freedickpics

This is something I've been thinking about for a while. I've decided to get a Pixel with GrapheneOS as my next phone and I'm trying to decide the pros and cons of putting a SIM card in it. Convenience vs privacy, public wifi with a VPN vs using phone data, etc.

I can't get a SIM card where I live without ID and I'm looking to reduce being tracked as much as possible. Does anyone else do the same thing?

With the UK apparently floating ideas of a VPN ban it's got me worried about the future of anonymity online. Now people have already pointed out that a VPN ban doesn't make sense because of all the legitimate uses of one and wouldn't even be enforceable anyway, but that got me thinking.

What if governments ordered websites (such as social media sites) to block traffic originating from a VPN node? Lots of sites already do this (or restrict your activity if they detect a VPN) to mitigate spam etc. and technically that wouldn't interfere with "legitimate" (in the eyes of the gov) VPN usage like logging onto corporate networks remotely

It's already a pain with so many sites either blocking you from access or making you jump through a million captchas using VPNs now. I'm worried it's about to get a whole lot worse

Just curious what laws people would like to see passed where they live related to privacy. Can be an existing law in another country you'd like to see in your own, something new entirely, or repealing an existing privacy-invading law

I've been thinking about which is the better way to shop to maintain privacy. The way I see it there are pros and cons to each but I can't decide which is ultimately better (and of course it depends on threat model and who you’re trying to hide from)

Irl

Pro

• Retailer doesn’t need your address/phone number/email address to complete a transaction
• If you pay with cash, your bank doesn’t have details of what you bought and can’t sell it to data brokers

Con

• Most/all stores have security cameras (often with facial recognition). You can mitigate it with masks or other coverings but I’ve seen a few stores now locally that don’t allow masks or raised hoodies

Online

Pro

• Your shopping is kept from prying eyes as far as security cameras go

Con

• If you buy something to be delivered, the retailer usually wants your address, email and phone number, and (unless using a gift card) your credit card info
• Even if you buy something to collect in store, most still require a phone number which can be hard to make private if burner phones aren’t legal where you live and/or the retailer won’t accept VoIP numbers

Whenever people ask about ways to make their smartphones more private or which is the most privacy-respecting phone to get, there's always a few people confidently asserting "all smartphones are spy tools, get a dumbphone with no apps if you want to be private". Which is ridiculous advice for a few reasons

• Dumbphones usually run either proprietary operating systems or outdated forks of Android. They're almost never encrypted. They rarely get security updates. They're a lot more vulnerable than even a regular Android phone

• With dumbphones, you're usually limited to regular phone calls or SMS/MMS messaging. These are ancient communication standards with zero built-in privacy. Your ISP can read any text message you send and view metadata logs of any phone calls you make. In lots of places (like Australia where I live) ISPs are actually required to keep logs of your messages and phone calls

With even a regular Android phone you at least have access to encrypted messaging apps like Signal or Session so your conversations aren't fair game for anyone who wants to read them. Of course there are better options. iOS (not perfect but better than most bloatware-filled Android devices) and a pixel with GrapheneOS (probably the best imo) are much better options; but virtually anything out there is going to be better for privacy than a dumbphone

Edit: Thanks everyone for giving your thoughts. Some really good points I hadn't thought much about

Over the two years until July 2022, Kmart captured the facial data of "tens or hundreds of thousands" of customers at store entrances and return counters

[...] after a three-year investigation, privacy commissioner Carly Kind found Kmart's use of FRT was disproportionate, and the company did not gain consent to use it on shoppers

As part of the finding, Kmart has been ordered not to repeat the practice in the future, and will have to publish a statement on its website within 30 days explaining its use of FRT and the regulator's finding against it

TL;DR: As usual for this sort of thing, Kmart faces no real consequences (not even a fine ffs!). Meanwhile the Australian government is pushing forward with its mandatory age verification laws in spite of (or because of..) huge public backlash. I hate this country