“An Opinionated Guide to Privacy Despite Authoritarianism” by TurnTrout

I've created a highly specific and actionable privacy guide, sorted by importance and venturing several layers deep into the privacy iceberg. I start with the basics (password manager) but also cover the obscure (dodging the millions of Bluetooth tracking beacons which extend from stores to traffic lights; anti-stingray settings; flashing GrapheneOS on a Pixel). I feel strongly motivated by current events, but the guide also contains a large amount of timeless technical content. Here's a preview.

Digital Threat Modeling Under Authoritarianism by Bruce Schneier

Being innocent won't protect you.

This is vital to understand. Surveillance systems and sorting algorithms make mistakes. This is apparent in the fact that we are routinely served advertisements for products that don’t interest us at all. Those mistakes are relatively harmless—who cares about a poorly targeted ad?—but a similar mistake at an immigration hearing can get someone deported.

An authoritarian government doesn't care. Mistakes are a feature and not a bug of authoritarian surveillance. If ICE targets only people it can go after legally, then everyone knows whether or not they need to fear ICE. If ICE occasionally makes mistakes by arresting Americans and deporting innocents, then everyone has to [...]

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Outline:

(01:55) What should I read?

(02:53) Whats your risk level?

(03:46) What information this guide will and wont help you protect

(05:00) Overview of the technical recommendations in each post

(05:05) Privacy Despite Authoritarianism

(06:08) Advanced Privacy Despite Authoritarianism

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First published:
October 29th, 2025

Source:
https://www.lesswrong.com/posts/BPyieRshykmrdY36A/an-opinionated-guide-to-privacy-despite-authoritarianism

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Narrated by TYPE III AUDIO.

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