Free and Open Source Software

The list in the first one is so hilariously ridiculous that I have to remind myself how grave the accusations are.

• the use of applications such as Signal, WhatsApp, Wire, Silence or ProtonMail to encrypt communications;
• the use of tools to protect your privacy on the Internet such as a VPN, Tor or Tails;
• protecting ourselves against the exploitation of our personal data by GAFAM via services such as /e/OS, LineageOS, F-Droid;
• encryption of digital media;
• organization and participation in digital hygiene training sessions;
• the mere possession of technical documentation.

I have ticked almost all of these boxes at some point as a privacy conscious software developer. I wonder what I'm plotting?

The reality is, sometimes it's not even about the state. I'm well aware that they are such an adversary that, if I were specifically targeted for something I would want to hide, I'm in for a really bad time.

Sometimes, it's about the data advertisers collect and use to sell me more crap. Sometimes, it's about disagreeing with dragnet surveillance. Sometimes, it's about refusing to have these very valuable services be associated only with criminal intent.

Journalists, victims of abuse, whistleblowers and every day people just trying to have private lives have a use for some or all of these tools.

Also, WhatsApp and ProtonMail have access to metadata about who you are contacting as well as subject lines and, in the case of WhatsApp, images. They might avoid some ad targeting but both are pretty stupid tools to use if you're trying to hide something from the government. They both only scratch the surface of what we really need to avoid dragnet surveillance and yet are still better than many alternatives.