It's funny how people talk about "privacy" and voluntarily install microphones and cameras in their homes, use vacuum cleaners making detailed maps of their homes and light switches recording when bathroom light comes on and off, door bells reporting when they come or leave home or go on a vacation and uploading pictures of the entire family, cars connected to the mothership at all times recording trips... with information stored on some unknown servers including in "unfriendly" countries overseas.
And?
Your statement makes zero sense to me.
So what if they get this or that info about me?
I have a Google, Apple and Microsoft accounts, pay for storage with each of them. Buy products from all you listed. What more could they get from my DNS lookups? My IP address?
I was referring to your comment about chasing privacy being a foolish pursuit. Sorry, I thought that was clear when I only quoted that statement.
All of the companies I mentioned gobble up any and all information they can grab from your internet activities. And would be happy if you did nothing at all to protect your privacy.
Am I wrong in the belief that each step you take towards protecting privacy is a layer (think onion) and more layers is better than none at all?
You didn't tell what exactly makes it better though. What is the noticeable improvement in your life for example since you started protecting your privacy this way through DNS filtering? Because this thread is for "DNS providers". In my experience chasing "privacy" with major global service providers is hurting own user experience only. They provide free of charge services in exchange of monetizable data.
You didn't tell what exactly makes it better though. What is the noticeable improvement in your life for example since you started protecting your privacy this way through DNS filtering? Because this thread is for "DNS providers". In my experience chasing "privacy" with major global service providers is hurting own user experience only. They provide free of charge services in exchange of monetizable data.
Private DNS would be a single layer of protection (of many hopefully). Would this not prevent (or at least impede) your ISP from harvesting and selling user data? Would using ad-blocker, malicious content, etc. lists be another layer of protection by reducing potential attack vectors?
I realize "chasing privacy" is a daunting, never ending task. But I figure why make things easy for user data harvesters? I do what I can to protect what I can. And honestly I've not noticed any issue with my user experience in doing so.
No, they connect you to the outside world and can recreate quite accurately browsing history by IP address including quite accurate device recognition on your network. Global service providers still get the data they need by other means totally unrelated to DNS. This also includes linking your actual name and location to the data collected. You have to unplug your home Internet and stop using any communication devices to prevent it. Stop using any bank accounts and cards, wear a mask at all times against face recognition. Cabin in the woods works best, we have discussed the option in the past.
Highly unlikely to provide any real protection. It will more likely cause false positives negatively impacting user experience. If you go too aggressive and with own filtering based on community blocklists - even worse. What you have against potential attack as DNS/IP filtering is visible to the potential attacker as well, makes it easier. Sorry, Quad9 or CleanBrowsing upstream are doing better job than your Unbound with Pi-hole in both performance and protection. Your Skynet is from minimally useful for self-limiting to totally useless for protection. Many folks just deploy additional complications to get false sense of privacy and security.
You have no chance. Fast data processing centers link the information in seconds no matter what you do. Your measures to make it harder may slow down the process to minutes. I have worked on projects for "the other side" in the past. If I'm providing ISP services and mobile data services to you my servers will contain all your personal information in details, accurate browsing habits, the number and model devices you have in use and even separate browsing habits for each one including when behind your own router. On top I'll have your current exact location and movements history, very likely including family members as well. I can tell you your work place address, how many times you shop at Walmart on your way back home and refuel your car at Esso for specific period of time and eventually send you compliments about your new hairstyling. I may monetize the information through my so called "affiliate network" because it's written in the service contracts and you have agreed to it. This advertisement you receive from Walmart or Esso for sales events may not be linked to Microsoft, Google or Apple at all. Your filtering may hide the advertisement only. Everything else remains unchanged, business as usual. I may exchange information with your bank, they do the same on their end. The government may require specific information about you (and they often do) and I may have to comply in order to renew my business related licenses. This is valid even if I provide "no data retaining" public VPN service in this same jurisdiction. In this case I don't retain the data, someone else does.
Feel better? The electricity company thanks you for the extra power used by your Pi-holes with Unbound. They have % profit in every kW/h delivered to you. Little by little, it adds up.
I was referring to your comment about chasing privacy being a foolish pursuit. Sorry, I thought that was clear when I only quoted that statement.
All of the companies I mentioned gobble up any and all information they can grab from your internet activities. And would be happy if you did nothing at all to protect your privacy.
Am I wrong in the belief that each step you take towards protecting privacy is a layer (think onion) and more layers is better than none at all?
Well, @Tech9 summed it up nicely.
What I don't understand is the 'value' you seem to attach to your browsing data.
I really don't care about it. In fact, when I'm searching to buy something, I welcome lucid suggestions.
To each their own, but you aren't the first to think they are 'protecting' something valuable that if a company gets, they lose.
So, yes, I'm confused in that respect.
Exactly one of the reasons I don't enforce DNS-blockers network-wide on my home networks. You get a link in Google Search with quite relevant suggestion and can't open it because it's an advertisement.
It's not Internet only. Big companies have head start and technological advantages. The world is connected and the number of connections grow exponentially. When you go to a retail store you may notice devices like oversized access points on the ceiling. They are LiDAR/RFID sensors used mainly for inventory systems, but also collect customer behavior data. They track you and know where you stop to look, what you pick. On your way out you pay with credit card, your name is on it. A camera links your name to your face. Even if you don't go online ever a very accurate profile about you may be already present. And not customer X profile, but exactly John Smith profile, 42y.o., Caucasian, phone number A, address B, workplace C, car model D... wife Jane Doe, 40y.o., Caucasian... you get where it is going. You may think Google is serving you ads about the products you are interested in because they analyze your Internet activities, but the information about you may be coming from multiple different sources.
just to add..
Beacon technology in retail has been generating buzz since Apple introduced Bluetooth beacons to the market in 2013. By 2016, beacon technology in the retail industry was worth $280.6 million, and it’s projected to reach more than $26 billion by 2026.
