What's the worst privacy compromise that you are willing to admit you make?
2026-04-06 20:36 UTC
Replies (31)
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@the_abecedarian@piefed.social 2026-04-06 20:44
Google maps for navigation in unfamiliar places. i really want to switch to OSM apps (and I have comaps) but (1) it's not nearly as good at understanding addresses (e.g. "123 first avenue" when it has my gps coords instead of "cityname, First avenue 123 zipcode") and (2) doesn't have nearly as many businesses mapped (e.g. i want to type in "Joe's Restaurant" instead of the address bc i haven't memorized it)
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@elephantium@lemmy.world 2026-04-07 04:39
Having a phone is a pretty big one.
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@glibg@lemmy.ca 2026-04-08 19:58
Probably my reliance on Google Maps.
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@PurplebeanZ@lemmy.world 2026-04-07 00:16
Well as you didn't specify which kind of privacy then.... well if I'm in a high up hotel room with a balcony I like to run out onto it naked and then have a wiggle and quickly run back inside. I call it 'willying the world'
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@Matt@lemdro.id 2026-04-06 20:49
Grocery store rewards programs. I know they are designed to link purchases to me, but the financial savings is worth the loss of privacy for me.
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@scytale@piefed.zip 2026-04-06 23:42
Using Bitwarden’s cloud service. I don’t trust myself enough to maintain and secure a self-hosted online password vault. Also like others said, google maps. The sheer volume of crowsourced data they have is very useful for real-time navigation especially if you live in a city with heavy traffic.
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@ken@discuss.tchncs.de 2026-04-08 19:36
Nice try, NSA
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@oldscratchXV@lemmy.world 2026-04-06 22:49
I've had a Google account since I was old enough to have one. I've been using my email to make so many accounts for years. How does one just move to something else when what yiu already have is so deep into your other stuff?
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@Retro_unlimited@lemmy.world 2026-04-07 15:05
I upload to YouTube. I know it gives up a lot of my privacy and I’m sure it’s being fed Into AI… ugh. 😩 I also upload the same videos to other video sites even if they don’t get many views.
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@tangible@piefed.social 2026-04-07 04:32
I would say that LinkedIn is a big one.
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@Custard@lemmy.world 2026-04-07 19:18
I'm a data engineer so I love being able to download data to be able to play with. My biggest one is leaving location tracking on on Google Maps so I can download it and create heatmaps
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@whotookkarl@lemmy.dbzer0.com 2026-04-07 15:53
A car built after 2010 so it's full of cameras and lte connections and gps etc so car companies and the advertisers they sell data to and the governments they backdoor always know what trips I make, how far, how long I stay, etc.
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@phatpipe69@lemmy.world 2026-04-07 17:46
To be honest, I got banned off Reddit a few weeks ago and was surprised when I signed up here that i'd have to give my email. I thought from what i'd read on Reddit that Lemmy was decentralised?? Hate giving up any of my personal information for these online forums. I came here to try it after also trying Mirage and their sign up process required no personal information input which was good but I thought f*ck it i'll give it a look on here as well. Is there any way around it? Has anyone else tried Mirage?
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@yabai@lemmy.world 2026-04-06 23:18
Messaging apps generally. Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp, Instagram, you name it. I'd love to move to something like Signal or I'd even do Telegram, or in a perfect world, host my own server storing the messages/media. But the broader population just wants the path of least resistance, so now I have like 5 apps on my phone and all of them are varying degrees of compromised.
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@ptc075@lemmy.zip 2026-04-07 11:11
I purposely still use Google on one of my PCs. I'm of the opinion that having a limited presence on their algorithms is better than trying to be invisible. So, Google knows I like Magic the Gathering & DnD.
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@anthropozaen@feddit.org 2026-04-07 10:20
After switching to GrapheneOS on my Pixel and Cachy as my main OS for my PC, the Windows installation I keep for some stuff might be the worst offender, even though I already made it as hardened as possible.
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@kindnesskills@literature.cafe 2026-04-06 21:30
I have not yet but may soon be required to give biometrics (fingerprints, possibly eye scan) to my employer. I haven't decided yet what to do if it comes to that... know I'm giving random tech conglomerates far more in exchange for far less, but this one feels more invasive and personal. But I'll probably do it if needed. I like this job, and I trust them more than I trust these tech giants I sell my data to, just for a glimpse of the online hellscape.
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@Strider@lemmy.world 2026-04-06 21:18
Using WhatsApp because in Germany there's no way around it for public contacts. Edit: I'd love some response on downvote (as always). I use other messengers myself as an avid foss fan and techie and even had it uninstalled a while. That was until I went back to participating in social life and I sure as hell can't get institutions off of WhatsApp as totally frustrating and idiotic as it is for them to use it in the first place.
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@one_old_coder@piefed.social 2026-04-06 21:03
- **Waze** . They know my location when I drive, and there are no alternatives (AFAIK) for traffic jam. I don't use an account though, it's not tied to Google or anything. - **Kagi** because all the others are worse. I may try SearX again to see if it's good now. - **PayPal** sucks but it's good for subscriptions. - **Tuta** and **Bitwarden** . They have a link to PayPal but the data is E2E encrypted. Most of the time, I don't mind a compromise as long as I can keep the data to myself and encrypted, or if the smartphone application can run without any permission. The biggest threats for me in the above list are PayPal (they know what I buy), and Kagi (they know what I'm looking for). I could find a way to remove Kagi though...
