5 big steps to digital freedom (Step 1)
If you are ready to join the fight against BigTech to stop them censoring, manipulating and brainwashing us all the while they monetize the data they collect from us — here are 5 steps you can take.
1. Hide your IP Address — Install a VPN or TOR Router (from $70)
Your IP address reveals your exact location, what you do online, the people and places you visit, plus it leaves you vulnerable cyber-attacks.
Websites use your IP Address to track your behavior, even jacking up prices every time you visit. Your internet service provider (ISP) is legally allowed to track, store, and sell your activity to advertising agencies unleashing the relentless ads you get online not to mention the scam emails and dodgy text messages.
To gain an understanding of how important your IP Address is to protecting your privacy — check out this article:
BigTech including Facebook, Google and others have attracted suspicion for misusing the data of their users. Using a VPN or TOR can prevent apps and websites from associating your online activity to your computer’s IP address. You can also use it to prevent these apps and websites from collecting your location and browser history.
Also your personal information could be sitting in global surveillance systems, and you can quite easily be monitored by authorities and government organizations if you don’t secure yourself online. Remember Edward Snowden.
For the reasons explained in this article, I do not think most people need a VPN:
I think TOR would be a better option for most people — it is so easy if it runs on your router and serves your whole household without you having to do anything else.
Installing a VPN/TOR Router is quick, easy, and fairly inexpensive and can help protect you and your family. Here are a couple of good ones to choose from:
Alternative A— GL.iNet GL-AR750S — Works with TOR or VPN
For $70 you can get a GL.iNet GL-AR750S router that you can plug in between your cable modem and you existing wifi router and be protecting your IP address within a few minutes. Things I like:
- over 30 pre-configured VPNs
- supports both OpenVPN and Wireguard (which is much faster)
- pre-configured TOR — literally turned on with a radio button and is free
- Runs on Open Source Firmware — OpenWrt/LEDE pre-installed
- No command lines or coding to get VPN or TOR running — it is all point and click
Alternative B — BraxRouter (PI 4) — choose a TOR version or a VPN version
Non YouTube Link Alternative https://vid.mint.lgbt/watch?v=pdS1n_F11Dk
The BraxRouter is about $100 more then the GL.iNet referenced in Alternative A, but there are a few reasons why I have included it as an alternative for you to consider. These include:
- watch the video above and you will see that Rob is very good at explaining this type of technology.
- Check out his other videos at https://vid.mint.lgbt/channel/UCYVU6rModlGxvJbszCclGGw and you will see he is a useful source of information on security and privacy technology. Seems like a good guy to get to know.
- You are buying from a real person rather then another faceless impersonal tech company. If we are going to beat BigTech, we need to start supporting smaller businesses run by real people.
Conclusion
There are lots of other routers similar to these for you to choose from if you wish to do the research and now you have something to compare them to. If you find some better alternatives for people to consider, please help out by including them in the comments.
The 5 Big Steps to Digital Freedom
- Protect your IP Address (it can be used to track you and also link all your computer activity together)
- Store you email and photos, videos, files at home instead of with Gmail or on Google Drive or One Drive
- Started using Linux as your preferred operating system helping break the stranglehold of Microsoft and Apple
- Ditched the iPhone for a degoogled phone
- Established newsfeeds direct from your trusted sites using RSS Readers. Giving you communication channels independent of Big Tech and Social Media.
- Extra Bonus Step — Can now charge you cell phone safely, keep spying eyes out of your camera, protect your password and valuable docs, and finally probably never use an anti-virus product again.
Conflict of Interest Disclosure
Writer and family members do not hold any financial interest in the businesses manufacturing and selling the above 2 products. Nor are we compensated in any way e.g. commission or affiliate program if you decide to purchase these products or services.
5 big steps to digital freedom (Step 1) (text only — excluding videos and images) © 2021 by Beating Big Tech is licensed under CC BY 4.0
