---
title: "Aftermath"
slug: aftermath
date: 2024-11-08T14:26:32-06:00
draft: false
---

:desktop_computer: :mag: :iphone:

Unless you have been living under a rock, you probably know that [Donald Trump has won reelection](https://www.cbsnews.com/news/donald-trump-win-presidency-2024/). Rather than prognosticate at length about where the campaign failed I am going to focus on a short list of changes that I am making in my own life from a technology perspective.

Firstly, and this began before now, I have been closing more accounts than ever. It's long and very tedious but it is made much easier if you use a reliable password manager. At the time of writing I recommend Bitwarden. This process is useful because over time you can accumulate all of your accounts and see how large your footprint on the internet really is. Closures of accounts can be nightmarish processes but thanks to European regulation like [GDPR](https://gdpr-info.eu/), more sites let you delete and export data than ever before.

Secondly, I continue to keep my adblocking in force. Both in browser as well as on my home network using [PiHole](https://pi-hole.net/). It's not totally possible but I also am decoupling from the most ad-centric tech companies like Google. Small changes like switching off of Chrome and to [Firefox](https://www.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/new/) make a big difference here. Reducing your ad tracking foot print makes it so its somewhat harder to build a hostile profile about you with a government that could be very vengeful.

Thirdly, the elephant in the room: You need to seriously consider deleting or anonymising social media. Genuinely, who needs Facebook in 2024? I realize that's easy for me to say since mine has been an AI slop hell for years now. I mostly spent my time on less public places such as Discord. For your blood pressure alone, delete your X account.

Fourthly, remove apps from your phone that you are not actually using. A lot of these apps on iOS and Android both have broad permissions that grant them sweeping access to your phone. This balance is different for everyone of course, I have a handful of things I spend all day in but I do not need a "BestBuy" app, I can just use the site in browser.

Fifthly, look into services that allow you to proxy your email address with aliases to sign up for throwaway websites or accounts. iCloud offers this feature and my email provider offers something akin to it as well.  This is another way to separate the information blend data brokers possess about you. It makes it harder to build profiles. Additionally use fake names and birthdates where applicable. Odds are nearly all of these sites (even including storefronts) does not need your real name for anything other than billing records.

Finally, be available for people in your life who might be hurt but don't be overly ready to reveal information about people to strangers. Doxxing people on the internet has become very dangerous business and vulnerable groups are at a heightened risk. Share information with them to reduce their presence and make themselves less available. 

We are entering a trying period in American history, but we can survive. But in order to survive we need to do some basic work to protect ourselves. I am not offering a perfectly comprehensive list of solutions that magically make you safe. After all you live in the real world and run into confrontational people every day, but this is meant to be a jumping off point that can be easily shared with folks. Stay safe out there.