What are some other ways you protect your privacy in your daily life?

Privacy and Security Discussions
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Aside from how you use the internet and smartphones, how has your behavior changed in the public physical space?

The awareness can extend anywhere.

You’re buying something and the cashier asks for your phone number. “No thanks”

You counted 35 cameras in one local grocery store and they don’t disclose how they are used, so you visit another store instead.

You’re at an appointment with your doctor and knowing that everything you say is typed into your medical record, you only share the most relevant information. You can refuse any question their practice may ask, such as “are there guns in the home?”

You’re aware of how location tracking and geofencing works, so you occasionally leave your phone at home when going out. You didn’t need your phone on these outings, so now you only bring it along if necessary.

You know that your identity is just a thin trash bag away sitting on the curb every week, so you shred or incinerate documents.

You’re friendly and conversative with coworkers without sharing personal information at work.

You’re aware that you do not have to speak to police, and that anything you say can and will be used against you.

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You’re buying something and the cashier asks for your phone number. “No thanks”

Yes. Or email. If it’s necessary for some reason I provide SimpleLogin/AnonAddy generated email. I also don’t apply for any loyalty programs.

You counted 35 cameras in one local grocery store and they don’t disclose how they are used, so you visit another store instead.

Not really, but I wear the mask. (I’m aware of the IR type of cameras etc.)

You’re at an appointment with your doctor and knowing that everything you say is typed into your medical record, you only share the most relevant information. You can refuse any question their practice may ask, such as “are there guns in the home?”

Don’t lie to your doctor. I mean it! It’s pointless to be private if you’re dead.

You’re aware of how location tracking and geofencing works, so you occasionally leave your phone at home when going out. You didn’t need your phone on these outings, so now you only bring it along if necessary.

Sometimes yes.

You know that your identity is just a thin trash bag away sitting on the curb every week, so you shred or incinerate documents.

Definitely. Shredder P3+.

You’re friendly and conversative with coworkers without sharing personal information at work.

I speak with my coworkers more or less normally. Sometimes I use more general expressions in the conversation and leaving small details of. But nothing to extreme.

You’re aware that you do not have to speak to police, and that anything you say can and will be used against you.

Yes, but (luckily) I was not in the situation that I would have to test if I’m able to stand my ground in face of police officer. After all it’s “authority”.

Aside that I try to use cash more or buying gift cards (streaming services, or Amazon if I’m forced to use it).

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It may seem silly but I make things difficult by being privacy focused when not really needed.

I use gift cards for everyday purchases like gas, paying for a meal where I need to give someone my card to pay, where i “open a tab” at a bar. This is more to prevent fraudulent charges.

I use Walmart gift cards to purchase well everything at Walmart.com even though my regular credit card is a back up. This reduces the amount of charges on my card, allows me to budget, when I see a new Walmart charge on my credit card i know I spent X amount of money.

I do not have an ATM card or Debit card. I use my primary banking account to make reoccurring auto payments where i can not use a card, transfers, some cash withdrawals when needed. I don’t have a checkbook but I purchase about 12 checks when needed.

I utilize credit cards, for a large amount of purchases, cash withdrawals and pay them off in full every month. I use that cash to buy gift cards and or buy gift cards with the credit cards.

I have mentioned I own multiple properties and I legally appear to live at one location but spend most of my time at the other location.

I dress plain it’s kind of my style. This does not really make me blend in. I will wear a hat with a logo and a shirt or hoodie that does blend in which makes me look “normal”, when I am in public.

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I enjoy repeating the phone number of the person checking out preceding me at the register. When i get a questioned look, i just repeat it a little louder… :smirk:

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Happened to me in a Lacoste store where the cashier asked for phone AND email, then I asked why and she said to send me the invoice :joy:. I just told her that I do not need any invoice and she was okay with that. That never happened to me somewhere else, but I would just ask again why and refuse it.

The shop I often visit only has a few fake cameras, so that is not the problem. But when using the Metro/Train/Tram there are A LOT of cameras, but there wearing a face mask is currently the best thing I can do (and it is also mandatory at the moment)

I do not lie to my doctor, but yes I am ware of it.

Nothing much I can do about it apart from using an OS that does not track every step, Airplane mode enabled most of the time and when not using the phone putting it into a Faraday bag. But I can not really leave the phone at home because mostly I need it.

Well, I need my passport and ID and bank documents etc., but when I have documents that I do not really need I dispose them. But of course I keep my documents at a safe place.

That is really the hardest part for me to be as private as possible there :face_with_diagonal_mouth:.

Exactly. And when I have to I only speak as less as possible.

Also, I try to pay with cash as much as possible (and when I do not have any cash anymore I will ask a friend and later go to an ATM.) and online when possible with Monero.
And as @Perk1ns already said, I also normally just wear simple clothes. But that was not that hard because I did that also way before being in that Privacy community.

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Happened to me in a Lacoste store where the cashier asked for phone AND email, then I asked why and she said to send me the invoice …

Same happened to me in an electronic shop. I bought a printer and I wanted to have the invoice. Luckily I was ready so I gave them generated email. Later I received “invoice” which was the same simple receipt they gave me at the store. Less than 24h later - “Don’t miss these great offers we have for you!” → mail deleted.

I should have pushed and asked if it’s just for the “invoice” or they will start sending me spam - because I did not agree to that.

