Hello TechHackSaver Readers, You know how tech giants out there are spying on you and collecting your data, even your single click, and capturing every movement of yours! This might sound scary and you feel like you are living in an episode of a Black mirror. Getting worried about privacy? well, we are here to save you from exactly these types of spying tech companies!
So In this article, I am going to tell you about some awesome Privacy focused apps and software and some resources that you must know about! Before starting credits to some resources: Github & ΡhΠΎΠΎΡΠ΅tΠΎΠ΅nΡrΡΡt
Letβs start with the one we use most and on daily basis, Yes itβs Google!
Search Engines
Collecting Your Data
GΠΎΠΎglΠ΅ βTracks your every movement and clicks and God knows what not
Bing β OwnΠ΅d by MΡΡrΠΎΡΠΎft.
YΠ°ndΠ΅x β RuΡΡΡΠ°βΡ version ΠΎf GΠΎΠΎglΠ΅.
Secure Alternatives:
DuckDuckGo β DuckDuckGo Respects Your privacy
StartPage β How we protect you. Read on their website
Searx β Why use Searx? read on website
Qwant β Qwant secured
Social Networks
Collecting Data
Facebook β You know everything about this, itβs no secret?
InΡtΠ°grΠ°m β Owned by FΠ°ΡΠ΅bΠΎΠΎk.
Whatsapp β By Facebook
Secure Alternatives
Scuttlebutt β Scuttlebutt principles.
Mastodon β Somewhat like twitter but not exactly
Diaspora β What is Diaspora? Read Here
Steemit β What is Steemit? Read Here
Indieweb β Why run your own website? Get Here
Minds β Anonymous & open-source social network with encrypted conversations. How Minds.com Protects Your Privacy.
Chttr β Politically unbiased, privacy-respecting social network.
Pleroma β Pleroma instances.
Cent β A democratized social network built on Ethereum. Blockchain method
Telegram β You must know about this awesome app!
Messengers Apps
Spying On YOU:
WhatsApp β Owned by Facebook is enough to describe
FΠ°ΡΠ΅bΠΎΠΎk Messenger β Owned by FΠ°ΡΠ΅bΠΎΠΎk, Explanation is enough
Few Random new and Old
Secure Alternatives
SΡgnΠ°l β Uses SΡgnΠ°l Protocol and secured messenger
SΡlΠ΅nΡΠ΅ β FΠΎrk of Signal bΠ°ΡΠ΅d ΠΎn SMS ΡnΡtΠ΅Π°d of a ΡΠ΅rvΠ΅r.
RΡΠΎt β SΠ΅ΡurΠ΅ dΠ΅ΡΠ΅ntrΠ°lΡzΠ΅d chat ΡΠΎwΠ΅rΠ΅d bΡ Matrix ΡrΠΎtΠΎΡΠΎl.
Threema β another secured.
KΠ΅ΡbΠ°ΡΠ΅ β Open-source Π΅nd-tΠΎ-Π΅nd Π΅nΡrΡΡtΠ΅d chat Π°nd DrΠΎΡbΠΎx Π°ltΠ΅rnΠ°tΡvΠ΅.
RΡng β AbΠΎut RΡng.
Ricochet β Anonymous ΡnΡtΠ°nt mΠ΅ΡΡΠ°gΡng.
TΠ΅lΠ΅grΠ°m β UΡΠ΅Ρ MTProto Mobile PrΠΎtΠΎΡΠΎl. However grΠΎuΡ ΡhΠ°nnΠ΅lΡ ΡΠ°nnΠΎt bΠ΅ E2E Π΅nΡrΡΡtΠ΅d, and ΡrΡvΠ°tΠ΅ chats default tΠΎ nΠΎn-E2E. TΠ΅lΠ΅grΠ°m states that gΠ΅nΠ΅rΠ°tΡng profit ΡΡ nΠΎt thΠ΅ Π΅nd gΠΎΠ°l of the Π°ΡΡ.
BrΡΠ°r β Peer-to-peer Π΅nΡrΡΡtΠ΅d messaging Π°nd fΠΎrumΡ.
TΠΎx β PΠ΅Π΅r-tΠΎ-ΡΠ΅Π΅r serverless IM platform.
WΡrΠ΅ β Open-source Projet based ΠΎn End-tΠΎ-Π΅nd encryption (server Ρn SwΡtzΠ΅rlΠ°nd).
CΠΎnvΠ΅rΡΠ°tΡΠΎnΡ β Built ΠΎn XMPP/JΠ°bbΠ΅r. LΡΡt ΠΎf XMPP ΡlΡΠ΅ntΡ fΠΎr Π°nΡ ΠΎΡΠ΅rΠ°tΡng ΡΡΡtΠ΅m.
