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update!: Add Activism section (#3197)

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Signed-off-by: Em <em@privacyguides.org>
Co-authored-by: Jonah Aragon <jonah@privacyguides.org>
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/docs/financial-services.md @jonaharagon @SamsungGalaxyPlayer
/docs/advanced/payments.md @jonaharagon @SamsungGalaxyPlayer
# Activism
/docs/activism.md @EmAtPrivacyGuides
/docs/activism/ @EmAtPrivacyGuides
# Blog authors
/blog/.authors.yml @jonaharagon @dngray @freddy-m

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---
title: "Privacy Activism"
meta_title: "Guides and Tools for Privacy Activists"
description: Privacy Guides' Activism section contains tools to support the community in its privacy advocacy and activism effort, both for individuals and organizations.
hide:
- toc
- footer
cover: activism/banner-activism.webp
---
The **Guides and Tools for Privacy Activists** project from [*Privacy Guides*](../about.md) offers a new way to empower the digital rights community.
This section contains information to help you become a better defender of privacy rights, both for individuals and organizations.
## We must fight for privacy rights collectively
Fighting to improve our privacy cannot *only* be a matter of individual protections.
When [regulations keep attacking](https://www.privacyguides.org/articles/2025/09/08/chat-control-must-be-stopped/) the tools and services we rely on to protect our personal information, when corporations [exploit our data](../basics/common-threats.md/#surveillance-as-a-business-model) more aggressively every day, and when platforms exponentially [erode online pseudonymity](https://www.privacyguides.org/articles/2025/10/15/real-name-policies/), we must broaden our reach to fight for our rights.
==For privacy to become a valued and respected human right, we must work together== to defend privacy rights as a community.
This section will progressively grow with more tools to support the community in its privacy advocacy and activism effort. The Privacy Activist Toolbox is the first part of this new development.
<div class="toolbox-button-grid" markdown>
[:fontawesome-solid-toolbox:{ .toolbox-button-icon } Privacy Activist Toolbox](toolbox/index.md){ .toolbox-button .toolbox-bg }
</div>

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---
title: "Privacy Activist Toolbox"
description: The Privacy Activist Toolbox is a unique resource with tips for anyone interested in becoming a better privacy rights activist, or anyone who wants to start.
hide:
- feedback
cover: activism/banner-activism-toolbox.webp
---
The **Privacy Activist Toolbox** is a resource for anyone interested in becoming a better privacy rights activist, or anyone who wants to start advocating for privacy rights.
This page is also a resource to help digital rights organizations that would like to expand their work focusing on privacy.
:material-cursor-default-click: By clicking on any of the tips listed on this page, you can access more information on each topic, as well as additional resources to support your advocacy.
---
## Toolbox Compartments
<div class="toolbox-button-grid" markdown>
[:fontawesome-solid-scale-balanced:{ .toolbox-button-icon } Check<br>Your Laws](#check-your-laws){ .toolbox-button .toolbox-bg-legal }
[:fontawesome-solid-toolbox:{ .toolbox-button-icon } Choose<br>Your Tools](#choose-your-tools){ .toolbox-button .toolbox-bg-tools }
[:fontawesome-solid-users-rays:{ .toolbox-button-icon } Expand Your<br>Perspective](#expand-your-perspective){ .toolbox-button .toolbox-bg-perspective }
[:fontawesome-solid-hands-holding-circle:{ .toolbox-button-icon } Support The<br>Community](#support-the-community){ .toolbox-button .toolbox-bg-community }
[:fontawesome-solid-handshake-angle:{ .toolbox-button-icon } Build<br>Alliances](#build-alliances){ .toolbox-button .toolbox-bg-alliances }
[:fontawesome-solid-heart-circle-check:{ .toolbox-button-icon } Make It<br>Accessible](#make-it-accessible){ .toolbox-button .toolbox-bg-accessibility }
[:fontawesome-solid-star:{ .toolbox-button-icon } Uphold<br>Integrity](#uphold-integrity){ .toolbox-button .toolbox-bg-integrity }
[:fontawesome-solid-heart:{ .toolbox-button-icon } Stay<br>Persistent](#stay-persistent){ .toolbox-button .toolbox-bg-persistence }
[:fontawesome-solid-hand-fist:{ .toolbox-button-icon } Take<br>Action!](#take-action){ .toolbox-button .toolbox-bg-action }
</div>
---
## Check Your Laws
<a href="tip-know-your-privacy-laws/">
<div class="toolbox-tip-card toolbox-border-legal" markdown>
### 1. Know your privacy laws
![Scale icon](../../assets/img/activism/icons/icon-tips/icon-tips-laws.webp){class="toolbox-tip-icon"}
Being well-informed about the data protection regulations in your own jurisdiction can be a significant asset for your personal and collective battles to improve privacy, for yourself and for others. Learn more about what to look for when researching your local privacy laws.
Learn More :material-arrow-right-drop-circle:
{align=right}
</div>
</a>
<a href="tip-report-privacy-violations">
<div class="toolbox-tip-card toolbox-border-legal" markdown>
### 2. Report privacy violations
![Gavel icon](../../assets/img/activism/icons/icon-tips/icon-tips-report.webp){class="toolbox-tip-icon"}
Once you become informed on your local privacy laws, get familiar with the process to report violations. Submitting an official complaint is often simple, and can have a significant impact for yourself and your community. Learn more about why and how you should report violations of your local privacy laws.
Learn More :material-arrow-right-drop-circle:
{align=right}
</div>
</a>
<button class="toolbox-button-top">[Back to top :material-toolbox:](#toolbox-compartments)</button>
<br>
## Choose Your Tools
<a href="tip-beware-of-privacy-snake-oil">
<div class="toolbox-tip-card toolbox-border-tools" markdown>
### 1. Beware of privacy snake oil
![Poison symbol icon](../../assets/img/activism/icons/icon-tips/icon-tips-snakeoil.webp){class="toolbox-tip-icon"}
In your privacy advocacy, it's essential to use and recommend tools that reliably protect privacy. For this, you need to investigate and remain highly skeptical of any dangerous or unproven marketing claims. Learn more about how to evaluate privacy claims and recommend tools that are trustworthy.
Learn More :material-arrow-right-drop-circle:
{align=right}
</div>
</a>
<a href="tip-migrate-outside-the-surveillance-ecosystem">
<div class="toolbox-tip-card toolbox-border-tools" markdown>
### 2. Migrate outside the surveillance ecosystem
![Arrow pointing out of a square icon](../../assets/img/activism/icons/icon-tips/icon-tips-migrate.webp){class="toolbox-tip-icon"}
As privacy activists, it's important to not only support the tools and organizations with good privacy practices, but to also lead by example when it comes to moving away from the surveillance ecosystem. Learn more about why and how to move away from "Big Tech" and embrace alternatives.
Learn More :material-arrow-right-drop-circle:
{align=right}
</div>
</a>
<a href="tip-improve-your-social-media-and-build-resilient-communities">
<div class="toolbox-tip-card toolbox-border-tools" markdown>
### 3. Improve your social media and build resilient communities
![Octagon icon](../../assets/img/activism/icons/icon-tips/icon-tips-plant.webp){class="toolbox-tip-icon"}
Commercial social media platforms represent one of the biggest sources of data exploitation. By staying active on these platforms we continue to feed the beast, and indirectly support their invasion of our privacy rights. Learn more about how to minimize your presence there, and slowly build better social networks.
Learn More :material-arrow-right-drop-circle:
{align=right}
</div>
</a>
<button class="toolbox-button-top">[Back to top :material-toolbox:](#toolbox-compartments)</button>
<br>
## Expand Your Perspective
<a href="tip-dont-stop-at-individual-solutions">
<div class="toolbox-tip-card toolbox-border-perspective" markdown>
### 1. Don't stop at individual solutions, consider the collective impact
![People with radiating lines icon](../../assets/img/activism/icons/icon-tips/icon-tips-expand.webp){class="toolbox-tip-icon"}
When we think about our privacy, we often focus on the technical tools we can use. While this is indeed an important component, it's crucial not to lose sight of how regulations and invasive practices impact us collectively. Learn more about how to expand your perspective on data privacy.
Learn More :material-arrow-right-drop-circle:
{align=right}
</div>
</a>
<a href="tip-keep-in-mind-the-whole-landscape">
<div class="toolbox-tip-card toolbox-border-perspective" markdown>
### 2. Keep in mind the whole landscape
![Globe icon](../../assets/img/activism/icons/icon-tips/icon-tips-landscape.webp){class="toolbox-tip-icon"}
Privacy isn't just about the tools, the laws, or the practices of any individual or organization. To move our society in a place where everyone benefits from privacy by default, we must consider technologies, laws, and culture holistically. Learn more about remembering to consider the whole landscape.
Learn More :material-arrow-right-drop-circle:
{align=right}
</div>
</a>
<a href="tip-consider-everyones-unique-situation">
<div class="toolbox-tip-card toolbox-border-perspective" markdown>
### 3. Consider everyone's unique situation
![People with line over and under icon](../../assets/img/activism/icons/icon-tips/icon-tips-everyone.webp){class="toolbox-tip-icon"}
Everyone has different needs and faces different dangers when their personal data is exposed. To give actionable privacy advice and recommendations, it's essential to keep in mind everyone's unique situation. Learn more about better evaluating each person's threat model.
Learn More :material-arrow-right-drop-circle:
{align=right}
</div>
</a>
<button class="toolbox-button-top">[Back to top :material-toolbox:](#toolbox-compartments)</button>
<br>
## Support The Community
<a href="tip-lift-your-allies-up">
<div class="toolbox-tip-card toolbox-border-community" markdown>
### 1. Lift your allies up
![Two hands icon](../../assets/img/activism/icons/icon-tips/icon-tips-lift.webp){class="toolbox-tip-icon"}
At times, it might feel like the privacy community is niche and isolated. The battle for privacy rights is difficult, and its defenders are often scattered. This is why it's essential that we support and uplift each other at every opportunity. Learn more about how to lift your allies up and grow the movement.
Learn More :material-arrow-right-drop-circle:
{align=right}
</div>
</a>
<a href="tip-support-your-privacy-comrades">
<div class="toolbox-tip-card toolbox-border-community" markdown>
### 2. Support your privacy comrades
![Hand holding a heart icon](../../assets/img/activism/icons/icon-tips/icon-tips-support.webp){class="toolbox-tip-icon"}
Fighting for privacy rights is a collective endeavor. You cannot do it alone. Anyone around you contributing is fighting the same battle by your side. This battle can be difficult and isolating at time. This is why it's critical to care for each other. Learn more about how you can support your privacy comrades.
Learn More :material-arrow-right-drop-circle:
{align=right}
</div></a>
<a href="tip-be-kind-to-people-but-be-relentless-with-institutions">
<div class="toolbox-tip-card toolbox-border-community" markdown>
### 3. Be kind to people, but be relentless with institutions
![Two hands holding a sphere icon](../../assets/img/activism/icons/icon-tips/icon-tips-kind.webp){class="toolbox-tip-icon"}
Kindness is essential for privacy advocates. To grow our movement, we must meet people from a place of camaraderie. People don't change their mind by being berated. However, this isn't true for institutions. Learn more about how to integrate kindness in your work, while being relentless with institutions.
Learn More :material-arrow-right-drop-circle:
{align=right}
</div>
</a>
<button class="toolbox-button-top">[Back to top :material-toolbox:](#toolbox-compartments)</button>
<br>
## Build Alliances
<a href="tip-start-alliances-not-wars">
<div class="toolbox-tip-card toolbox-border-alliances" markdown>
### 1. Start alliances, not wars
![handshake icon](../../assets/img/activism/icons/icon-tips/icon-tips-alliances.webp){class="toolbox-tip-icon"}
The privacy community consists of a patchwork of individuals and organizations that sometimes hold quite different views. When these divergences lead to infighting, we need to ask how these internal wars are impacting our community negatively. Learn more about how to start alliances instead of wars.
Learn More :material-arrow-right-drop-circle:
{align=right}
</div>
</a>
<a href="tip-value-allies-with-complementary-expertise">
<div class="toolbox-tip-card toolbox-border-alliances" markdown>
### 2. Value allies with expertise complementary to yours
![Sphere with half dark half light icon](../../assets/img/activism/icons/icon-tips/icon-tips-complement.webp){class="toolbox-tip-icon"}
In privacy, like everywhere else, diversity is a strength. If you want your community to have a broad understanding of threat models, and be able to fight on multiple levels, you need to value a diversity of expertises. Learn more about recognizing, respecting, and retaining experts with skills different to yours.
Learn More :material-arrow-right-drop-circle:
{align=right}
</div>
</a>
<a href="tip-give-credit-where-credit-is-due">
<div class="toolbox-tip-card toolbox-border-alliances" markdown>
### 3. Give credit where credit is due
![Thumbs up icon](../../assets/img/activism/icons/icon-tips/icon-tips-credit.webp){class="toolbox-tip-icon"}
To succeed, we must support each other. A good way to do this is to never forget to give credit where credit is due. When another advocate or organization says something you agree with, boost them up, spread their reach, and thank them publicly. Learn more about making your allies feel seen and valued.
Learn More :material-arrow-right-drop-circle:
{align=right}
</div>
</a>
<button class="toolbox-button-top">[Back to top :material-toolbox:](#toolbox-compartments)</button>
<br>
## Make It Accessible
<a href="tip-welcome-beginners">
<div class="toolbox-tip-card toolbox-border-accessibility" markdown>
### 1. Welcome beginners
![Person with plus sign icon](../../assets/img/activism/icons/icon-tips/icon-tips-beginner.webp){class="toolbox-tip-icon"}
For our privacy rights movement to grow, we must bring more people in. To accomplish this, it's fundamental to discuss privacy in ways that are accessible to newcomers who aren't familiar with basic concepts yet. Learn more about improving your advocacy work to make it more approachable to beginners.
Learn More :material-arrow-right-drop-circle:
{align=right}
</div>
</a>
<a href="tip-keep-your-posts-and-community-inclusive">
<div class="toolbox-tip-card toolbox-border-accessibility" markdown>
### 2. Keep your posts and community inclusive
![Heart with plus sign icon](../../assets/img/activism/icons/icon-tips/icon-tips-inclusivity.webp){class="toolbox-tip-icon"}
Inclusivity is not only the right thing to do, it's also essential to grow our movement. If we want privacy rights to succeed, it's imperative that we build communities where *everyone* feels safe and welcomed, regardless of who they are. Learn more about keeping your communications and communities inclusive.
Learn More :material-arrow-right-drop-circle:
{align=right}
</div>
</a>
<a href="tip-be-mindful-of-accessibility">
<div class="toolbox-tip-card toolbox-border-accessibility" markdown>
### 3. Be mindful of accessibility
![Heart with checkmark icon](../../assets/img/activism/icons/icon-tips/icon-tips-accessibility.webp){class="toolbox-tip-icon"}
Accessibility is indispensable to inclusivity, and should always be a priority in our work. To make our privacy communities welcoming to all, accessibility cannot be an afterthought. We must integrate it in our practice from the start. Learn more about improving the accessibility of your privacy work.
Learn More :material-arrow-right-drop-circle:
{align=right}
</div>
</a>
<a href="tip-make-it-cute">
<div class="toolbox-tip-card toolbox-border-accessibility" markdown>
### 4. Make it cute
![Cat icon](../../assets/img/activism/icons/icon-tips/icon-tips-cute.webp){class="toolbox-tip-icon"}
If you are developing a privacy-focused application or website, do not neglect the design aspect of it. This is a common mistake that can have a significant negative impact on adoption by a general audience. Learn more about making your design appealing and accessible to all. Make it cute!
Learn More :material-arrow-right-drop-circle:
{align=right}
</div>
</a>
<button class="toolbox-button-top">[Back to top :material-toolbox:](#toolbox-compartments)</button>
<br>
## Uphold Integrity
<a href="tip-refuse-to-participate">
<div class="toolbox-tip-card toolbox-border-integrity" markdown>
### 1. Refuse to participate
![Circle with x icon](../../assets/img/activism/icons/icon-tips/icon-tips-refuse.webp){class="toolbox-tip-icon"}
As privacy advocates and activists, it's important to be a voice for resistance and take a stand against abusive practices. One substantial way to do this is to refuse to participate in privacy-intrusive requests, or use invasive software. Learn more about refusing to comply with privacy-abusive practices.
Learn More :material-arrow-right-drop-circle:
{align=right}
</div>
</a>
<a href="tip-stay-true-to-your-principles">
<div class="toolbox-tip-card toolbox-border-integrity" markdown>
### 2. Stay true to your principles
![Star icon](../../assets/img/activism/icons/icon-tips/icon-tips-principles.webp){class="toolbox-tip-icon"}
If you manage a digital rights group or organization, make sure you aren't subjecting your contributors to the very privacy-invasive tech you're fighting against. Sadly, it's not rare to see communities that aren't following their own advice for internal practices. Learn more about the importance of maintaining integrity *internally* as well as externally.
Learn More :material-arrow-right-drop-circle:
{align=right}
</div>
</a>
<a href="tip-protect-your-allies">
<div class="toolbox-tip-card toolbox-border-integrity" markdown>
### 3. Protect your allies
![Shield with heart icon](../../assets/img/activism/icons/icon-tips/icon-tips-protect.webp){class="toolbox-tip-icon"}
Through your privacy work, be careful to never collect or share the data of others without their explicit consent. It's crucial to protect your allies' data in all that you do, whether that's individual action or organizational leadership. Learn more about safeguarding the data of your privacy comrades.
Learn More :material-arrow-right-drop-circle:
{align=right}
</div>
</a>
<button class="toolbox-button-top">[Back to top :material-toolbox:](#toolbox-compartments)</button>
<br>
## Stay Persistent
<a href="tip-small-actions-matter">
<div class="toolbox-tip-card toolbox-border-persistence" markdown>
### 1. Small actions matter
![Puzzle piece icon](../../assets/img/activism/icons/icon-tips/icon-tips-small.webp){class="toolbox-tip-icon"}
There is so much to do in the movement for better privacy rights. So much, that it's sometimes easy to feel discouraged when facing the scale of what's left to accomplish. But everything helps, and even the smallest action counts. Learn more about why every action and every victory matters, no matter how small.
Learn More :material-arrow-right-drop-circle:
{align=right}
</div>
</a>
<a href="tip-take-time-to-rest">
<div class="toolbox-tip-card toolbox-border-persistence" markdown>
### 2. Take time to rest, but come back to fight with us
![Low battery icon](../../assets/img/activism/icons/icon-tips/icon-tips-rest.webp){class="toolbox-tip-icon"}
The battle for privacy rights will be a long one. This isn't a sprint, it's a marathon. If you want to be a good advocate, you *must* take the time to rest when needed. Burning out isn't an option, we cannot afford to lose your precious contribution! Learn more about why it's fundamental to learn to rest when you need it.
Learn More :material-arrow-right-drop-circle:
{align=right}
</div>
</a>
<button class="toolbox-button-top">[Back to top :material-toolbox:](#toolbox-compartments)</button>
<br>
## Take Action!
<a href="tip-engage-boosts-and-contribute">
<div class="toolbox-tip-card toolbox-border-action" markdown>
### 1. Engage, boost, and contribute
![Megaphone icon](../../assets/img/activism/icons/icon-tips/icon-tips-engage.webp){class="toolbox-tip-icon"}
Once you have the knowledge, motivation, and energy, it's time to act! Perhaps you've read all of these tips, or read through our Knowledge Base already! But you don't need to know that much about privacy to start contributing. Learn more about how to start being a privacy activist.
Learn More :material-arrow-right-drop-circle:
{align=right}
</div>
</a>
<a href="tip-level-up-assemble-and-organize">
<div class="toolbox-tip-card toolbox-border-action" markdown>
### 2. Level up! Assemble and organize
![Raised fist icon](../../assets/img/activism/icons/icon-tips/icon-tips-organize.webp){class="toolbox-tip-icon"}
If you've been a privacy advocate for a while, maybe it's time to level up and grow as a leader in your community. Becoming a leader can mean starting a local group, or initiating bigger projects online. Learn more about how to become a *good* leader in the privacy rights movement.
Learn More :material-arrow-right-drop-circle:
{align=right}
</div>
</a>
<button class="toolbox-button-top">[Back to top :material-toolbox:](#toolbox-compartments)</button>
<br>

