Editorials & Other Articles

Zorro

(16,287 posts) Sun Sep 8, 2024, 09:40 AM Sep 8

This is the best privacy setting that almost no one is using

Protecting your online privacy is way too hard. A proposed California law would give you a privacy fairy godmother to handle the dirty work.

If the governor signs the law by a Sept. 30 deadline, you’d be able to click a box in any web browser or in your phone’s settings to command companies not to blab your personal information.

States around the country are laboratories for how to give you meaningful power over your data. The proposed addition to California’s existing privacy laws isn’t perfect, but it is an intriguing model for simple, legally binding privacy controls.

I’ll explain how the California measure could work for state residents and many other Americans — and how to try a privacy fairy godmother right now.

https://wapo.st/3TfhwBF

7 replies

= new reply since forum marked as read

Highlight:

This is the best privacy setting that almost no one is using (Original Post) Zorro Sep 8 OP

No paywall link.... Think. Again. Sep 8 #1

That's a gift link I posted Zorro Sep 8 #3

It would not let me read the full article without signing in. Think. Again. Sep 8 #4

Looks like a new WaPo feature Zorro Sep 8 #5

Part of their steady turn to the right orthoclad Sep 10 #6

In the meantime, here are some options- Snarkoleptic Sep 8 #2

Good EFF source orthoclad Sep 10 #7

Think. Again.

(17,934 posts)

1. No paywall link....

Reply to Zorro (Original post)

Sun Sep 8, 2024, 10:29 AM

Sep 8

https://archive.is/vjKkE

Zorro

(16,287 posts)

3. That's a gift link I posted

Reply to Think. Again. (Reply #1)

Sun Sep 8, 2024, 10:48 AM

Sep 8

Shouldn't be paywalled.

Think. Again.

(17,934 posts)

4. It would not let me read the full article without signing in.

Reply to Zorro (Reply #3)

Sun Sep 8, 2024, 10:51 AM

Sep 8

Zorro

(16,287 posts)

5. Looks like a new WaPo feature

Reply to Zorro (Reply #3)

Sun Sep 8, 2024, 02:20 PM

Sep 8

Gift links now require an account to read the article. I did not realize that.

orthoclad

(4,728 posts)

6. Part of their steady turn to the right

Reply to Zorro (Reply #5)

Tue Sep 10, 2024, 05:20 AM

Sep 10

They want to harvest and sell your data from "free" links. Ironic in light of the subject of that article.

Someone told me that blocking scripts disables a lot of website functions, like spyware and paywalls. Never tried it, myself.

Snarkoleptic

(6,027 posts)

2. In the meantime, here are some options-

Reply to Zorro (Original post)

Sun Sep 8, 2024, 10:32 AM

Sep 8

Get a VPN, which can be used on cell phone and laptop.
Use Duck Duck Go browser to anonymize searches.
or
Use Firefox with EFF's free "Privacy Badger" extension, plus Ghostery (also free), plus Ad Guard AdBlocker (also free).

https://www.eff.org/pages/privacy-badger
Privacy Badger is an install-and-forget browser add-on that stops advertisers and trackers from secretly tracking where you go and what pages you look at on the web. If an advertiser or other third party seems to be tracking you across multiple websites without your permission, Privacy Badger automatically blocks them from loading any more content in your browser.

Here's more from EFF re: Surveillance Self-Defense-
https://ssd.eff.org/

orthoclad

(4,728 posts)

7. Good EFF source

Reply to Snarkoleptic (Reply #2)

Tue Sep 10, 2024, 05:24 AM

Sep 10

There's also the Tor browser, which acts like a vpn. Some websites block Tor echo sites.

The Brave browser has a "new private window with Tor" menu item.

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