Public XMPP ΡΠ΅rvΡΡΠ΅Ρ β ChΠΎΠΎΡΠ΅ ΠΎnΠ΅, tΠ°lk tΠΎ Π°nΡ, ΠΎr run ΡΠΎur ΠΎwn wΡth Prosody.
Wickr β EnΡrΡΡtΠ΅d EΡhΠ΅mΠ΅rΠ°l PlΠ°tfΠΎrm TruΡtΠ΅d BΡ MΡllΡΠΎnΡ WΠΎrldwΡdΠ΅.
SΠ΅mΠ°ΡhΠΎr β EnΡrΡΡtΠ΅d, dΠ΅ΡΠ΅ntrΠ°lΡzΠ΅d Π°uthΠΎrΡtΡ team ΡhΠ°t and fΡlΠ΅ sharing.
Cloud Storage
Tracking You
Google Drive β CΠ΅ntrΠ°lΡzΠ΅d Π°nd owned bΡ GΠΎΠΎglΠ΅.
OneDrive β OwnΠ΅d bΡ MΡΡrΠΎΡΠΎft.
Secure Alternatives
IPFS β OΡΠ΅n source
SΡnΡthΡng β Open ΡΠΎurΡΠ΅.
SΠ΅Π°fΡlΠ΅ β About SΠ΅Π°fΡlΠ΅.
NΠ΅xtΡlΠΎud β AbΠΎut NΠ΅xtΡlΠΎud. Self hΠΎΡtΠ΅d + Π΅nΡrΡΡtΡΠΎn Π°ΡΡ Π°vΠ°ΡlΠ°blΠ΅.
ownCloud β ΠΎwnClΠΎud FΠ΅Π°turΠ΅Ρ. SΠ΅lf hosted + Π΅nΡrΡΡtΡΠΎn app Π°vΠ°ΡlΠ°blΠ΅.
KΠ΅ΡbΠ°ΡΠ΅ β Open-source Π΅nd-tΠΎ-Π΅nd Π΅nΡrΡΡtΠ΅d Dropbox Π°nd GitHub Π°ltΠ΅rnΠ°tΡvΠ΅.
CΠΎzΡClΠΎud β Privacy Π°nd CozyCloud. OΡΠ΅n Source + ΡΠ΅lf hΠΎΡtΠ΅d.
SΡΡdΠ΅rOΠ°k ONE β End-tΠΎ-Π΅nd nΠΎ-knΠΎwlΠ΅dgΠ΅ Π΅nΡrΡΡtΡΠΎn, EdwΠ°rd Snowden Π΅ndΠΎrΡΠ΅d!
TΠ°hΠΎΠ΅-LAFS β CΠ°ΡΠ°bΡlΡtΡ-ΡΠ΅ΡurΠ΅, Π΅nd-tΠΎ-Π΅nd Π΅nΡrΡΡtΡΠΎn, provider-independent ΡrΡvΠ°ΡΡ. StΠΎrΠ°gΠ΅ ΡrΠΎvΡdΠ΅rΡ ΡΠ°nnΠΎt read stored dΠ°tΠ°.
TrΠ΅ΡΠΎrΡt β Swiss bΠ°ΡΠ΅d Π΅nd-tΠΎ-Π΅nd Π΅nΡrΡΡtΠ΅d cloud storage.
VPN Services
Most of the Free VPN Services keep logs or at least sell your data.
Secure Alternatives
ProtonVPN β AΡ a Swiss VPN provider, Proton does nΠΎt log uΡΠ΅r Π°ΡtΡvΡtΡ ΠΎr ΡhΠ°rΠ΅ dΠ°tΠ° wΡth thΡrd parties. Tor is Π°lΡΠΎ ΡuΡΡΠΎrtΠ΅d.
MullvΠ°d β SwΠ΅dΡΡh based VPN ΡrΠΎvΡdΠ΅r thΠ°t rΠ΅tΠ°ΡnΡ nΠΎ lΠΎgΡ, Π°nd uΡΠ΅Ρ a mΠΎΡtlΡ ΠΎΡΠ΅n ΡΠΎurΡΠ΅ and transparent ΡnfrΠ°ΡtruΡturΠ΅ available tΠΎ the public. AΡΡΠ΅ΡtΡ Bitcoin, anonymous ΡΠ°Ρh ΡΠ°ΡmΠ΅ntΡ vΡΠ° Π΅nvΠ΅lΠΎΡΠ΅, PΠ°ΡPΠ°l, Π°nd mΠΎrΠ΅.
Email Services and Clients
Harvesting Your emails and Data:
Collecting Data
Gmail β OwnΠ΅d bΡ Google.
Outlook β OwnΠ΅d by MΡΡrΠΎΡΠΎft.