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---
title: Be Kind to People, But Be Relentless With Institutions
description: Kindness and patience are essential qualities for privacy advocates. To grow our movement, we must meet people from a place of camaraderie.
icon: fontawesome/solid/hands-holding-circle
cover: activism/banner-toolbox-tip-kind.webp
---
Kindness and patience are essential qualities for privacy advocates. To grow our movement, we must meet people from a place of camaraderie. People don't change their mind by being berated. However, this isn't true for institutions.
Here's how you can **integrate kindness in your work**, while being relentless with institutions:
## Use kindness and patience while working with individuals
Whenever you talk with individuals in your privacy work, make sure to **stay kind and calm** when communicating with them.
Perhaps you are posting on social media, replying to posts or emails, answering questions after a talk, or writing advices on the best privacy tools to use. No matter the context, when communicating with individuals, ==kindness is your greatest asset== to persuade and bring more people to the movement.
Sadly, it's not rare to see replies to beginners' posts by more advanced peers online that are humiliating and berating their uninformed or misinformed questions. People don't learn and don't change their mind by being yelled at. Aggression isn't an effective way to communicate.
Furthermore, aggression is a horrible strategy to bring more people to your cause, which should be your ultimate goal as a privacy rights advocate and activist.
Instead, be gentle and [develop your empathy skills](https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-empathy-2795562). Write from a place of compassion, to gradually attract more and more [new people](tip-welcome-beginners.md) to the cause.
Stay patient and compassionate, even when people ask questions that might sound obvious to you. Be patient when people don't understand the first time you explain something. Happily clarify with simpler terms when needed, without being condescending.
Accept that some people might not be able to adopt all of your suggestions at once. It's okay, let them grow at their own pace.
Give time for ideas to brew and change minds. Plant seeds for change, and gently wait for growth.
## Be relentless with corporations, governments, and public institutions
While patience and kindness are crucial to bring your message the right way to individuals, institutions do not function the same way.
Whether you are trying to report a privacy-abusive corporate practice, push back against an invasive regulation proposal, or raise awareness about a public institution's privacy malpractices, you must be firm, loud, and determined.
Respect and politeness are vital here as well. Violence or threat to representatives of these institutions would only be detrimental to your goals. However, patience shouldn't be extended to privacy-abusive organizations that aren't demonstrating any realistic intentions to improve.
==To bring significant changes to institutions and corporations, your message must be loud and clear.==
You should try to bring as many people and allied organizations to your cause, and be as loud as possible in the media. Your campaign must be powerful enough to grab media's attention, and to send a firm message that the people want change and will not back down.
Each time your message is ignored, and the abuse continues, **shout louder** (metaphorically). Bring even *more* people to the cause, until the popular discontent is so strong that they have no choice but to stop the abuse.
## More resources
- [Rich resource for campaign strategy and community organizing (The Commons Social Change Library)](https://commonslibrary.org/)
- [Campaign canvas template (Mobilisation Lab)](https://mobilisationlab.org/resources/campaign-canvas/)
- [Campaigning guides for activists (Activist Handbook)](https://activisthandbook.org/)
- [How to do public speaking for activism (Activist Handbook)](https://activisthandbook.org/communication/public-speaking)

