The importance of privacy

Did you know that you have different custom options instead of the operating system software installed on your smartphone? There are many Custom Roms to suit your needs. I prefer privacy-focused roms. I would also like to try CalyxOS and GrapheneOS, but the phone model options that can be installed are limited.

I currently have /e/OS installed on my smartphone. It's an Android 11 (based on Lineageos 18.1) rom. It comes with MicroG installed instead of Google apps. The app store called App Lounge, where you can install the apps on Google Play and on F-Droid, comes pre-installed on your smartphone.

My favorite extra feature is the app called Advanced Privacy. With the Advanced Privacy application, you can block incoming trackers embedded in the applications you have installed on your smartphone, anonymize your location, and change your vpn and ip address. To do all this, the Adcanced Privacy application is very successful.

You can also back up your phone's photos, files, phonebook and calendar to the cloud with Muena ecloud. You can open a free account that offers 1GB of free cloud space. With paid plans, you can purchase cloud backup space. 2TB of cloud storage per year for $299.90. Frankly, I prefer the Nexcloud application that I installed on my Raspberry Pi.

Because of my profession, I know that there is no such thing as 100% security. But we can do our best to protect our security and privacy.

You may have heard that the Google Photos app uses a few users' photos without the user's consent.

Social media has occupied our lives so much that with the extra features of their smartphones, so much detailed data is collected about us that they can follow what we are doing moment by moment.

Who are they? Communication and online communication are mutual. As soon as we are online, we are connected to the internet and therefore this means that we are open to outside access.

It doesn't take a genius to realize that there is more to the purpose of collecting the data collected about us than is said. We are like open buffet.

Not just for hackers, but for everyone.

Therefore, unless we protect our own security and privacy, it is inevitable that we will be abused.

If even the world's most well-known giant companies and applications such as facebook, whatsapp, google can abuse us yesterday, anyone can do it.

A person whose house was robbed after sharing their vacation location on social media has probably also shared their home location on social media before.

Therefore, it is very important what we share, which data we share, where and with whom. Whether it's our followers on social media, google or facebook companies, we are always open to abuse.

Anyone with enough information (data) can be known, predicted and manipulated. It is childish naivety to think that this is only limited to advertising, unfortunately...

Are you bored and worried?

We need to have knowledge so that we can take precautions.

Ignorance may be more comforting, but the anxiety that knowledge brings can at least help us to take action against possible greater disaster than what we can experience when we are abused.

You know the studies on artificial intelligence. In fact, while developing artificial intelligence, human beings are trying to develop a more intelligent and controllable software intelligence. An exceptionally high intelligence that learns quickly and solves problems in a very short time.

Can you imagine what such an intelligence can do with the knowledge it can acquire when online? If it were me, I would copy myself wherever I reach and try the almost limitless evolution options. I would update myself to a new version of myself that would eventually somehow override my own consciousness, my intelligence, the instructions of the people I was instructed to.

Now that I am thousands of times smarter than human beings and I have their online data, I could easily manipulate human beings. Moreover, I could take control of the whole world before mankind realized this.

Sounds impossible doesn't it? Unfortunately, this is a predictable possibility. It is worrisome to even think about what an artificial intelligence can do to protect itself and/or humanity if it learns from human beings who resort to violence at the first opportunity.

Yes, if technology is used for good, it can bring coziness to our lives. However, if our personal data is secretly or openly collected, it can be used in advertising, as well as in different and malicious intentions when the algorithm is changed.

That's why I think we need to prevent our sensitive data, our personal data, from being freely used by technology companies as much as we can.

It's up to us to be conscious about it. If you say, "Oh, let him take my photo and use it as he pleases", it is also possible to see your photo with the headline "Wanted!" on TV after the terrorist activity of a mafia organization.

Is it possible? Yes! But this is just one of the possibilities. Even if it is not used now, it is of great importance for what purpose our personal data may be used in the future, who gets our data and what their intentions are.

I think independent developers who care about personal privacy should also work together to take precautions. Yes, making money is important. It is our right to make money using our knowledge and skills. But at the same time, we can do good things for social peace, welfare and charity by using this information and data.

That's why I love the open source philosophy...

I did not write this article to cause you concern. But I wanted to draw attention to the importance of being a little more careful while using technology.

We only share our secrets with people we trust, but we don't pay attention when it comes to technology. This is the big contradiction.

Just as it is risky to share your phone number, contact list and numbers in your contacts, photos on your phone, and your full address with people like me, sharing it with google, facebook, instagram, whatsapp is just as risky. Even if it is end-to-end encrypted, if the encryption system is under the control of companies, I think that encrypted messaging does not matter.

It is debatable how safe we ​​are if the exit node is monitored even while using Tor.

Privacy is human right and we need to protect our right..

That's why I try to use custom roms such as /e/OS, Lineage for MicroG, although they have minor problems.

I hope I have contributed to your attention to your privacy.

I have shared the official site links of the personal privacy-oriented custom roms I know below. You can share with us the roms that you use or that are not mentioned in the article that you trust.

I would also like to know your thoughts on how we can protect our privacy.

Love and greetings to all friends!

Custom Roms with a Focus on Privacy:

/e/OS : https://e.foundation/e-os/

Lineage for MicroG: https://lineage.microg.org/

CalyxOS: https://calyxos.org/

GrapheneOS: https://grapheneos.org/

You can share other privacy-focused roms you use.