The internet is mostly known for being a nightmare for your privacy, but I also think there is another side to that coin. I mean, it is insanely easy (and common) these days to do all your internet communication with messengers, that have pretty much unbreakable encryption (Signal). That was not possible for the average person before computers and the internet. The government could easily read all you private letters.
Also, all our web traffic is fully encrypted with https (although that is more of a security than a privacy thing) and most modern phones automatically do full disk encryption for your files. It is also trivialilly easy to use a proper end to end encrypted cloud storage (proton, tuta etc.) or even use unsafe cloud storage like Google Drive as long as you encrypt your files locally before uploading.
I know, the internet is still a net negative for most peoples privacy, but it is pretty cool how far we’ve come with encryption.
The internet is a net positive for privacy and freedom of speech.
Corporations and governments are the net negative.
That’s why we’re fighting as much as we can to actually own our hardware. Linux, Graphene, FOSS, etc.
Encryption is pointless when someone else has the keys.
Microsoft’s bitlocker handed over keys to the FBI when asked. Something closed source like Whatsapp you can’t verify if Meta stores encryption keys and/or also has access to your messages, defeating the entire purpose of encryption.
Signal, even when subpoenaed, couldn’t produce any information besides account creation date. Because there was no data to share.
Make sure to be smart with your opsec:
Restart your phone when you go out so it’s before first unlock.
Disable any biometric locks, use a password. You have a right to remain silent, but police can show your phone to you to unlock it if something like faceID is enabled.
Use hardened forks of Signal, like Molly, to include a password for encryption for your chats, so even if feds get into your phone somehow, they’re still encrypted.
Set disappearing messages. The shorter the better.
Turn off notifications as information can be stored in temporary cache locations and unencrypted
Some options, like Graphene, allow you to set a reset password. Instead of entering a password to unlock your phone, a 2nd separate password can be set to wipe your device.
As shown with the recent cases against protestors im Texas getting 50-100 years (way more than any pedophile) even if you use Signal, it’s not 100% effective if you don’t take the necessary steps. Honestly, read the case documents, they contain a lot of info on how to better protect yourselves as well as the groups out there protecting your rights and fighting against fascism.
What’s so different about fascism today is the speed in which information travels. And that goes both ways. Stay safe out there, the internet is the last bastion of freedom. And it’s under assault, just like everything else (KOSA, Parents Decide Act, Age Verification, Section 230 repeal, VPN bans being discussed, etc etc.)