Horrifying for this millennial too.

GrapheneOS, Signal, Vanadium, Mullvad VPN, extremely strict permissions. I don’t do much with my phone, but I still need to know I’m in control of my privacy.

Hell, I finished school over a decade ago now, but even as an adult, I feel like I’m being constantly watched. This kind of overreaching, omnipresent surveillance is genuinely not good for individuals and by extension, society at large. Human beings do not act naturally when they feel their every move is being watched. Anxiety, distrust, paranoia, depression, etc. can all manifest, and it scares me to know that this kind of “for your safety” surveillance has become so normalized.

It isn’t normal. It is affecting the average person’s mental health, even if they don’t know it. It is affecting society at a very base level as a result. What a world…

Yeah same. A cheap little thing from Woolies does the trick. I just find it fucking disgusting that we have to go to such lengths to begin with.

Come to Australia if you want some dystopian surveillance state bullshit. The border force in the country have the legal right to force you to unlock your devices, or throw you in prison until you do. We have no rights in this country when it comes to privacy (just look into the recent legislation that was pushed through parliament during COVID - they can edit, delete, etc. any data on your device. It’s absolutely fucked, and Australians being the apathetic bunch of cunts they are just couldn’t give a shit.)

This country is just becoming more and more authoritarian, and I’m not sure how many Americans know just how many protections they have and take for granted. Australia is fucking suffocating to live in today if you value privacy and autonomy. There are almost no barriers at all between the individual and the government, and it’s only getting worse. I wish I had moved stateside when I was young enough for it to be a possibility. I’m stuck here now.

I have to be honest, as much as I’ve degoogled my life, Maps is the one app I’ve yet to find good competition for. Every single alternative I’ve used has fallen short in some way, especially in terms of business details and street view, which are critically important for my work.

Maps is just too good, and it is the only Google product I still use (albeit through GrapheneOS with heavily restricted permissions and a dummy account.)