Opt Out Privacy by default, contributing to FOSS, and Monero w/ Justin Ehrenhofer
Jul 27, 2021
Justin Ehrenhofer, a key contributor to Monero and advocate for privacy-enhancing tools, delves into the importance of privacy as a default setting in tech. He shares his journey into privacy advocacy, emphasizing how personal experiences shaped his passion. Justin also discusses encouraging non-developers to engage in FOSS projects and debunks myths surrounding privacy tools. He highlights Monero's unique privacy features, explaining its role as fungible digital cash and recommends practical privacy tools like Bitwarden and Signal to enhance personal security.
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Early Privacy Journey Started With Tor
- Justin learned privacy tools as a teen to research his sexuality privately using Tor, I2P, and Freenet.
- That personal need seeded his long-term interest in privacy and later Monero adoption.
Privacy Needs To Be The Default
- Privacy should be the default so people don't have to opt in to protect themselves.
- Tools must match user expectations so defaults align with real-world privacy needs.
Make Privacy The Easy Choice
- Make privacy the most convenient option to drive adoption rather than just educating people.
- Build private tools that are best for the job, or add a compelling non-privacy feature to attract users.