Private Internet Access, a VPN provider, takes out a full page ad in The New York Times calling out 50 senators
allthefoxesATF and DTF[M]
Regardless of your choice of VPN provider, it’s important to stay safe on the internet. A VPN is not the only way you can keep your privacy in check. However, if a VPN interests you, you can see choices, pros and cons, and more at this handy website. A few other things:
Firstly, consider donating to the EFF or ACLU ( Charity nav links for EFF and ACLU )
Secondly, Take some time to read privacytools.io – A lot of good information there about privacy in our digital age as well as links to reputable VPNs, search engines, and softwares that all take your privacy seriously.
Lastly, because this always comes up, here is an excerpt from the /r/privacy FAQ
If you wear clothes, use passwords, close doors, use envelopes, or sometimes speak softly, then you do have something to hide; you’re just having trouble understanding that you already do care about privacy. Here are some references to help you understand why everyone, especially honest hard-working people, needs privacy.
- TechRepublic – Why ‘Nothing to Hide’ misrepresents online privacy – A legal research professor explains to Michael P. Kassner why we should think long and hard before subscribing to the “Nothing to Hide” defense of surveillance and data-gathering.
- MSNBC – Surveillance: You may have ‘nothing to hide’–but you still have something to fear – At first blush, this argument might seem sound—after all, if the government is merely conducting anti-terrorism surveillance, non-terrorists shouldn’t be affected, right? But if you look more closely, you’ll see this idea is full of holes.
- Wired.com – Why ‘I Have Nothing to Hide’ Is the Wrong Way to Think About Surveillance –
- ZDNet – Privacy is innately flawed: ‘Nothing to hide’ does not exist – There is no such thing as “I have nothing to hide”. Everyone has something to hide, and there will be someone out there who will pay to see what it is.
- Mashable – NSA Snooping Matters, Even If You Have ‘Nothing to Hide’ –
- Techdirt – If You’ve Got Nothing To Hide, You’ve Actually Got Plenty To Hide – The line “if you’ve got nothing to hide, you have nothing to worry about” is used all too often in defending surveillance overreach. It’s been debunked countless times in the past, but with the line being trotted out frequently in response to the NSA revelations, it’s time for yet another debunking, and there are two good ones that were recently published.
- WashingtonExaminer – Even law-abiding people should oppose surveillance – In other words, why should law-abiding citizens mind federal surveillance?
- The Chronicle – Why Privacy Matters Even if You Have ‘Nothing to Hide’ – A long and thorough article on many, many different reasons why the NTHNTF argument is basically invalid.
- Mail Online – If we have nothing to hide, then why should we have to prove it? – Those who have nothing to hide have nothing to fear. Every time the State wants to extend its powers, this trite phrase is wheeled out.
- PRISM: Why You Should Care, Even If You “Have Nothing To Hide” – And, no, most of us don’t have anything to hide. In fact, the vast majority of us will never do anything the government cares about. But that’s not why you should care about your privacy.
- Reason.com – 3 Reasons the ‘Nothing to Hide’ Crowd Should Be Worried About Government Surveillance – Most people think the federal government would have no interest in them, but many discover to their horror how wrong they are
- The Phoenix – Debunking ‘nothing to hide’ – ‘No secrets’ doesn’t mean ‘no problem’
- ID Folly: Those with nothing to hide have nothing to fear?? – Everybody else, it is claimed, will be able to enjoy a new sense of security and safety from ideologically inspired violence, fraud and other criminal acts. The statement that only those with something to hide will have something to fear, is nothing more than a thoughtless and foolish mantra repeated by those who prefer platitudes to the demands of careful and rational thinking.
- Watch this snippet but the whole talk is informative.
- Read this and this for explanations of why you should care.
- Visit this and this website for different side of privacy on the web and its importance.
- In depth article about advertiser tracking at The Atlantic and when all this data is combined at CIO.
- Watch this video on why Privacy matters
- This non-technical explanation of why privacy matters uses literary references.