The document summarizes the transformation of the internet from a decentralized network of individual websites and blogs to a centralized platform optimized for profit through targeted advertising. It discusses how user privacy has been compromised as centralized platforms aggregate user data and sell access to user profiles in real-time bidding. The document provides recommendations for protecting privacy, including using privacy-focused browsers and apps, blocking trackers and ads, and exploring alternatives to centralized social networks like Secure Scuttlebutt that focus on decentralized protocols.

1. Privacy in the Facebook era
Pawel Krawczyk

2. About me
● Information Security Consultant
– Since 90’s – penetration testing, security
engineering, software security architecture, DevOps
– Creator of WebCookies.org
As I’m talking, you can download some of the apps on
http://ssb.webcookies.pub/

3. The Great Transformation
From the Internet of Humans
to the Internet of Commodities

4. Stage #1
Diverse ecosystem
of individual
websites and blogs
Shared through IRC,
Usenet, RSS
Decentralized
ownership
Federated identities

5. Stage #2
Centralisation
through
content aggregators
Centralisation of
ownership through
M&A
FeedBurner,
Google News,
Facebook
Algorithmic content
selection, promotion
and presentation

6. Stage #3
Fully monetized
content delivery
Algorithmic delivery
optimized for profit
maximisation
Platform for
Cambridge Analytica
scandal

9. Have you ever had this
feeling…?
The Why?

11. Source: WebCookies.org

12. Source: ghostery.com

13. Source: ghostery.com

14. Source: Victor Zhou

16. Real-Time Bidding
Where Your Privacy is Being Traded in Real-Time

17. Source: www.businessinsider.com

20. Source: Olejnik, Minh-Dung, Castelluccia, “Selling Off Privacy at Auction”, 2013

21. Source: Olejnik, Minh-Dung, Castelluccia, “Selling Off Privacy at Auction”, 2013

22. Where this greed for data gets us?
Source: Financial Times,
Reuters

23. Source: Financial Times,
Reuters
Where this greed for data gets us?

24. Fighting back

25. Firefox comes with
powerful tracker blocking
If you prefer Chrome engine:
• Vivaldi https://vivaldi.com/
• Iridium https://iridiumbrowser.de/
• Brave https://brave.com/

26. Privacy Badger - blocks
Intrusive trackers
Limits fingerprinting

27. Firefox Multi-Account Containers
Each tab has a separate browsing
context
No cross-tracking between your
Google tab and Facebook tab

28. Source: /e/ Foundation
Mobile Tracking

29. Blokada.org – ad & tracker blocker
for Android platform

30. Privacy Guard – you control what
information is provided to apps
Including apps that require sensitive
data

31. F-Droid – distribution platform for
open-source Android apps
Open-source
Deterministic builds
Security and privacy checks

32. Yalp Store – download apps
from Google Play Store
No Google account required
(but can be used)
No tracking
All the usual closed-source apps

33. MicroG – an open-source
emulation of the GP Services
Google vendor lock-down through
Google Play Services

34. MLS - community driven high-precision
location service
Based on GPS, Bluetooth and WiFi
beacons
Same as Google and Apple, just more
private

35. https://lineageos.org/
https://e.foundation/e-pre-installed-smartphones/
https://grapheneos.org/
https://www.replicant.us/

36. Pi-Hole – ad & tracker blocker
for your home network
Can run standalone on
Raspberry Pi
Or on your OpenWRT router

37. Re-Federating the Internet
Bringing back the Internet for Humans

38. Source: Upcloud.com
Federated Chat Protocols

39. Source: the-federation.info

40. Source: the-federation.info

41. SSB (Secure Scuttlebutt)
Encrypted, peer-to-peer protocol
PatchWork chat application built on top
Quite an usable attempt to replace
centralised Facebook-like social media
sharing with natural affinity of friend,
topic and location circles
https://www.scuttlebutt.nz/

42. dat://

43. dat://

44. Where to go next?

45. https://nomoregoogle.com/
https://www.privacytools.io/

46. https://donottrack-doc.com/en/episodes/
Try it out!
● @kravietz:matrix.org
● @kravietz@social.privacytools.io
● @kravietz (SSB & Twitter)
● https://ssb.webcookies.pub/
● pawel.krawczyk@e.email
Join an experimental physical mesh network
in Caversham (Yggdrasil over WiFi, BPL)