Discoveries & Action Items for People Who Are Just Done with the News

Don't you hate reading the news and knowing that all you can do is shake your fist at it?

Me too. Which is why today's post is a round-up of random interesting things I've discovered recently—with a suggested action item at the end of each one.

Here's where you can turn your anger, disgust, and disbelief into meaningful action—and it will only take a few minutes!

WITHDRAW YOUR DATA FROM PRIVACY INVADERS

Above is a fabulous infographic called the "Privacy Iceberg" by Lemmy user The 8232 Project. (Used with permission.)

ACTION ITEM: Locate where you are on the iceberg and do one thing that will start to move you down a level. For example, if you're on the "As Seen on TV" tier, try switching from Google Search to DuckDuckGo. If you're on the "Privacy Enthusiast" tier, join the Signal messaging app and invite a few friends. If you're at "Privacy Activist" level, you get a pass—no need to fake your own death.

(BTW, I list many more zero-cost and affordable alternatives to surveillance capitalists' products in DISENGAGE: Opting Out—and Finding New Options—to Reclaim Your Life from Spammers, Scammers, Intrusive Marketers and Big Tech. Remember, this book is my gift to you...it was a passion project and I never charge for it!)

USE THE FORCE AGAINST BIG TECH

The Rebel Tech Alliance is a "non-profit whose main objective is to stop Big Tech spying on us and monetising our personal data." How do they do that? "By undermining the creepy business model they use: Surveillance Capitalism. And we do that by helping you move to using different tech that doesn't support that business model."

I love that one of the founders is not a hardcore techie, so all of the resources are accessible and useful...and there are a lot of them. Read articles on why Big Tech is a threat to democracy, common objections to ditching Big Tech (and how to overcome them), and more.

A vast list of alternatives helps you find the perfect replacements for various apps, social media, etc. And businesses can apply for SMBZero Certification to show concerned customers that they don't engage in the Surveillance Business Model.

ACTION ITEM: Go to the "Alternatives" submenu and choose just one platform or app you'd like to replace...then do it! If you a lot of time time, I recommend replacing your cloud storage platform. A medium amount of time, switch to an alternative office suite (I use LibreOffice). Just a little bit of time, install a better VPN.

BOOT SELF-ESTEEM-BUSTING STALKERS FROM YOUR LIFE

I'm like # 50 in line at my local library to borrow a copy of Careless People, a "recent tell-all book by former Facebook insider Sarah Wynn-Williams." Until then, I can be horrified by just one aspect of Facebook's depravity, as described in the article "Facebook Allegedly Detected When Teen Girls Deleted Selfies So It Could Serve Them Beauty Ads" in Futurism. The title kind of says it all, but it's worth a read.

ACTION ITEM: Meta doesn't like us. So if you are still on Facebook, Instagram, Threads, or any other Meta space—take the strong hints they're sending out and delete your accounts. In DISENGAGE, I offer not only instructions on how to download your data from and delete various social media accounts—but also kinder, more privacy-forward alternatives to traditional social media platforms.

BE FRIGHTENED (AND THEN ENLIGHTENED)

We've all heard that many of our apps are tracking us, but it's hard to understand the severity of the issue without actually knowing how many trackers an app has and what they're doing.

Exodus: The privacy audit platform for Android applications lets you enter the name of an app and see how many trackers it uses and how many permissions it asks for. (Permissions are access to, say, your microphone or contacts list.)

Not only that, the platform will show you exactly what those trackers and permissions are, and whether they're considered dangerous to your privacy. If an app gets a poor overall privacy rating, the site offers an article with better options.

ACTION ITEM: If you're on Android—or even if you're not—check out just one of your apps on this site. If it's deemed dangerous, either restrict permissions in Settings or replace the app with a safer one.

KEEP YOUR PRIVATE DATA SAFE WHILE TRAVELING

How to Stop Phone Searches When Traveling on Naomi Brockwell TV offers six tips for securing your device before traveling—which is even more important now than ever. If your device is seized by an agent, not only can they see every one of your files, emails, and texts—they can also download all your data for later analysis, know where you've been, and install a keylogger that tracks your actions on the device once you get it back.

Naomi's advice includes creating a strong PIN, disabling pairing, and removing or covering any laptop stickers that may stand out to TSA agents.

ACTION ITEM: Change your phone PIN to either a number longer than 6 characters or a passphrase. Set your phone to disallow more than a certain number of login attempts—or even wipe the phone if someone enters the wrong PIN too many times.

If you already have a strong PIN, instead spend a few minutes anonymizing your laptop or phone. I try to make my laptop as inconspicuous as possible even when I'm not traveling...no stickers, blank background/wallpaper, no identifying details in folder names.

F*CK THIS SH*T

The petition "Honor Trans Service: Allow Early Retirement & Demand Policy Reform" is fighting new government policies that are "separating" loyal military servicepeople who happen to be trans. People who have been serving their country for years are now being cut off before they can claim any of the retirement benefits that were promised to them.

ACTION ITEM: Sign the petition. (Using a masked email if you have that capability!)

AN HONEST REVIEW OF THRIVE MARKET ;)

In DISENGAGE, I share alternative sources for gifts, bulk foods, and other products we typically turn to Amazon for.

I recently started doing part of my grocery shopping at Thrive Market, and since I won't be able to include it until the next book update, I thought I'd let you know about it through the blog. I don't use affiliate links...this is just my personal experience with Thrive Market for those who are interested in divesting from Amazon, Target, Walmart, etc.

• I DO like their selection of products from smaller/more ethical businesses. For example, I've gotten some delicious snack foods that are similar to the big corporate brands, such as Good Crisps (which are like Pringles).

• I DON'T like that you have to pay a monthly or annual fee to use the site. I'm paying $48 for this year through a special promotion they were running.

• I DO like being able to find organic alternatives to foods I buy regularly, such as dried chickpeas.

• I DON'T like how expensive it is. They promise you'll save money, and that's true—if you were already buying organic, fair trade, etc. products elsewhere and switched to Thrive Market. But switching from regular stores and supermarkets, not so much.

• I DO like (love!) their toiletries, such as tea tree oil toothpaste, Mad Hippie brand serums, and ginger-scented deodorant.

• I DO like their carbon-neutral shipping, and the fact that almost everything is cushioned in paper-based wraps.

In all, I think it's worth a try if you're looking to divert some of your grocery money to more ethical businesses. I don't know if I'll renew my annual subscription because I'm not sure I use it enough to be worth it. But if cost were not a factor, I'd be a fan for life.

ACTION ITEM: If you've been thinking about divesting from certain corporations, take a look at the Thrive Market site.

That's all for now! I hope at least one of these action items calls out to you.