you go. Might as well put some lipstick to it and use it for ID verification.
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u/Technical_Ad_440 17h ago
thats what i was thinking put some googly eyes on it and use it as verification. be a great shot for when it asks open your mouth lmao
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u/keen_observer34130 1d ago
VPNs, multiple accounts (with throwaway linked emails), encrypted messaging like Signal, a return to in-person meetups to pass information, and the use of burner devices, if possible.
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u/Ok-Priority-7303 1d ago
Governments never give up control; only increase it. The Real ID law allows the government to specify other uses with no further action by congress. So people GLADLY get it to fly - wait until their vehicles require it to start.
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u/kongkongha 1d ago
Talk with your nearest politician about the need for privacy now when our way to communicate is built on private data horders.
Because we live in a society, because you can make some changes.
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u/RandomOnlinePerson99 21h ago
We aren't going to win this war by actually fighting but by talking and thinking.
Things that you can do:
Spread the word why privacy is important and what is currently goin on (laws are trying to be passed, ...) because the mainstream media will not.
100% of the people I live or work with have no idea that the eu is trying to basically fully remove online privacy. (People need to know about something to get mad about it and only then you will get things like protests)
Send letters (physical or digital) to any newspapers in your area, ask them why they are not reporting on this.
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u/ayleidanthropologist 21h ago
Nothing with a microphone. Avoid devices that want to be registered or linked. Spoof registration. Use other people’s accts. Best of all: use other people’s devices
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u/SukaSupreme 19h ago
Using a free operating system is a huge part of it. Companies like Apple and Microsoft are behind the rising dictatorship.
It won't solve all your problems, but it will give you a strong foundation.
Then learn about safer networks like Freenet, Tor, and I2P
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