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@Nebulous_Keito@thelemmy.club 2026-04-07 13:45
I use: • Stock Android • WhatsApp app on my phone ( I have to sadly keep it installed and use it since all people I want to talk with are on it...) • Instagram (For the same reason as I use WhatsApp. Using only web version though and I use it pretty less) • Discord (For the same reason I use WhatsApp and Instagram. Although, I use Aliucord which has NoTrack enabled so basically Discord without the trackers, and I use it pretty less)
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@buttmasterflex@piefed.social 2026-04-06 22:13
I have Microsoft Teams and Outlook apps installed on my phone because I need them to do my job. I use gmail, google calendar, and google maps because they work and are accessible anywhere I need them. I am certainly aware of the tradeoffs and use more privacy friendly alternatives on my own PC for things I need to do privately. The VPN DNS block lists running on my phone make it so the Microsoft apps barely function as it is.
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@artyom@piefed.social 2026-04-06 21:44
Carrying a connected cell phone/tracking device
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@rudyharrelson@lemmy.radio 2026-04-06 21:17
Microsoft SwiftKey on my phone. I've been using it since before it was acquired by Microsoft. It is an incredible keyboard and after using it for years, I am very fast on it. I ditched it for about 6 months last year for the FOSS alternative HeliBoard, but it negatively impacted my typing speed so much that I recently gave up and reverted to SwiftKey. Google Maps also on my phone, because it works really well compared to the alternatives I've tried. I've used (and contributed to) OSM, but it's just not a drop-in replacement for Google Maps yet. I "[verified my identity](https://thelocalstack.eu/posts/linkedin-identity-verification-privacy/)" on LinkedIn a while back because I'm job hunting.
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@thatradomguy@lemmy.world 2026-04-07 00:43
I still use YouTube due to not figuring out how to export my playlists in a way where I can just have a plaintext list of all the videos I want to keep track of. I'm planning on coming up with some kind of Python script to take what I get from their "takeout" method and from there, just find a programmatic way to get what I want. So basically, I allow Google to keep cookies on my system but I use a different Google account on my phone to avoid having them track me on different devices.
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@ahasty@techhub.social 2026-04-06 23:44
[@sad\_detective\_man](https://sopuli.xyz/u/sad_detective_man) my family still uses Amazon. With smaller children and lots of needs the quick shipping is easy. If it wasn't them it would be someone else and it would be the same thing...
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@Sophocles@infosec.pub 2026-04-06 23:35
Heres a little list of things that matter to me personally. I'm sure others would have similar takes. Medical Practitioners: Privacy I'd part with: Everything, begrudgingly Reason: it's better than dying Job Sites: Privacy I'd part with: gov docs, job history, financial history, identity Reason: Having a stable income is worth giving up a little more privacy than usual. I would never give them computer usage info or biometrics, but having income to eat, have shelter, and help others is important. Youtube: Privacy I'd part with: usage data, contact info. Reason: I do use frontends like invidious and grayjay to get around using the site itself, but I fear one day there won't be any working alternatives seeing how Google is cracking down so hard. Peertube is great too, but most of my favorite content creators don't use it. It's also one of my main sources of entertainment and also knowledge like cooking tutorials, building, woodworking etc. Google Maps: Privacy I'd part with: usage data, contact info, maybe even location if I'm traveling. Reason: I use Organic Maps for navigation, but google maps has far superior information on local business, reviews, pictures, etc. Nothing else like it and probably never will be realistically. I use it via sandboxed browser, and to find cool places to travel to and eat. Discord: Privacy I'd part with: contact info (and that's it). They can pry my ID from my cold dead hands. Reason: My friends litteraly refuse to use anything else 🤷♀️ Windows 10/Easy AntiCheat: Privacy I'd part with: kernel level access for non-important device Reason: Certain games are allergic to linux so I still keep windows around and begrudgingly allow kernel level anticheat. These specific games make me happy and are good for my mental health, which offers more than having one out of my many devices secured. I can just use other locked down devices if I need to do more important stuff. I would also never install Windows 11, that's a hard line for me. Aside from these, I've essentially FOSSified all of my other apps/devices successfully. TLDR: I would sacrifice elements of my privacy for: Happiness/Mental Health Friends/Family Medical /not dying A job Knowledge/Entertainment
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@fizzle@quokk.au 2026-04-06 22:57
- google messages - I really need the web ui, trying to switch to scrcpy - google wallet & samsung wallet - have already decided to go back to a physical wallet with cards - google maps - I use this mostly to find opening times for businesses. - ms teams - for work - facebook messenger - selling junk on facebook marketplace
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@SaneMartigan@lemmy.world 2026-04-06 22:24
Doorbell camera. Stock Android and Google services.
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@Hond@piefed.social 2026-04-06 21:54
I still use my old google account for youtube. It isnt flagged as underage so i can watch every video even though i never gave them proof.
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@justOnePersistentKbinPlease@fedia.io 2026-04-06 21:37
Gmail and android phone.
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@smeg@infosec.pub 2026-04-06 21:24
* Gmail, GCal, Google Photos, and GDrive It's the network effect. I need an integrated solution that replaces all of these functions that I can use, my more tech-casual spouse can use, and that my frustration-intolerant preteen child can use. Also, we use Family Link for youth device management since we use Android devices. No alternative exists that does all of these things, and I refuse to spend my precious free time providing constant tech support. * Kagi Search - owner seems like typical asshole techbro * I pay using Google Wallet and debit card everywhere