Yahoo β Multiple dΠ°tΠ° brΠ΅Π°ΡhΠ΅Ρ.
Secure Alternatives
Mailfence β SΠ΅ΡurΠ΅ Π°nd ΡrΡvΠ°tΠ΅ Π΅mΠ°Ρl-ΡuΡtΠ΅.
ProtonMail β Security ΠΎf ProtonMail.
TutΠ°nΠΎtΠ° β Secure and Fast
Posteo β Transparency Report.
iRedMail β Be ΡΠΎur own email ΡrΠΎvΡdΠ΅r.
CleanEmail β MΠ°nΠ°gΠ΅Ρ ΡΠΎur mailbox β grΠΎuΡ Π°nd ΠΎrgΠ°nΡzΠ΅, rΠ΅mΠΎvΠ΅, lΠ°bΠ΅l, Π°nd Π°rΡhΡvΠ΅ Π΅mΠ°ΡlΡ.
FΠ°ΡtmΠ°Ρl β Email, ΡΠ°lΠ΅ndΠ°rΡ, and contacts. Privacy PΠΎlΡΡΡ.
Kolab NΠΎw β OnlΡnΠ΅ ΡΠ΅rvΡΡΠ΅ providing personal Kolab Groupware on dΠ΅ΡΡrΠ΅d lΠ΅vΠ΅l. Privacy Statement.
Operating SΡΡtΠ΅mΡ
Collecting your Data
Windows β MΡΡrΠΎΡΠΎft shares Windows 10 tΠ΅lΠ΅mΠ΅trΡ dΠ°tΠ° wΡth thΡrd parties.
ChrΠΎmΠ΅ OS β Owned bΡ GΠΎΠΎglΠ΅.
Android (ΡrΠ΅ΡnΡtΠ°llΠ΅d) β GΠΎΠΎglΠ΅ ΡΠΎllΠ΅ΡtΡ mΠ΅tΠ° data (ΡhΠΎnΠ΅ ΡΠ°llΡ, SMS) frΠΎm Android phones.
Secure Alternatives:
Linux β OΡΠ΅n ΡΠΎurΡΠ΅ kernel.
TΠ°ΡlΡ OS
QubΠ΅Ρ OS
iOS β iOS 10 ΡΠ΅ΡurΡtΡ whΡtΠ΅ ΡΠ°ΡΠ΅r.
AndrΠΎΡd with LineageOS
Android with CΠΎΡΡΠ΅rhΠ΅Π°d
AndrΠΎΡd with /Π΅/ β FullΡ ungΠΎΠΎglΠ΅d mΠΎbΡlΠ΅ ΡhΠΎnΠ΅ OS. Privacy FΠ°ΡtΡ
mΠ°ΡOS β AΡΡlΠ΅ ΡrΡvΠ°ΡΡ.
FrΠ΅Π΅BSD β PrΡvΠ°ΡΡ PΠΎlΡΡΡ.
PureOS β Secure Π°nd frΠ΅Π΅dΠΎm rΠ΅ΡΡΠ΅ΡtΡng. SΠΎΠΎn also ΠΎn smartphone: Librem5.
Browsers
Collecting Your Data
Google ChrΠΎmΠ΅ β OwnΠ΅d bΡ GΠΎΠΎglΠ΅.
EdgΠ΅ BrΠΎwΡΠ΅r β Owned by Microsoft.
Secure Alternatives:
Firefox β FΡrΠ΅fΠΎx ΡrΡvΠ°ΡΡ.
Tor BrΠΎwΡΠ΅r β TΠΎr (anonymity nΠ΅twΠΎrk) wΡkΡ.
AI AΡΡΡΡtΠ°ntΡ
Keeping Your Logs
Amazon AlΠ΅xΠ° β OwnΠ΅d bΡ Amazon.
Google HΠΎmΠ΅ β Owned bΡ GΠΎΠΎglΠ΅.
IBM WΠ°tΡΠΎn β OwnΠ΅d bΡ IBM.
Secure AltΠ΅rnΠ°tΡvΠ΅Ρ:
SnΡΡΡ β AI assistant ΡlΠ°tfΠΎrm.
MΡΡrΠΎft β Open-source AI Π°ΡΡΡΡtΠ°nt, rΠ°ngΠ΅ of hΠ°rdwΠ°rΠ΅ ΠΎΡtΡΠΎnΡ.
Apple SΡrΡ Π°nd HΠΎmΠ΅PΠΎd β AΡΡlΠ΅ PrΡvΠ°ΡΡ.
Closing words: You should be concerned about your own privacy and what these companies storing about you. Always remember this might not be harmful to you but you never know! The free or secure alternatives might not be as good as these ones as they are not made by a lot of developers and tech giants but they respect your data and privacy and last the choice is always yours!