Posts by MediaActivist@todon.eu
(DIR) Post #B1P7OfThJQLrlE9grA by MediaActivist@todon.eu
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Another note: If any of those examples aren’t good enough for you, there’s the privacy-focused Searx, which has different search engines available depending on your own needs. And there's the rub: Firefox have not only become incredibly dependent upon Google sponsorship, but also pivoted towards advertising and A.I. in recent months (as have many search engines, sadly): https://www.osnews.com/story/141757/mozilla-once-again-confirms-its-all-about-ads-and-ai-now/
(DIR) Post #B1P7OivoTLckTIKgb2 by MediaActivist@todon.eu
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I used Firefox for over twenty years, and after I fell in love with the workspaces feature and aesthetic of Vivaldi, I retained those, with Firefox’s containers, by using the Floorp forked version of Firefox from Japan and, more recently, the beautiful Zen browser, as well as Waterfox and LibreWolf, before finally realising I can cope just fine without containers and stick with Vivaldi, who are a larger project, while retaining a good ethos. The point is, there are many forks of Firefox to choose from if you don't want to use a Chromium-based browser.
(DIR) Post #B1P7Ojp79jrNEoCqnI by MediaActivist@todon.eu
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Tor browser: This is Firefox on steroids: enabling anonymity while browsing, routing traffic through the Tor network (though some websites don’t play nicely when you’re using it – so this is really just what you use when you want to fully protect yourself). It’s also a conduit to *ominous music* the Dark Web (ooh, scary!) https://www.torproject.org
(DIR) Post #B1P7OkxevSHylbDBke by MediaActivist@todon.eu
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Mullvad Browser: We’ve talked about Firefox from the Mozilla Foundation, and of course Edge comes from Microsoft, and Chrome from Google, and while Brave browser hails itself as a privacy-focused option, their current CEO was kicked out by the Mozilla Foundation for his bigotry, so no thank you. Built in collaboration with the folks at Tor, Mullvad Browser offers largely the same as Brave but without the prejudice or cryptobro culture. Bonus! https://mullvad.net/en/browser
(DIR) Post #B1P7Olzp4tc7ybEQlM by MediaActivist@todon.eu
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However, if you’re wanting privacy from your ISP regardless of whether you’re using a browser or another programme connected to the internet, you may be interested in Mullvad VPN: Yes, it’s Mullvad again, but with what they were most known for before their browser came along: the virtual private network (VPN). The VPN has been the bane of the increasingly anti-protest, authoritarian British police state since the introduction of Prime Minister (or “Pry Minister”) Theresa May’s “Snoopers’ Charter,” requiring ISPs to keep tabs on internet activity for the purposes of blanket surveillance. A VPN is ideal in combating government, corporate, or other malicious attacks on privacy, and an absolute must when using public/shared wifi. VPNs are also useful if you’re in one country and wanting to access local content in another country, as you can choose which servers to connect to. While NordVPN and Surfshark may deserve a mention, their “dark patterns” approach to locking in customers and their accounts make me reluctant to recommend them any more. One of the few VPN providers to offer cheap and flexible pricing combined with ease-of-use, Mullvad hit headlines for refusing to hand over customer details to cops because they don’t log such information. https://mullvad.net/en
(DIR) Post #B1P7Omh4U6D08jSyAq by MediaActivist@todon.eu
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LibRedirect: When someone sends you a link to often walled-off sites like YouTube, Instagram, or Reddit, you can use the albeit hit-and-miss LibRedirect web extension that valiantly attempts to redirect such websites to alternative privacy-friendly frontends. https://libredirect.github.io
(DIR) Post #B1P7OnVPSwTUer1AdU by MediaActivist@todon.eu
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AnonAddy: This is an ideal option to sign up for offers and accounts that you don’t want to share your actual everyday email account with! Think of it like a digital P.O. Box. It not only helps you protect your privacy online, but it's also open source. https://addy.io/
(DIR) Post #B1P7OoEQlYUGuU57oG by MediaActivist@todon.eu
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Signal: WhatsApp is owned by Mark Zuckerberg's Meta, so their encrypted messenger app comes at an ethical cost, when there are perfectly good alternatives. Still in my opinion the original and best, Signal is encrypted, fast, free, open source, and can be used on mobile or desktop, whether you use Windows, Mac, or Linux. In addition, Signal’s video chat option is surprisingly smooth enough to rival Jitsi Meet, and even offers screen-sharing (though not closed captioning). Those wanting something more fun and functional, reminiscent of WhatsApp's look and feel, with less emphasis on open source and encryption, have often opted for Telegram, which sadly became a haven for far-right groups whose members rear their ugly heads in other chatrooms (reflective of the sketchiness of Telegram itself), but we should always stick to the safe spaces, which brings me to the next subject. https://signal.org/en
(DIR) Post #B1P7OpD38AybwURXIO by MediaActivist@todon.eu
