No, Privacy is Not Dead: Beware the All-or-Nothing Mindset \ stacker news ~privacy

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No, Privacy is Not Dead: Beware the All-or-Nothing Mindset www.privacyguides.org/articles/2025/02/17/privacy-is-not-dead/

1995 sats \ 21 comments \ @kepford 17 Feb privacy

In my work as a privacy advocate, I regularly encounter two types of discourse that I find very damaging to privacy as a whole. The first one is the idea that privacy is dead, implying it's not worth putting any effort to protect personal data anymore. This is the abdication mindset. This attitude is the one that scares me the most because without giving it a fight then of course the battle is lost in advance. Like a self-fulfilling prophecy, privacy is dead if you let it die.

This has been true in my experience as well.

Here's a concrete example: Let's say your friend just told you they moved their communications from SMS to Signal. This is something to celebrate! Your friend just improved their data privacy a lot by deciding to start using Signal instead of SMS. It is absolutely not the time to tell your friend things like "Okay, but you're not even using Firefox!" Cherish the win, encourage your friend to embrace Signal and appreciate the new protections it offers. Once your friend is comfortable with Signal, then you can slowly bring a new idea: "Hey Friend! I'm so glad we can communicate with Signal now, this is wonderful! I'd love to introduce you to this new browser now, I think you'd like it too!"

Help people move slowly but surely in the right direction, at their own pace, and with lots of positive reinforcements.

I think we can learn from this in the bitcoin community as well.

Privacy isn't just about the tools we use. Privacy is a culture we need to build. Cultures come with mindsets and customs. I would love to see the privacy community thrive and celebrate together every win we get. Tolerate imperfection and treasure improvement. Every little step on the path to better privacy rights and better privacy practices is a win.

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21 sats \ 0 replies \ @TheMorningStar 18 Feb

I think we can learn from this in the bitcoin community as well.

Yes, this is the right approach, Not that we instantly bombard normies for the mistakes they are doing. I believe slow and gradual is the way.

61 sats \ 4 replies \ @Butterfinger 17 Feb

I agree, privacy is a journey and a habit. But it's very hard to find people that really care about it. Most people I know are in that belief that it's already a lost battle, even if I offer some baby steps change.

0 sats \ 3 replies \ @kepford OP 17 Feb

It is hard to find people that care... but that should NOT influence your care about it. Be the example. Talk is cheap. Action is where its at. I've found that people come to me for help because I'm not pushy about stuff. I drop seeds but I don't force feed people stuff. You can make an impact and often you don't see it for some time.

75 sats \ 2 replies \ @Butterfinger 17 Feb

I am bit extreme, so maybe i have some high expectations like using linux phones, graphene as my fiat phone for example. But I am glad all my family is using linux and my self-hosting services.

0 sats \ 1 reply \ @kepford OP 17 Feb

Wow... that's huge. You have the fam on Linux and self-hosted apps. The mindset is the key though and influence has to be earned. Building strong relationships and family bonds is critical. I think far to few privacy and liberty minded people state this. Everyone doesn't need to think like you and I to have our backs when it counts. One of the most terrible things IMO about our time is how separated and divided families have become.

It was a goal of the socialist in the USSR to degrade the bonds of family and I believe this is still at play today with all the Marxist woke crap and its not new. Many leftists going back to Woodrow Wilson sought to weaken those bonds and strengthen the influence of the state. So... be on guard.

0 sats \ 0 replies \ @Butterfinger 18 Feb

Talking about communism and division, with opsec we have a common enemy to unite against.

90 sats \ 2 replies \ @Akg10s3 17 Feb

Privacy is definitely essential..

And generating or cultivating this concept in others is very important!!

I think we should start first with the family.. My wife and I have not communicated via WhatsApp for about 6 months now..

We use Simplex° instead, it is secure and open source..

0 sats \ 1 reply \ @kepford OP 17 Feb

Yep. I firmly believe that we should focus on providing for and influencing our families first. This is how you build a strong community.

36 sats \ 0 replies \ @Akg10s3 17 Feb

That's right👌⚡

55 sats \ 8 replies \ @OT 17 Feb

I have a friend who went down the privacy rabbit hole and came to this conclusion.

57 sats \ 7 replies \ @kepford OP 17 Feb

What conclusion. That its all or nothing?

47 sats \ 6 replies \ @OT 17 Feb

Sorry.

That privacy is dead and there's no point trying.

69 sats \ 3 replies \ @kepford OP 17 Feb

Yeah, I have friends that have that attitude but they didn't go down the rabbit hole. They just don't care. I think that's most people and they say that as cope.

112 sats \ 0 replies \ @freetx 17 Feb

I think its generational as well.

I'm constantly having to remind my zoomer kids things like "use a fake name for that..." etc.

As an aside, I'm also constantly surprised how people think you are legally required to use your real name on every form you encounter on the internet.

50 sats \ 1 reply \ @nichro 17 Feb

Some people say there's no point because they don't want to care because that involves thinking and effort, therefore they rationalize the path of least resistance by saying "privacy is dead there's no point trying"

0 sats \ 0 replies \ @kepford OP 17 Feb

Bingo

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0 sats \ 1 reply \ @Butterfinger 18 Feb

Your friend did not go down the rabbit hole of privacy. You simply don't come back if you really understand and put things in practice. It's like going back to fiat after understanding bitcoin, it can't happen.

0 sats \ 0 replies \ @kepford OP 18 Feb

I tend to agree

52 sats \ 1 reply \ @LibertasBR 17 Feb

When I wrote that #880275, I was trying to express exactly this feeling. I know how important privacy is, and I try to maintain it in everything I can, using more private tools and all that.

What I see is that many people around me don’t do the same—not just family, but people in my close social circle. It’s as if privacy is just keeping an Instagram account private. That’s the limit of their understanding of privacy—it’s shallow. It scares me that people have lost both fear and awareness.

0 sats \ 0 replies \ @kepford OP 17 Feb

This is the reality. I don't see it changing any time soon. That said we do have options and choices to make.

0 sats \ 0 replies \ @BlokchainB 18 Feb

I got a love hate relationship with privacy some days I’m like what’s the point other days I’m like KYC’ing to gain access to some discount from a law enforcement perspective I understand why governments want to do it but I think it’s gotten way out of hand