Protecting your Privacy in the age of Big Brother

Who is really watching you when you're online?

Just 3 years ago, if you were to say that you were worried about the government spying on you, you'd been called a nut. If you would have expressed concern over satellite based monitoring systems like On Star, you'd be called paranoid. Basically, if you did anything but talk about celebrities and sports, you would get dirty looks.

Fast forward to today, with the revelations of Snowden and complete confirmation of governmental spying, confirmation of drone use on American soil, of daily in-your-face attacks on the first, second and fourth Amendments...well there is no more America, we're already living in tyranny. The completely innocent actions you take today are being recorded and stored and one day can be tied together and used against you.

So, no more are you crazy for wanting to protect your identity and security, you're insane if you don't.  In light of this we'll talk about some things you can do to keep yourself a bit more secure in the aggressive age of the American Big Brother.

Private Searches

 If you're using Google, Yahoo and Bing, you're basically begging the powers that be to spy on you and you're making it easy for them to do so. These are not good search engines, in fact, they are the opposite of search engines since they create filter bubbles that prevent you from finding things, based on your search history and what they think you want to know.

Instead, opt for private, independent, non-government friendly engines. These do not subject you to the knowledge filter and they help protect your privacy.  Keep in mind, nothing you can do will 100% guarantee your complete privacy, so these aren't magic bullets. They are, however, a layer of protection.

Duckduckgo.com
Startpage.com
Ixquick.com

 Make them your go-to browsers, you can add them to your search bar and say goodbye to Google and the likes.

Private Chats

Your chats are not private. If you're using things like Yahoo messenger, you're completely subject to their terms and conditions, which disclaim that they scan and record your conversation and emails. Looking at the NSA revelations as of late, we know that they have keywords and scan and search for things.

There are a couple of options that we recommend. The first one is Pidgin, a private chat program that has some of the bells and whistles you're used to in a chat program.  The next, and the one we like the most, is CrytoCat. This is encrypted, secure and easy to use. There are not records of your chat and it's one of the most secure ways to chat.
 

Email

Email is something tricky. It is a written trail that is not difficult to tap into. Right now, there are not many options for security in your online written communications. We do know that Yahoo, Hotmail, and Gmail are complete open books that tell you they are going to scan your emails. So, for starters, avoid these programs because we know they're bad options.

Soon, however, we'll have a good new option. Startpage is working on Startmail, a private email that is secure and safe. This will be a paid service, but it will be worth it. We have to remember, those free Yahoo and gmail accounts come with a much higher price in the end.

This is a topic we'll cover frequently, so we hope you'll stay tuned, so to speak. Tell your friends, come back and comment and help everybody know what's at stake.



More information from EFF (Electronic Frontier Foundation) on protecting yourself online:

Protect online privacy

Government Surveillance Protection