I want to take a moment to add to my previous post because I really want to get this off my chest and I feel like this platform is the perfect place to do this:

I am not criticizing Microsoft and Apple without just cause. I have long had a bone to pick with both companies.

Apple: proprietary, walled garden.

Microsoft: proprietary with no respect for user configuration changes or privacy.

For a while, I used Apple because I felt it was more secure and offered better hardware. However, this isn't entirely the truth.

Furthermore, I used Microsoft because it was convenient for gaming and workflow. However, once they forced all of my security settings back to their default configurations after an update, I had enough. That's when I realized Microsoft has absolutely no respect for me as a user and treats their users like a guest in their own house.

From my understanding, this is a fairly common evolution for tech majors. One day, I decided I wanted big tech out of my life and I kicked Windows off my computer for good and never looked back. I stopped using Meta's platforms and I am making the jump to GrapheneOS today. As much as it pains me to stick money in Google's pocket, I am purchasing an unlocked Google Pixel 10 Pro today and de-Googling my life.

As I have progressed through my cybersecurity degree, I have grown to value open-source software, transparency, and internet freedom. How can I ensure I have a strong security posture if the companies I am handing my data over to lack transparency?

Why does Meta deserve to have my government issued ID when they repeatedly sell people's data and can't seem to go a year without a major data breach?

Why does Google deserve to have unfettered access to my phone's root?

Why does Microsoft deserve to decide what ports I can close or what firewall changes I can make by reverting all of them as soon as they roll out an update?

It is my humble opinion that the conveniences people choose to accept in their life are precisely what landed us in the boat we're in to begin with. Subscription after Subscription, a complete lack of transparency, and absolutely no respect for our privacy and security.

While I understand Mastodon is largely for like-minded people, which is why I found my way over here, I hope that others will begin to realize how dangerous this is for our future and follow suit.

With that said, we should absolutely push back against legislation that aims to turn us into a mass surveillance state (i.e., California's AB 1043). This is where it starts but where does it end? I recall well over a decade ago people switching to Netflix because it was "cheaper" than traditional cable and people accepting MTX in video games because it was "only for cosmetics." Where did that get us? "What is this, horse armor?"

https://www.reddit.com/r/pcmasterrace/comments/13yiyxw/it_all_started_with_the_horse_armor/

#foss #linux #opensource #internetfreedom #civilliberties #privacy