This may end up being a bit convoluted, so I will do my best to keep it as short as possible and to the point.

I have a US number with Google Fi, have had it for about 8 years.

This is the only reason why I still maintain that one Google account. The benefit is that I only use it when I am in the United States, and when I'm not, I just pause the service and don't get charged.

However, I feel the string need to completely eliminate Google from my life permanently.

Does anyone know of a service similar to this one? It can be an MVNO or VOIP for my phone, and I would like to port my number as well. I found "phoner", but I can't pause the service, so I would be stuck paying a bill I don't use as much or loosing my number.

If the service is private (not to be confused with anonymous, of course) even better.

I have friends that send me tiktok links via whatsapp and then they ask questions about it like "what do you think, scam or not". I used to open them with cookies rejected in ddg browser but now it pretends to freeze after 4 seconds of play, then it says that i must open it in the app and replaces the "play" button with a fake button that leads to google play.

I assume that there's no way to watch it anymore without an account and without the app, right?

Hello, always wanted to know the absolute best to have the most private (and secure) browser, need tips for android and linux. I think Firefox based browser are the best choice but i'm open to recommendations!! THX

Has anyone here used Revolut? How does it compare to privacy.com for EU users?

Can you use the tap to pay on your phone without using Google Wallet?

Anone heard about it? Anything bad about security?

I've checked speeds with my friend, the're quite good, file transfer speed is insane compared to signal.

I am searching for a job and require my phone number to be included on my resume. Is there a service available in the EU (excluding the UK) that can provide this.

What are people using in place of Google docs/sheets/etc? I'm looking for a simple program that syncs with the cloud so I can access my documents on my different computers or my Android phone. I run Windows 10 (don't crucify me). I use libre office for things that can stay on one computer, but for things like school notes, budgeting spreadsheets, or certain reference sheets I've created for work I need to be able to access on my different devices or log in on a web browser and easily have the changes sync. I'm constantly on the go and logging into different devices between work and school and while I want to de-google I've just found the convenience of the google suite has kept me saving non-confidential stuff with them. With some minor searching I found Cryptpad, has anyone used that, or can anyone recommend anything else?

I don't do anything crazy, for docs its mostly just typing and basic formatting, importing pictures into my school notes, very simple tables, etc. With Sheets I just use basic math functions to balance my bank accounts and keep my budget on track, so I don't need anything advanced, it just needs to work and sync with the cloud. I don't even care if I have to pay a few bucks for it if it's worthwhile.

Having used iOS my entire life, the switch to GrapheneOS will be a big change. I have learned over the past year about Android, GrapheneOS, and apps to use. I managed to find most of the apps I was looking for, but there are some I struggled with. I had trouble finding privacy respecting, open source apps for the following categories (I've listed what apps I did find, but want to see if there are better alternatives.)

• Local AI: For AI I was able to find MLC LLM, but the iOS version is a bit broken so I'm unable to confirm if it's what I'm looking for. I want something capable of running Llama 3. This was by far the hardest category to find an app for.

• Backup: I found Neo Backup and Seedvault. I want to be able to backup files, photos, app data, etc.

• IDE: I was only able to find Neovim (which I'm not even sure is an IDE). I primarily code with Python (but also code in Java as well as others), and I want to be able to run quick scripts when I'm out and about.

• Torrent: While torrenting on a phone isn't necessary, it has certain scenarios when it's useful. If this is a major hole in privacy and security, I don't mind leaving this off my list. I found LibreTorrent as an option.

• Local file sharing: This is one I'm most curious about. I want a way to share files between my Linux computer and phone. LocalSend and Warpinator seem to be tied as far as popularity, maybe I can get some insight here. I want it to be strictly over the local network.

• Network monitoring: This is nice to have for a variety of reasons. I want something like Wireshark for Android. I couldn't find many great options, but I found Vernet.

• eBook reader: I'm sure the option I picked here is fine, but I wanted a second opinion about Libera Reader.

• Terminal: I've heard a lot of different opinions for terminal emulators for Android, so please put up a good case for whichever one I should go with. Neovim is apparently (technically?) a terminal emulator. I'm increasingly confused about what Neovim actually is. I also found Termux and I eventually found too many options to find a clear choice.

• Movies: Because many movie streaming services are privacy invasive, I'm looking for an ethical way to watch movies. I found Stremio which I have never heard of before. This isn't a topic that gets covered very often.

I am aware of AlternativeTo, and it's what I used to find some of these trickier apps, but nothing beats hearing first hand experiences. Thank you all for your help!

https://piped.video/Z9-sJm1lEAU

When I announced I would be closing my communities earlier this year, a curious thing happened: a surprising number of regulars replied with some variation of “I think this is my exit.” While some were specifically talking about Matrix, claiming that mine was the only room they were really active in and therefore they saw no point to having a Matrix account anymore, at least one specifically announced they would be quitting privacy entirely, save for a few basic techniques like using a password manager and being mindful of what to post online. While I didn’t expect the number of people responding that way, I was expecting that response from one or two people. If you check any given privacy forum – especially the ones with a heavy overlap of mainstream users such as Reddit – you’ll find no shortage of people asking “is all this work worth it?” and/or announcing that they’re giving up privacy because it’s too much work. So what gives? Is privacy worth the work?

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.ca/post/21465918

iOS 17.5 Bug May Also Resurface Deleted Photos on Wiped, Sold Devices

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/ios-17-5-bug-may-also-resurface-deleted-photos-on-wiped-sold-devices.2426698/

Visa is rolling out new technology that will allow the payments giant to share more information about customers' preferences [non-paywalled source] based on their shopping history with retailers as it seeks to remain a top player in the competitive e-commerce space. From a report:

The data will be shared via the payments giant's proprietary "tokens," which provide an added layer of security between a consumer's bank information and a merchant. Shopping inclinations and other information based on past transactions -- such as preferred categories, like movies or golf -- will be shared via token with retailers with the consent of consumers.

"It's almost entirely blind to almost all consumers," Visa Chief Executive Officer Ryan McInerney said in an interview of the company's token technology. "They just know their payments work better." The sharing of shopping data via token is one of a handful of innovations Visa unveiled at a conference in San Francisco, where it's based. Visa, one of the largest e-commerce technology companies in the world, is finding itself increasingly fending off competitors seeking larger slices of the fees merchants must pay to carry out consumer transactions.

Abstract credit: https://slashdot.org/story/428471

I didn't know my city was cool enough to put signal flyers.

It has finally happened...not surprised though.

It's not quite enough for me, personally, but this is a small step in the right direction.

I think that the real "down near the metal" solution is to own a dumb car, but those are getting thin on the ground . . .

Firefox’s Enhanced Tracking Protection (Strict Mode) is known to cause issues on x.com

There were no "issues"; everything was working completely fine. This is a deliberate decision to force people to turn off tracking protection.

I saw a recommendation to use Firefox's container extension https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/containers, but it's disabled in private browsing windows, and I always use private browsing windows.

Why most services that want to protect user privacy. Also those on privacyguides, don't have anonymous payment methods like cryptocurrencies? I pay for a few such services like email or cloud etc. but I don't know if it makes sense if my bank knows I'm using it anyway so they can sell that info to advertisers, gov, etc. In EU services like mysudo or privacy.com are unavailabe so I can't use masked cards. What is then the profit of using such services if I don't pay for them with cryptocurrencies and they can be easily linked to me?

cross-posted from: https://lemy.lol/post/25062075