diff --git a/blog/posts/choosing-the-right-messenger.md b/blog/posts/choosing-the-right-messenger.md index 48dd40668d..b41f28695a 100644 --- a/blog/posts/choosing-the-right-messenger.md +++ b/blog/posts/choosing-the-right-messenger.md @@ -18,6 +18,8 @@ schema_type: AnalysisNewsArticle !["Choosing The Right Messenger" cover image](../assets/images/choosing-the-right-messenger/cover.png) + + One of the most common questions users have when it comes to privacy is about messaging services. It seems almost all of them mention some level of privacy or encryption to entice the user to sign up for their service, but how can you be sure you’re using the most secure, privacy respecting platform? The answer actually lies in one’s [threat model](https://www.privacyguides.org/basics/threat-modeling/), which is often an ignored step in choosing all privacy related apps and services, meaning a lot of users limit their internet and communication experience because they believe they need Edward Snowden level privacy settings. diff --git a/blog/posts/delisting-startpage.md b/blog/posts/delisting-startpage.md index 8ced8ceba8..3907c186d8 100644 --- a/blog/posts/delisting-startpage.md +++ b/blog/posts/delisting-startpage.md @@ -17,6 +17,8 @@ schema_type: NewsArticle !["Delisting Startpage" cover image](../assets/images/delisting-startpage/cover.png) + + Dear *Privacy Guides* Community, On the 15th of October, it was [brought to our attention](https://web.archive.org/web/20201127034309/https://www.reddit.com/r/privacy/comments/di5rn3/startpage_is_now_owned_by_an_advertising_company/) that Startpage.com was reportedly (partially?) taken over by a company called the Privacy One Group, which is in turn owned by a company called System1. We found this quite remarkable as the two companies seem to have conflicting business models. Startpage has been known for basing their advertisements on what their users enter in their search bar. System1 on the other hand, is a pay-per-click advertising company that "[has developed a pre-targeting platform that identifies and unlocks consumer intent across channels including social, native, email, search, market research and lead generation rather than relying solely on what consumers enter into search boxes.](https://web.archive.org/web/20201127034309/https://www.bizjournals.com/losangeles/news/2017/09/20/system1-raises-270-million-for-consumer-intent.html)" diff --git a/blog/posts/delisting-wire.md b/blog/posts/delisting-wire.md index 4347e80fba..e0d25452e0 100644 --- a/blog/posts/delisting-wire.md +++ b/blog/posts/delisting-wire.md @@ -17,6 +17,8 @@ schema_type: NewsArticle !["Delisting Wire" cover image](../assets/images/delisting-wire/cover.png) + + It has recently come to the attention of the *Privacy Guides* team that **Wire**, the popular end-to-end encryption messaging platform [has been sold or moved to a US company](https://web.archive.org/web/20201128215737/https://forum.privacytools.io/t/wire-swiss-gmbh-is-now-owned-by-a-usa-holding-company/1932). After a week of questioning, Wire finally confirmed they had changed holding companies and would now be a US based company in a move they called “simple and pragmatic,” as they worked to expand their foothold in the enterprise market. This also came alongside the news that Wire had accepted more than $8 million in Venture Capital (VC) funding from Morpheus Ventures, as well as other investors. Morpheus Ventures holds a [portfolio](https://web.archive.org/web/20201128215737/https://morpheus.com/portfolio/) including companies in healthcare, voice AI, life insurance, and retail customer data analytics: All sectors that have historically used invasive data collection methods to survive. Why would a VC with a portfolio centered on consumer data want to invest in a company whose mission claims to protect that very same information? diff --git a/blog/posts/firefox-privacy-2021-update.md b/blog/posts/firefox-privacy-2021-update.md index cac405c7fa..07dfc67a0c 100644 --- a/blog/posts/firefox-privacy-2021-update.md +++ b/blog/posts/firefox-privacy-2021-update.md @@ -17,6 +17,8 @@ schema_type: AnalysisNewsArticle ![Firefox Privacy cover](../assets/images/firefox-privacy/cover.png) + + A lot changed between 2019 and now, not least in regards to Firefox. Since our last post, Mozilla has [improved](https://blog.mozilla.org/en/products/firefox/latest-firefox-rolls-out-enhanced-tracking-protection-2-0-blocking-redirect-trackers-by-default/) privacy with [Enhanced Tracking Protection (ETP)](https://blog.mozilla.org/en/products/firefox/firefox-now-available-with-enhanced-tracking-protection-by-default/). Earlier this year Mozilla introduced [Total Cookie Protection](https://blog.mozilla.org/security/2021/02/23/total-cookie-protection/) (Dynamic First Party Isolation dFPI). This was then further tightened with [Enhanced Cookie Clearing](https://blog.mozilla.org/security/2021/08/10/firefox-91-introduces-enhanced-cookie-clearing/). We’re also looking very forward to [Site Isolation](https://blog.mozilla.org/security/2021/05/18/introducing-site-isolation-in-firefox/) (code named Fission) being enabled by default in the coming releases. Now that so many privacy features are built into the browser, there is little need for extensions made by third-party developers. Accordingly, we have updated our very outdated [browser](https://www.privacyguides.org/desktop-browsers/) section. If you’ve got an old browser profile we suggest **creating a new one**. Some of the old advice may make your browser *more* unique. diff --git a/blog/posts/firefox-privacy.md b/blog/posts/firefox-privacy.md index ed9919ed52..a5b78208f3 100644 --- a/blog/posts/firefox-privacy.md +++ b/blog/posts/firefox-privacy.md @@ -17,6 +17,8 @@ schema_type: AnalysisNewsArticle !["Firefox Privacy" cover image](../assets/images/firefox-privacy/cover.png) + + Mozilla Firefox is one of the most popular web browsers around, and for good reason. It's fast, secure, open-source, and it's backed by an organization that actually respects your privacy. Unlike many other Chrome alternatives and forks, it has a massive development team behind it that publishes new updates on a constant, regular basis. Regular updates doesn't only mean shiny new features, it means you'll also receive security updates that will keep you protected as you browse the web. Because of all of this, [we recommend Firefox](https://www.privacyguides.org/desktop-browsers/#firefox) as our general-purpose browser for most users. It's the best alternative to Chrome and Edge for privacy conscious individuals. diff --git a/blog/posts/mozilla-disappoints-us-yet-again-2.md b/blog/posts/mozilla-disappoints-us-yet-again-2.md index c230a5d7c5..2a98f5bcdc 100644 --- a/blog/posts/mozilla-disappoints-us-yet-again-2.md +++ b/blog/posts/mozilla-disappoints-us-yet-again-2.md @@ -16,6 +16,8 @@ schema_type: AnalysisNewsArticle ![](../assets/images/mozilla-disappoints-us-yet-again-2/cover.jpeg) + + **"No shady privacy policies or back doors for advertisers" proclaims the Firefox homepage, but that's no longer true in Firefox 128.** Less than a month after [acquiring the AdTech company Anonym](https://discuss.privacyguides.net/t/mozilla-acquires-anonym-raising-the-bar-for-privacy-preserving-digital-advertising/18936), Mozilla has added special software co-authored by Meta and built for the advertising industry directly to the latest release of Firefox, in an experimental trial you have to opt out of manually. This "Privacy-Preserving Attribution" (PPA) API adds another tool to the arsenal of tracking features that advertisers can use, which is thwarted by traditional content blocking extensions. diff --git a/blog/posts/privacy-guides-partners-with-magic-grants-501-c-3.md b/blog/posts/privacy-guides-partners-with-magic-grants-501-c-3.md index a374f6db36..887c39b4f5 100644 --- a/blog/posts/privacy-guides-partners-with-magic-grants-501-c-3.md +++ b/blog/posts/privacy-guides-partners-with-magic-grants-501-c-3.md @@ -12,6 +12,8 @@ schema_type: BackgroundNewsArticle ![](../assets/images/privacy-guides-partners-with-magic-grants-501-c-3/magicblog.webp) + + In February, the OpenCollective Foundation (OCF)—[our fiscal host of 4 years](https://blog.privacyguides.org/2019/10/31/weve-joined-the-open-collective-foundation/)—sent us an email to [announce](https://docs.opencollective.foundation/) that they would be shutting down, and they would no longer be able to collect donations on our behalf (or for any of the hundreds of projects they provided fiscal hosting services to). We immediately began to consider multiple options for the future of this project, including forming our own non-profit or finding another [fiscal host](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fiscal_sponsorship). We're