Privacy 101

00:14:11
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UgXjxQsyk4w

Resumo

TLDRIn today's digital age, many people unknowingly lose control over their personal information due to data collection by companies and governments. This video provides a 'Privacy 101' guide for reclaiming your privacy with simple, actionable steps. Viewers are encouraged to begin with small changes, such as switching to privacy-focused browsers, search engines, messaging apps, email providers, calendars, and using VPNs. The narrator emphasizes individual empowerment in reclaiming digital privacy and the importance of making informed choices about privacy tools.

Conclusões

  • 🔍 Switch to a privacy-focused browser like Brave or Librewolf.
  • 🔎 Change your default search engine to a private option.
  • 📱 Use a private messaging app like Signal for secure communication.
  • ✉️ Migrate to a privacy-focused email provider like ProtonMail.
  • 📅 Use a secure calendar to keep your personal schedule private.
  • 🔒 Consider using a trustworthy VPN like Mullvad for added privacy.

Linha do tempo

  • 00:00:00 - 00:14:11

    U današnjem hiper povezanom svetu, pravo na kontrolu nad sopstvenim informacijama često nam biva oduzeto bez našeg znanja. Razne kompanije i vlade sakupljaju ogromne količine podataka o nama, a mnogi ljudi nisu ni svesni toga. Ipak, postoji mnogo načina na koje možemo povratiti kontrolu nad našim digitalnim životima kroz jednostavne korake, poput promene pretraživača, pretraživača, aplikacija za razmenu poruka, e-pošte, kalendara i korišćenja VPN-a.

Mapa mental

Vídeo de perguntas e respostas

  • What are low-hanging fruit for improving privacy?

    Low-hanging fruit include switching your browser, search engine, messaging app, email provider, calendar, and using a VPN.

  • Why is it important to switch from Google?

    Google collects extensive data about users, so switching to a privacy-focused search engine protects your information better.

  • What is a recommended private messaging app?

    Signal is recommended for private messaging due to its strong encryption policies.

  • How can I transition from Gmail to a private email provider?

    You can import your entire Gmail history and contacts to Protonmail with a single click.

  • What should I do before exporting my passwords?

    Export your passwords in a safe manner as they may be stored in plain text.

  • What is a VPN and why should I use one?

    A VPN encrypts your internet traffic and hides your IP address, enhancing your privacy online.

  • Can I still keep my favorite sites after switching browsers?

    Yes, you can import bookmarks and passwords from your old browser to the new one.

  • What is the primary purpose of this video?

    The video aims to educate viewers about taking back control of their digital lives and protecting their privacy.

  • Is changing my search engine an important step?

    Yes, switching to a privacy-focused search engine is a vital step in protecting your privacy.

  • How does using a secure calendar enhance privacy?

    Using a secure calendar ensures your personal data, like appointments and addresses, are not accessible by third parties.

