podiboq

Some friends recommended me this comic book few weeks ago, and I just found out momma penguin had it. So I’ll start reading it these days 😎

I’ve posted this in Romanian, but realized an English version would be better here on micro.blog… 

So I’ve decided to leave WhatsApp behind and close my account. And I switched to Signal. I was already on Telegram, but Signal is way better from a privacy point of view…

I’ve tried convincing my friends and family. Some accepted, some didn’t. But, as I’ve said to them, we’re free to choose what we want in life.

Those who didn’t want to leave told me I was paranoid, that Facebook is not the bad guy, that they don’t care because they have nothing to hide, etc.

I know the current changes to the privacy policy weren’t really that important (we’re mostly clarifications actually) and that Facebook already has everything about me at this moment. I know this, and it’s easy to see it for yourself. Just export WhatsApp data, and you’ll see all the infos they have. But I don’t want to be their data milking cow anymore. My data is my data (and yeah, I know: if something it’s free, you’re the product). 

Besides, Facebook is known for lying a lot and not just lately… this “bug” made me laugh, or if you have the time you can take a look at this timeline of some of Facebook’s privacy issues

I don’t want a future built on all the data that we freely and stupidly gave to all these companies. A future where they have all of our data, and they’ll be able to know what our next step will be. I don’t want this. 

If I can take a step in a different direction I’ll do it. So this is what I’m doing now.

I don’t want my kids to be “sketched” with the help of the data I’ll leave behind. They need to be themselves. That’s why I never posted, and I’ll never be posting photos of my daughter online - her online identity must be build by herself and not by her parents. 

Final note: Facebook is not the only bad guy here… they’re just one of them. The internet is ruled by GAFAM and they have the power. We gave it to them…

😳 You don’t understand Romanian? No problem: I’ve also written an english article on the same subject…

M-am saturat sa tot explic de ce am plecat de pe WhatsApp si de ce am trecut pe Signal.

Mereu aceleasi intrebari si aceleasi pareri de la cei ce iau la misto aceasta decizie si imi zic ca sunt paranoic: ca modificarile facute nu implica Europa, ca nimic nu se schimba de fapt, ca Facebook nu este baiatul rau, ca ei nu au nimic de ascuns, etc…

Nu imi pasa sincer. Decizia imi apartine si mi-o asum.

De ce?

Nu mai vreau sa fiu un produs. De ce sa aiba Facebook toate aceste informatii cand ei nu dau doi bani pe tot ce inseamna privacy? De ce sa stie ei tot? Nu, nu am secrete, dar - in acelasi timp - nu vreau ca viitorul sa fie un sir de evenimente provocate de tot ceea ce data mining-ul a recuperat de la noi. Nu vreau ca ai mei copii sa fie legati de mine si sa se poata analiza “trecutul” lor prin prisma tuturor datelor obtinute prin utilizarea produselor lor.

Daca pot face macar un mic pas inapoi, eu il voi face.

Stiu ca Facebook are deja toate informatiile de pana acum, dar macar voi impiedica preluarea informatiilor ce ma privesc de acum inainte. De ce sa aiba ei contactele mele pentru a putea afla traseul de la persoana X la persoana Y prin intermediul meu? De ce sa imi stie preocuparile bazandu-se pe grupurilor pe care sunt sau pe care le creez?

La Facebook am renuntat de mult timp, iar acum WhatsApp este doar etapa numarul #2. Urmeaza Instagram, doar ca acolo activitatea mea este extrem de redusa (practic inexistenta).

As renunta si la Google, dar partea asta este ceva mai dificila pentru moment… Insa sper sa fac si asta pe viitor.

In fine…