It's obvious that non-mainstream opinions are treated differently on the Internet.
Social media accounts are banned, websites are shut down, bank accounts can be frozen, etc.
Corporations can decide to disassociate themselves with entire people groups and countries with a mouse click, as we’ve seen with the whole Russia-Ukraine situation.
Being canceled isn’t great, but there are still plenty of ways to use the Internet when big tech hates your guts.
In this blog, we will discuss some of the ways you can navigate the Internet when the world hates what you believe in.
Use A VPN
The big tech overlords are monitoring search history and browsing history. These platforms can be difficult to remove from daily life because they have become an almost necessary convenience.
If you do rely on these mainstream search engines and browsers, start surfing the web with a VPN.
A virtual private network (VPN) is an Internet security service that creates an encrypted connection between a computer and one or more servers.
VPNs help mask your IP address from being seen by big tech companies and some Internet service providers.
Use a Different Browser
Chrome, Safari, Firefox, all have some methods to track browsing and search history.
While these are the most common, some alternatives help when it comes to censorship.
The most common option is the Brave Browser. Brave blocks ads by default. It blocks third-party data storage.
Brave protects from browser fingerprinting – which is when sites use special scripts to collect specific information about you to uniquely identify you.
The private browser also upgrades every website possible to secure HTTPS connections by default.
They have their own unique search engine, a video conferencing platform, and a built-in Tor client.
Change Your OS
While it may be comfortable to use Windows or Mac – the two most popular operating systems in the world, they pose a risk for big tech to track you.
Both operating systems have also grown to be a major target for hackers and scammers.
Linux is a free and open-source operating system that includes some of the basic features macOS and Windows have.
It is much less resource-intensive, allowing it to run well on older and low-specced machines.
Linux being an open-source OS allows prevents the developers from hiding backdoors, like the NSA, for example.
Sometimes it helps to use a browser that starts from scratch each time you use it. TAILS is a live operating system that focuses on anonymity on top of user privacy.
Unless you choose to keep files stored, everything you do while using TAILS disappears when you shut it down.
It accomplishes this by never writing anything to the hard drive and only running from the RAM of the computer.
Dead Twitter and Facebook
If opinions and beliefs that are shared on Twitter or Facebook can get you cancelled, it may be best to stop using them completely.
A great alternative is Gab Social. Gab believes that users of social networks should be able to control their social media experience on their terms.
If you create an account with Gab, you have the option to create an account strictly with Gab.com or use their code to make the unique server that you control and allows you to communicate with who you want.
Other Twitter and Facebook clones have attempted to create their own “free speech” platforms, but do not offer the customization Gab offers.
Gab has made it a point to make sure all beliefs and perspectives are allowed on their platform.
Wrapping Up
Always keep your VPN handy, especially when making purchases or communicating sensitive information.
If privacy is the priority, use TAILS or Linux as your base operating system. There will be fewer traces.
Apps like Parler, Gettr, etc. all have the same goals in mind, but Gab is the best option for a truly “free-speech” platform.
They also have expanded their platform to include Gab Marketplace, a place to buy and sell items, and Gab TV – their alternative to YouTube.