excited to announce a [partnership](https://magicgrants.org/2024/07/22/Privacy-Guides-Fund) with MAGIC Grants, a Public 501(c)(3) charity with the mission of supporting privacy projects like ours and providing undergraduate scholarships for students interested in cryptocurrencies and privacy. They will immediately take over all of the operations previously provided by OCF, including accepting donations on our behalf, handling any of our accounting and taxes, reimbursing team members and volunteers, and taking legal ownership of assets like our domains and servers. diff --git a/blog/posts/relisting-startpage.md b/blog/posts/relisting-startpage.md index 453761ed47..62af06a8c7 100644 --- a/blog/posts/relisting-startpage.md +++ b/blog/posts/relisting-startpage.md @@ -16,6 +16,8 @@ schema_type: NewsArticle !["Relisting Startpage" cover image](../assets/images/relisting-startpage/cover.png) + + Dear *Privacy Guides* Community, In October 2019, we learned that System1 had become the majority shareholder in Startpage.com via a new System1 subsidiary, Privacy One Group. Due to the uncertainty surrounding the acquisition and the initial lack of clear communication from the Startpage team towards the privacy community, we were forced to delist Startpage from our [search engine recommendations](https://www.privacyguides.org/en/search-engines/). In an [explanatory blog post](delisting-startpage.md), we asked for more clarity surrounding the situation, stating: diff --git a/blog/posts/security-privacy-anonymity.md b/blog/posts/security-privacy-anonymity.md index 0d293cbb56..f18d3ec729 100644 --- a/blog/posts/security-privacy-anonymity.md +++ b/blog/posts/security-privacy-anonymity.md @@ -18,6 +18,8 @@ schema_type: OpinionNewsArticle ![](../assets/images/security-privacy-anonymity/cover.jpeg) + + We may think that we know the differences between privacy, security and anonymity, however we often mix them up. People will often criticize a product or service as “not private” when they really mean “not anonymous.” Privacy, security, and anonymity often complement each other, but they are not always dependent on each other, and they are definitely not the same thing. A service can be private without being anonymous, or even secure without being private. Which one should you prioritize? To some extent, there are no wrong answers. It really comes down to your threat model and what your desired goal is. It is perfectly fine to pick a product that provides privacy even though it doesn't provide anonymity. Furthermore, it's okay to pick a product that doesn't provide security if it does provide one of the other features. The important thing is that you need to be aware what these products and services are and aren’t offering you so that you can use them correctly. There’s lots of ways to define privacy, security, and anonymity. Someone showed me [this](https://code.privacyguides.dev/privacyguides/privacytools.io/issues/1760#issuecomment-10452) definition and I really liked it. It seems to pretty much hit the nail on the head when applying these terms specifically to data privacy and cybersecurity: diff --git a/blog/posts/the-trouble-with-vpn-and-privacy-review-sites.md b/blog/posts/the-trouble-with-vpn-and-privacy-review-sites.md index 6f41ea687f..6776c27e71 100644 --- a/blog/posts/the-trouble-with-vpn-and-privacy-review-sites.md +++ b/blog/posts/the-trouble-with-vpn-and-privacy-review-sites.md @@ -19,6 +19,8 @@ schema_type: AnalysisNewsArticle !["Unbiased Reviews" cover image](../assets/images/the-trouble-with-vpn-and-privacy-review-sites/cover.png) + + There’s a massive problem in the privacy world. Websites, social media accounts, and other platforms are constantly popping up out of nowhere, telling you to buy *The Greatest Service Ever* in order to solve all your privacy woes, whatever that may be. These websites often employ marketing teams to make sure their “reviews” are what you see first when you begin your research. Some of them are even operated by VPN providers themselves, operating under anonymous business entities to hide their bias, or doing it right out in the open, hoping you’ll mistake their advertising-filled press releases and blogs as insider knowledge of the VPN space. When a seemingly “unbiased review” on a site is merely a paid advertisement in disguise, that website is breaking their reader’s