Data Privacy Strategy

No one is perfect. Just do what you feel is appropriate for you.

• Protect the $:

  • Freeze your credit at the three major credit bureaus. Unfreeze it when you need it.

• Prevent data from leaking

  • Audit your smartphone privacy settings
  • Secure your browser situation
  • Install Adblocking
  • Install Privacy Badger extension in all your browsers
  • Lock down your social media accounts
  • Minimize your Digital Footprint
  • Enable two-factor authentication (2FA), especially for anything email or money related.
  • Choose "dumb" devices over "smart" ones. No one needs a refrigerator that connects to the Internet.

• Obfuscate:

  • Stop using your real name, real birthdate, etc. unless you are legally required to (e.g. bank).
  • Create a burner email address (and USE it for any unimportant stuff). This is an email you won't really check much (More at Email Privacy)

• Manage the Ongoing Disaster:

  • Register for Preference Services (see the Privacy Spreadsheet)
  • Opt Out from Data Brokers: Opt Out from as many data brokers as you have patience for (see Data Broker tab of the Privacy Spreadsheet). By opting out, you're unlisting yourself from the biggest websites people find your info.
    • Benefits of Opting Out: Less spam email, less spam calls, less risk of identity theft.

• Make Informed Decisions

  • Review privacy policies and app permissions
  • Follow orgs like:
    • Electronic Frontier Foundation,
    • Privacy Rights Clearinghouse,
    • World Privacy Forum
  • Use services like Have I Been Pwned to monitor data breaches you may have been in.
    • When data breaches occur, it's helpful to know what kind of data was leaked. If passwords were leaked, change passwords.