Privacy should not be a privilege

Loved reading this post by Ava. It sums up really well how I feel about “privacy-focused” alternatives to popular software and services. It’s great that these alternatives exist, but we can’t think of them as a solution to the privacy problem. I also view it through the following lens: we currently live in a world in which your level of protection on the internet is a function of certain types of privilege. These include: Economic privilege, with which you are able to pay directly for services (or self-hosting) rather than relying on the mainstream ad-supported options Time privilege, with which you can set up and maintain the software you want to use. Much of it is higher-maintenance than the mainstream options, and you may end up switching more often as the services come and go Knowledge/skills privilege, with which you can overcome the technical barriers one faces when setting up and using a privacy-focused alternative Education privilege, with which you are able to understand the…