Thread by @RobertGReeve

Sequel time! So you want to clean up your privacy online. Here's how.

Each choice is a tradeoff between privacy and convenience, and the tarnish of capitalism is everywhere. (Speaking of, still waiting on my @Sensodyne_US sponsorship.)

P.S. this is my mom. She's a nurse. 💖🧵

I am a “content designer” (a gag-me industry term that just means writer). I read voraciously on others’ data privacy reporting and I write to make things easy to understand. So I won’t be getting too technical.

First, backstory: cookies. When your device talks to any website, it downloads a tiny file, like the saved file in a video game so it can remember where you left off. Some are useful—”remember I’m logged in”—others just track you for ads.

There’s a tech arms race over cookies.

Cookies store info you provide (name, address, phone number, credit card, browser you use, etc). Apple & Google also developed "device identifiers" for iPhone & Android. Advertisers can tie data to your ID.

Identifiers are more powerful because they can track you in apps too.

In Europe, legislation has curtailed such tracking. In the US, we have a patchwork of state laws.

But a national law is inevitable. And lobbyists for the entrenched tech companies will influence Congress so that those laws favor them.

Here's an unusually transparent cookie pop-up that complies with European Union law (and British spelling rules).

Notice how it uses bright colors to draw your eye and manipulate your behavior. They want you to ignore the dark button.

Designers talk about button color a lot.

Sometimes these alerts overwhelm you with text. Providing this level of transparency is a no-win scenario.

Transparency is well-intentioned (and good legal cover-your-ass), but that doesn't mean the reader has the time and expertise to understand everything.

Compare with this satire site. At least in the EU they tell you what they're doing when they track you. In the US we don't even have to give you the option to opt out. "You're here? That's implied consent." Yeah ok

Bonus: low-contrast text links you can't tell are clickable.

Some site banners try to make it cute and tell you nothing at all about the tracking. (Note the carve-out protecting EU residents.)

The good news is tracking cookies are dying! The bad news is what comes next will be worse. Alex makes smart predictions here.

She points out Google just bought Fitbit. We're just 10 years from "Hey you pulled a few all-nighters; want a sleep specialist?"

https://twitter.com/VLXCAT/status/1398085016186355713?s=20

So, what can you do? (I'll keep it basic and assume you're new to this.)

To reduce the impact of tracking, change your default browser and search engine on your phone and computer. You can search the web for guides—it’s different on Android & iPhone.

Chrome's "Incognito mode" stops your partner from snooping on your porn habits, but Google still knows. Google warns you that websites can still track you, but they conspicuously don’t mention themselves.

cnet.com/news/google-fa…

I use @firefox for my browser. Hypocritically, I still use Google search, but browsers let you change your default search engine.

My old boss, who is as off-the-grid as a programmer who lives in DC can get, uses @Duckduckgo for search. It'll remove trackers and personalized ads.

Cookies aren't the only way to track you, though. EVERY link from Facebook has tracking codes. It connects that activity to you, building a web of what you click on and whom you share links with.

To interrupt it, delete the ? from the end of the URL before you share.

I also don’t use “log in with Google” or “Log in with Facebook” buttons that show up on sites. It’s convenient, but it feeds so much info back to them. This article shows how a website can program the button to request your Facebook data.

socialmediaexaminer.com/how-to-use-fac…

I instead make unique accounts for each site.

The tradeoff is that smaller companies are easier targets for hackers. That’s why you should use a password manager and never recycle passwords. It’s WAY easier to use than I first expected.

I liked LastPass, but a private-equity firm bought them, added some trackers, the price creeps up, and they cut back on free features. 1Password and Bitwarden seem popular now.

The constant, subtle change is part of why tech is so hard to navigate.
theverge.com/2021/2/26/2230…

I've highlighted individual actions we can take, but we are only sticking our fingers in a dam. Nothing we as individuals do can hold this back.

The only way forward is collectively. We must elect younger politicians who understand how tech shapes society. And curtail lobbying.

Tech regulation is a bipartisan issue. Both sides disagree on the exact nature of the problem, but even so, we can find common ground in some of our solutions. We already have. deadline.com/2021/06/antitr…

I am shocked (shocked!) to see that @RepZoeLofgren, who voted against the big tech antitrust bill, received $15,000 from political action committees at Google parent company Alphabet and $10,000 from a Facebook PAC. opensecrets.org/members-of-con…

I don't mean to pick on one person, because money in politics is out of control and we need campaign finance reform. Because, like I said earlier... transparency alone is not enough. brennancenter.org/our-work/analy…

The past decade has shown us the unintended consequences of these systems. How they can distribute misinformation, make us vulnerable to cyberattack, destabilize governments, heighten economic inequality, and exacerbate our divides.

What fixes this? Building a real community:
· be an informed citizen
· examine your own biases and tribalism
· be patient, humble, and open to changing your mind
· talk with people who aren't like you. find common ground.
· work together to hold those in power accountable.

🪡

Oh yeah. If you're new to the show, my previous privacy thread is here:

https://twitter.com/RobertGReeve/status/1397032784703655938?s=20