My teen asked me if it’s possible to keep Meta from tracking your data entirely, and if so, to what lengths would one need to go
That’s kind of a deep question. I *think* the answer is no for most people? But as a thought experiment, what would someone need to do in order to do that? 🤔
That’s kind of a deep question. I *think* the answer is no for most people? But as a thought experiment, what would someone need to do in order to do that? 🤔
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They also have tracking cookies and analytics and whatnot all over the Internet
Meta will collect your data without permission.
I think they model out households via fingerprinting, so I'm guessing if you have 1+ family member / friend with a FB app on the phone, they have you but probably not all PII.
1. Changing IP address, and
2. Closing all private windows and opening a new one (i.e. creating a new private session)
seemed to be enough to fool https://fingerprint.com when I last tested it. But not sure
The irony of so many persistence methods because the protocol itself isn’t persistent.
https://gizmodo.com/i-cut-the-big-five-tech-giants-from-my-life-it-was-hel-1831304194
Use signal or telegram.
Install Graphene OS on your phone.
Install DuckDuckGo browser on your phone just to enable the app tracking protection that prevents background apps from sending tracking info.
Didn't interact on public sites with others.
Use proton.
So actively feeding their system different behaviors from different proxies?
pollute the data lake so thoroughly no one can suss out what your actual deal is?
proton vpn or other, exit nodes as different countries
🐇🐇 it'd be a rabbit hole, really 🐇🐇
That or for every session I’d think you’d need what appears to be a completely ‘new’ device from a new endpoint with no traces of cookies or the like, and fresh new MAC etc. possibly including local router
No accounts or purchases
Or just target Peter Thiel, Zuck and the Silicon Valley schmucks who enabled them.
Right?
block any ip their ai scrapers use
don't do any business with businesses that do business with meta
never tell your computer the truth
wear a mask in public
maximal anonymous knowledge that can be de-anonymized at the drop of a hat or something like this.
On mobile it's a bit worse (with Android you can use Firefox with uBO), and filtering through DNS can be tricky and you might need a PtP VPN to a box you control
It's annoying as there's no browser history but eh
Realistically speaking I don't know if it's even possible to avoid being tracked by them completely; maybe just give them a less complete picture of your whereabouts on the Internet
But that's already the endgoal of all devs, right?
But only the ones who actually get muddy boots talking to their client and end up learning enough about farming to effectively join the second group.
The firewall solution only works at home/office, but dns could work with your mobile as well (or vpn back to firewall).
The nearest to accessible way would probably involve going all-in on Apple and maybe hosting your own email along with a business-type phone account?
Expensive. It’d be expensive.
It may also require close contact with FOSS-enthusiasts, with all the obvious costs of that.
And if that doesn’t work there’s this way you assert your right to freely travel as a sovereign internet citizen that the government doesn’t want you to know about..
The likelihood that they have information sharing deals around your email address and phone number with every major retailer is really high. The trade in on that for the retailer’s targeted advertising is too valuable to not do. You’d have to never share an email or a phone number.
I’d say it’s functionally impossible. Google and Meta have a lot on everyone.
https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2025/01/mad-meta-dont-let-them-collect-and-monetize-your-personal-data
Installing Privacy Badger and/or adblocking methods is a start.
I suspect you'd need to have your own proxy server somewhere that blocks so many things.
Alternatively, feed them Misinformation.
Like you mention, if anyone allows the Facebook app access to their contacts they have a shadow profile, but that doesn't gain them ongoing tracking.
Buuuuut yeah, their tendrils are everywhere.
Reduces your (teen's) attack surface also quite a bit.
Use another browserS (w leveled profiles) for tasks that desperately need js & cake.
The "weird" behavior it would require would light you up like a Christmas tree on everyone else's watchlists (you'd look like Ted Kaczynski).
More practical option is to dilute their information with bullshit.