Heyha !
This is probably going to be long take and it's late here in europe... So for those who bare with me and are ready to read through my broken English, thank you.
I'm personally concerned about how my data and my identity is used against my will while surfing the web or using/hosting services. Self-hoster and networking enthousiast, I have some entry/medium security infrastructure.
Ranging from self-hosted adblocker, dns, router, vlans, containers, server, firewall, wireguard, VPN... you name it ! I was pretty happy to see all my traffic being encrypted through wireshark and having what I consider a solid homelab.
Also having most undesired dns/ads blocked with adguard in firefox with custom configuration, blocking everything, and changing some about:config options:
- privacy.resistFingerprinting
- privacy.trackingprotection.fingerprinting.enabled
- ...
I though I had some pretty harden security and safe browsing experience, but oh my I was wrong...
From pixel tracking, to WebRTC leaking your real ip, fonts fingreprinting, canvas fingreprinting, audio fingerprinting, android default keyboard sending samples, ssl certificate with known vulnerabilities...
And most of them are not even some new tracking tech... I mean even firefox 54 was aware of most of these way of fingerprinting the user, and it makes me feel firefox is just another hidden evil-corp hiding with a fancy privacy facade ! Uhhg...
And even if you somehow randomize those fingerprint, user-agent and block most of those things, this makes you stand out of the mass and makes you even easier to track or fingerprint. Yeah something I read recently and it actually make sense... the best way to be somehow invisible is actually to blend into the mass... If you stand out, you are pretty sure to be notices and identified (if that makes sense :/)
This really makes me depressed right now... It feels like a losing battle where my energy is just being wasted to try to have some privacy and anonimity on the web... While fighting against the new laws ringing on our doors and big tech company always having two steps ahead...
I'm really asking myself if it really matters and if it actually make sense to use harden technology or browsers like arkenfox or the tor browser whose end node are mostly intercepted by private institutions and governemental institutions...
I'm probably overthinking and falling into a deep hole... But the more i dig into security and privacy, the more I get the feeling that this is an already lost battle against big tech...
Some recent source:
Thank you for your kind words ! But I really feels hopeless when you are in a BIG minority trying to fight Goliath... Every time I try to convince people around me (family, friends) that privacy and anonymity is not only about something personal to hide, but a whole ecosystem, people, journalism, free speech to protect, they just don't get it :\
Right now, it feels like a heavy package on my shoulder and I'm only doing it for myself in my home environment. I can't imagine how the real privacy advocates must feel everyday...
The amount of times ive heard "nothing to hide nothing to fear". Its frusterating but if u convince just 2 people over the entiroty of your life we will eventualy win.
Don't spend much time on other people. These folks have consumed the proverbial kool-aide and are unreachable until something directly impacts them. That might never happen because most of us aren't dangerous to anybody or worth extra work to manipulate.
One needs to be able to imagine the possibilities that come with the capabilities to be motivated to take counter measures. These people don't have the imagination nor the awareness of history to make such mental leaps.
You know you're not alone and can communicate with us and learn new techniques to block tracking. Get comfortable with the fact we will never know for sure we are free of surveillance and all we can do is keep alert for new threats while maintaining continuous improvement. Think of it as a game of hide and seek and enjoy those moments you dodge one of those reports of millions of accounts being hacked or people fearfully reporting a spooky marketing "coincidence".