Some tools I use for privacy.
- A curated checklist of tips to protect your digital security and privacy: https://github.com/Lissy93/personal-security-checklist: very good advices and tools.
- Awesome privacy - https://github.com/pluja/awesome-privacy: List of free and open source privacy services as an alternative to proprietary services.
- The Hitchhiker’s Guide to Online Anonymity: https://anonymousplanet-ng.org/ "You should never share real individual experiences/details using your anonymous identities that could later lead to finding your real identity".
- https://www.privacyguides.org/: A guide to restoring your online privacy.
- ToSdr: evaluate well-known websites (e.g. facebook, wikipedia) in terms of privacy.
- r/privacy: active community on privacy.
| Tool | Description |
|---|---|
| Firefox | Open-source browser. The only one based on gecko (instead of Webkit based privacy browsers). See why this is important here. |
| ProtonMail | Messaging service developed by CERN researchers. |
| Signal | A private messaging system, which unfortunately few people use. |
| KeePass | An open-source and safe password manager with many unofficial ports to different platforms. |
| openPGP | File encryption tool, tutorial. |
| openVPN | Open-source vpn service (server side and client side). |
If possible, use a free and open source operating system such as Linux because recent versions of OSX and Windows have the ability to show personalized ads in certain programs, see here for OSX.
For mobile, GrapheneOS is a privacy and security focused mobile OS with Android app compatibility, that will never include either Google Play services or another implementation of Google services like microG.
| Tool | Description |
|---|---|
| SearX-NG | Allows you to do google searches (on a server which can be yours) without letting google know your ip and your browser. |
| SimplyTranslate | private translations (Google Translate, DeepL, ICIBA and LibreTranslate). |
| Invidious | Allows you to use Youtube (on a server which can be yours) without letting google know your ip and your browser. |
| ViewTube | Similar to invidious i.e. for Youtube, but with a different interface. |
| Teddit | Alternative Reddit front-end focused on privacy. |
| Nitter | Allows you to use Twitter (on a server which can be yours) without letting twitter know your ip and your browser. |
| Bibliogram | Allows you to use Instagram (on a server which can be yours) without letting Facebok know your ip and your browser. |
Similar services are available for Medium, TikTok, Imgur or even Reuters... See a list of alternative-front-ends.
Use them in conjunction with the LibRedirect Firefox extension (see below).
| Tool | Description |
|---|---|
| OpenStreetMap: OrganicMap | Avoid using google maps. |
| InoReader | RSS reader that allows you to avoid using social networks. It can handle a YouTube channel, a Facebook page, etc. Drawbacks: uses ad tracker. |
| NewsBlur | RSS reader similar to InoReader but open-source. it has some ad trackers too. |
| NetNewsWire | NetNewsWire is a free and open source RSS reader for Mac, iPhone, and iPad. |
The website https://12ft.io/ helps you to bypass the paywall of news sites.
I harden the browser settings and make it more secure by customizing user.js with https://github.com/arkenfox/user.js/.
| Extension | Description |
|---|---|
| uBlock Origin | Ad-blockers. |
| Multi-container | Containerize website (cookies from a particular website can be used in a single dedicated container). |
| Consent-o-matic | Automatically reject all (almost all) requests to accept cookies in pop-ups. |
| TemporaryContainer | Every new tab is a new temporary container. |
| Libredirect | Redirects Twitter, YouTube, Instagram and more to privacy friendly alternatives (tracking bypass service). |
| CanvasBlocker | Alters some JS APIs to prevent fingerprinting. |
| SmartReferer | Automatically hide HTTP and JavaScript Referer for cross-domain requests. |
| SkipRedirect | Some web pages use intermediary pages before redirecting to a final page. This webextension tries to extract the final url from the intermediary url and goes there straight away if successful. |
NoScript is a good tool if you want a granular control of what scripts on sites are run. Do not use Ghostery, which is developed by an advertising company and show their own ads.
Off topic: I also use LanguageTool and Grammelecte (for french) as grammar and spell checkers. I use cliget to simplify the download process when you have many files to download and you are logged on a website and updatescanner for checking if a web page has been modified.
Some DNS servers protects you from security threats, blocks ads and trackers on websites and in apps.
| DNS Service | Note |
|---|---|
| NextDNS | Fast. |
| Quad9 |
I use Stevenblack/Hosts. I set 100k domains as being 0.0.0.0 i.e., "127.0.0.1", for instance google ad services.
| Tool | Description |
|---|---|
| DnsCloak | It lets me use a DNS service and put an host file from Stevenblack/Hosts. |
| StrongBox | An open-source password manager that works with a KeePass db. |
I use a removable and reusable screen protector for each device e.g. Amazon link.
I do not connect to any personal service on a machine that is not mine. For example, I never connect to my personal mailbox on my computer lent by my employer. You never know what is installed on it and even what happens when you return the computer.
I try to disable the wifi most of the time when it is not in use.
I never charge my phone on public usb plugs. If you want to do it, use syncstop.