I imagine most of you might know at least the basics of keeping your privacy and preventing tracking, since you're on here instead of Reddit.
But I thought it would be sure to expand on it a bit just in case after the US elections. These are easier to use solutions for people who don't know or can't for whatever reason run their own home server, email, etc.
- don't use Google products (at least, unaltered ones). Don't use Chrome, don't use Search, don't use Android*. The government will use Google to buy profiles of their enemies and possibly do even worse. Use a Fairphone with /e/is or install /e/ on a Samsung, or get a *Pixel and install GrapheneOS. /e/ does at least have an easy to use installer for certain phones (https://doc.e.foundation/easy-installer).
For email, Proton is easy to sign up for and outside of the USA. For messaging, I recommend going with something that won't use a phone number, like encrypted XMPP (removed Matrix from recommendation due to possible encryption issues). For keeping social networks I recommend taking a look at this as well (https://circles-project.github.io/). You can also keep apps updated easily using something like Obtanium. For browser, I'd avoid Firefox too if possible and maybe go with something a bit more hardened, like Librewolf or Mullvad. Also use a VPN. Proton has one, and so does AdGuard for phones, both being easy to install and use.
I'd avoid Apple phones because they can still be tracked easily, but it's still better than an unaltered Android phone.
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don't use Windows. Use any Linux distro, but not Windows. If you absolutely must use Windows, look into using Rufus to stop the telemetry, and using a non-consumer version of Windows (massgrave.dev/windows_ltsc_links) or look into ReactOS (although in Alpha, apparently still runs many popular Windows applications).
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turn off any smart features your TV has, and don't use Netflix etc. Eventually they'll target media habits as well if they can. Although I sell a device that uses Plasma Bigscreen to legitimately run things that use DRM in Europe, I'm making a package that'll run on an Odroid C4 that instead includes programs like Lidarr, Radarr, etc and release the package publicly so people can install it easily themselves.
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block trackers on the router level. Easiest way of doing this for someone not too technology inclined is to just get a Gl.inet router and activate/install the AdGuard Home plugin on it.
These are just some basic quick tips. Stay safe. You still have some months to prepare at least.
Don't recommend Waterfox as it's less secure than either Mullvad or Librewolf. It also still has npapi support which is definitely not a secure thing to do.