Cool new Linux-based non-iOS/Android phone coming next spring: https://puri.sm/shop/librem-5/

Background: https://www.linux.com/blog/2017/9/librem-5-leads-new-wave-open-source-mobile-linux-contenders

Documentation: https://developer.puri.sm/index.html

What’s native-IP about? Designed for VOIP: https://forums.puri.sm/t/librem-5-what-is-ip-native-communication/1263

Summary: https://itsfoss.com/librem-linux-phone/

Why do you want a privacy-focused phone free of iOS/Android?

China owns Apple/Google/Facebook/Amazon servers (and more): https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2018-10-04/the-big-hack-how-china-used-a-tiny-chip-to-infiltrate-america-s-top-companies

Google is explicitly helping China enforce their brand of internet censorship: https://torguard.net/blog/googles-project-dragonfly-promotes-chinese-censorship-and-surveillance/

And they are trying to do the exact same thing here in the US: https://www.breitbart.com/tech/2018/10/09/the-good-censor-leaked-google-briefing-admits-abandonment-of-free-speech-for-safety-and-civility/

Facebook too: https://ussanews.com/News1/2018/10/12/facebook-censors-us-political-pages-in-another-free-speech-purge/

Android especially has over 260 apps in the Google Play store that make use of ultrasonic tracking beacons: https://hackaday.com/2017/05/04/ultrasonic-tracking-beacons/

https://developers.googleblog.com/2015/07/lighting-way-with-ble-beacons.html?linkId=15518168

https://developers.googleblog.com/2015/07/connect-with-world-around-you-through.html

https://thehackernews.com/2017/05/ultrasonic-tracking-signals-apps.html?m=1

Other security problems with cell phones: https://thehackernews.com/2017/04/mobile-open-port-hacking.html

Understanding internet browsers and the lack of security: https://browserleaks.com/

https://blog.macsales.com/41842-what-secrets-does-your-browser-know-and-reveal-about-you

How to safeguard your privacy and security while online:

Mindset like that of a hunter: https://www.securityweek.com/wear-camouflage-while-hunting-threats

Decent How to Guide for Privacy: https://gist.github.com/atcuno/3425484ac5cce5298932#reqpluginsff

How to harden Firefox’s defenses: https://www.privateinternetaccess.com/blog/2018/09/firefox-hardening-guide/

Focus on uMatrix: https://www.privateinternetaccess.com/blog/2018/10/umatrix-a-powerful-firefox-extension-to-enhance-security-and-privacy/

Hardening Android defenses: https://thehackernews.com/2015/04/android-privacy-security-apps.html

Tor Browser (warning: created by US Gov’t): https://www.torproject.org/

VPN Reviews: https://www.vpnmentor.com/bestvpns/overall/

https://vpnreviewer.com/

See this about Nord VPN: https://www.bestvpn.com/privacy-news/nordvpn-responds-criticisms/

Note: private internet access has proven in court that they don’t keep logs – no other VPN can say that.

Free VPNs (I have used these):

https://windscribe.com/

https://free.protonvpn.com/?#vpn

But see this about Proton VPN: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=17258203

More free stuff: https://www.vpnmentor.com/blog/free-alternatives-to-windscribe-safe-fast-vpns/

Risks of “free”: https://www.vpnmentor.com/blog/free-vpn-vs-paid-vpn-which-is-right-for-you/

DIY Free VPN: https://www.vpnbook.com/ (caveat: maybe compromised? Maybe combined with Tor?)

Tor + Free VPN + FF hardening = decent protection (except for the compromised hardware of your phone and Silicon Valley’s servers…)

Private Search Engines: https://www.vpnmentor.com/blog/best-private-search-engines-true-no-log-services/