The Digital Freedom Checklist

Technology makes our lives easier. It can also be addictive, intrusive, and mentally destructive. However, by making the right decisions, you can become the master of your technology rather than letting it master you. This guide contains some of the most important steps in that process, which are broken up into three categories: Beginner, Committed, and Hard-Core.

⭐ Beginner ⭐

Move To a Private Search Engine

Google, Bing, and Yahoo all record and sell your data. Why would you use them when DuckDuckGo, Brave Search, and Startpage exist?

Move To a Better Web Browser

A lot of web browsers (Chrome, Edge, Opera, etc.) monitor user activity. However, there are many great alternatives that respect their users' privacy and are completely auditable (Firefox, Chromium, Brave). Chromium is essentially just Google Chrome minus the invasive trackers. There is basically no reason to use Chrome when Chromium is available. Brave is also a great choice because it has (arguably) the best default privacy settings and features of any browser, making staying safe online super easy.

Install Ad Blockers

Installing a few free ad blockers and tracker blockers in your browser makes it harder for websites to track you and will get rid of ads. At the very least, you should install uBlock Origin, which will basically eliminate of every online ad. Some other great choices include Privacy Badger, DuckDuckGo Privacy Essentials, and JShelter.

Don't Buy an NSA Pringles Can

Do you really need Google Home, HomePod, or the Amazon Pringles Can? Do you actually get much use out of them, or are they just novelties sold at a lost to mine data?

Delete Accounts That You Don't Use

Do you have any online accounts that you never use and likely never will use? If you're not sure, check that colossal list of passwords that you keep on your desk. It might be worth taking the time to sit down and delete the accounts that you will never use again.

Store Your Files Locally

It is always nice to keep a copy of your files directly on your machine rather than on the cloud. If you don't need to give your files to some cloud storage company, then just keep them locally on your machine.

⭐⭐ Committed ⭐⭐

Move To Linux

Windows, macOS, and ChromeOS are proprietary and non-auditable, giving their corporate parents more control over your computer than you yourself have. Linux and BSD offer alternatives that are completely free to use and give their users freedom and privacy. Linux Mint and Pop!_OS are very beginner friendly options. If you are not comfortable installing these on your computer, you most likely know someone who would be willing to set it up for you.

Use Open Source Software

Whenever possible, try to replace proprietary, privacy-infringing software with open-source software. For instance, you might replace Microsoft Office with LibreOffice or Photoshop with GIMP.

Leave Your Phone Behind Sometimes

If you need your phone, take it with you. If you don't, leave it in the car. When you don't need your addictive tracking-device, you are better off leaving it behind or turning it off.

Use Private E-mail

If your e-mail account is "free," then your e-mail provider is profiting off of you by selling your data and serving you ads. Gmail literally used to scan the content of your e-mails to decide what ads to target you with. Consider paying a few dollars a month for an e-mail account that doesn't spy on you. Mailbox.org and Proton Mail are good options. You can even get a free Proton Mail account if you don't need much storage.

Use YouTube Unhook

Watching a YouTube video is sometimes useful or even necessary, but YouTube is becoming increasingly effective at drawing us in and convincing us to also watch a couple of cute cat videos or something else that we know is an unfulfilling waste of time. That is why you need to install Unhook YouTube: a browser extension that can selectively disable YouTube's ability to display recommendations to you on its homepage or sidebar. That means that the only videos you can watch are the ones you explicitly search for. You may also want to install an additional extension, such as Youtube-shorts block, to remove Youtube Shorts from search results too.

⭐⭐⭐ Hard-Core ⭐⭐⭐

Create A Web Page

Don't be an Internet Serf who rents space one someone else's website. Create your own website and become an Internet Land Lord. It is your site with your rules.

Use Social Media Alternatives

If you must use some type of social media, move to federated alternatives. None of these are controlled by a single centralized entity. Explore the Fediverse!

Have a Libre Phone Or No Phone

If you need a phone, either buy one with open hardware that is designed for open source operating systems (such as PinePhone) or install a secure and open source operating system on an existing Android phone (such as GrapheneOS or Replicant). Alternatively, you could simply choose not to have a mobile phone. The one on the wall that makes a ringing sound might be good enough.

Install Libreboot

Now that you are using a good operating system and software, you can get away with using a rather old machine (such as the ThinkPad X200). That will allow you to eradicate the Intel Management Engine by installing Libreboot (or at least coreboot).