trust. From a consumer’s point of view, affiliate marketing and other paid promotional techniques like this make it near impossible to know when a review is genuine or not. diff --git a/blog/posts/welcome-to-privacy-guides.md b/blog/posts/welcome-to-privacy-guides.md index 66b60a59f0..042327b42a 100644 --- a/blog/posts/welcome-to-privacy-guides.md +++ b/blog/posts/welcome-to-privacy-guides.md @@ -20,6 +20,8 @@ schema_type: NewsArticle ![Privacy Guides cover image](../assets/brand/images/png/cover.png) + + We are excited to announce the launch of [Privacy Guides](https://www.privacyguides.org/) and [r/PrivacyGuides](https://www.reddit.com/r/PrivacyGuides/), and welcome the privacy community to participate in our crowdsourced software recommendations and share tips and tricks for keeping your data safe online. Our goal is to be a central resource for privacy and security-related tips that are usable by anybody, and to carry on the trusted legacy of PrivacyTools. As we [announced](https://web.archive.org/web/20210729184422/https://blog.privacytools.io/the-future-of-privacytools/) on the PrivacyTools blog in July, we made the decision to migrate off our former privacytools.io domain for various reasons, including an inability to contact the current domain holder for over a year and [growing](http://www.thedarksideof.io/) [issues](https://fortune.com/2020/08/31/crypto-fraud-io-domain-chagos-islands-uk-colonialism-cryptocurrency/) [with the .IO top-level domain](https://code.privacyguides.dev/privacyguides/privacytools.io/issues/1324). As attempts to regain ownership of the domain have proven fruitless, we found it necessary to make this switch sooner rather than later to ensure people would find out about this transition as soon as possible. This gives us adequate time to transition the domain name, which is currently redirecting to [www.privacyguides.org](https://www.privacyguides.org/), and it hopefully gives everyone enough time to notice the change, update bookmarks and websites, etc. diff --git a/blog/posts/weve-joined-the-open-collective-foundation.md b/blog/posts/weve-joined-the-open-collective-foundation.md index ab74e49020..cf37c48a32 100644 --- a/blog/posts/weve-joined-the-open-collective-foundation.md +++ b/blog/posts/weve-joined-the-open-collective-foundation.md @@ -16,6 +16,8 @@ schema_type: NewsArticle ![Privacy Guides cover image](../assets/brand/images/png/cover.png) + + [Privacy Guides](https://www.privacyguides.org) provides knowledge, recommendations, and services to protect you against global mass surveillance programs and encourage self-control of your data online. Our website is free of advertisements and is not affiliated with any listed providers, because we believe that our ability to recommend solutions without receiving financial kickbacks is incredibly important in remaining unbiased. However, we have always accepted and solicited financial contributions from our community. Running this network of websites and services for free to the public is a time-consuming and costly endeavor. We do it because we believe it is the right thing to do, not because we are looking to make a profit. Any contributions have been either used to pay our expenses or saved in a reserve for expansion or times of need. diff --git a/blog/posts/why-i-run-a-tor-relay.md b/blog/posts/why-i-run-a-tor-relay.md index 4a07abf888..0c70fc7b5a 100644 --- a/blog/posts/why-i-run-a-tor-relay.md +++ b/blog/posts/why-i-run-a-tor-relay.md @@ -18,6 +18,8 @@ schema_type: OpinionNewsArticle ![Tor graphic](../assets/images/why-i-run-a-tor-relay/cover.png) + + It makes me smile when I come across someone struggling with the decision of whether to get a [VPN](https://www.privacyguides.org/vpn/). It makes me smile not because of the indecision and relative lack of knowledge, but because it wasn't so long ago I was in exactly the same position—perceiving VPNs to be some kind of extreme measure only the paranoid and the criminal resorted to. How wrong I was. In just a few months I've come to realize that something like a VPN is in fact a basic measure one might take in the effort to more freely roam the Internet—tainted as it is by censorship, surveillance and many other forms of state control. So where do you go from realizing these issues if you know them to be the threats that they are to democracy and freedom? You seek to *take control*.