A curated list of privacy resources for the realistically paranoid
This is what I recommend as a starting checklist for when you get a new device. Most of these apps are available for both desktop and mobile, with some obvious exceptions.
- Stop Windows 10 & 11 from spying on you: O&O Shutup 10++ https://dl5.oo-software.com/files/ooshutup10/OOSU10.exe
- Watch Youtube without ads or tracking: Freetube https://freetubeapp.io/#download
- Notes application that doesn't let Google spy on you or lock you out of your own stuff: Joplin https://joplinapp.org/help/install/ or Standard Notes https://standardnotes.com/download/windows
- Best media player: VLC https://www.videolan.org/vlc/
- Web browser: Firefox https://www.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/new/ (install the uBlock Origin, Disconnect, and Decentraleyes add-ons)
- Super-paranoid anti-tracking web browser: Brave https://brave.com/ (you will have to disable some crypto nonsense after installing, but the browser itself is legit)
- Alternate choice for anti-tracking web browser: Mullvad Browser https://mullvad.net/en/browser
- Search engine that doesn't track you: Startpage https://startpage.com/
- Password Manager that is more secure than LastPass: KeePass2 https://sourceforge.net/projects/keepass/files/KeePass%202.x/2.56/KeePass-2.56-Setup.exe/download
- Best VPNs: Proton VPN https://protonvpn.com/, AirVPN https://airvpn.org/, Mullvad VPN https://mullvad.net/en/vpn
- Cloud Storage that doesn't spy on you: Proton Drive https://proton.me/drive or Tresorit https://tresorit.com/
- Calendar that doesn't spy on you: Proton Calendar https://proton.me/calendar
- Office applications that don't cost money and don't spy on you: LibreOffice https://www.libreoffice.org/
- File Sync between devices you own: SyncThing https://syncthing.net/
- Email that doesn't feed your info to an advertising algorithm: Proton Mail https://proton.me/mail
- End-to-end encrypted text/chat: Signal https://signal.org