Privacy Respecting

Curated List of Privacy Respecting Services and Software

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• What?
• Search Engines
• Social Networks
• Messengers
• Cloud Storage
• VPN
• Hosting
• Email
• Operating Systems
• Browsers
• Video Sharing
• AI Assistants
• Maps & Navigation
• Related

What?

This is a list of various 'free' services whose business models are to collect as much personal data about you as possible and alternatives you can use to them if you care about not losing control of your data and your privacy.

For reasons why you may want to care about this, you can read this article.

The list is separated into topics and each service or software stated gives support for why you may want to stop using the service. As well as show alternatives to these services and why you may want to switch to them.

Search Engines

⚠️ You are the product:

• Google - By 2030, You’ll Be Living in a World That’s Run by Google.
• Bing - Owned by Microsoft.
• Yandex - Russia's version of Google.

🔏 Alternatives:

• DuckDuckGo - DuckDuckGo privacy policy
• StartPage - How we protect you
• Brave Search - What is Brave Search?
• Searx - Why use Searx?
• SearXNG - Fork of SearX
• Librengine - Privacy Web Search Engine
• Mojeek - Mojeek privacy policy

Social Networks

⚠️ You are the product:

• Facebook - What should you think about when using Facebook?
• Instagram - Owned by Facebook.

🔏 Alternatives:

• Scuttlebutt - Scuttlebutt principles.
• Mastodon - What is Mastodon? Mastodon instances.
• Diaspora - What is Diaspora?
• Steemit - What is Steemit?
• Indieweb - Why run your own website?
• Minds - Anonymous & open-source social network with encrypted conversations. How Minds.com Protects Your Privacy.
• Chttr - Politically unbiased, privacy respecting social network.
• Pleroma - Free, federated social networking server built on open protocols. It is compatible with GNU Social, Mastodon, and many other ActivityPub implementations. Pleroma instances.
• Cent - Democratized social network built on Ethereum. What is Cent?

🥽 Private front-ends:

• Invidious - Alternative front-end to YouTube. Code.
• Piped - YouTube Alternative front-end. Code.
• Nitter - Alternative Twitter front-end. Code.
• Libreddit - Private front-end for Reddit written in Rust. Code.
• Teddit - Alternative Reddit front-end focused on privacy. Code.
• Bibliogram - An alternative front-end for Instagram.
• Beatbump - Alternative front-end for Youtube Music. Code.

Messengers

⚠️ You are the product:

• WhatsApp - Uses Signal Protocol thus chats are E2E encrypted. However it sends entire user's contact books to FB servers. Owned by Facebook.
• Facebook Messenger - Owned by Facebook.

🔏 Alternatives:

• Signal - Uses Signal Protocol.
• Silence - Fork of Signal based on SMS instead of a server.
• Session - Session is an end-to-end encrypted messenger that minimises sensitive metadata, doesn't even require phone number to sign up.
• Element (formely Riot) - Secure decentralized chat powered by Matrix protocol.
• Threema - FAQ.
• Jami (formely Ring) - Distributed universal and secure Free Software for multimedia communications.
• Ricochet - Anonymous instant messaging.
• Briar - Peer-to-peer encrypted messaging and forums.
• Tox - Peer-to-peer serverless IM platform.
• Wire - Open-source Projet based on End-to-end encryption (server in Switzerland).
• Conversations - Built on XMPP/Jabber. List of XMPP clients for any operating system.
• Public XMPP services - Choose one, talk to any, or run your own with Prosody.
• Wickr - Encrypted Ephemeral Platform Trusted By Millions Worldwide.
• Semaphor - Encrypted, decentralized authority team chat and file sharing.
• Vector - No KYC, E2EE, Decentralized, Censorship-Resistant, No Metadata.

❔ Questionable:

• Keybase - End-to-end encrypted chat and Dropbox alternative. It's backend is not open source and it also got merged with Zoom
• Telegram - Uses MTProto Mobile Protocol. However group channels cannot be E2E encrypted, and private chats default to non-E2E. Telegram states that generating profit is not the end goal of the app. However, the backend is not open source (yet).