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---
title: Be Mindful of Accessibility
description: Accessibility should always be a priority in our work. To make our privacy communities welcoming to all, we must integrate it in our practice from the start.
icon: fontawesome/solid/heart-circle-check
cover: activism/banner-toolbox-tip-accessibility.webp
---
**Accessibility** is indispensable to [inclusivity](tip-keep-your-posts-and-community-inclusive.md), and should always be a priority in our work. To make our privacy communities welcoming to all, accessibility cannot be an afterthought. We must integrate it in our practice from the start. This means making sure the languages, visuals, tools, and venues we use are accessible to as many people as possible.
Here's what you can do to improve accessibility for your privacy-related content and communities:
## Accessibility for all, in all the ways
For many people who don't need any specific accommodations, accessibility is often only thought about in terms of solutions to *mobility* impairments, such as for people requiring the use of a wheelchair.
While this is indeed and important factor to consider, there are many other types of disabilities and accommodations we should be mindful of in our privacy work.
Considering how each part of our work could be accessed more easily by everyone is essential to grow our movement, and to diversify our privacy communities.
Ethically, it's also just the right thing to do, and should be the norm everywhere.
### Visual, auditory, and other sensorial accessibility
Anytime you are using images, audio, or any other sensorial elements in your advocacy work, you should always make sure to follow best practices to ensure your content will be accessible to people with visual, auditory, or other sensorial impairments.
- [x] If you use images in your websites or social media posts, make sure to always add proper [alt text](https://abilitynet.org.uk/resources/digital-accessibility/five-golden-rules-compliant-alt-text) to describe the information the image represents. Keep in mind visitors that might be using a [screen reader](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Screen_reader).
- [x] When designing websites, posters, flyers, or zines, keep in mind [visual accessibility](https://webdesign.tutsplus.com/accessibility-basics-designing-for-visual-impairment--cms-27634a) for people with blindness, low vision, color blindness, and other visual impairments.
- [x] Be careful to refrain from using designs and videos with [flashing lights](https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/Accessibility/Guides/Seizure_disorders), or display proper warning if you do. Flashing or flickering light effects, and even certain high-contrast static images, can trigger seizures in people with photosensitive epilepsy.
- [x] If you use [audio material](https://www.w3.org/WAI/people-use-web/abilities-barriers/auditory/) in your advocacy, try to include captions or transcripts in your content for people with auditory impairments. If you organize a larger event with speakers, try to see if you could hire a sign language interpreter.
- [x] Whenever you develop content or organize events, always be mindful of people with sensory impairments or [sensory sensitivities](https://accessforallllc.com/sensory-and-cognitive-accessibility/).
### Website accessibility
If you develop a website in your privacy work, make sure to follow the international standards for web accessibility.
This is very important to ensure readers using assistive devices will be able to access your content, and that people with visual impairments will not struggle to access your content.
- [x] Get familiar with the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) [international Web standards](https://www.w3.org/WAI/standards-guidelines/). These standards have been reviewed for accessibility support by the Accessible Platform Architectures ([APA](https://www.w3.org/WAI/about/groups/apawg/)) Working Group.
- [x] Use a [web accessibility evaluation tool](https://www.w3.org/WAI/test-evaluate/tools/list/) to verify that your web content meets accessibility guidelines, or otherwise make sure to follow the [Web Content Accessibility Guidelines](https://www.pivotalaccessibility.com/2024/11/how-to-perform-a-web-accessibility-audit-step-by-step-guide/) (WCAG).
- [x] If your organization can afford it, hire a [web accessibility consultant](https://accessibilityinnovations.com/blogs/web-accessibility-consultant/).
### Global accessibility
Whether you write a post, an article, or a whole website in English, keep in mind that your audience is likely global.
People from all around the world will be able to read or watch your English content, many who don't speak English as their first language. Don't assume that your audience is only coming from your own country or region. This is a good thing, by the way! ==The battle for privacy rights must be global now.==
- [x] Be careful not to use too many references that are unique to your own country or region. If you do, make sure to explain what it is for people from other regions.
- [x] When talking about issues related to politics, make sure to specify what governmental entities are, and explain any special rights your country has (don't just name them). That way, outsiders will be able to understand and support your cause as well, even if perhaps they aren't directly impacted by this issue at the moment.
- [x] Don't assume everyone knows all the popular internet acronyms such as DIY (Do It Yourself) or IIRC (If I Recall Correctly). These acronyms are very challenging for non-native English speakers. When using acronyms in your content, always explain the full expression in parentheses at least once, or better yet, simply use whole words instead.
- [x] When inviting people to an event, consider that people from other time zones might be reading your invitation. If your event is online, always specify the [time zone](https://www.timeanddate.com/time/map/) for the announced time. If your event is in person, always specify the whole location with the country and region ([do *not* just name the city](https://www.roughmaps.com/destinations/20-places-around-the-world-that-share-the-same-name/22)).
### Physical accessibility
When organizing events and meetups in person, it's essential to keep in mind physical accessibility for people with mobility challenges of all kind. This includes accessibility around the venue, but also on the journey to the venue.
- [x] Ensure the venue you select is [accessible for people using wheelchairs](https://sites.augsburg.edu/events/policies/accessible-events/accessible-event-planning-guide/). Check that there is access to an elevator if it's on an upper floor, that there are access ramps and automatic doors if required, and that doorways and hallways are wide enough to accommodate a wheelchair.
- [x] Make certain that there will be enough comfortable seating for your guests, and that seating and eating areas will be accessible to guests using wheelchairs or other mobility aids.
- [x] Check that there are wheelchair-accessible bathrooms nearby.
- [x] Evaluate the accessibility of the transit options available to reach the venue you select, including specialized transits for people who are using wheelchairs, or other types of mobility aids. Publish a map of the transit accesses around your venue.
- [x] Research if your venue has access to parking and accessible parking spots. Publish this information with your invitation.
- [x] Verify the venue you select is accessible to people with visual or auditory impairments. For example, check if elevators are marked with Braille or raised letters, and make sure that hosts are informed on how to communicate with guests who are deaf or hard of hearing.
### Health accessibility
In-person accessibility isn't just about mobility. Accessibility is also important to consider for a variety of health conditions, including people who are vulnerable to infectious diseases, or require other accommodations related to their health.
- [x] Designate a trained person responsible for accessibility, and share their contact information in advance. That way, people will be able to contact this person if they have any questions before or during the event.
- [x] Encourage your participants to wear a mask, and try to select a venue with adequate ventilation to minimize the risks for people who are [vulnerable to respiratory infections](https://health.clevelandclinic.org/superspreader-events). If food is served, try to select a venue with an area allowing to consume food outside.
- [x] Make sure to bring a few boxes of [protective face masks](https://health.clevelandclinic.org/do-masks-work) to your event that guests can use for free. That way, people who might be at risk in dense crowd can decide to wear a mask once they arrived, or if they forgot to bring their own.
- [x] Try to prepare an area in your venue, or near your venue, where people can rest comfortably in a [quiet space](https://eventwell.org/ensuring-inclusive-events-the-importance-of-supervising-quiet-spaces-for-neurodivergent-attendees-and-vulnerable-adults/), if they feel tired or overstimulated during the event.
- [x] Promote a [scent-free](https://www.chrc-ccdp.gc.ca/resources/publications/environmental-sensitivities-and-scent-free-policies) environment to make your event welcoming to people who have scent allergies, environmental sensibilities, or other health conditions that can be affected by scents.
- [x] Provide training for hosts and event volunteers to make sure they are aware of available accommodations, and can give helpful information upon request.
### Dietary accessibility
If your event provides meals, snacks, or drinks, make sure to prepare well in-advance to consider the potential dietary restrictions of your guests.
- [x] List clearly what types of food and drinks with be served (or available) at the event.
- [x] Provide contact information for people to reach out in advance if they have special dietary requirements or requests that have not already been addressed.
- [x] Try to provide food and beverages that will cover a variety of dietary needs, such as vegan, nut-free, gluten-free, lactose-free, alcohol-free, or low-sugar options.
- [x] If you host a large event, consider keeping a few [epinephrine autoinjectors](https://greatergood.com/blogs/news/epinephrine-public-areas) available on site in your emergency kit, in case anyone experiences a dangerous allergic reaction.
- [x] Make sure guests will have access to free and clean water, especially if your event is scheduled during a heat wave.
- [x] Ensure there is a quiet and private room available for anyone who might be breastfeeding.
- [x] Provide all this information in advance with your invitation, so that guests can evaluate properly if the event is accessible to them.
### Safety accessibility
Safety is also an important aspect of accessibility. Everyone has a unique threat model, and, for a variety of reasons, some people might be at an elevated risk to their physical safety when going to and participating in an event in person.
- [x] Implement a [Code of Conduct](https://oshwa.org/resources/how-to-write-a-code-of-conduct/) for your event or community. Ensure there are clear channels to report bad behaviors, and that your Code of Conduct is enforced properly.
- [x] Verify that access to the bathrooms is safe and well lit at your venue.
- [x] Make sure the venue you select is safe to access by transits or cars, and that the nearest parking lot or bus stop is well lit if the event ends late at night.
- [x] If your venue is located in an area that might be more dangerous at night, consider setting up an [accompaniment service](https://www.concordia.ca/campus-life/security/services/safe-walk.html) with a set of volunteers offering to walk guests safely back to their bus stop, for example. Make this information known in advance.
- [x] Implement a clear [Photo Policy](https://events.ccc.de/congress/2025/infos/privacy.html#photo-policy) for your event, and forbid all nonconsensual photos. You can also provide "No Photos" or "Photos OK" stickers, buttons, or lanyards for guests upon arrival. That way, guests can explicitly opt out of being photographed at your event if they prefer not to. If your event hired an official photographer, make sure they are careful to never take photos that include people wearing these badges. Ideally, limit event photos to a minimum, and only take photos of people after asking for their explicit consent first.
### Financial accessibility
Another aspect of accessibility that is often overlooked is financial accessibility. Sadly, many people are unable to access certain events due to financial limitations, even if it would be very helpful to them to network and meet privacy advocacy peers. When you organize an event, be mindful of providing options to increase financial accessibility.
- [x] Try to keep your events free or partly free whenever possible, while remaining vigilant about accepting money from [financial sponsors](https://www.privacyguides.org/articles/2025/09/03/red-and-green-privacy-flags/#donations-event-sponsorships-and-other-revenues) that could be in contradiction with your privacy values.
- [x] Reserve a quantity of free tickets for people with more severe limitations.
- [x] Offer discounts for students or unemployed peers.
- [x] Create opportunities for part-time volunteering, where people can offer to help a little, then participate in the rest of the event for free.
- [x] Provide contact information for people who would like to request free or cheaper access, or discuss their unique situation with you.
### Beginners accessibility
[Welcoming beginners](tip-welcome-beginners.md) is crucial in all the work we do. To keep your content and events accessible to beginners, it's important to be mindful of the language you use, the ways you present content, and the places where you promote your events.
- [x] Always explain acronyms with whole words before only using the letters only.
- [x] Be careful when using jargon, try to be explicit and use simple words and analogies.
- [x] Beware of gatekeeping. Try to stay aware of newcomers that might be quiet or isolated from the group. [Be inclusive](tip-keep-your-posts-and-community-inclusive.md) and invite them to participate.
- [x] Specify that your event welcomes beginners.
- [x] Be mindful of advertising your event in places where potential newcomers might see it. Be careful about not inviting people only from places reaching out to people who are already part of the privacy community.
## More resources
- [How to make your social justice event accessible (*The Commons Social Change Library*)](https://commonslibrary.org/how-to-make-your-social-justice-event-accessible/)
- [Make your event accessible and inclusive (*Park People*)](https://parkpeople.ca/make-your-event-accessible-and-inclusive/)
- [How to host a COVID-safe party: Tips and tricks (*Party Pro*)](https://party.pro/covid/)
- [Dos and don'ts on designing for accessibility (UK Government)](https://accessibility.blog.gov.uk/2016/09/02/dos-and-donts-on-designing-for-accessibility/)
- [Five golden rules for compliant alt text (*AbilityNet*)](https://abilitynet.org.uk/resources/digital-accessibility/five-golden-rules-compliant-alt-text)
- [Accessibility developer guide (*Access for all*)](https://www.accessibility-developer-guide.com/)

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---
title: Beware of Privacy Snake Oil
description: In your privacy advocacy, it's important to recommend tools that reliably protect your and other people's privacy. Learn how to evaluate privacy claims.
icon: fontawesome/solid/skull-crossbones
cover: activism/banner-toolbox-tip-snakeoil.webp
---
In your privacy advocacy, it's essential to use and recommend tools that *reliably* protect privacy. For this, you need to **investigate and remain highly skeptical** of any dangerous or unproven marketing claims.
Here's how to evaluate privacy claims, and recommend tools that are trustworthy:
## Why is there so much privacy snake oil?
Regrettably, it's quite common to see businesses using privacy promises as a mere marketing strategy to reassure understandingly concerned users. But many aren't genuinely doing the work to make these promises come true.
Many businesses want to have their cake and eat it too, by attracting users with false promises of privacy while exploiting their data for profit all the while. Other times, failure to meet privacy promises simply comes from incompetence or negligence.
Misleadingly, or fraudulently, presenting a product, service, or organization as being responsible and trustworthy with data privacy when it isn't is called "[privacy washing](https://www.privacyguides.org/articles/2025/08/20/privacy-washing-is-a-dirty-business/)."
There are many things you can learn to become more resistant to privacy washing, and become better at using and recommending genuinely privacy-preserving technologies.
## How to spot privacy snake oil
Never trust any privacy claims at face value.
Here are some red flags you should always keep in mind when evaluating a privacy tool, service, or organization:
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- [**Conflict of interest**](https://www.privacyguides.org/articles/2025/09/03/red-and-green-privacy-flags/#conflict-of-interest): Is the source that is telling you this product is trustworthy independent of the company or parent-company that owns this product?
- [**Biased reviews**](https://www.privacyguides.org/articles/2025/09/03/red-and-green-privacy-flags/#fake-reviews): Is the review recommending this product truly independent, or has it received sponsorship money? Was the review AI-generated?
- [**Meaningless attestations**](https://www.privacyguides.org/articles/2025/09/03/red-and-green-privacy-flags/#meaningless-privacy-compliance-badges): Are claims of privacy law compliance or trustworthiness supported by external sources, or do they only come from the organization itself?
- [**Buzzword language**](https://www.privacyguides.org/articles/2025/09/03/red-and-green-privacy-flags/#buzzword-language): Is the advertising and description of the product using a lot of privacy buzzwords like "military-grade encryption" or "AI-powered"?
- [**Unsupported claims**](https://www.privacyguides.org/articles/2025/09/03/red-and-green-privacy-flags/#checkbox-compliance-and-copy-paste-policies): Are the product's claims supported by documentation and detailed descriptions? It's not enough to write "end-to-end encrypted." This claim should be supported by a detailed account of *how* the data is end-to-end encrypted, including which protocols and algorithms it is using.
- [**Unrealistic claims**](https://www.privacyguides.org/articles/2025/09/03/red-and-green-privacy-flags/#unverifiable-and-unrealistic-promises): Are the privacy claims being made realistic? Nothing can be 100% private or 100% secure. A trustworthy product will give you reasonable warnings about its limitations.
- [**Lack of deletion process**](https://www.privacyguides.org/articles/2025/09/03/red-and-green-privacy-flags/#flawed-or-absent-process-for-data-deletion): Does this product or service offer a clear process to delete your data upon request? How much of your data can you delete, and how quickly can you delete it if you wanted to stop using this service tomorrow?
- [**Untested technologies**](https://www.privacyguides.org/articles/2025/09/03/red-and-green-privacy-flags/#new-and-untested-technologies): Has this technology been tested by experts before? Are there any *external* parties who have verified its claims?
- [**Bad reputation**](https://www.privacyguides.org/articles/2025/09/03/red-and-green-privacy-flags/#critics-from-experts): What are privacy and security experts saying about this product or organization? Was the product or organization subjected to multiple critiques from privacy experts? Has the organization ever been impacted by major data breaches?
</div>
## How to trust privacy tools and services
You should never *completely* trust a product, service, or organization. Additionally, your trust should always be revocable, and you should revoke it when new information comes to light that warrants it. Even privacy professional sources that you trust might not always be up-to-date.
Things can change quickly in the tech world, and we must all be prepared to revoke our trust and adapt quickly when required.
With that in mind, here are some green flags you can keep in mind when evaluating a privacy tool, service, or organization:
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- [**Good reputation**](https://www.privacyguides.org/articles/2025/09/03/red-and-green-privacy-flags/#reputation-history): What are privacy and security experts saying about this product or organization? Does the product or organization have a good reputation within the field?
- [**Access to evidence**](https://www.privacyguides.org/articles/2025/09/03/red-and-green-privacy-flags/#verifiable-claims): Are you able to verify the privacy claims from independent sources that aren't related to the business itself?
- [**Independent review**](https://www.privacyguides.org/articles/2025/09/03/red-and-green-privacy-flags/#independent-reviews): Was the product reviewed by an independent third-party who had significant access to test the product in a meaningful way?
- [**Transparency**](https://www.privacyguides.org/articles/2025/09/03/red-and-green-privacy-flags/#transparency): Can you easily find detailed information about what data this organization collects, and how it processes and shares it? Would an independent expert have access to its software code to inspect it?
- [**Clear funding model**](https://www.privacyguides.org/articles/2025/09/03/red-and-green-privacy-flags/#clear-funding-model): How does this organization make money? If it's free to use, does this organization rely on donations or grants? Is the product sold to users or to businesses? Where does the money come from?
- [**Availability**](https://www.privacyguides.org/articles/2025/09/03/red-and-green-privacy-flags/#availability): Could you easily contact this organization if you needed to? Can you find an email address dedicated to privacy requests and questions? Can you find where the organization is located? Would you have access to at least two different ways to contact it?
- [**Expert recommendation**](https://www.privacyguides.org/articles/2025/09/03/red-and-green-privacy-flags/#expert-advice): Is this product recommended by independent privacy experts and nonprofit digital rights organizations?
</div>
## More resources
- [Tool recommendations vetted by our community (*Privacy Guides*)](../../tools.md)
- [Extensive guide on how to evaluate better privacy tools and organizations (*Privacy Guides*)](https://www.privacyguides.org/articles/2025/09/03/red-and-green-privacy-flags/)
- [Privacy washing is a dirty business (*Privacy Guides*)](https://www.privacyguides.org/articles/2025/08/20/privacy-washing-is-a-dirty-business/)
- [Understanding encryption and end-to-end encryption (*Privacy Guides* video)](https://www.privacyguides.org/videos/2025/04/03/is-your-data-really-safe-understanding-encryption/)