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I feel like I've written at length on my own site about the social media alternatives that have risen up in recent years, from the federated to the decentralised, and seeing as I avoid the rest, the fact you're reading this means you've found some of the better places! One thing I will say is that too many good people are still falling for Meta's marketing ploy pitching "Insta" as the younger, hipper, more progressive version of Facebook -- but they are the same thing. Delete your Instagram. https://deleteinstagram.neocities.org
(DIR) Post #B1P7Oq6hnFUoj6Tz2u by MediaActivist@todon.eu
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Bangle.js: Rather than the various unethical and expensive smartwatches from the surveillance capitalists, you may wish to instead opt for the slightly more affordable, effective, and hackable Bangle.js 2 that has an incredible amount of interfaces and features readily available — developed by the community — so even if you don't want to hack it yourself, you can use it with ease. https://banglejs.com/
(DIR) Post #B1P7OqrqxxD55KXdXE by MediaActivist@todon.eu
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PineTime: Even cheaper than the Bangle.js, the more basic PineTime comes from the people who brought us the Pinebook Pro laptop and PinePhone, amongst other things that remind us of the hardware options out there — from the Fairphone with a focus on DIY repairability, to simply refurbished laptops with Linux on and cheap Raspberry Pi microcomputers. (Edit: I won't endorse Framework given their recent embracing of fascism). There is actually a lot of choice out there, that really depends on personal preference. https://www.pine64.org/pinetime/
(DIR) Post #B1P7OrUqcyOz2GmmJc by MediaActivist@todon.eu
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I'll finish by mentioning that we're about to wrap up the @freetechproject that came out of the Libre Digital non-profit I founded fifteen years ago, therefore for one last time I'm facilitating its tech-focused workshops for the 2025/26 season, so feel free to find out more about these topics there! https://www.libredigital.org/the-freetech-project-returns-with-tea-tech-online-workshops/
(DIR) Post #B1P7OsOrGjClpyzVcO by MediaActivist@todon.eu
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So even though this is wrapping up, I am interested in building on it with something similar - online workshops covering tech at the intersection of ethics, privacy, security, and sustainability. If you're in the UK and passionate about #tech such as #FOSS, #privacy, #security, #sustainability, as well as #NonProfits, #SocialEnterprise and #cooperatives, let me know! And/or feel free to boost to help #AskFedi and the #HiveMind!
(DIR) Post #B1o1vlFn7KRQSO2tTk by MediaActivist@todon.eu
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Contrary to what establishment media may have us believe as they continue to amplify this group as part of Late Capitalism's counterrevolution, fascists are in fact a small yet vocal minority. My latest piece for The SilenceBreaker: https://www.silencebreaker.media/fear-makes-the-wolf-look-bigger/ #fascism
(DIR) Post #B1o1vniDyaNE59Md4i by MediaActivist@todon.eu
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Trump's approval rating with voters has cratered to its lowest level of his second term and stocks tied to the president and his family have plummeted by as much as 86 and 99 percent: https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2025/11/trumps-brand-is-tanking/
(DIR) Post #B1o1vpekkSmk6xkswS by MediaActivist@todon.eu
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Many top MAGA troll accounts aren’t even in the U.S., Elon Musk’s new X feature exposes. https://newrepublic.com/post/203562/maga-trolls-elon-musk-x-new-feature
(DIR) Post #B1o1vsFL7PEu90t8FM by MediaActivist@todon.eu
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The Affordable Care Act (ACA), oftentimes called Obamacare, is more popular than it’s ever been before. https://truthout.org/articles/aca-and-medicare-for-all-polls-reveal-voters-back-publicly-funded-health-care/
(DIR) Post #B1o1vu0AamIFaXo2sa by MediaActivist@todon.eu
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"Americans must learn to adjust to a lower standard of living,” Trump told the crowd before suggesting a specific solution to prices hiked by his tariffs, which he continues to insist are a success: “You can give up certain products. You can give up pencils…You don’t need 37 dolls for your daughter. Two or three is nice.” Trump’s return to MAGA rallies is a flop: https://www.salon.com/2025/12/10/trumps-return-to-maga-rallies-is-a-flop/
(DIR) Post #B1o1vvA8HDrBBjTW2y by MediaActivist@todon.eu
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"Even Republican voters support funding more research into renewable energy sources." https://www.euronews.com/green/2025/12/29/will-trumps-climate-criticism-backfire-new-poll-shows-most-us-voters-support-paris-agreeme
(DIR) Post #B1wQui7pJc0GaDazK4 by MediaActivist@todon.eu
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@Tutanota Yeah pretty much any of the "small tech" options are better and more private, but privacy and security are worthless without intersectionality, so it's difficult to recommend Brave run by a bigot, or Proton whose CEO liked to "both sides" fascism. They too would be stood up there on inauguration day in a heartbeat if they had the chance.