On privacy and control

Original Article ↗ Hacker News Discussion ↗

Privacy vs. Control

  • Many agree “control” better captures the issue than “privacy”: it’s about ownership of data and devices and the ability to change course later.
  • Privacy is seen as the current state; control is the long‑term power to maintain or revoke that privacy.
  • Lack of control is compared to living under “dictatorships” in corporations and tech platforms, where users have little say despite producing value.

Human Incentives & Tenancy

  • People tend to choose convenience and “tenancy” (outsourcing to big platforms) over the work of real ownership until they get burned.
  • Some argue you can’t make most people care; the trade is consciously effort vs. risk, and many accept the risk.

Cloudflare, DNS, and Registrars

  • Strong pushback on recommending Cloudflare as a “good guy”: it’s still a profit‑driven infrastructure gatekeeper, vulnerable to government pressure.
  • Concern about CAPTCHAs punishing privacy features and about centralizing both registrar and DNS with one company.
  • Several call out the author’s Cloudflare employment as a conflict of interest.

GrapheneOS, Apps, and Device Control

  • Mixed views on GrapheneOS as a daily driver: some report years of smooth use, others fear Play Integrity and app lock‑outs (especially banking and government apps).
  • Suggested mitigations: test gradually, use web interfaces, keep a powered‑off stock phone for app‑only workflows, or simply drop non‑essential apps.
  • Debate over refusing apps that use Play Integrity, lack of root support, and preference for hardware kill switches vs. GrapheneOS’s software switches.

Browser Fingerprinting & Niche Privacy

  • Heavy browser hardening and niche setups can make users highly identifiable, even if tracking volume is smaller.
  • Privacy tools can become impractical if too niche: services stop supporting them, CAPTCHAs spike, and sideloading/legal protections vary by region.

Self‑Hosting, Email, and Home Networks

  • Split between “never host your own email, it’s a nightmare” and long‑term self‑hosters who find it mostly set‑and‑forget with proper SPF/DKIM.
  • Broader desire for self‑hosting to preserve long‑term access and control, with efforts to lower the bar using integrated NixOS‑based stacks.
  • Similar control concerns arise in smart homes and networks; some run everything locally (e.g., Home Assistant, OpenWRT) but want better observability tools.

“Nothing to Hide” and Why People Don’t Care

  • Common rhetorical counters: ask to see someone’s phone, messages, bank statements, browser history, or bathroom habits to show they do value privacy.
  • Others say the real attitude is “I trust big companies not to expose me publicly,” or “the effort isn’t worth it.”
  • Some see privacy tech’s current aesthetics—“mall ninja cyberpunk”—as unappealing to mainstream users and an obstacle to wider adoption.