Cloud Storage

⚠️ You are the product:

• Google Drive - Centralized and owned by Google.
• OneDrive - Owned by Microsoft.

🔏 Alternatives:

• IPFS - Open source
• Syncthing - Open source.
• Seafile - About Seafile.
• Nextcloud - About Nextcloud. Self hosted + encryption app available.
• ownCloud - ownCloud Features. Self hosted + encryption app available.
• CozyCloud - Privacy and CozyCloud. Open Source + self hosted.
• SpiderOak ONE - End-to-end no-knowledge encryption, Edward Snowden endorsed!
• Tahoe-LAFS - Capability-secure, end-to-end encryption, provider-independent privacy. Storage providers cannot read stored data.
  • Least Authority - Paid personal Tahoe-LAFS grids.
  • Matador Cloud - Free global Tahoe-LAFS grid, paid services.
• Tresorit - Swiss based end-to-end encrypted cloud storage.

❔ Questionable:

• Keybase - End-to-end encrypted chat and Dropbox alternative. It's backend is not open source and it also got merged with Zoom

Hosting

• Decentralized Web - Static web page hosting in URLs.

VPN

⚠️ You are the product:

• Any VPN that is free or keeps logs.

🔏 Alternatives:

• ProtonVPN - As a Swiss VPN provider, Proton does not log user activity or share data with third parties. Tor is also supported.
• IVPN - Gibraltar based no logs VPN which is open source, third party audited and doesn't require any personal data (not even email) to sign up. Accepts cash payments, Bitcoin, Monero, PayPal, and more.
• Mullvad - Swedish based VPN provider that retains no logs, and uses a mostly open source and transparent infrastructure available to the public. Accepts Bitcoin, anonymous cash payments via envelope, PayPal, and more.
• OVPN - Swedish provider that operates VPN servers without any hard drives, has a strict no logs policy, and publishes transparency reports. Accepts Bitcoin, anonymous cash payments, PayPal, and more.

Email

⚠️ You are the product:

• Gmail - Owned by Google.
• Outlook - Owned by Microsoft.
• Yahoo - Multiple data breaches.

🔏 Alternatives:

• Forward Email (@forwardemail) - the 100% open-source and privacy-focused email service.
• Mailfence - Secure and private email-suite (About, Privacy policy, Transparency report).
• ProtonMail - Security of ProtonMail.
• Tutanota - FAQ.
• Posteo - About Posteo. Transparency Report.
• iRedMail - Be your own email provider.
• CleanEmail – Manages your mailbox – group and organize, remove, label, and archive emails. Full Privacy Policy.
• Fastmail - Email, calendars, and contacts. Privacy Policy.
• Kolab Now - Online service providing personal Kolab Groupware on desired level. Privacy Statement.
• Skiff - End-to-end encrypted email, document collaboration, wikis, and Drive. Privacy policy.
• Self-host your own Email server. Note that this route is not recommended unless you know exactly what you're doing, otherwise you might end up with terrible security on the server side.

Operating Systems

⚠️ You are the product:

• Windows - Microsoft shares Windows 10 telemetry data with third parties.
• Chrome OS - Owned by Google.
• Android (preinstalled) - Google collects meta data (phone calls, SMS) from Android phones.

🔏 Alternatives:

• Linux - Open source kernel.
• Fedora - User-friendly linux distribution
• Tails OS - Secure operating system that runs off a live USB
• Qubes OS - Operating system with strong focus on security
• NullSec Linux - Security-focused Linux distribution based on Parrot OS with 135+ pre-installed pentesting and privacy tools.
• iOS - iOS 10 security white paper.
• Android with LineageOS
• Android with CalyxOS - Only Pixel devices and Xiaomi Mi A2 supported.
• Android with GrapheneOS - Only Pixel devices supported.
• Android with DivestOS - LineageOS fork with increased security and privacy.
• Android with Copperhead
• Android with /e/ - Fully ungoogled mobile phone OS. Privacy Facts
• macOS - Apple privacy.
• FreeBSD - Privacy Policy.
• PureOS - Secure and freedom respecting. Soon also on smartphone: Librem5.

