Welcome to the latest episode of my blog series Breaking Up with Big Tech. This one is more of a coda because I have already completed the tasks I outlined in the first post. I’m super proud of that accomplishment, but now I feel like the pufferfish at the end of Finding Nemo. The gang has triumphantly returned to the ocean, only for Bloat to ask, “Now what?”
Big Tech does not remain bested. It’s an ongoing struggle to protect our privacy, security, and sanity. These companies will always find new ways to harvest our data, undermine our safety, and create new dependencies. The solutions of today will be liabilities tomorrow, so we have to stay on top of the game.
Thus, in an effort to future-proof our sanity, here are five tips to help us going forward.
Never Discard Devices
Big Tech has created a sad paradigm where technology is disposable. Devices like laptops and phones are no longer built to last. They are designed to fail after limited periods (a nefarious practice called Planned Obsolescence). But here’s the thing: your devices are fine, and Big Tech knows they are fine. They release updates that throttle usability, which forces users to buy new versions that are nearly identical to the old ones.
This is why Linux is having a major renaissance. One of its hallmarks is the ability to breathe new life into old computers. There is nothing wrong with that old laptop in your closet. It runs fine, but Microsoft and Apple gaslight users into thinking otherwise. Why? To sell upgrades. Do not get rid of that old computer. Just revive it with Linux and voila! Brand-new laptop.
Same goes with old phones. Don’t get rid of them. Just install a privacy-focused OS that strips Big Tech of its throttling power. GrapheneOS is the obvious choice (if you have a Pixel), but you can also use LineageOS or /e/OS. (And no, iOS is not a viable alternative. Apple is just as bad as Google. They just have better PR.)
Only Purchase Things You Can Touch
One of the best ways to protect your ownership is the ability to touch what you own. Digital libraries may be convenient, but there is no substitute for owning physical copies. They are yours forever, so long as you take care of them.
Big Tech has created a digital hellscape where they can deny ownership for any reason. You don’t own that digital movie. All you have is a temporary license to watch it. Nowadays, studios are writing off entire IPs for tax breaks, which means that media can be erased forever (even if you already paid for it).
This is why I strongly recommend switching to physical media. Digital media is dependent on multiple points of failure: internet connection, media service, studio permission, etc. (And even then you have to deal with crappy apps and invasive ads.) But if you own a physical copy, then there is nothing stopping you from enjoying it whenever you please.
Avoid Dependencies
Before the era of Big Tech, there were numerous companies competing for the same users. We had choice. But then a few companies grew big enough to devour everyone else and that choice was taken away. Now we have a handful of “standard” software suites.
That was tolerable when the software was still great, but then companies realized that they could ditch innovation and profit off dependency. They raise prices for terrible upgrades and force users to adapt to something they never wanted. “Don’t want AI crammed into your word processor? Too bad. You need the software and we know you need it, so pay up.”
Big Tech abandoned its founding principles to extract as much money as possible, which has created a massive wave of resentment. Users are sick of the proprietary software model and are switching to the FOSS model (free and open-source). This is how you break a dependency. Standard does not mean necessary.
The big ones for me were Microsoft Office and Adobe Photoshop. I thought I was bound to them for publishing, but I easily replaced them with LibreOffice and Canva Affinity.
Maximize Digital Value
If you have to use a digital service, then be sure to squeeze every drop of value out of it. As an example, I love to watch the Premier League, which means that I am bound to a subscription for part of the year. Before every season, I make it a point to learn which companies have the broadcasting rights and then I look for the cheapest access point. And when the season ends, I cancel the service.
Media services are masters of FOMO. Ask yourself, do you need to watch a show during its release schedule, or can you wait until the show ends, then subscribe for a single month? Or better yet, can you avoid it altogether and wait for the physical media? Even it you buy it new, you’ll save a ton of money with a lifetime of re-watches.
If you have to subscribe, then make it a deliberate choice. Track your subs and set a monthly reminder to review them. Always remember that subscriptions want you to forget about them. Media companies make a ton of money off complacency, so don’t give it to them.
Protect Your Data at All Costs
In today’s hyper-online world, nothing is more valuable than personal data. This is the bread and butter of Surveillance Capitalism. The more a company knows about you, the more they can charge. Virtual shopping has become a goldmine for data harvesters. The prices you see online are not the prices everyone pays. They’re the prices you pay.
This is where things like VPNs and private browsers come into play. Want to see something truly infuriating? Open two web browsers on two different computers, one with a Big Tech browser, and the other using a VPN and Tor. Go to the same shopping website and add the same items to the cart. This is when most privacy advocates get radicalized.
Online privacy is not “nice to have.” It’s a critical barrier between consumers and a predatory system that wants to extract as much money as possible. This is why you should get off social media, use a private search, avoid tech behemoths, shun AI, and embrace physical media. Big Tech needs our data to survive. It’s the sustenance that keeps them afloat. Starve them.
Not-So-Final Thoughts
Protecting our digital lives is a never-ending slog, but wholly necessary. Big Tech is notorious for breaking rules at a lightning pace. They tout it as innovation, but we know better. All they want is wealth and power, and it’s up to us to deny them. Heed these tips, stay vigilant, and give these companies the giant middle fingers they deserve.
