I think we all draw a line between privacy and convenience and I think I found mine and settled into a comfort zone of sorts. I use Fedora 38. My browser is Mozilla Firefox with it’s “strict” setting. uBlock origin and uMatrix. When I need/want to use a site that doesn’t work due to blocked connections I relax the restrictions in uMatrix or temporarily disable it entirely if I get frustrated or I’m in a hurry. I watch videos on YouTube. Don’t use social media, but I do use Facebook messenger (although I prefer to use Signal with the handful of people I can). I use a Xiaomi phone with custom ad blocking DNS (I’d like to get a Pixel with GrapheneOS someday). I look for an app on F-Droid first, but install it through Google Play if I can’t find what I need there. I use Qwant and DuckDuckGo. I use ReVanced. I do not use a VPN. I think that’s all the relevant information. My question is: how easy do you think it still is for big tech to track me? Are there any suggestions you would have for a person like me that wouldn’t sacrifice too much convenience?
I think that’s a good setup. If you must have Facebook Messenger, my advice would be to maybe use a work profile for apps that track you. Compartmentalization is the key word here. Apps like Shelter make it really easy. I have to use WhatsApp and that is an app that is in the “unsafe” profile, aka work profile.
I have a question about the work profile: would it make sense to isolate the PlayStore too, as it‘s google? Because this is the main painpoint for me, as I cannot move to a custom rom with my phone currently
If you dont root that will Not be possible. Playstore is a key Feature of most Android Roms that ship with the phones. I run grapheneos. There i have Google Services disabled im my core Profile and have a separate Profile with Gplay. I know, that due to imei and other factors Google could easily track me possible but that’s Not my worry