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  • 00:00:00
    In today’s hyper-connected world,
  • 00:00:02
    our right to control our own information is  often stripped away without our knowledge.
  • 00:00:08
    They're inside your browser  usually or your mobile device,
  • 00:00:10
    yes. And you haven't necessarily invited  them in? You have not invited them in.
  • 00:00:14
    Companies, data brokers,
  • 00:00:15
    and governments collect vast amounts of  data about us—more than we might imagine.
  • 00:00:21
    These third parties will collect your click  stream as you click from site to site to site,
  • 00:00:26
    to see what you may be reading,  what you may be interested in.
  • 00:00:28
    But the good news is that  we can take back control.
  • 00:00:32
    Privacy isn’t about hiding—it’s about the right  to decide for ourselves who gets our data.
  • 00:00:38
    And I’ve seen so many people waking up  to this reality -- pushing back against
  • 00:00:42
    surveillance apologists, and deciding to  reclaim control of their digital lives.
  • 00:00:47
    But a lot of people just don’t know  where to begin, or what, exactly, to do.
  • 00:00:52
    So this video is a privacy 101 guide for those  of you who are just getting started. Basically,
  • 00:00:58
    if you’re overwhelmed by the prospect  of reclaiming your online privacy,
  • 00:01:03
    don’t be. Every small step you take makes  a big difference. We’re going to start
  • 00:01:08
    with the lowest hanging fruit -- what  I consider 6 of the easiest things that
  • 00:01:12
    you can do right now that will have  a big impact on your daily privacy.
  • 00:01:17
    These low hanging fruit are: browser, search  engine, messaging app, email, calendar, and VPN.
  • 00:01:24
    “A perfectly normal fresh delicious strawberry!”
  • 00:01:28
    The aim isn’t to tell people what to  install. Every individual is going
  • 00:01:33
    to know best what they value most from a platform,
  • 00:01:36
    So that's why we have a ton of other videos  doing deep dives on all of these topics,
  • 00:01:41
    looking at a wide variety of  products and their tradeoffs.
  • 00:01:45
    In this video I give a few examples of specific  platforms and tools that I personally use, but I
  • 00:01:51
    highly recommend that you explore your options so  you can make an informed decision. And if you have
  • 00:01:56
    recommendations for tools that we didn’t mention,  please share them with others in the comments.
  • 00:02:01
    Let’s start with what I think  is probably the easiest thing to
  • 00:02:04
    switch out in your life, and that’s your browser.
  • 00:02:08
    Your browser is your gateway to the  internet. It does highly sensitive work,
  • 00:02:12
    it sees highly personal information, and it’s  a huge privacy leak in most people’s lives.
  • 00:02:18
    Chrome browser has the largest market share of  any browser, and they track your every move.
  • 00:02:25
    The good news is that switching to a  privacy-focused browser is really easy,
  • 00:02:29
    and if you take this step you’re doing  better than 80% of the people out there.
  • 00:02:34
    How do you choose a good browser?
  • 00:02:36
    There’s a website I recommend called  privacytests.org, where they look at
  • 00:02:41
    all kinds of different tracking that browsers  can do, and see how these browsers compare.
  • 00:02:46
    Brave, Mullvad, and Librewolf all  seem to stand out on the list.
  • 00:02:51
    Next, I recommend that you set this  new browser as your default browser.
  • 00:02:55
    On Brave for example you’d click the Brave  dropdown menu at the top of your screen,
  • 00:02:59
    select settings, and it will be one of  the options on the “get started” page.
  • 00:03:04
    Then, to make your transition  easier you can actually import
  • 00:03:08
    all of your old bookmarks from your old browser.
  • 00:03:10
    If you’re using Chrome, first you’d click  on the three-dots on the top right corner.
  • 00:03:15
    Go to bookmarks, and select "bookmark  manager". Once in the bookmark manager,
  • 00:03:19
    click the 3 dots in the top right corner again,  and this time select "export bookmarks”. Choose
  • 00:03:24
    where you want to save your file, and  click “save”. This will export your
  • 00:03:28
    bookmarks as an HTML file. Then in your new  privacy browser, you can import that file.
  • 00:03:33
    If you’re on Brave you’d go to your bookmark  manager, click on the 3 dots on the top right
  • 00:03:38