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---
title: Consider Everyone's Unique Situation
description: To give actionable privacy advices, it's essential to consider everyone's situation. Learn more on how you can evaluate each person's unique threat model.
icon: fontawesome/solid/users-between-lines
cover: activism/banner-toolbox-tip-everyone.webp
---
Everyone has different needs, and everyone faces different dangers when their personal data gets exposed.
To give actionable privacy advices and recommendations, it's essential to **keep in mind everyone's situation**. There isn't a one-size-fits-all approach when it comes to data privacy.
Here's how you can get better at evaluating each person's unique [*threat model*](../../basics/threat-modeling.md):
## What is a threat model?
We regularly use the term "threat model" in cybersecurity and data privacy. This might sound obscure at first if you haven't seen it before, but it's quite simple: A threat model is an evaluation of what is dangerous for a certain person (or entity) in a given situation, and what protective measures should be prioritized.
For example, if you leave near the equator, polar bears might not be an important threat to your safety. However, if you live in Nunavut, it may be important to get information on how to prevent a polar bear attack.
Similarly, when you choose privacy protections for yourself or for others, you should first ask a few questions to understand better what information you are trying to protect, from whom, and in which context.
## What questions to ask?
To establish a threat model, ask the following questions:
1. What information leak could endanger this person or organization the most?
2. Who this information should be protected from?
3. How likely is it that this person or entity could access this information?
4. What could happen if this person or entity had access to this information?
5. What are the protections available to protect this information specifically from this person or entity?
6. What would be the downside of using these protections?
7. How long do these protections need to remain in place?
Ask, rinse, and repeat for each type of information. The answers to these questions will be unique for each person or organization. This is their unique threat model.
<details class="danger" markdown>
<summary>Example scenario: Threat of stalking</summary>
**Needs:** Alice is a young celebrity sharing a lot of information about herself on social media. As part of her work, she has to be able to share photos of herself, her legal name, some of her travel information, and details about her personal life.
**Threat:** However, to protect herself from an aggressive stalker, she must protect information about her *home address* at all cost.
**Level of danger:** She already received threats online, and the danger to her safety is imminent if her home address were to be known to this aggressive stalker.
**Information to protect and solutions:** Everywhere that Alice is required to share her home address must be protected. She should use a PO box every time her personal address isn't absolutely necessary. She should make sure to only share her address with trusted people that are informed about this danger. And she should inspect all of her photos and metadata carefully, to make sure her location is never precisely [revealed](https://www.privacyguides.org/articles/2025/03/25/privacy-means-safety/#victims-of-stalkers).
</details>
<details class="danger" markdown>
<summary>Example scenario: Surveillance Capitalism</summary>
**Needs:** Bob feels uncomfortable with companies using his information without his consent. He doesn't trust what they might do with this information later, or whom they might sell it to. He is especially worried about how companies and governments might use facial recognition with him.
**Threat:** To limit facial recognition, Bob doesn't want any companies to have access to a *photo of his face*.
**Level of danger:** If Bob or someone close to Bob posted a photo of his face online, the numerous bots constantly scanning the open web and social media platforms would have a copy of it in no time.
**Information to protect and solutions:** To prevent this, Bob should not post any photos of his face online. He should make sure to only choose profile pictures that don't show his face for social media, and inspect any other photos posted to make sure his face doesn't show up on reflective surfaces. He should also inform his friends and family that he doesn't want photos of himself to be posted online, and he should protect his phone camera roll and cloud storage from getting [scanned](https://www.forbes.com/sites/zakdoffman/2026/01/15/google-upgrade-starts-scanning-all-your-photos-be-very-careful/) by remotely controlled AI. Bob should also opt out of any online platforms demanding a facial scan or photo ID in order to [verify his age](https://www.privacyguides.org/videos/2025/08/15/age-verification-is-a-privacy-nightmare/) or identity.
</details>
## Respect people's choices when it comes to their own privacy, even if they are different from yours
When advising others on data privacy, it's easy to get carried away and forget that other people might have different threat models from our own.
Once we have provided the information to somebody who might need it, it's important to take a step back and respect their choices. If someone understands the risks, and decides that sharing this information *about themselves* is an acceptable level of risk to them, we cannot (and shouldn't try) to force them in using the same level of protection we have adopted ourselves, if they don't want to.
Of course, this might be a different story if their decision also affects the data of others. But if it only concerns their own data, the choice is theirs.
To be a good privacy advocate is to provide information and support when needed. But ultimately, privacy is about deciding what one is comfortable sharing about themselves or not. We can only choose this for ourselves, not for others.
## More resources
- [More detailed information on threat modeling (*Privacy Guides*)](../../basics/threat-modeling.md)
- [Examples of common threats (*Privacy Guides*)](../../basics/common-threats.md)

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---
title: Don't Stop at Individual Solutions, Consider The Collective Impact
description: When we think about privacy, we often focus on technical individual solutions. But it's also crucial to consider the collective impact of privacy issues.
icon: fontawesome/solid/users-rays
cover: activism/banner-toolbox-tip-expand.webp
---
When we think about our privacy, we often focus on the technical tools we can use to protect it. While this is an important *component*, it's crucial not to lose sight of how regulations and invasive practices impact us collectively.
Here's what to keep in mind to **expand your perspective on data privacy** beyond individual solutions:
## The danger of focusing only on individual solutions
While it might feel easier to focus on our own needs, nobody lives in a vacuum. Even if you were able to somehow protect all the data you have custody of, there is a lot of data about you that isn't under your control, and a lot of data about *others* that impact you.
Moreover, it's important to consider others in different situations. For example, even if everyone who has access to a [VPN](../../vpn.md) service can stay protected from a particular issue, what about all the others? It's neither practical nor realistic to expect that *everyone* would be able to circumvent a problem by using a VPN.
While in some cases we might want to discuss immediate individual solutions in order to mitigate some harm, we must also attack the root cause of the problem.
If we only think of *individual* solutions when a corporation exploits our data, or a government adopts a privacy-invasive regulation, we risk letting our guard down by giving up the fight early. This makes the problem harder to fight later on, and results in more harm to our communities, and eventually to ourselves as well.
## Things to keep in mind when a privacy issue arises
Here are a few questions you can ask yourself whenever a new privacy issue arises in the news, to help expand your perspective beyond individual solutions:
- [ ] What are potential mitigation solutions, and who will realistically be able to use them?
- [ ] What will happen to the people who don't have the resources (in time, in money, in knowledge) to protect themselves individually?
- [ ] Will this issue impact some communities more than others? Who will this affect the most negatively?
- [ ] What will be the impact for the people who *cannot* protect themselves individually?
- [ ] What will be the impact for the people who *can* protect themselves individually?
- [ ] Are there other solutions that could be adopted to fight this issue for *everyone* at once, without relying on *individual* harm mitigations.
- [ ] How can we fight against this issue in a way that will benefit *everyone* impacted, including the people who aren't even aware of the issue?
## More resources
- [Why you should also care about other people's privacy (*Privacy Guides*)](https://www.privacyguides.org/articles/2025/03/10/the-privacy-of-others/)
- [Why privacy might be a safety matter for many (*Privacy Guides*)](https://www.privacyguides.org/articles/2025/03/25/privacy-means-safety/)
- [Encryption must not be outlawed for our privacy tools to work (*Privacy Guides*)](https://www.privacyguides.org/articles/2025/04/11/encryption-is-not-a-crime/)
- [Dangerous regulation proposals like Chat Control could impact everyone without many individual solutions (*Privacy Guides*)](https://www.privacyguides.org/articles/2025/09/08/chat-control-must-be-stopped/)

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---
title: Engage, Boost, and Contribute
description: Once you have the knowledge, motivation, and energy to fight for privacy rights, it's time to act! Learn more on what you can do to be a privacy activist.
icon: fontawesome/solid/bullhorn
cover: activism/banner-toolbox-tip-engage.webp
---
Once you have the knowledge, motivation, and energy, **it's time to act**! Perhaps you've read all the tips here, or have read through our [Knowledge Base](../../basics/why-privacy-matters.md) already! But you don't need to know that much about privacy to start contributing.
The most important part is that you care about privacy rights, and want to be part of the movement to defend them.
Here's what you can do to become a privacy activist:
## Be active! Participate and contribute!
Being a privacy activist means actively taking part in the movement to protect and improve fundamental privacy rights for everyone.
<div class="admonition quote toolbox-quote" markdown>
<p class="admonition-title toolbox-quote">We want to help redefine 'activist' to a term that can include anyone who wants to work collectively to create social change. You don't have to be an expert, and you don't have to spend every waking minute trying to do 'activism'. You just have to be a person who wants to create change with other people.</p>
<p class="toolbox-quote-source" markdown>Source: [*Activist Handbook*](https://activisthandbook.org/theory/what-is-activism#our-response-take-the-%E2%80%98expert%E2%80%99-out-of-%E2%80%98activism%E2%80%99)</p>
</div>
There are many ways to actively engage in the privacy rights movement.
While a lot can be accomplished by *anyone* interested in joining, think about how you can orient your activism around *your* strengths, skills, and interests. This will help with sustainability.
If you find one way doesn't really work for you, and you get tired or bored quickly, then find another way to contribute. There isn't a one-size-fits-all approach. Find the ways that work best for you.
Perhaps you like to write, to draw, to record videos, or to build applications? Or maybe you prefer to engage with people directly, and become involved in the more social part of privacy advocacy? This can all be incredibly valuable contributions to the movement.
Ask yourself these questions:
- [ ] What do I enjoy doing that could also be useful to the cause?
- [ ] What are my interests? What do I want to learn more about?
- [ ] Which skills and social networks do I already have?
- [ ] How much time do I have to contribute each week?
- [ ] Who around me shares my privacy values and could be an ally?
## Things you can do to engage, boost, and contribute
Here are some ideas of what you can do to become a privacy activist in your community, and a valuable member of the privacy rights movement:
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- [**Spread** the words of your allies.](tip-lift-your-allies-up.md) Repost social media campaigns from digital rights organizations you like, and write about it on your own platforms. Encourage people to participate if there is a call to action.
- **Write** about the privacy issues you care about. Inform the public with accurate information and effective ways of action to push back against invasive technologies and legislations. This can be through your social networks, personal blog, or even a book!
- [**Participate**](tip-small-actions-matter.md) in the actions organized by others. Reply positively to social media posts related to privacy rights, repost the content of your allies, sign petitions, report violations, join an online forum, and contact your representatives about privacy rights in your region of the world.
- [**Refuse**](tip-refuse-to-participate.md) to participate in privacy-invasive requests, and refuse to use privacy-invasive technologies as much as doable for your situation. Sometimes doing nothing can be a powerful action. Try to prioritize your privacy principles over [convenience](https://www.privacyguides.org/articles/2025/06/07/selling-surveillance-as-convenience/), and report on your refusal experiences on social networks and with your local communities.
- [**Join or build** communities](https://discuss.privacyguides.net/) with people sharing your privacy values. Be a positive contributor and lift your allies up. [Support your privacy comrades](tip-support-your-privacy-comrades.md) and [ask for help](tip-take-time-to-rest.md) when you need it yourself. Look for nonprofit organizations [seeking volunteers](../../about/contributors.md).
- [**Contribute** financially](../../about/donate.md) if you can. If you cannot afford to participate in time, consider donating money. There are many digital rights nonprofit organizations that could do *so much more* if only they had more funding. Offering financial support when you can is a meaningful way to contribute to the privacy rights movement.
- **Go** to local meetups related to privacy and digital rights. Meet people who share your values in-person, and grow your network to find allies in your area.
- **Take part** in digital rights protests that support causes and raise awareness on privacy issues you care about. Actively look online for events to join in your local privacy rights community.
- **Invite** others to join you in the movement to defend privacy rights!
</div>
<div class="admonition quote toolbox-quote" markdown>
<p class="admonition-title toolbox-quote">People who do activism reclaim their own agency in deciding what kind of world they want to live in.</p>
<p class="toolbox-quote-source" markdown>Source: [*Activist Handbook*](https://activisthandbook.org/theory/what-is-activism#personal-is-political)</p>
</div>
## More resources
- [What is activism? (*Activist Handbook*)](https://activisthandbook.org/theory/what-is-activism#personal-is-political)
- [How to be an activist for human rights causes (*WikiHow*)](https://www.wikihow.com/Become-an-Activist)
- [Learn to use ethical principles of persuasion (*The Community Tool Box* (University of Kansas))](https://ctb.ku.edu/en/table-of-contents/participation/promoting-interest/principles-of-persuasion/main)
- [Communicate your message: Making sure your message comes across (*Activist Handbook*)](https://activisthandbook.org/communication)

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title: Give Credit Where Credit Is Due
description: To succeed with our movement to defend privacy rights, we must support each other. One good way to do this is to give credit where credit is due.
icon: fontawesome/solid/thumbs-up
cover: activism/banner-toolbox-tip-credit.webp
---
To succeed in our battle, we must **support each other**. One good way to accomplish this is to never forget to give credit where credit is due. When another advocate or organization says something you agree with, boost them up, spread their reach, and thank them publicly.
Here are a few ways you can help your allies feel seen and valued:
## Why crediting people and organization is important
Giving credit to the right person or organization isn't only the ethical thing to do, it's also a way to **build alliances**, to bring more people to the cause, and to retain the allies you already have.
When people feel valued, they are usually inclined to work harder. People are also more likely to stick around places where they feel seen and appreciated. This is incredibly important for our movement.
When giving credit to organizations, you are also making a whole team feel valued. Organizations are made of people, after all. Caring about the people who work hard at your allied organizations is fundamental to build our movement.
## Ways to credit your allies in your advocacy work
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- **Quote** your allies' work in your own content and material. Make sure to always credit their name and link to their external resources when you do.
- **Link** to your allies' resources on your own platforms. Give them credit for their work, and encourage your own audience to consult your allies' material.
- **Support** your allies publicly on social media. Repost their content to increase their reach. Post about them while tagging them, to encourage your circle to follow them as well. Reply to their posts thanking them for their hard work for the cause.
- **Reach out** to offer your help on their projects, whenever you have the resources to do so.
- **Thank** your allies publicly when working with a group, whether it's for paid or volunteer work. Make the members of your group feel recognized and valued individually.
- **Attribute** the work of each contributor to the name they have agreed to share publicly, depending on the platform you use. Ask first how they prefer to be credited, but do not forget to credit them.
- **Nominate** your allies for rewards/awards if the opportunity arises, and make sure to add your vote to support them.
</div>
## More resources
- [3 ways to use recognition to boost performance and engagement (*HumanResourceMag*)](https://www.humanresourcemag.com/news/277/3-ways-to-use-recognition-to-boost-performance-and-engagement)
- [The fine line between teamwork and taking credit: Why recognition matters (*Gwendolyn F. McGraw*)](https://blog.gwendolynmcgraw.net/2025/07/12/the-fine-line-between-teamwork-and-taking-credit-why-recognition-matters/)

