What steps do you feel like are before a VPN? (lemmy.world)

submitted 6 months ago by ericbomb@lemmy.world to c/privacy@lemmy.ml

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Context: my gf mentioned getting a vpn for privacy, and I tried to explain that it "does" help, but it's more like type of windows on a house. It certainly can be part of the package, but it's no where near the foundation.

So i tried to explain the best that i could That if she was worried about online privacy the first step wasn't to mask traffic, but to not submit personal data to anything online like FB, not use Google services that package everything on you together to sell to advertisers, and to limit phone apps to essentials.

But I'm curious on what other steps you guys would consider the "foundation" of online privacy that should be prioritized before a vpn. Any thoughts? Or am I way off base?

Note: this is in context of vpn for privacy. Using vpn to avoid Geo blocking and censorship I see as incredibly valid for those that need it.

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[-] msage@programming.dev 5 points 6 months ago

Use Firefox, don't use Chrome or any of its forks.

[-] dojan@lemmy.world 2 points 6 months ago

I concur with this. Any Chromium based browser is still under the chokehold of Google. A great example is Manifest V3 being forced on all Chromium browsers. Honestly, Google controlling such a significant browser marketshare should be a worry to more peoople. To a lot of people they are people's access to the internet, via Google Search, and they also control people's window to the internet, via Chromium.

In short; Google by and large is the internet, meaning they can do whatever hell they please and there's not much in the way to stop them.

this post was submitted on 16 Apr 2024

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