Welcome to the Intentionally Inconvenient Podcast! In this episode, host Tim Jensen continues his exploration of strategies to stop data leaks and protect personal privacy. After discussing Google and data broker sites in the previous episode, Tim now turns his attention to Facebook, Microsoft, Amazon, and other major tech platforms. He highlights the importance of carefully adjusting privacy settings, using two-factor authentication, and considering alternative services that are more privacy-focused. From email aliases to Linux computers, Tim provides a range of actionable tips to help listeners take back control of their personal information and limit the exposure of their digital footprint.

Standout Quotes:

• "Try using your favorite search engine to look up your first name, last name, city, and state. You'll see the value of a service like DeleteMe. You'll be amazed at the number of websites containing your name, email address, phone number, family names, and possibly pictures of you that you didn't give permission to post or share."
• "Protect your friends list from people who are not your Facebook friends. They don't need to see who your Facebook friends are."
• "Consider maybe opening up a separate Amazon account, and use an alias for a name. They don't necessarily need to know who you are for you to buy stuff from them."
• "Don't use Outlook. Don't use Edge. Instead, use Proton for email and Brave or Firefox for your browser."

Key Takeaways:

• Sign up for the DeleteMe service to remove your personal information from data broker sites. This can help limit the amount of your private data available online.
• Review and adjust your Facebook privacy settings to limit data sharing, protect your friends list, and consider disabling identity confirmation if possible. This can help prevent unnecessary data leaks.
• Explore using an alias or separate account for Amazon purchases, consider alternate delivery addresses, and pay with Amazon gift cards or a service like Privacy.com to avoid sharing credit card information.
• Investigate alternatives to Microsoft Office like LibreOffice and look into Linux computers from companies like System76 as an option to Windows to reduce data collection.
• Use privacy-focused email, browsers, and avoid Outlook and Microsoft Edge to further protect your online activity and communications.

Episode Timeline:

[00:35] Introduction and Service Recommendations

[02:46] Mitigation strategies for Facebook

[05:17] Additional Facebook settings and privacy measures

[06:58] Microsoft and Amazon privacy tips

Links mentioned:

https://goclik.me/deleteme

https://www.goclik.me/travelingmailbox

https://www.goclik.me/protonvpn