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---
title: Improve Your Social Media and Build Resilient Communities
description: Commercial social media platforms represent one of the biggest source of data exploitation. Learn how you can build better and more resilient social networks.
icon: fontawesome/solid/seedling
cover: activism/banner-toolbox-tip-plant.webp
---
Commercial social media platforms represent one of the biggest source of data exploitation. Facebook, Instagram, Threads, TikTok, and X all exploit their users' data to generate billions in profit every year. By staying active on these platforms, we continue to feed the beast and indirectly support this invasion of privacy rights.
Here's how you can **minimize your presence on commercial social media**, and slowly build more autonomous communities:
## Why it's important to move away
Moving away from large commercial platforms can be a complex process, but it's a very important one nonetheless.
[Reducing our dependence on Big Tech](tip-migrate-outside-the-surveillance-ecosystem.md), including for social media platforms, is essential in our fight for better privacy rights.
Not only this allows us to stop feeding a surveillance machine that grows ever hungry for data every month, but it gives us an opportunity to build much more resilient communities, and support platforms that aren't devouring peoples' privacy.
Many are reluctant to quit commercial social media, despite the many issues that have only become worse in the past few years. It's not always easy to leave a place that feels like home and rebuild elsewhere. However, ==when the house is on fire, it's time to leave.==
The more we produce content, and the more we engage with our community on these privacy-invasive platforms, the more we contribute to sustain these predatory corporations making money and thriving at the expense of our followers' data.
It's a responsibility for any privacy advocates to stay true to their values, and minimize their presence on exploitive platforms as much as feasible.
## Minimizing your presence on commercial social media platforms
Here are a few things you can start doing to reduce your contribution to Big Tech social media. This is presented on an escalating scale. Go as far as realistically possible for your situation:
1. Create an account that mirrors your regular posts on a [privacy-respecting platform](#embracing-privacy-respectful-alternatives), and announce it prominently on your commercial social media accounts.
2. Regularly post on your commercial social media that you don't support this platform and encourage your followers to meet you on your new privacy-respecting social network instead.
3. Use your commercial social media profile pictures and banners to advertise your new social network account (this will help fight potential Big Tech [censorship](https://gizmodo.com/elon-musk-twitter-ban-mastodon-1849903839) of text posts promoting competitors).
4. Tell your followers on commercial social media that you will stop engaging in replies here, but will reply to questions and comments on your new social network profile, and follow through.
5. If this makes sense for your situation, after backing up your data, start deleting older content from your commercial social media profiles (you can use a tool like [Cyd](https://docs.cyd.social/docs/intro/) to help you with deletion).
6. Gradually decrease your posting activity on commercial social media, and increase your presence and engagement with your new social network account on a privacy-respecting platform.
7. Stop posting on your commercial social media account entirely. Only keep a pinned post and profile description with your new social network account information, and encourage your followers to meet you there.
8. When you are ready, delete your data and close your accounts on commercial social media entirely. Before leaving permanently, make sure to post an announcement (a week before maybe) about why you are leaving and how your followers can find you on your new social network.
## Embracing privacy-respectful alternatives
Perhaps you are already convinced to leave exploitive social media platforms for better places, but aren't sure where to go. Thankfully, there are alternatives that genuinely respect users and their privacy.
One such network is the [**Fediverse**](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fediverse), a decentralized collection of interconnected applications and servers that can communicate with each other.
The Fediverse was built from a desire for social connection, not from greed for profits. ==This is a fundamental difference that leads to substantial benefits.== Most servers that are part of the Fediverse network are hosted by volunteers who simply want to support their communities.
There are many applications that can connect to the Fediverse, the most famous probably being the microblogging platform [Mastodon](https://joinmastodon.org/). But you could also choose to join an app more similar to Instagram with [Pixelfed](https://pixelfed.org/), or more similar to YouTube with [PeerTube](https://joinpeertube.org/). They all connect together!
Here are some resources to help you learn more about this social network, and its many applications:
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- [Learn why the Fediverse is a better alternative (*Elena Rossini* video)](https://blog.elenarossini.com/fediverse-video/)
- [What is the Fediverse and how it's interconnected (*Stefan Bohacek* project)](https://jointhefediverse.net)
- [Social network recommendations (*Privacy Guides*)](../../social-networks.md)
- [Privacy and security on Mastodon (*Privacy Guides*)](https://www.privacyguides.org/articles/2025/07/15/mastodon-privacy-and-security/)
- [How to create a Mastodon account (*Doc Pop*)](https://docpop.org/2025/02/how-to-get-started-with-mastodon/)
</div>
## Building resilient communities
If you decide to make the Fediverse-connected social network Mastodon your new home, you will be able to choose between a variety of servers (instances) to create your account.
You can also simply choose the Mastodon organization's main server [mastodon.social](https://mastodon.social/about), if you don't feel like thinking about this too much. Mastodon has a feature allowing to migrate your account from one server to another, so this isn't a permanent decision. You can always move later if you choose to (you can't move your content for now, but you can move your followers).
That being said, if you're up for a more resilient solution, one option that is truly empowering is to host your own Mastodon server (or many other applications that are part of the Fediverse family).
Self-hosting your Mastodon server of course requires more time and resources. But, if you can afford it, hosting your own server will allow you to be much more independent and genuinely own your own data.
This is the best way to build a community that is truly resilient, and billionaire-resistant.
### Wikimedia has its own Mastodon instance!
As an example of an organization self-hosting its Mastodon account, the [Wikimedia Foundation](https://wikimediafoundation.org/) (the nonprofit organization hosting *Wikipedia*) has its [own](https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia.Social) Mastodon server at [wikimedia.social](https://wikimedia.social/about).
From their [Wikimedia's Mastodon account](https://wikimedia.social/@wikimediafoundation) on this server, you can see that the organization's official website is listed in green. This verifies the account's authenticity by linking together the website address with the Mastodon account. It's easy to do, and entirely free.
You can also see this page is visible to anyone, regardless of if they have a Mastodon account or not. This makes the information you want to share with your community much more accessible. It doesn't require your community to share any sensitive data if they prefer not to, like they would have to do to follow you on Facebook, Instagram, X, or TikTok.
Additionally, this allows you to keep full control over your profile page, regardless of social media ownership, or censorship. This is how you can build a truly resilient community for your privacy advocacy work.
Privacy Guides does this too, of course! You can [follow *Privacy Guides*](https://mastodon.neat.computer/@privacyguides) from our own self-hosted Mastodon server 💛
## More resources
- [Official Mastodon website](https://joinmastodon.org/)
- [List of curated smaller Fediverse servers (*Fedi Garden*)](https://fedi.garden/)
- [Find answers to all your questions about Mastodon and the Fediverse (*Fedi Tips*)](https://fedi.tips/)
- [Tutorial to optimize privacy and security on a Mastodon account (*Privacy Guides*)](https://www.privacyguides.org/articles/2025/07/22/mastodon-tutorial-privacy-and-security/)
- [Organizations: Tutorial to verify your Mastodon account (*Privacy Guides*)](https://www.privacyguides.org/articles/2025/07/22/mastodon-tutorial-privacy-and-security/#verifying-yourself-and-others)
- [Organizations and Writers: Tutorial to attribute your articles to your Mastodon account, including when others share links on the network (*Privacy Guides*)](https://www.privacyguides.org/articles/2025/07/22/mastodon-tutorial-privacy-and-security/#author-attribution-for-journalists-and-writers)

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---
title: Keep in Mind The Whole Landscape
description: Privacy isn't just about the tools, or just about the laws, or just about the practices either. It's about all of it. Learn how to consider the whole landscape.
icon: fontawesome/solid/globe
cover: activism/banner-toolbox-tip-landscape.webp
---
Privacy isn't just about the tools, the laws, or the practices of any individual or organization. It's about *all* of that. To move our society in a place where everyone benefits from privacy by default, we must consider technologies, laws, and culture holistically.
Here's how to get better at **considering the whole landscape**:
## The technology
Technology plays a crucial role in how we protect our digital information. Most people are already familiar with the [tools and services](../../tools.md) we can use to better protect our privacy, and the ways technology can endanger our privacy rights. Technologies like encryption, for example, are essential in our connected world.
But if we only consider the technological aspect, it will not be enough to defend our privacy rights. When we only think and talk about technical solutions, we are missing the bigger picture, and with it, the bigger solutions as well.
## The legislative
While technologies can protect our data in several ways, it becomes almost irrelevant when regulations make these technologies illegal.
Of course, some people will always be willing to use protective technologies even once they're deemed illegal by their governments, but most will not. When our protections are outlawed, we all lose.
Sadly, this is an overlooked area for many privacy activists. This often contributes to making our community react too little and too late when privacy-invasive laws are proposed.
If we want to fight for privacy rights, we must take a much stronger and louder approach against intrusive regulation proposals, as soon as we are made aware of them. Because unfortunately, bad legislations *do* have the power to limit access to the technologies and methodologies we need to stay safe.
Here are a few examples:
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- [**Bad Internet Bills**](https://www.privacyguides.org/videos/2025/12/16/taylor-lorenz-on-kosa-the-screen-act-and-repealing-section-230/) have been proposed in 2025 to undermine the privacy of all Americans, and everyone around the world using American technology.
- [**Chat Control**](https://www.privacyguides.org/articles/2025/09/08/chat-control-must-be-stopped/) proposals have been an ongoing issue since 2021.
- [**Age Verification**](https://www.privacyguides.org/articles/2025/05/06/age-verification-wants-your-face/) regulations and proposals are growing around the world at a terrifying rate.
- [**Data Brokers**](../../data-broker-removals.md) are incessantly exploiting our data due to weak regulations.
- [**Funding cuts**](https://www.privacyguides.org/articles/2025/02/03/the-future-of-privacy/) from new regulations have frequently impacted negatively the organizations and privacy tools we rely on.
- [**Attacks on encryption**](https://www.privacyguides.org/articles/2025/04/11/encryption-is-not-a-crime/) have been carried out by [multiple](https://www.privacyguides.org/articles/2025/02/28/uk-forced-apple-to-remove-adp/) governments around the world, [for *decades*](https://www.privacyguides.org/videos/2025/05/08/when-code-became-a-weapon/).
</div>
## The culture
While considering the tools we use and the laws that should protect us, we shouldn't neglect the impact that our *culture* has on privacy rights.
Unfortunately, society seems to be going in the wrong direction about this lately. As privacy activists, we have a lot of work to do to improve our culture surrounding data privacy.
In the past few decades, technology has changed the way we interact with each other in unprecedented ways. The laws have not caught up with these changes yet, and our culture hasn't really either.
Only a couple of decades ago, it was incredibly rare to be unknowingly filmed by a stranger while wandering in public spaces. If that happened, it was likely a television channel covering some event, a closed-circuit security camera, or a criminal offense. Unless the recording was broadcasted by national television, it was unlikely this footage of ourselves would become available for the whole world to see.
Today, pretty much everyone on the planet has the power to film strangers and share the footage with the whole world in an instant. But sadly, very few people take the responsibility that comes with this power seriously enough. We must change that.
We must work together to develop and promote a culture of consent around data collection, both for organizations and individuals.
Here are a few practices to improve our culture surrounding data privacy that you can adopt yourself, and help promote in your advocacy work:
- [x] Never publish photos or information about children online.
- [x] Don't post pictures of others online without their explicit consent.
- [x] If posting photos that include others cannot be avoided, blur the faces of non-consenting people before publication.
- [x] Blur any visible vehicle license plates before publishing photos.
- [x] Avoid taking screenshots of other people's posts without their consent (as this prevents them from exercising their right to delete).
- [x] Never share the location or contact information of someone without their explicit consent.
- [x] Block external applications from accessing the contact information of others (e.g. don't allow the Facebook app to access your contacts).
- [x] Be mindful of how one's computer or phone stores and records other people's information. Never use an application that scans content with potential information about others, such as AI note-takers, AI assistants, or applications like Microsoft's Recall.
- [x] Never share the files of others with a third-party person or application without their prior permission.
- [x] Unplug smart devices equipped with a microphone or camera at home before any guests enter. If this isn't possible for some reason, then inform your guests about these devices *before* they enter your home, and *before* the device collects any information about them.
- [x] Never use devices like Meta's Ray-Ban glasses, i.e. devices equipped with a microphone and/or camera that might record others without their consent.
## More resources
- **Technology:** [Privacy tools and technology recommendations (*Privacy Guides*)](https://www.privacyguides.org/en/tools/)
- **Legislative:** [How governments and laws shape our digital lives (*Privacy Guides*)](https://www.privacyguides.org/articles/2025/02/03/the-future-of-privacy/)
- **Culture:** [Why protecting the data of other is our responsibility (*Privacy Guides*)](https://www.privacyguides.org/articles/2025/03/10/the-privacy-of-others/)

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title: Keep Your Posts and Community Inclusive
description: Inclusivity is essential to grow our privacy movement. If we want privacy rights to succeed, we must build communities where everyone feels safe and welcomed.
icon: fontawesome/solid/heart-circle-plus
cover: activism/banner-toolbox-tip-inclusivity.webp
---
**Inclusivity** is not only the right thing to do, it's also essential to grow our movement. If we want privacy rights to succeed, it's imperative that we build communities where *everyone* feels safe and welcomed, regardless of who they are or where they come from.
Here's how you can keep your communications and communities inclusive:
## Why you need communities that are diverse and inclusive
In privacy, **diversity** is an incredible strength, a necessity even. When people with different lived experiences, identities, localities, specialties, and mentalities join our group, we benefit from a broader perspective as a whole.
Having a broad perspective is essential to understand the scope and impact of privacy issues, as well as the actionable solutions for diverse situations.
When people with different lived experiences and identities join our group, it expands our understanding of numerous [threat models](../../basics/threat-modeling.md), and allows us to adapt our message in ways that will be more inclusive.
When people from different localities join our group, this helps us to regionalize our content and communication to make it accessible to people all around the world, and expand our network. And when people with different mentalities join our group, it helps us to reach out to people with different ways of thinking more easily.
==The more diverse is a team, the more resources it has to understand and support a diverse population of people== interested (or potentially interested) in privacy rights.
Inclusivity allows diversity to thrive, and diversity will make it easier for your group to be inclusive.
Of course, for all those benefits to happen, it's crucial that [group leaders](tip-level-up-assemble-and-organize.md) be good listeners, and actively nurture diversity and inclusivity.
## Beware of gatekeeping
**Gatekeeping** is sadly a common social phenomenon in niche communities, especially in tech communities.
Gatekeeping happens when a group tend to restrict who can join it, or who gets opportunities within it. It can be done maliciously to exclude marginalized people, or inadvertently when it emerges from unconscious biases.
Many of us have had experiences where we felt excluded from other social groups where our privacy values weren't understood. Once we finally find a group that makes us feel like we belong, it's easy to quickly occupy the whole space and forget that newcomers might feel pushed aside if we do not actively try to include them.
Sometimes, gatekeeping happens unconsciously when we get overexcited about our own space, and when we tend to only communicate with the people we already know, or who look or sound like us.
To counter this bias, we must actively and continuously examine our own behaviors, and make sure to course correct to leave the doors of our communities opened, and welcoming to all. This isn't always an easy thing to do, but it's critical for our movement to grow.
## What can help keep your community inclusive
There are many things you can do to keep your community inclusive and diverse. Here are a few easy tips you can start implementing right now in your privacy advocacy practice, to make more people feel safe and welcomed:
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suffix: " ";
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<div class="emoji-list-a" markdown>
- **Keep your language inclusive:** Make sure to keep the door wide open in your communications. Be mindful of the language you use to make newcomers from all origins feel like they could belong in your community. Limit the use of technical jargon, regionalisms, and unnecessarily gendered language.
- **Listen to others:** Listen to people with experiences and identities different from yours, and try to genuinely understand their perspectives. If they don't feel safe sharing, make sure the space is safe enough for them to do so. Regularly reach out to them to ask questions, while not pressuring them to give answers if they prefer not to.
- **Ask people their preferred name(s):** Always ask people how they want something attributed to them (or not), and what their preferred public name is before publishing it anywhere. Never assume someone is comfortable sharing their legal name publicly, and never assume someone is comfortable using publicly the name they use privately. This is doubly important for any transgender or gender diverse persons, but it's also true for anyone who might have privacy concerns. Always ask for consent first.
- **Normalize the use of pronouns:** If you are in a leadership position, it's especially important to lead by example and display your preferred pronouns in your social media profiles, email signatures, and other relevant contexts. Encourage everyone on your team or in your group to do the same. This helps to normalize the practice, and makes a clear statement that your community is inclusive and welcoming to transgender and gender diverse people.
- **Give credit:** Make sure to appropriately [give credit](tip-give-credit-where-credit-is-due.md) where credit is due, and make people feel supported and seen. Recognition and appreciation are fundamental to inclusion.
- **Prioritize accessibility:** [Accessibility](tip-be-mindful-of-accessibility.md) should never be an afterthought, it should be designed in your content and events right from the start. Make sure that your website or software follows [accessibility standards](https://www.w3.org/WAI/standards-guidelines/wcag/), uses [alt text](https://webaim.org/techniques/alttext/) everywhere you can, and ensure that your [in-person events](https://parkpeople.ca/make-your-event-accessible-and-inclusive/) are accessible and enjoyable for everyone. Reach out to people experiencing disabilities to ask how you could improve accessibility for your content and events.
- **Moderate your community:** To keep your spaces inclusive, it's important to remove bad actors promptly. This is critical if you host a platform where people exchange together such as a forum, but it's also true for replies to your social media posts, your Signal groups, or your in-person gatherings. Whenever you become aware of a reply or answer that is abusive or bigoted, make sure to intervene quickly. If you neglect to moderate the community you are responsible for adequately, marginalized people targeted by these attacks will leave your community, and bad actors will prosper and multiply.
- **Observe special days:** Make sure that your group observes or celebrates special days that are relevant to members in your community. For example, people might have different religious celebrations that are important to them. Make sure you mention these celebrations, and give your members the time they need to observe them. Celebrating special days and months such as Pride Month, Black History Month, National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, and International Women's Day are also important events to acknowledge in your community.
- **Representation:** Pay special attention to the diversity of representation within your group, especially for people in positions of power. For your community to be inclusive, it's important for members to see that diverse people can access leadership, and to feel like your community leaders are aware of a diversity of experiences.
- **Be mindful of invisible barriers:** If you find your community to be quite homogeneous, take the time to think about what might keep people from different identities and origins to join your group. Perhaps there are some invisible barriers that you could identify and reduce, in order to make your group more inclusive and welcoming. If there are already a few members with diverse identities in your group, try to reach out to them for feedback on ways to improve inclusivity in your community.
- **Ask for feedback:** Regularly ask the members of your community and people from diverse groups what you could do to improve inclusivity. Genuinely listen, and be careful not to answer defensively if you receive negative criticism. Stay open and keep in mind that constructive feedback is important to make your group more inclusive and more diverse.
</div>
## More resources
- [Justice, diversity, and inclusion: Start here guide (*The Commons Social Change Library*)](https://commonslibrary.org/diversity-inclusion-start-here/)
- [Do better and win bigger by taking on marginalisation (*Mobilisation Lab*)](https://mobilisationlab.org/resources/taking-on-marginalisation/)
- [Navigating differences in identity, ideology, and experience (*Museum of Protest*)](https://museumofprotest.org/guides/guide-navigating-differences/)
- [How to make your social justice event accessible (*The Commons Social Change Library*)](https://commonslibrary.org/how-to-make-your-social-justice-event-accessible/)
- [Diversity, equity, and inclusion resources and tools (*Nonprofit Learning Lab*)](https://www.nonprofitlearninglab.org/dei)