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I’m not suggesting anyone lie to their doctors. If you’re visiting a doctor you obviously have a reason.

What you should know, however, is that doctors observe and record much more than you realize. Most offices will present you with a questionnaire that may ask all kinds of unrelated questions. “Are there guns in the home” is an actual question I’ve seen used. Some will ask if you use a seatbelt, questions about your religious beliefs, and mental health screening questions. If you’re there for, say, allergies for example, this isn’t information they need to have. If you do choose to share this misc. information, it’s now part of legal documents that can be subpoenaed and used against you. Personal information about owning weapons, your mental health, your driving habits, among other things, are now coming from a valid source and in the hands of a court.

Doctors also observe and note things about your appearance and behavior. Your grooming, clothing, eye contact, speech, mood, etc. Casual conversation and off-hand things mentioned are noted. You may mention briefly that you had a bad day because your manager at work is causing you stress. Guess what, your doctor made a note of that. It’s now in your medical records that you’re stressed out at work. Remember, to stay on topic as to why you’re there at the appointment.

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:open_mouth: … which kind of doctor you have?

Maybe in US, but in Europe I’ve never seen questions related to guns, seatbelts or beliefs. Also unless the doctor is your psychologist, making a note of your bad day is borderline stalker behavior. I had to fill forms with various questions, but it was always related to the visit/procedure.

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Ah, yes that explains your reaction. There are a lot of differences between US and European healthcare, including costs.

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I have a private mailbox for anything linked to my legal name, and otherwise have set it up so all mail that comes to where I live is under an alias I generated. Online shopping, etc. Privacy.com cards are amazing for this.

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One sort of biggie is to be a bit more circumspect with what you share about yourself and your activities in an online public forum. For most users of open social media it is trivially easy to hoover up a lot of information they indiscriminately share. Deciding who you would like to know what and how to ensure that is important.

The spy device / smartphone thing really bugs me. I turn off location services except when really needed. I have de-googled phones but still carry around my old iPhone for some continuity of various apps and my old too widely known number. I really need to set that up as a message & forward only number and wean people off it.

Don’t give your real associated with you phone # much less home address except when really needed. Many forms that ask for this don’t really need it and putting most anything in it will work. Or put in some burner or voip phone of yours if they may send you an SMS.

The pros say you should distinguish very close highly trusted friends from family or co-workers or mere aquaintances and share or not share accordingly.

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old thread sorry but do any of you guys know how mic locks work like can i make it cheaply at home?

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I go to a church. At my church they have some people record the praise and worship, and not only do I find it actually un-natural and creepy, I’m scared of the consequences of being posted on TikTok and Instagram, Ex: having my face be used for facial recognition AI training. Or somebody using this video of my face to track where I have been.

For the cashier that asks for your phone number, I provide this phone number in order to avoid scrutiny: 248-434-5508, full transparency this is a phone number Micheal recommends we use, personally I suspect he controls the phone number, and gains money from the rewards, but it’s there if you want to blend in with a few hundred others.

For the grocery store I have a complete anti-facial recognition head setup, and I do complain silently and out loud about the amount of cameras, likely connected to the internet. I don’t usually literally count the cameras, I just get awareness of a lot or few.

For the medical, I recently talked to my doctor about my personal privacy concerns, and they took my concerns very seriously, and informed me that the CALEA law exists to protect our information. But he didn’t know that the engineers that built those systems, allowed certain law enforcement access into that data.

Also I’m not 1000% sure how geofencing works, like if all they can do is scrape the IMSI, then airplane mode whoops this survelience strategy. And yes, in daily life I’m often in airplane mode.

I’m friendly with co-workers, and friend groups. What I do is I’m friendly, and actually overshare what I do in private, to show I have truly nothing to hide. But then when they ask for my phone number ect. Take those steps like giving a MySudo number.

For the trash, yes, I use a shredder with p-5 shredding. If you didn’t know p-7 is the most secure but they cost like a thousand bucks, but as long as it doesn’t cut the paper into strips, you’ll be fine 99.8% of the time

Finally, although I’ve never had an encounter with police, I’m very cynical of their methodology and intentions, so I would say as least as humanly possible.

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I never provide my phone number, since I don’t want spams.

Doctors have to comply with HIPPA. They lawfully cannot disclose to LEAs whether you have guns at home, keep voodoo dolls made from exotic bird feathers etc ( not a lawyer). Exceptions would be for 3rd degree crimes.

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Whoops I meant HIPPA not the CALEA law.

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My church, post the sermons on social media more than once I watched these videos. Like a thief in the night I know where to walk to avoid the camera view. This is unlike at the grocery store.
At the grocery store, you have no clue to where the cameras are so we can assume everywhere. Some key areas we can assume 100% cameras, high theft items, electronics, baby formula, entrances and exits, vehicle pick up area for curbside pick up and cash registers.
I use shipping and delivery services, to reduce my exposure at the stores.
My preference is not to go in the stores.
Walmart for example, allows me to use an anonymous account, anonymous pre paid credit card purchases, as well there are several factors reducing the connection between myself and the delivery address.
When I do curbside pickup the vehicle I use is not registered in my name. Two Walmart stores are equal distance from my home and I will use other stores when this is reasonable.
Financially this has helped me budget purchases. Slowly I am reducing the transactions, my family purchased more than half of our monthly groceries today, for the month.