I am trying to re-adjust how much effort I want to put into privacy concerns. Too much stuff I’m using isn’t working properly or using a lot of my mental resources that I need elsewhere.
For (a bad) example: I recently performed a half-switch from my self-hosted Nextcloud instance to ProtonDrive, in the hope that it would spare me the stress to maintain my private Nextcloud. Unfortunately, it doesn’t, as basic functionality like cross-device-sync is not possible (there isn’t even a client app for Linux, as of yet).
This brings me to the question: have you found any services/apps/stuff that significantly eases your life while still being privacy friendly? I know, this is a broad question, but I think this is for the best as this thread then maybe even has use for other users.
Mobile Fennec (or pick your poison for any Firefox fork) has made browsing overall much better. Between ad blocking, Enhanced Tracking Protection and a paywall-bypassing extension, browsing is overall less tedious than a comparable Chromelike.
Which paywall-bypassing addon would you recommend?
Bypass Paywalls Clean is the one I use.
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Personally, I’m okay with shouldering the security risk considering the internet-wide toxicity of Chrome and forks.
Lynx would be more secure than either.
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To me, that depends on what you use the phone for. I sometimes use mine for banking as well as logging into various sites, so I want to reasonably minimize the security risk I am taking. If I wasn’t, then sure.
I’ve used Firefox mobile for a while now and I’ve had zero issues. The attack surface may be “much more,” but that doesn’t mean that it’s completely open to hackers.
Plus let’s be real: Gecko-based browsers are, what, 1% of the browser market? Guess which browser is the most targeted by malicious actors? Not the one having 1% of the market, that’s for sure.
Last I checked, Firefox was close to 3%, but you right, still not a large number.
It doesn’t have to attract the most attackers, especially if it is notoriously weak. You shouldn’t choose software that is easier to exploit simply because it’s more obscure. Do you also choose weaker encryption algorithms because no one uses them? I sure hope not.
And your comment would probably ring a little more true, except we just had the xz debacle, and guess how much Linux has of a market share? Probably close to Firefox’s, both in the single digits.
No, I use Firefox because it’s an excellent browser. It doesn’t fit GrapheneOS’s security requirements, but then, I’m not too concerned, because it’s quite secure regardless. Even to the point in which it’s more annoying than Chrome for certain things (like HTST.) You’re trying to paint Firefox as “easy to exploit” when that’s not true. Easier doesn’t mean easy. The Kremlin might be easier to sneak into than the Pentagon. But that doesn’t mean it’s easy. Hell, Tor uses it to build its Tor browser. They could very well use Chromium for that.
You’re probably referring to desktop Linux. Linux is used in billions of devices all over the world, and it reigns in the server space. So, no. Not “in the single digits” usage.