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---
title: Know Your Privacy Laws
description: Being well-informed about the data protection regulations in your own jurisdiction can be a significant asset in your battles for better privacy rights.
icon: fontawesome/solid/balance-scale
cover: activism/banner-toolbox-tip-laws.webp
---
Being well-informed about the **data protection regulations** in your own jurisdiction can be a significant asset for your personal and collective battles to improve privacy, for yourself and for others.
Unfortunately, many people lucky enough to live in jurisdictions benefiting from such regulations often aren't aware of them, or of how to use them.
Here's what to look for when searching information about your local privacy laws:
## Where is the data subject
For most privacy regulations, legal protections will be applicable to **data subjects** who are citizens or reside in a specific region or country.
<div class="admonition info inline end" markdown>
<p class="admonition-title">What is a data subject?</p>
Different laws might use different terms for this. Sometimes, a regulation might simply refer to a *person*, an *individual*, a *consumer*, a *patient*, or a *customer*.
Other times, the equivalent expression used will be a *data subject*.
A data subject is simply anyone from whom personal information is collected by an organization. **Data subject** will be used as an umbrella term on this page.
</div>
Contrary to what many believe, it's generally *your* local regulations that protect you, regardless of where the organization collecting your personal data is located (in addition, organizations are also subjected to their own local regulations).
Organizations that meet the data subject's local privacy law criteria are legally bound to comply with the laws of each region or country where their data subjects are residing (i.e. where they are conducting business).
There are a lot of nuances and regional variations to this, but in general you should focus on *where* the data subject is residing.
## Finding your local regulations
If your jurisdiction is protected by one or more privacy laws, it should be relatively easy to find this information online. *Privacy Guides* will soon publish a tool facilitating this task.
In the meantime, you can simply use a [trustworthy search engine](../../search-engines.md) and look for keywords with your location (be specific about country + states/provinces/region) and "privacy laws" or "data protection regulations."
Always make sure to find a result that is from an official government source.
<div class="admonition warning inline end" markdown>
<p class="admonition-title">Beware of AI-generated information!</p>
Be careful to research this *without* using an automated chatbot or AI-generated information. These tools can have a high error rate, and the information displayed might not be reliable. Be sure to find the official government documentation in order to get the proper *legal* information.
</div>
While researching about your privacy protections, keep in mind that:
- [x] You might benefit from multiple privacy laws at once. For example, many regions have separate regulations specifically designed to protect health data, children's data, or employees' data.
- [x] You might benefit from protections by different government levels at once, such as federal, provincial, state level, etc. Look for them all!
- [ ] Your region might unfortunately not be protected by any significant privacy regulations at this time. If this is the case for you: It's time to contact your local representatives and advocate for a local privacy law!
## What to look for in a privacy law
Once you've found the official governmental documentation describing the data protection regulation that applies to your region, read it carefully to find:
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<div class="emoji-list-a" markdown>
- Who is protected by the law, and in which situations?
- Which types of organizations are bound to comply with the law?
- What are your data subject rights? (Right to Delete? Right to Access? Right to Opt-out?)
- Does the law include special protections for specific types of sensitive data?
- Which types of data might be exempt from the law?
- Which entity is responsible for enforcing the law?
- What is the process to file a complaint?
</div>
## More resources
- [Map of data protection and privacy legislation worldwide (*UN Trade and Development*)](https://unctad.org/page/data-protection-and-privacy-legislation-worldwide)
- [The future of privacy: How governments shape your digital life (*Privacy Guides*)](https://www.privacyguides.org/articles/2025/02/03/the-future-of-privacy/)

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---
title: Level Up! Assemble and Organize
description: If you've been a privacy advocate for a while, maybe it's time to level up and grow as a leader in your community. Good leaders can benefit the whole movement.
icon: fontawesome/solid/fist-raised
cover: activism/banner-toolbox-tip-organize.webp
---
If you've been a privacy advocate for a while, maybe it's time to level up and **grow as a leader** in your community.
Becoming a leader can mean many things. Maybe for you, it's starting a local meetup, preparing educational workshops, organizing an event or protest, initiating online projects with a team, or even starting your own organization!
Here's what you can do to become a *good* leader in the privacy rights movement:
## Becoming a leader
There are many styles and scales of leadership. It could mean starting small by initiating actions that require fewer resources, or it can scale up to directing larger campaigns and organizations.
Regardless of the scale, it's important to become a *good* leader to lift your community up, which will benefit the whole movement.
Becoming a positive leader in your community doesn't mean running everything, and it doesn't mean being the only one taking decisions while telling others what to do either. First and foremost, ==it means supporting and inspiring people== to become the best privacy advocates they can be.
## Supporting others
Being a good leader is primarily being a good listener. A good leader will be attuned to their community, and support community members in reaching their full potential.
A good leader maximizes the activism strength and energy of each member. This allows the community to thrive, and multiplies the positive impact of everyone's effort.
<div class="admonition quote toolbox-quote" markdown>
<p class="admonition-title toolbox-quote">Good leaders are the key to community organizing. They do not tell other people what to do, but help others to take charge. They do not grab center stage, but nudge others into the limelight.</p>
<p class="toolbox-quote-source" markdown>Source: [The Citizen's Handbook](https://citizenshandbook.org/1_08_lead.html)</p>
</div>
## Keys to positive leadership
Good leaders are like conductors. An orchestra conductor doesn't try to play each instrument by themselves, they trust the musicians to play each part on their own.
A good conductor ensures that each part is played in harmony with each other, to form a coherent whole, by communicating clearly and transparently with the musicians. They make sure that each musician has the tools and conditions they need to perform at the best of their skills, and always thank the musicians first when the audience applauds.
Here are a few tips that can help you become a positive leader in your community:
- [x] **Learn to delegate work** and split-up tasks. Do not try to do it all by yourself. Delegating and trusting others to do the work will also help prevent activism burnout.
- [x] **Trust the members of your group** according to their unique skill sets, and reach out to them when their [unique expertise](tip-value-allies-with-complementary-expertise.md) or experience is relevant to another part of the project.
- [x] **Show appreciation** both in private and in public, and [give credit](tip-give-credit-where-credit-is-due.md) where credit is due. This is incredibly important to retain the dedicated members of your group, and to attract new advocates.
- [x] **Inspire and support** your group members to reach their full potential, and to become the best privacy advocates they can be. Make sure their needs are met, and that they feel safe coming to you for requests.
- [x] **Build a team that is inclusive and diverse.** A [diverse team](tip-keep-your-posts-and-community-inclusive.md) will help your group gain a broader perspective, and be able to do more by having access to a diversity of experiences, skills, and networks. It will also help your message reach more people.
- [x] **Lead by example** adopting principles of [integrity](tip-stay-true-to-your-principles.md), transparency, and work-life balance. Valorize and exemplify these behaviors within your group.
- [x] **Plan and organize projects transparently.** Make sure the members of your group are aware of the direction you have in mind, and that they support it. Avoiding surprises internally will make your members feel safer, and will help with retention and satisfaction.
- [x] **Regularly ask** the members of your group which tasks they prefer to do, and in which direction they want to go. Your group members should enjoy what they are doing, otherwise they will not stick around. Review this regularly, as situations can change and evolve.
- [x] **Make sure your group members have all the rest and resources they need.** This is essential if you want a motivated team, with members that will invest the best of themselves in your group projects.
- [x] **Organize leisure opportunities** for your group to discuss together about things other than work, and bound as a team. This will help improve communication, increase morale, and build better relationships within your group, as well as nurture a sense of belonging. Don't make this mandatory, however. Respect everyone's personal availabilities and boundaries.
- [x] **Be (temporarily) replaceable.** If all the work your group does depends on your presence, all your projects will stop when you need to rest. This is a recipe for disaster, because you need to be able to [take time off](tip-take-time-to-rest.md) as much as any other members of your group. Have a backup plan ready, and communicate it with your group in advance. That way, if you fall sick, have to travel, or need time to take care of your family for a while, you will be able to take the time you need. Until you come back, you will be able to rest fully without stress, knowing your projects will keep running well despite your absence.
## Bigger projects to organize
There are so many ways to be a privacy activist, and so many types of actions that can help our movement.
In fact, it's important that we have a wide variety of initiatives to make this works. The more diverse our activism, the further we can spread the word and bring positive changes.
Here are a few ideas of actions you might want to consider in your privacy work:
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- **Form a group to develop a website** to inform and facilitate concrete action from the public to fight against a privacy issue. As an example, visit this impactful [web project](https://fightchatcontrol.eu/) to fight Chat Control developed by Joachim.
- **Develop a web page to inform the public on a privacy issues**, and conduct research to provide a list of which businesses or institutions are participating in the invasive practice, and which ones have pledged not to. As an example, check out this amazing [web page](https://www.banfacialrecognition.com/stores/#scorecard) to ban facial recognition in stores created by Fight for The Future.
- **Organize a campaign** to fight a specific issue, and reach out to other organizations to take part in a coalition. As an example, check this [website](https://stopscanningme.eu/en/) to push back against Chat Control developed by European Digital Rights (EDRi).
- **Start a petition** collecting citizen signatures to push against a privacy-invasive law or legislative proposal. As an example, read about the [petition](https://www.openrightsgroup.org/publications/joint-briefing-petition-debate-on-repealing-the-online-safety-act/) to repeal the invasive UK Online Safety Act, signed by over 550,000 people.
- **Gather experts to publicly support an open letter** opposing a privacy issue or supporting a privacy solution, and share it with the media. As an example, read this [open letter](https://csa-scientist-open-letter.org/Sep2025) opposing a Chat Control proposal, signed by over 800 scientists and researchers.
- **Speak publicly** to raise awareness on privacy issues and educate the public, if you are comfortable doing so. As an example, watch this moving TEDx [talk](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xSPRouBvgFE) by Carissa Véliz.
- **Start a privacy rights video channel** on your preferred privacy-preserving platform. As an example, check out Privacy Guides' [PeerTube](https://neat.tube/c/privacyguides/videos) and [Loops](https://loops.video/@privacyguides) channels.
- **Design educational online or printed material** to provide information about a specific privacy issue or protections. As an example, visit this [website](https://sls.eff.org/) about street level surveillance, or this border search pocket [guide](https://www.eff.org/document/eff-border-search-pocket-guide), both developed by the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF).
- **Write content to share your knowledge** about solutions to push back against Big Tech and surveillance capitalism, and encourage others to join your journey. As an example, explore this [blog](https://blog.elenarossini.com/tag/the-future-is-federated/) about joining the Fediverse written by Elena Rossini.
- Learn about more [types of actions](https://museumofprotest.org/methods/) you can use in your privacy activist work.
</div>
## Tools that can help you to assemble and organize
Here are a few privacy-focused tools and services that can help you to organize your groups and actions:
<div class="grid" markdown>
<div class="admonition recommendation" markdown>
![CryptPad logo](../../assets/img/document-collaboration/cryptpad.svg){ align=right }
**CryptPad** is a free open-source collaborative office suite that uses end-to-end encryption.
:page_with_curl: Use it as an alternative to Google Docs!
[More info](../../document-collaboration.md#cryptpad){ .md-button .md-button--primary }
[:octicons-home-16:](https://cryptpad.fr/){ .card-link title="Homepage" }
[:octicons-feed-star-16:](https://www.privacyguides.org/articles/2025/02/07/cryptpad-review/){ .card-link title="Our CryptPad review" }
</div>
<div class="admonition recommendation" markdown>
![Mastodon logo](../../assets/img/social-networks/mastodon.svg){ align=right }
**Mastodon** is a free and open-source microblogging social network.
:speech_balloon: Use it as an [alternative](tip-improve-your-social-media-and-build-resilient-communities.md) to commercial social media such as *X*, *Facebook*, *Instagram*, *Threads*, *TikTok*, or *Bluesky*.
[More info](../../social-networks.md#mastodon){ .md-button .md-button--primary }
[:octicons-home-16:](https://joinmastodon.org/){ .card-link title="Homepage" }
[:octicons-feed-star-16:](https://www.privacyguides.org/articles/2025/07/15/mastodon-privacy-and-security/){ .card-link title="Notes on Mastodon Privacy & Security" }
</div>
<div class="admonition recommendation" markdown>
![Element logo](../../assets/img/social-networks/element.svg){ align=right }
**Element** is a free open-source client for the [Matrix](https://matrix.org/) open standard for chat-room group communication.
:loudspeaker: Use it as a privacy-preserving alternative to *Slack* or *Discord*.
[More info](../../social-networks.md#element){ .md-button .md-button--primary }
[:octicons-home-16:](https://element.io/){ .card-link title="Homepage" }
</div>
<div class="admonition recommendation" markdown>
![PeerTube logo](../../assets/img/social-networks/peertube.svg){ align=right }
**PeerTube** is a free open-source video platform developed by the French nonprofit [Framasoft](https://framasoft.org/en/).
:video_camera: Use it to share videos with your community free from *YouTube*'s control.
[:octicons-home-16: Homepage](../../social-networks.md#peertube){ .md-button .md-button--primary }
</div>
</div>
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<details class="info emoji-list-b" markdown>
<summary>More Alternatives &nbsp;📗</summary>
- **Maps & Navigation:** [Organic Maps](../../maps.md#organic-maps) or [OsmAnd](../../maps.md#osmand)
- **Calendar Sync:** [Tuta](../../calendar.md#tuta) or [Proton](../../calendar.md#proton-calendar)
- **Cloud Storage:** [Proton Drive](../../cloud.md#proton-drive), [Tresorit](../../cloud.md#tresorit), or [Peergos](../../cloud.md#peergos)
- **File Sharing:** [OnionShare](../../file-sharing.md#onionshare), [Send](../../file-sharing.md#send), or [Syncthing](../../file-sharing.md#syncthing-p2p)
More tools for community organization could include [LAUTI](https://lauti.org/) for community calendars, and [Mobilizon](https://mobilizon.org/) for events and groups. For more on better alternatives to use, you can check this [tip on why and how to migrate away from Big Tech](tip-migrate-outside-the-surveillance-ecosystem.md) for your privacy advocacy work.
</details>
## More resources
### Leadership
- [Tips to become a good leader (*The Citizen's Handbook*)](https://citizenshandbook.org/1_08_lead.html)
- [Start a movement guide: Social movement building (*Activist Handbook*)](https://activisthandbook.org/organising/movement)
- [Positive leadership: 30 must-have traits and skills (*Positive Psychology*)](https://positivepsychology.com/positive-leadership/)
### Campaigns and Actions
- [New to activism, organising and campaigning? Start here! (*The Commons Social Change Library*)](https://commonslibrary.org/new-to-activism-organising-and-campaigning-start-here/)
- [How do we begin taking action in the community (*Community Tool Box*)](https://ctb.ku.edu/en/get-started)
- [The methods of nonviolent action (*Museum of Protest*)](https://museumofprotest.org/methods/)
- [Lobbying and advocacy: Start here (*The Commons Social Change Library*)](https://commonslibrary.org/lobbying-and-advocacy-start-here/)
- [Develop your activist strategy: Writing a strategy for your movement (*Activist Handbook*)](https://activisthandbook.org/strategy/develop)
- [Campaign accelerator training (*Mobilisation Lab*)](https://mobilisationlab.org/training-coaching/campaign-accelerator-training/)
<button class="toolbox-tip-button-next">[Go back to toolbox index :material-toolbox:](index.md)</button>