    corner, select “import bookmarks” and then  select the HTML file you just downloaded.
  • 00:03:43
    Now one point of tension leaving your old  browser might be that it automatically logs
  • 00:03:48
    you into your favorite sites, and you  don’t want to lose that convenience.
  • 00:03:52
    Well, you can have that same convenience  with your new browser too. So the final
  • 00:03:56
    step you might want to consider  is importing any saved passwords.
  • 00:04:00
    In your old browser, you’ll  first export your passwords.
  • 00:04:03
    If you’re using Chrome, you want to open  your password manager. You’ll either find
  • 00:04:08
    this by clicking on your profile picture or the  three-dot menu icon in the top-right corner,
  • 00:04:12
    then selecting the key icon, which  is Chrome’s password manager,
  • 00:04:16
    Or you’ll find it under “settings”, then  ”auto-fill”, then by clicking ”password manager”.
  • 00:04:21
    But however you get there, once  you’re inside “password manager”,
  • 00:04:24
    click “settings”, then click "export passwords".  You’ll download a CSV file with your passwords.
  • 00:04:30
    Keep in mind, this file stores  your passwords in plain text,
  • 00:04:34
    so you want to keep it somewhere really safe  or consider deleting it once you’re done.
  • 00:04:39
    Now you’ll simply import these  passwords into your new browser.
  • 00:04:42
    If you use Brave, go to “settings”,  select “auto filling and passwords”,
  • 00:04:47
    then click on “passwords”. Select your  saved CSV file and click “import”.
  • 00:04:52
    If you use a password manager instead  of storing them in the browser,
  • 00:04:56
    you can install your password manager  of choice, then you can import your
  • 00:04:59
    passwords directly into the  password manager instead.
  • 00:05:02
    So let’s quickly recap because that seems  like a lot more steps than it actually is:
  • 00:05:07
    Download new privacy preserving browser. Stop
  • 00:05:10
    using browsers like Chrome and Edge  that are terrible for your privacy.
  • 00:05:14
    And that’s it! That’s the first super easy  task you take to really improve your privacy!
  • 00:05:19
    Now, what are some other easy wins?
  • 00:05:21
    Let’s move on to number 2, your search engine.
  • 00:05:24
    What’s the difference between  a browser and a search engine?
  • 00:05:27
    Well, think of your browser like a car that  takes you to the internet and lets you drive
  • 00:05:31
    around in it. And think of your search engine  like the road map you’re using to navigate.
  • 00:05:36
    A search engine essentially makes an index  of the things out there on the internet,
  • 00:05:40
    to help you search through it all  and find what you’re looking for.
  • 00:05:44
    The most widely used search engine  is Google search. 90% of people use
  • 00:05:49
    it. You probably use it. But  it’s horrendous for privacy.
  • 00:05:53
    Not only is it building a detailed profile  of your interests, habits, medical concerns,
  • 00:05:58
    or anything else you search for, it’s also  immediately logging your keystrokes when
  • 00:06:03
    you use it, and sending them to Google,  regardless of whether you actually hit the
  • 00:06:07
    search button or not. That’s how they give you  “predictive text” suggestions for your searches.
  • 00:06:12
    They create these profiles on you  because you are their product,
  • 00:06:15
    and they sell your attention to basically  anyone who is willing to pay for it.
  • 00:06:19
    When you use the Chrome browser,  Firefox browser, or Safari browser,
  • 00:06:23
    or countless others, your default search  engine in the browser is Google search. So
  • 00:06:29
    that means when you type a query into the  URL bar, that’s Google that you’re using.
  • 00:06:33
    So a super easy privacy win is  just to change search engines.
  • 00:06:37
    If you already swapped out your browser to one  of the privacy-focused ones I mentioned before,
  • 00:06:42
    they actually don’t use Google search by default,
  • 00:06:45
    they use more privacy-focused search  engines in their URL bar instead.
  • 00:06:49
    For example Brave uses Brave Search,  which is my search engine of choice,
  • 00:06:53
    and Mullvad and Librewolf both use DuckDuckGo.
  • 00:06:56
    Regardless of the browser you use,
  • 00:06:58
    you can change your default search engine  to one that is more privacy-friendly.
  • 00:07:02
    There are a bunch of other engines you can  try out; see which gets you the best results.
  • 00:07:07
