Small tricks can have a big impact on your privacy
Quiet Time

You don't have to dig deep into your toolbox to protect your privacy: With a few simple tricks, you can disable the webcam and microphone and permanently delete data from your hard disk.
Whether you do your business with Microsoft, Apple, Google, or Facebook, large IT companies are eager to collect any information that you happen to toss their way. It is not for charity that corporations operate their own webmailers, search engines, network storage, and online communities: The data from these services can deliver highly-targeted advertising worth billions of dollars.
But it isn't just the big high-profile companies that are testing the limits of user privacy. For example, a smartphone app by a Spanish pay TV provider secretly enabled the GPS function and the microphone of the device and transmitted data (in a poorly anonymized form) to the company's servers. The TV station wanted to identify football bars that broadcast the game without paying royalties, and they enlisted thousands of unwitting football fans as involuntary undercover spooks [1].
Today's devices and Internet services are quite complicated, and unless you wrote the software yourself, you can never be totally sure exactly what it is doing. This article introduces you to some small hacks that you can use to secure your online privacy in just a few easy steps without having to do anything drastic like encrypting you hard drive (which, by the way, only protects you if your computer is not running).
[...]
Buy this article as PDF
(incl. VAT)
Buy Linux Magazine
Subscribe to our Linux Newsletters
Find Linux and Open Source Jobs
Subscribe to our ADMIN Newsletters
Support Our Work
Linux Magazine content is made possible with support from readers like you. Please consider contributing when you’ve found an article to be beneficial.

News
-
System76 Releases COSMIC Alpha 7
With scores of bug fixes and a really cool workspaces feature, COSMIC is looking to soon migrate from alpha to beta.
-
OpenMandriva Lx 6.0 Available for Installation
The latest release of OpenMandriva has arrived with a new kernel, an updated Plasma desktop, and a server edition.
-
TrueNAS 25.04 Arrives with Thousands of Changes
One of the most popular Linux-based NAS solutions has rolled out the latest edition, based on Ubuntu 25.04.
-
Fedora 42 Available with Two New Spins
The latest release from the Fedora Project includes the usual updates, a new kernel, an official KDE Plasma spin, and a new System76 spin.
-
So Long, ArcoLinux
The ArcoLinux distribution is the latest Linux distribution to shut down.
-
What Open Source Pros Look for in a Job Role
Learn what professionals in technical and non-technical roles say is most important when seeking a new position.
-
Asahi Linux Runs into Issues with M4 Support
Due to Apple Silicon changes, the Asahi Linux project is at odds with adding support for the M4 chips.
-
Plasma 6.3.4 Now Available
Although not a major release, Plasma 6.3.4 does fix some bugs and offer a subtle change for the Plasma sidebar.
-
Linux Kernel 6.15 First Release Candidate Now Available
Linux Torvalds has announced that the release candidate for the final release of the Linux 6.15 series is now available.
-
Akamai Will Host kernel.org
The organization dedicated to cloud-based solutions has agreed to host kernel.org to deliver long-term stability for the development team.