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---
title: Lift Your Allies Up
description: The battle for privacy rights is difficult, and its defenders are scattered. This is why it's essential to support and uplift each other, every time we can.
icon: fontawesome/solid/hand-holding-hand
cover: activism/banner-toolbox-tip-lift.webp
---
At times, it might feel like the privacy community is niche and isolated.
The battle for privacy rights is difficult, and its defenders are scattered and spread out all around the world. This is why it's essential that we **support and uplift each other**, every time we can.
Here's how you can lift your allies up, and help to grow the movement:
## Your allies share your goals
It's easy to get lost in our own niche advocacy, and lose track of what others in our community are working on.
Nevertheless, if we want to [**build a movement**](tip-start-alliances-not-wars.md) (and to succeed, we must) we need all the help we can get, from every person and organization sharing our values.
- [x] Whenever you see an organization with a campaign compatible with your mission, lift them up!
- [x] Even if you are an organization yourself, lift others up too!
- [x] Even if you are also working on a similar project, lift them up with you!
It doesn't matter if you are working on something comparable yourself, or if perhaps you would word their work slightly differently. As long as the message is aligned with your mission and values, spread the words of your allies loud and far!
By lifting each other up, we will broaden the reach of the message we share, and ultimately this serves our goals and our community too.
In privacy advocacy, we truly need to adopt the mindset: ==The more, the merrier.==
## Concrete ways to support and lift your allies up
There are infinite ways to lift your allies up. Here are some ideas to get you started, whether you are an independent advocate, a digital rights organization, or a privacy-focused business:
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- When an organization or business sharing you values starts a campaign, repost them on social media. Additionally, you can quote them or write about it yourself, while linking to their profile and campaign. Boost them up!
- If you are a writer, regularly link to material created by other trustworthy organizations and people sharing your values, while giving them credit.
- When an individual creates material favorable to your organization or project, take the time to repost them and thank them. This is bringing more people to your cause, without any work on your side!
- Change your mindset from competition to collaboration. See your peers as people fighting by your side. Whenever they win, you win too. Congratulate them on their successes, and support them in times of need.
- When you see that your allies need help with an expertise you have, try to offer your time and resources if you can afford it.
- When reaching out to your community, talk about your allies' work as well, and help people discover new resources. Everyone has different ways to absorb new information. Perhaps you can help others find resources that are more compatible with their needs, even if it's not your material. You are not losing a member when you refer people externally, you are winning, because you are contributing to grow the movement.
</div>
## More resources
- [Bits of Freedom & Privacy Guides partnership announcement (*Privacy Guides*)](https://www.privacyguides.org/posts/2025/10/08/privacy-guides-bits-of-freedom-partnering-to-enhance-fixjeprivacy-nl/)
- [The Tor Project's allies uplifting Tor together (*Tor Project* short video)](https://www.youtube.com/shorts/-hFNMlsePsc)

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---
title: Make It Cute
description: If you are developing a privacy-focused application or website, it's important that you do not neglect the design aspect of it. Make it cute!
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---
If you are developing a privacy-focused application or website, it's important that you **do not neglect the design** aspect of it. This is a common mistake that can have a significant negative impact on adoption by a general audience. Make it cute!
Here's why you should make your design appealing and accessible to everyone:
## What happens when your app is ugly
Quality design for User Interface (UI) and User Experience (UX) is fundamental to product adoption. Unfortunately, this is regularly neglected by developers working on privacy-focused projects. Often, this is due to lack of resources, but sometimes it's simply an oversight.
The problem is that if your application or website isn't appealing visually, is awkward to use, difficult to understand, or use jargon inaccessible to newcomers, ==people who aren't already in your community are much less likely to adopt your product==, regardless of the privacy benefits it offers. Trying to tell people a billion times they should switch to using your app will be no help at all if it's unpleasant to use on a daily basis.
When your app is ugly, fewer people want to use it, and fewer people benefit from its protections. Minimizing the importance of visual appeal and ease-of-use will only impact your goals negatively.
## Beyond privacy features: Develop a product that is also accessible, functional, and cute!
If you've already done your homework to build the best app for people to protect their privacy, or the best website to provide privacy advice, here are other aspects you should consider to increase your product's popularity:
<style>
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<div class="emoji-list-a" markdown>
- Make sure that your app or website is [accessible](tip-be-mindful-of-accessibility.md) as much as possible. Accessibility will not only make more people able to use your application, but it's likely to also improve user experience for everyone.
- Wrap your product in a pretty package. If you can afford it, hire a professional designer to polish your app or website interface, as well as your organization's logo and promotional material. Design can truly be a make-or-break moment. Do not neglect it!
- People like cute things! Make your app and content cute! Additionally, this helps to make technically-intimidating projects feel more accessible to newcomers and beginners.
- Use good design to reinforce your privacy features or topics. Visual elements can be great assets to bring more attention to your product or content, and to highlight important privacy features in your application. Use design to guide users instinctively towards good privacy. And use design to make the information you share on your website or other content easier to digest.
- Make sure your application or website isn't just cute and privacy-positive, but also *functional*. Without good user experience, you will not be able to retain the users or readers you have managed to attract with cuteness or privacy, and people will move back to their old bad habits.
</div>
## More resources
- [Why are cute objects so seductive (*Laura Sabau Tatar*)](https://uxdesign.cc/why-are-cute-objects-so-seductive-8de1c58bd47c)
- [The importance of User Interface (UI) and User Experience (UX) design (*Geeks for Geeks*)](https://www.geeksforgeeks.org/websites-apps/importance-of-ui-ux-design/)
- [Why do open source applications often have less polished UIs than commercial software (*Darren Horrocks*)](https://www.darrenhorrocks.co.uk/why-open-source-ui-design-sucks/)
- [How to start with design in your open source project (*All Things Open*)](https://allthingsopen.org/articles/start-design-open-source-project)

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---
title: Migrate Outside The Surveillance Ecosystem
description: As privacy activists, it's important to lead by example and support the tools and organizations with good privacy practices, by moving away from Big Tech.
icon: fontawesome/solid/arrow-right-from-bracket
cover: activism/banner-toolbox-tip-migrate.webp
---
As privacy activists, it's not only important to support the tools and organizations with good privacy practices, but also to lead by example when it comes to **moving away from the surveillance ecosystem**. We cannot afford to compromise our principles simply for [convenience](https://www.privacyguides.org/articles/2025/06/07/selling-surveillance-as-convenience/).
Here's why and how to move away from Big Tech and embrace alternatives:
## The cost of using Big Tech in our privacy work
While using the most popular mainstream tools and platforms for our work might seem efficient at first, there can be an immense cost to it, if these tools and platforms aren't aligned with our privacy values.
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<div class="emoji-list-a" markdown>
1. The first drawback is that by using products that are antithetical to our values, we are directly participating in sustaining anti-privacy corporations and contributing to [surveillance capitalism](../../basics/common-threats.md/#surveillance-as-a-business-model).
2. The second drawback is that simply by using Big Tech tools, we are indirectly promoting the usage of services that are horrible for everyone's privacy.
3. The third drawback is that if we use these tools in our action and communications, we are then endangering the data of others who rely on our expertise to keep their data safe. They might think: "If this privacy advocate asks me to fill a Google form, it's probably safe enough to use Google products for sensitive data."
With great *knowledge* comes great responsibility. We must protect the data people share with us, even more than we would our own.
4. The fourth drawback is that, as privacy activists, demanding that others use tools violating their privacy rights to communicate with us can damage our credibility, and have a negative impact on the whole community. Observers might think: "If all these privacy advocates use Facebook groups, why should I listen when they recommend that I move away from Facebook?"
5. Finally, the fifth drawback is that we need to be *leading by example* and demonstrate that it **is** possible to live a connected life without using privacy-invasive tech.
Because a better world *is* actually possible, right now. It might not be as easy and as convenient, but it's certainly possible to thrive outside the Big Tech surveillance apparatus, especially for privacy activists and digital rights organizations.
As the saying goes: ==If not us, then who? If not now, then when?==
</div>
## How to migrate away from privacy-harmful tools and choose better alternatives
<div class="admonition question inline end" markdown>
<p class="admonition-title">What is the best tool?</p>
For each proposed alternative, you should always first consider your own [threat model](../../basics/threat-modeling.md). One tool might be ideal for one person or organization, but another tool might be better for another. Make sure to understand well your threat model in order to choose the tools that are the best for your unique situation.
</div>
There are two good news about this:
- First, there are many wonderful alternatives that already exist to support all kind of tasks, and that will preserve your privacy and the privacy of the people you communicate with.
- Second, you don't have to do it all at once! Start your migration process slowly, but be persistent about it over the whole year.
Here's a list of alternative solutions you can start adopting to improve data privacy in your advocacy work:
### For individuals and organizations
<style>
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symbols: "💬" "🧅" "📧" "📑" "☁️" "❓" "📆" "🗣️" "🍪" "🔇" "🤖" "💼" "📞" "🐘";
suffix: " ";
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<div class="emoji-list-b" markdown>
- **[Messaging communication](../../real-time-communication.md):** Move your text message communication, audio calls, and video calls to a secure messenger like Signal. Enable features like Signal's username option, and disappearing messages.
- **Sensitive messaging communication:** If your threat model requires a peer-to-peer solution that doesn't need a phone number and transits over the [Tor network](https://www.privacyguides.org/articles/2025/04/30/in-praise-of-tor/), you might want to use an application such as [Cwtch](https://docs.cwtch.im/) or [Briar](../../real-time-communication.md/#briar).
- **[Email communication](../../email.md):** Migrate to a privacy-respectful email service that offers end-to-end encryption, such as Proton Mail or Tuta. Make sure to inform yourself about the limitations of email privacy when using email for sensitive communication.
<section class="admonition success inline end" markdown>
<p class="admonition-title">Service providers disclosure and compatibility</p>
If you use your own custom domain name for email addresses, let the people you communicate with know what your service provider is.
That way, they will know that if they use a compatible service provider, they might benefit from end-to-end encryption protections for the content of their communications with you without requiring any additional steps.
For example, this is the case when emailing from a Proton Mail account to another Proton Mail account, or from a Tuta Mail account to another Tuta Mail account.
</section>
- **[Document storing and sharing](../../document-collaboration.md):** Move away from privacy-invasive Google products to store and share documents. Instead, use an end-to-end encrypted solution such as [CryptPad](https://www.privacyguides.org/articles/2025/02/07/cryptpad-review/) for your collaborative documents and forms. Proton Drive also offers collaborative documents with *Proton Docs* and *Sheets*.
- **[Storing files](../../cloud.md):** Choose an end-to-end encrypted cloud solution to store and share files. Always keep in mind that if a cloud service provider doesn't offer solid end-to-end encryption, then it can potentially access any of your stored files.
- **Surveys:** Stop using products such as Google Forms to poll your community. Instead, choose a privacy-focused alternative such as [CryptPad Form](https://www.privacyguides.org/articles/2025/02/07/cryptpad-review/#form) or [Framaforms](https://framaforms.org/abc/en/).
- **[Online calendar](../../calendar.md):** Your online calendar can be an important source of sensitive data. Moreover, you might store other's people data in it, or use it to share event links with collaborators. It's essential to make sure to use a privacy-protecting solution for online and collaborative calendars.
- **Groups and events:** When organizing groups or events, be careful to choose platforms that are privacy-respectful and don't require participants to register personal information. Keep in mind that if you only use Facebook groups, you are contributing to people staying on a privacy-invasive platform. If you only use a closed Meetup group, you are demanding people create an account and share their sensitive data in order to join. Instead, use privacy-respectful platforms such as [Mobilizon](https://mobilizon.org/) or [LAUTI](https://lauti.org/) for groups and events, [Discourse](https://www.discourse.org/) for forums, or simply use your own website to advertise in-person events.
- **Website analytics and cookies:** If you own a website for your organization or for your individual advocacy, make sure to remove from it any [tracking technologies](https://blog.mozilla.org/en/firefox/cross-site-tracking-lets-unpack-that/) that could be sending your visitors' data to Google, Facebook, or other advertising corporations. You shouldn't need a cookie banner for your website, because *your website shouldn't use any non-essential cookies*. If you really need website analytics, try using a privacy-respectful alternative such as [Umami](https://umami.is/) or [Plausible Analytics](https://plausible.io/).
- **Smart devices:** Whether you are meeting with other advocates at home or organizing an event, make sure the location is free from Big Tech [surveillance devices](https://www.privacyguides.org/articles/2025/03/10/the-privacy-of-others/#notify-guests-if-you-are-using-a-smart-speaker) that might get easily forgotten. This may include a doorbell equipped with a camera, a smart speaker such as Amazon Echo, Google Home or Google Nest, or any other audio or video recording devices that is on. Physically unplug any such devices in the location *before* guests arrive. If you cannot unplug them, at least provide a proper warning to any guests before they enter the location and the device collects their audio or video data.
- **Usage of AI:** Be extremely careful if you are using AI platforms. Most current mainstream AI products will send at least some data or metadata to the company's remote server. This can create many privacy issues, ranging from mild to severe. Never use these products to upload data about another person without their *prior explicit consent*. Ideally, refrain from using any AI tools in your advocacy work entirely.
- **Candidates data:** If your organization hires people, be mindful of how you handle candidates' data. Try to select privacy-respecting solutions such as email communication instead of using commercial platforms that might share candidates' data with third-parties. Only request the minimum information required from applicants, and always delete all data you are no longer required to keep as soon as you don't need it anymore.
- **Availability:** Make sure you or your organization is reachable outside the Big Tech ecosystem. If your organization only has a Facebook page, then people without a Facebook account cannot reach out to you. The same is true for other commercial social media. Instead, try to rely on a website you control yourself, or a social network page you can host yourself.
- **[Social media](../../social-networks.md):** Move away from commercial social media platforms. Mainstream platforms are almost all abusing their users' data. By keeping an account there, you are indirectly encouraging your followers to stay there as well, perpetuating the platform's abuse.
While you may want to keep a minimal presence to advertise that you have now moved your activity to a more privacy-respectful platform, you should keep your engagement there to a minimum.
Instead, migrate your advocacy work to better social networks that aren't abusing users' data, and encourage your followers to migrate with you. Choose and support a platform that is more aligned with your privacy values, such as [Mastodon](https://www.privacyguides.org/articles/2025/07/15/mastodon-privacy-and-security/) or any other open-source non-commercial applications connected to the [Fediverse](https://blog.elenarossini.com/fediverse-video/).
</div>
## More resources
- [Alternatives to Big Tech that have been vetted by our community (*Privacy Guides*)](../../tools.md)
- [Privacy-respecting European tech alternatives (*Privacy Guides*)](https://www.privacyguides.org/articles/2025/03/19/private-european-alternatives/)
- [Helpful articles and tips to migrate out of Big Tech (*The Opt Out Project*)](https://www.optoutproject.net/)
- [More advices on how to improve your privacy if you are just getting started (*Privacy Guides*)](https://www.privacyguides.org/articles/2025/07/24/privacy-is-like-broccoli/#tools-and-services-you-can-start-using)