    One final tip with search engines: once you’ve  chosen which search engine is going to be your
  • 00:07:11
    default search engine in the URL bar, you can also  set up a secondary choice with this little trick.
  • 00:07:17
    Make the home screen that your browser  first opens to be your secondary option,
  • 00:07:22
    so that every time you open a new window it  takes you to that search engine homepage.
  • 00:07:27
    For example I use Brave in the  URL bar, but can set my browser
  • 00:07:31
    to open on a different search engine, so  I have both options immediately available.
  • 00:07:36
    If you switch out your search engine  to use something other than Google,
  • 00:07:40
    you’re doing better than 90% of people.
  • 00:07:42
    The next step on your privacy journey  is securing your communication,
  • 00:07:46
    starting with your text messages and phone calls.
  • 00:07:49
    SMS and regular phone calls are not private.
  • 00:07:52
    Almost every country in the world has mandated  lawful access laws, where governments require
  • 00:07:57
    backdoors in telecommunication channels to  allow them to intercept calls and messages.
  • 00:08:03
    Unfortunately, as with all backdoors, they’re  never limited to their intended purpose.
  • 00:08:07
    In 2024, it was discovered that  the Chinese used the American
  • 00:08:12
    government’s own backdoors to gain  full access to US communications,
  • 00:08:16
    allowing the Chinese to geolocate millions  of Americans and record phone calls at will.
  • 00:08:22
    You should switch to a private messaging  app to better protect your communication.
  • 00:08:26
    These apps don't rely on insecure telecom  channels. Instead, they encrypt your messages,
  • 00:08:32
    end-to-end, and send them over the  internet. If they’re ever intercepted,
  • 00:08:36
    only you and your recipient would  be able to actually read them.
  • 00:08:40
    But not all private messaging apps are created  equal. You’ve almost surely heard of some of
  • 00:08:44
    the most popular ones like Whatsapp and  iMessage. While the content of these
  • 00:08:49
    communications is protected, which makes them  far better than SMS and normal phone calls,
  • 00:08:55
    Facebook and Apple, respectively,  still get a lot of your data.
  • 00:08:58
    There are more private apps that you can  use, and Signal is probably my favorite.
  • 00:09:02
    They take awesome care to really minimize  the amount of data that they collect,
  • 00:09:07
    to the point that they don’t even have  information to hand to governments when asked.
  • 00:09:11
    Even the way they handle stickers  and gifs is privacy-preserving.
  • 00:09:15
    You can use any VOIP number to sign up,
  • 00:09:17
    and you can keep your number  private from others on the platform.
  • 00:09:20
    It would be better if account management wasn’t
  • 00:09:22
    tied to a number at all, but as  far as private messaging apps go,
  • 00:09:26
    it’s really simple to use and the one I’ve  had the most success converting people to.
  • 00:09:31
    And It’s far more popular than people realize,
  • 00:09:33
    so you’ll probably find that some of  your contacts are already on there.
  • 00:09:37
    But there are other private  messaging apps you can try out too.
  • 00:09:40
    Take a look at securemessagingapps.com  for an overview of what’s out there.
  • 00:09:44
    If you have trouble converting people to  the private messaging app of your choice,
  • 00:09:48
    we made a video with some helpful tips for  convincing your friends and family to ditch SMS.
  • 00:09:53
    “You Can Do It!!”
  • 00:09:54
    The next part of your private  communications to tackle is your email.
  • 00:09:57
    Free email services like Gmail scan and  analyze your inbox to build comprehensive
  • 00:10:03
    profiles on you. There are privacy-focused  email providers like Protonmail and Tuta,
  • 00:10:08
    that end-to-end encrypt your messages in-network,  use zero access encryption for emails at rest
  • 00:10:13
    which means that emails sent from other providers  to your inbox are also out of their reach,
  • 00:10:18
    and offer password protected emails so that if  you have to send an email to Gmail or Microsoft,
  • 00:10:24
    you can protect your communication  from those companies’ prying eyes too.
  • 00:10:28
    Changing your email can seem  like a really big change to make,
  • 00:10:31
    but it’s way easier than you probably realize.
  • 00:10:34
    In Protonmail, for example, you can import  your entire Gmail history with a single click.
