How much is your Privacy Worth, Freedom Hacker

How much is your Privacy Worth

How much is your Privacy Worth

Everyday our privacy worth deteriorates. With the N.S.A. spying globally, and companies data mining everyone, its no wonder that this has happened. Selling users data is worth a lot of money. But, many people see privacy solutions as begin expensive, or not affordable. But why is your fourth amendment costing you money? Is your privacy not guaranteed these days? Is what the N.S.A. does really that bad? All of this may not make sense, but privacy, data, identities, and the whole realm are worth a lot more than people realize.

A little back story on how tracking works, and why your privacy is at risk

Your data, identity, email, names, and much more are sold on a daily basis. When you visit a website usually an analytic tracker will pick up on what you do. This data is then recorded into that third party analytic server. The analytic server can obtain your IP, browser, OS, pages viewed, objects clicked, and basically everything you do on that website. The biggest analytic tracker is Google Analytics. And especially if Google Analytics is running on the website, how are you going to escape the corporate giant. If you are logged into your gmail, or any Google service, and the Google analytic tracker sees that, they will obviously be able to tie your email and browsing history into one. It may not say so, but its implied that this is possible. Most Google services connect all ways possible. But back onto the topic of tracking, these websites don’t just collect the data of what you do. They can then tie this to many other websites. If this analytic tracking software is installed on hundreds of blogs, all of those analytics can start seeing what you read, and can start tieing things together. This can be for advertising, profile building, sending your physical snail mail, amongst many other things. Analyitcs are not something you can opt out of, the website installs it. You actually have to block it via your browser (guide here), or protect yourself with a VPN. Analytics are the biggest online privacy intrusion to date.

Why is your privacy worth anything?

Its not always about what it is worth in dollars, but what it actually means to you. Do you care if websites track your every move? Do you care if Google has a profile on you? Do you care your identity may be on the internet? Does any privacy related issue concern you? If yes, then your privacy is worth something to you. Privacy is an amendment right, a human right, but its not guaranteed. Nothing is guaranteed and especially after Snowden, someone on the inside that confirmed it all. With the N.S.A. revelations, amongst many other things, we have to defend our own rights. We can no longer rely on automation, or the government to listen to their own laws. We cannot rely on congress to abide by the Bill of Rights. We cannot rely on anyone but ourselves, and fellow activists.

How do I rely on myself to defend my own privacy

How can you rely on yourself to defend your own privacy? A lot of people think its a hassle, and it will cost a lot of money. In all reality its free. You put your own price on anonymity. You put your own price on privacy. You put your own price on your rights. They are not guaranteed, so you are gonna have to put your own price on everything that is worth anything. Is it worth doing A, or will A not defend B? Is B to hard, well then maybe A will help? But maybe A and B aren’t the right decision? That is an example, since you are gonna have to sacrifice one for another. The sacrifice may be changing something small, spending a few bucks, or it can be as big as starting a rally or a protest. Everyone is going to have to put a price on it. If they aren’t now, they have absolutely no value in their own privacy and/or anonymity. You don’t have to be a computer genius to defend your own privacy.

Tools:

Use a VPN (list of secure VPN providers here) – A VPN will encrypt all your internet so your internet provider cannot see what you do, and it will protect your identity on the internet. This will stop %99 of internet tracking.

Don’t get tracked by the invisible web (guide here) – Stop unwanted analytics from tracking you and watching what you do on the web.

Use a search engine that takes privacy serious (guide here) – Search engines will harvest and sell your data. Use a search engine that will respect your privacy, and help change the world of search engines.

Privacy Guides:

8 Simple Tips for staying Secure Online – Covers eight ways you can secure yourself in this digital world.

Freedom Hacker Security Archive – Our security archive is a goldmine for staying secure online.

Overall

Overall as our team always says, its up to you. You put the price on your own privacy worth. You put the price whether its a switch, or dollar cost. In the end, one switch can make a huge difference. Its showing companies we will go to another if they put more of a value on us. We are not just viewers to a website, we are their advertisers, followers, and we show them support. But if they can’t respect our privacy, how can we respect them?

Tell us in the comments, how much is your privacy worth?

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