Browsers

⚠️ You are the product:

• Google Chrome - Owned by Google.
• Edge Browser - Owned by Microsoft.

🔏 Alternatives:

• Firefox - Firefox privacy.
• Brave - About Brave.
• Tor Browser - Tor (anonymity network) wiki.
• Ungoogled Chromium - More about Ungoogled Chromium.
• Kiwi Browser — Chromium fork with support for Chrome extensions, enhanced privacy, ad/tracking blocking, and misc improvements. Android only.
• Bromite - Bromite is a Chromium fork with support for ad blocking and enhanced privacy. Available only for android devices.
• Marshall - Hardened privacy browser built on WebKit2GTK with built-in ad/tracker blocking, fingerprint resistance, HTTPS enforcement, and no telemetry. Linux native.
• Nav0 - Minimal, open-source desktop browser built on Chromium with zero telemetry, tracking, or data collection.

❔ Questionable:

• Vivaldi - Non-privacy settings by default, partially proprietary. It does install per a Unique User ID

Video Sharing

⚠️ You are the product:

• YouTube - Owned by Google.

🔏 Alternatives:

• Odysee - Privacy Policy.
• DTube - What is DTube?
• Peertube - Peertube instances.
• BitChute - Peer to peer video sharing platform.

AI Assistants

⚠️ You are the product:

• Amazon Alexa - Owned by Amazon.
• Google Home - Owned by Google.
• IBM Watson - Owned by IBM.

🔏 Alternatives:

• Mycroft - Open-source AI assistant, range of hardware options.
• Apple Siri and HomePod - Apple Privacy.

Maps & Navigation

⚠️ You are the product:

• Google Maps - Collects detailed location data and builds location profiles.
• Mapbox - Collects telemetry data from SDK usage.

🔏 Alternatives:

• OpenStreetMap - Community-built open mapping data with no tracking.
• MapAtlas - European privacy-first mapping API for geocoding, routing, and map tiles. EU-hosted, GDPR compliant, ISO 27001 certified, no user tracking or IP logging.

Related

• Security Checklist - Open source checklist of resources designed to improve your online privacy and security.
• Privacy Tools - Encryption against global mass surveillance. (GitHub)
• Digital Privacy Tips
• Personal Security Checklist - Another list of tips for protecting privacy & security
• PRISM Break - Opt out of global data surveillance programs like PRISM, XKeyscore and Tempora. (GitLab)
• List of best privacy practices
• Privacy awesome list
• Awesome self hosted
• Self Hosted Subreddit
• Adversaries and Anonymity Systems: The Basics
• Will a VPN Protect Me? Defining Your Threat Model
• Bring Privacy Back
• Leaving the Cloud
• Secure Email - Overview of projects working on next-generation secure email.
• Terms of Service Didn't Read - User rights initiative to rate and label website terms & privacy policies.
• Cryptomator - Free client-side encryption for your cloud files. Open Source
• Bitmessage - P2P Based email-like platform. Uses proof-of-work to secure communications.
• Rebooting the Web of Trust - Research on building the next generation of Web-Of-Trust based identity systems.
• Awesome Humane Tech - Improve society using this list of humane tech projects.
• Security in a Box - Tutorials on how to stay private online and install privacy-preserving apps.
• My Shadow - FOSS alternative apps that respect your privacy.
• EFF SDD - EFF's surveillance self-defense guide.
• Restore privacy - Privacy-preserving alternatives to popular Google products.
• EPIC privacy tools - EPIC's collection of privacy-preserving tools.
• Secured.fyi - A ranking of paid and free services based on security and privacy attributes.
• That one privacy site - A detailed privacy-oriented comparison between VPN and E-mail providers.
• Disroot - A platform providing online services based on principles of freedom, privacy, federation and decentralization.
• Btfy - Privacy-focused custom url shortener and branded links
• yeeturl - End to end encrypted and privacy-respecting URL shortener.
• Awesome Privacy
• privacy.sexy - Open-source tool enforce privacy & security best-practices on desktop operating systems.
• EncryptedList - List of services that offer zero-knowledge or end-to-end encryption 🔐.