  • 00:10:40
    You can also import your  contact list at the same time,
  • 00:10:43
    so that you don’t lose them in the transition.
  • 00:10:45
    Once your emails are in your new  Protonmail account, for example,
  • 00:10:48
    you can forward all future Gmail messages  to your new inbox, and then you can respond
  • 00:10:53
    from your Proton address, gradually  moving people over to your new system.
  • 00:10:58
    It’s also super easy to set up  custom domains in Protonmail.
  • 00:11:01
    This means that you can have a professional  work email like contact@mywebsite.com,
  • 00:11:06
    but under the hood you’re using a super  private email provider like Protonmail.
  • 00:11:11
    Switching your calendar is another one  of the super easy low-hanging fruits
  • 00:11:15
    that you can start with on your privacy journey.
  • 00:11:18
    Your calendar is intensely personal. It  contains every medical appointment you’ve had,
  • 00:11:23
    every birthday of those you know, your daily  habits, addresses you visit. Every future plan.
  • 00:11:29
    For most people, these are handed  straight over to Google and Apple.
  • 00:11:33
    But there are private calendars you can use  instead, such as those from Proton or Tuta.
  • 00:11:38
    Tuta’s calendar is new but promising.
  • 00:11:41
    Proton’s has been around for awhile, and  the process is crazy simple. You can import
  • 00:11:45
    your entire calendar of past and future  appointments with a single click. They’re
  • 00:11:51
    instantly transported to your new end to end  encrypted provider, where they’re now private.
  • 00:11:55
    This is a huge and easy win for your  privacy, and you’ll never look back.
  • 00:12:00
    The final easy privacy switch  that you can make is using a VPN.
  • 00:12:04
    A VPN encrypts your internet  traffic leaving your device,
  • 00:12:07
    which isn’t so important these days because  basically everything we do online uses HTTPS,
  • 00:12:13
    which also encrypts your traffic in transit.
  • 00:12:15
    But what a VPN also does is hide  your IP address so that you’re
  • 00:12:19
    not handing it over to every website you visit.
  • 00:12:21
    This is important, because your IP address  can help people find your physical location,
  • 00:12:26
    and it can also allow websites and data  brokers to more easily build profiles on you.
  • 00:12:31
    With a VPN, websites instead  see your VPN’s IP address,
  • 00:12:35
    adding an additional privacy  layer to your activities.
  • 00:12:38
    A really important caveat, though, is that the  VPN industry is really shady and you have to be
  • 00:12:44
    very careful which VPN you use, and trust that  they’re not just collecting and selling your
  • 00:12:49
    data themselves. Reputable companies like Mullvad  and Proton are highly regarded options for VPNs.
  • 00:12:55
    Reclaiming your privacy isn’t just  about protecting yourself—it’s about
  • 00:12:59
    your right to choose. You don’t have to give  all your information to thousands of entities,
  • 00:13:04
    and lose control over what happens to that  information and how it’s used. There are so many
  • 00:13:10
    amazing privacy tools that you can start using  today to take back control of your digital life.
  • 00:13:15
    Don’t be overwhelmed, if you even  start with one thing on this list,
  • 00:13:19
    you will have made a big impact on your privacy.
  • 00:13:22
    The digital age can sometimes feel like  too much to deal with, but you are far
  • 00:13:27
    more empowered and capable than you realize,  and it feels really good to start reclaiming
  • 00:13:32
    control over your digital life. Your privacy  is worth protecting. It’s time to take it back.
  • 00:13:38
    NBTV is a project of the Ludlow Institute,  a non-profit that researches and educates
  • 00:13:43
    about the latest in tech privacy. Help  us educate people about how to reclaim
  • 00:13:48
    their privacy and autonomy in the digital age.  Visit nbtv.media/support to set up a monthly,
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    tax deductible donation. And take a look at our  merch shop. It is another way you can support our
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    work, and you look cool doing it! This is from our  merch shop! It’s a cat in an invisibility cloak!
  • 00:14:07
    I’m not here. Seriously.
Etiquetas
  • Privacy
  • Digital Security
  • Data Protection
  • Online Safety
  • Privacy Tools
  • Messaging Apps
  • Search Engines
  • Email Providers
  • VPNs
  • User Empowerment