What's In My Privacy Toolbox? (Perennial Edition)
Last Updated: 1Β week, 2Β days ago
Just starting your privacy journey or curious what others are using for theirs? This list was first developed in 2024 to get the conversation started and reflects our current Privacy Toolbox.
Is this a comprehensive list of all tool available in each category? Not even close! This toolbox represents a solution for the particulars of our use cases, as outlined in the Guiding Principles. And if you're unfamiliar with what is available to replace the apps that shipped with your desktop or mobile device, this is a great place to start.
We only discuss tools and solutions that we have personal experience with and use on a regular basis. Since privacy is a journey and not a destination, this list has and will continue to evolve with time. The links for each website will be listed next to the tool, where applicable. If a "Privacy Tool Spotlight" is available, going into greater detail about the tool, the link is next to it. If a solution is more US centered, an American Flag (πΊπΈ) will be next to it.
Guiding Principles
- Privacy Forward Alternatives: Solutions that preserve privacy by blocking trackers, data mining, and/or using end-to-end, zero-knowledge encryption.
- Daily Use: I only recommend solutions that I personally use every day on all my devices.
- Support: If I'm not paying for it, I'm donating to its cause. I'm neither an employee, spokesman, or in any affiliate programs.
- Usability: It should be as easy to use as any mainstream software it's replacing, encouraging adoption by all. Even my in-laws.
- Cross-Platform: It must run across Windows, MacOS, Linux, iOS, and Android/GrapheneOS where applicable.
- Bonus points: Free and open-source software (FOSS), available on F-Droid, and able to run without Google Play Services.
Keep in mind that...
The best privacy and security results rely on multiple tools working together. Now to my ever-evolving toolbox (with From->To where applicable):
Browser: Google Chrome/Safari β Brave Browser (https://brave.com/ | π Tool Spotlight)
- Search: Google Search β Brave Search (https://search.brave.com/) and Startpage (https://www.startpage.com/) (π Tool Spotlight)
- Desktop Browser Extensions: 1Password, PrivacyBadger, uBlock Origin
Backup Privacy Browser: Mullvad Browser (https://mullvad.net/en/browser) - Defend yourself against tracking with this Firefox based privacy browser.
Anonymous Browser: Tor Browser (https://www.torproject.org/) - Defend yourself against tracking and surveillance. Circumvent censorship.
Password Manager: LastPass β 1Password (https://1password.com/ | π Tool Spotlight)
2FA Authenticator: Authy β Enteio Auth (https://ente.io/auth/ | π Tool Spotlight)
Hardware 2FA: Yubico YubiKey (Be sure to have two! | https://www.yubico.com/ | π Tool Spotlight)
Messenger: Google Voice (SMS) β Signal Messenger (https://signal.org/ | π Tool Spotlight) and Molly (https://molly.im/) (A secure Signal fork)
Messenger: SimpleX Chat (https://simplex.chat/) A decentralized instant messenger that doesn't depend on any unique identifiers. An effective tool against censorship.
Proton (https://proton.me/) Family Plan that includes the following:
- VPN: Google One β ProtonVPN (π Tool Spotlight)
- Email: Gmail β ProtonMail (π Tool Spotlight)
- Alias Email Addresses: Proton Pass with SimpleLogin
- Calendar: Google Calendar β Proton Calendar
- Cloud Storage: Google Drive/OneDrive/DropBox β Proton Drive
- Note: Proton does offer a useful free tier available to test each service out
Backup Email: Tuta (https://tuta.com/ | free tier available for testing | primary & backup email should be on secure & private services)
Notes: Google Keep β Notesnook (https://notesnook.com/ | free tier available for testing | π Tool Spotlight)
Photo Storage: Google Photos β Enteio Photos (https://ente.io/ | free tier available for testing |π Tool Spotlight)
Virtual Payments: Privacy.com πΊπΈ (https://www.privacy.com/ | free tier available for testing |π Tool Spotlight)
Virtual Phone Numbers: Cloaked πΊπΈ (https://www.cloaked.com/)
Personal Data Removal: Optery πΊπΈ(https://www.optery.com/ | free tier available for testing | π Tool Spotlight)
For my devices:
- Desktop OS: MacOS/MS Windows β Ubuntu Linux (https://ubuntu.com/desktop)
- Smartphone OS: Google Android β GrapheneOS (https://grapheneos.org/ | π Tool Spotlight)
- Privacy Keyboard: Google GBoard β Futo Keyboard (https://keyboard.futo.org/ | free tier available for testing)
- Office Suite: MS Office 365 β LibreOffice (https://www.libreoffice.org/)
- Desktop Privacy Utility: Privacy.sexy - A tool to maximize privacy and security settings on Windows, macOS, and Linux. And nothing else. (https://privacy.sexy/ | π Tool Spotlight)
- Faraday Phone Sleeve: Mission Darkness Dry Shield Faraday Phone Sleeve. Make your phone invisible to trackers and hackers. (https://mosequipment.com/products/mission-darkness-dry-shield-faraday-phone-sleeve | π Tool Spotlight)
- Privacy Screen Protector: Various. As mobile screens get bigger and brighter, the easier they are for others to read at a distance. (π Tool Spotlight)
- USB Data Blocker: JSAUX USB Data Blocker & USB C Data Blocker. Goes between your device and any unknown cable and/or power source to prevent direct USB attacks, like the O.M.G cable. (π Tool Spotlight)
Smart Home Automation
- Amazon Echo β Home Assistant ((https://www.home-assistant.io/ | π Tool Spotlight)
Remember, we may not have anything to hide but everything to protect.
