Served in the Krogan uprisings. Now I run a podcast
You do what you can and as much as you can live with/without and you get on with your life.
I use foss exclusively where possible but sure there are binary blobs, I have to sumbit my Id to banks and various government institutions etc. I also use WhatsApp in addition to signal because I need it for family.
Signal, linux, Firefox with ublock / no script, a VPN or Tor and using a password manager like keepass xc and 2FA app like free OTP+ will go a lot further in the long run than becoming hyperparanoid and shutting yourself off from the world. No need for 7 layers of encryption and thermite trip switches 😄
Just keep a low profile and dont sign up for lots of bs services with real info. Just be a Gray man / woman and blend in.
Life is what you make it and it is short
Running a middle relay for years with no issues.