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---
title: Protect Your Allies
description: Through your privacy work, it's crucial to protect the data of your allies in all that you do, whether it's individual action or leading an organization.
icon: fontawesome/solid/shield-heart
cover: activism/banner-toolbox-tip-protect.webp
---
Through your privacy advocacy work, be careful to never collect or share the data of others without their prior explicit consent. It's crucial to **protect your allies' data** in all that you do, whether it's individual action, organizing an event, or leading an organization.
Here's what you can do to safeguard the data of your privacy comrades:
## Where we might collect and share the data of others
There are many ways we might collect the data of others in the course of our advocacy, sometimes without even realizing it.
It's important to develop an awareness of the data we collect and share ourselves, and protect the data of others with the greatest care. Not only is this critical for [integrity](tip-stay-true-to-your-principles.md), but it's also fundamental to build and keep the trust of our allies. This in return is essential to build and grow our movement.
Here are a some examples of other people's data we might collect or share in the context of our privacy advocacy work, whether intentionally or inadvertently:
<div class="grid" markdown>
<div markdown>
- [ ] Contact information (personal advocacy or professional work)
- [ ] Donation information (including legal names, emails, and phone numbers)
- [ ] Purchase information (including legal names and shipping addresses)
- [ ] Mailing list email addresses
- [ ] Email content
- [ ] Instant messaging content
- [ ] Forum post content
- [ ] Login credentials
- [ ] Internet Protocol (IP) addresses
- [ ] Website telemetry data
- [ ] Website cookies and fingerprinting data
- [ ] Chatbot logs
- [ ] Survey answers
- [ ] Shared documents
</div>
<div markdown>
- [ ] Shared photos and images
- [ ] Legal names of people on work contracts or partnership agreements
- [ ] Home addresses of people on work contracts or partnership agreements
- [ ] Resumes and cover letters from job applicants
- [ ] Recordings or screenshots of video or audio meetings
- [ ] Behind-the-scene video footage from interviews
- [ ] Videos we take during meetups, events, or protests
- [ ] Photos we take during meetups, events, or protests
- [ ] License plates information from event photos or event parking lot management
- [ ] Security camera footage
- [ ] Dietary restrictions/preferences and health information for events
- [ ] Screenshots of people's social media posts
- [ ] And so much more
</div>
</div>
## How to protect the data of others
Each time we collect data from others, we become its guardian. This isn't a small responsibility, and we should always treat the data of others as [toxic asset](https://www.schneier.com/blog/archives/2016/03/data_is_a_toxic.html).
We should always only collect and keep what was obtained consensually, and what is strictly required for operations.
Regardless of the data we have to collect, we should always make sure to:
1. **Minimize** data collection by verifying that it is absolutely necessary for the task ([data minimization](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Data_minimization)).
2. **Ask for consent** from the data subject *before* collecting any data, and make sure consent is explicit and informed.
3. **Protect** the collected data with adequate and proportional security measures, ideally using [end-to-end encryption](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/End-to-end_encryption) every time this is possible.
- If this data needs to be shared with a third-party or a service provider, obtain data subject's consent prior to sharing, and verify the third-party or service provider offers adequate protections and proper deletion mechanisms.
4. **Delete** the data as soon as it isn't needed anymore, and ensure deletion is done thoroughly.
### Some practices to normalize in our advocacy work
- [x] Asking for consent before sharing someone's information (legal name, location, contact information, photos, etc.).
- [x] Asking people what name and pronouns they want to be referred to publicly.
- [x] Asking people how (and if) they would like to be credited publicly.
- [x] Asking for permission before using the quote of someone else in our own work.
- [x] Asking for permission before publishing a screenshot of someone else's post.
- [x] Respecting people's choices to show their face publicly or not.
- [x] Asking for consent before taking photos at meetups or events.
- [x] Blurring the faces of strangers in crowd photos (especially for children).
- [x] Using consent badges for photo permission at event, or ideally forbidding taking nonconsensual photos entirely.
- [x] Warning people in advance when there are recording technologies on premise (such as smart speakers or other recording devices).
- [x] Not requiring guests to sign up for events. Making sure all the information is public, without requiring to provide any personal information in order to participate.
## More resources
- [Data is a toxic asset (*Bruce Schneier*)](https://www.schneier.com/blog/archives/2016/03/data_is_a_toxic.html)
- [The importance of protecting the data of others (*Privacy Guides*)](https://www.privacyguides.org/articles/2025/03/10/the-privacy-of-others/)

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---
title: Refuse to Participate
description: As privacy activists, we must be a voice for resistance and take a stand against abusive practices, by refusing to comply with privacy-intrusive requests.
icon: fontawesome/solid/xmark-circle
cover: activism/banner-toolbox-tip-refuse.webp
---
As privacy advocates and activists, it's important to **be a voice for resistance** and take a stand against abusive practices. One substantial way to do this is to refuse to participate in privacy-intrusive requests, or use invasive software.
Here's how you can refuse to comply with privacy-abusive practices, and why it's imperative that you do whenever possible:
## The risk of complying with privacy-invasive requests
Requests to invade our privacy are part of our daily lives in today's world. Whether it's a store cashier banally asking for our phone number after a purchase, or a prominent facial scan at the airport with no clear instructions on how to opt out, ==privacy-invasive requests have become so normalized== that most people barely notice them anymore.
The problem is, each time we mindlessly comply because we are tired, rushed, or failed to even notice how unnecessary and intrusive this is, we directly contribute in normalizing bad practices even more.
While it might be ambitious to expect people who aren't even aware of privacy issues to say no, as privacy advocates we have a responsibility to lead by example, and refuse every single time we legally can. Ideally, we should also document and report on our experience, as this presents a unique opportunity to raise awareness on the issue.
## The risk of using privacy-abusive platforms
Each time we use a platform, tool, or service that is privacy-invasive in our practice, we also contribute in normalizing the use of privacy-abusive software.
It's not always easy to [leave Big Tech](tip-migrate-outside-the-surveillance-ecosystem.md) and adopt more privacy-preserving technologies in our daily work. Nevertheless, it's an essential part of our advocacy.
When we use products that do not reflect the values we are asking people to adopt, we not only undermine our own credibility as privacy advocates, but we also harm the privacy rights movement as a whole. It's crucial to lead by example and publicly refuse to use and participate in privacy-abusive platforms, as much as feasible for our situation.
## How to refuse to participate in abusive practices, and take a stand for privacy rights
There are many ways to refuse to participate in privacy-invasive practices and platforms. Here are a few things you can try to do in your daily life, and in your privacy advocacy work:
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suffix: " ";
</style>
<div class="emoji-list-a" markdown>
- Use an [ad blocker](https://www.privacyguides.org/en/browser-extensions/) everywhere you can.
- Categorically and obstinately reject all cookies, every single time.
- Read apps' privacy-labels, and always favor applications that are the least intrusive.
- Migrate [away from abusive Big Tech](tip-migrate-outside-the-surveillance-ecosystem.md) products and platforms.
- Try to move out or reduce your usage of [privacy-exploiting social media](tip-improve-your-social-media-and-build-resilient-communities.md).
- Each time you install a new application or create a new account, go through the settings to disable all the privacy-invasive features you can disable. Make sure to disable any AI features as well.
- When requested to provide unnecessary personal information by a cashier or an online form, firmly refuse to provide anything that isn't legally necessary.
- Inform yourself in advance about potential legal options to opt out of privacy-invasive technologies such as airport facial scanner.
- Refuse to provide an official piece of ID online for purposes that aren't strictly necessary, such as government requests. Do not comply with intrusive [age-verification](https://www.privacyguides.org/articles/2025/05/06/age-verification-wants-your-face/) processes. Leave your account abandoned instead, or [delete it](../../basics/account-deletion.md) if you still can. Additionally, consider contacting your government representatives and the platform's complaint email to voice your privacy concerns about such practice.
- [Report privacy violations](tip-report-privacy-violations.md) of your local privacy laws whenever you can.
- Depending on your position, refuse to collect or share personal information on others without their prior, explicit, and informed consent (unless you are *legally* required). Be mindful of the software or third-party partners you use that could inadvertently share more information about others than you intended, such as [website telemetry](https://sebastiangreger.net/2014/02/privacy-aware-design-replacing-google-analytics/) or [social media buttons](https://www.tunnelbear.com/blog/why-we-created-our-own-social-media-buttons-on-our-website/).
- Never share the personal information of others with an AI chatbot or platform. Decline to do this in your work, whenever possible.
- Promote refusal around you. Inform others of their rights and responsibilities to opt out. Create accessible guides to educate the public on how they can also refuse to participate.
</div>
## More resources
- [*Privacy Guides* tools and services recommendations](../../tools.md)
- [You can say NO (*Privacy Guides*)](https://www.privacyguides.org/articles/2025/06/17/you-can-say-no/)
- [Selling surveillance as convenience (*Privacy Guides*)](https://www.privacyguides.org/articles/2025/06/07/selling-surveillance-as-convenience/)
- [6 effective tips to politely say no (*Science of People*)](https://www.scienceofpeople.com/how-to-say-no/)

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---
title: Report Privacy Violations
description: Submitting an official complaint for violation of your privacy rights is often simple, and can have a significant positive impact for your community.
icon: fontawesome/solid/gavel
cover: activism/banner-toolbox-tip-report.webp
---
Once you are [informed on your local privacy laws](tip-know-your-privacy-laws.md), it's important to get familiar with the process to **report violations of the law**. Submitting an official complaint is often simple, and can have a significant impact both for yourself and for your community.
Here's why and how you should report violations of your local privacy laws:
<div class="admonition note" markdown>
<p class="admonition-title">International variations</p>
There are hundreds of privacy regulations currently in effect in the world. Moreover, each country might have multiple privacy laws protecting different regions/states/provinces, and different types of data (health data, children's data, employees' data, etc.).
This tip cannot cover each regulation individually. There will be variations for each privacy law applicable. Read this tip as a general advice and a starting point to guide you through your own regional research.
</div>
## Why reporting violations matters
For many (if not most) privacy regulations, there isn't a mechanism to systematically audit every single organization collecting data from people located in its jurisdiction.
Unless the enforcing authority decides to investigate an especially important abuse, the process often relies on individual complaints reporting violations of [**data subject**](tip-know-your-privacy-laws.md#where-is-the-data-subject) rights in order to trigger an investigation.
If you believe that your privacy rights have been violated by an organization, infringing your local privacy regulations, you can likely report this violation to the entity responsible for enforcing the law, the **Data Protection Authority** (DPA).
<div class="admonition info inline end" markdown>
<p class="admonition-title">What is a Data Protection Authority?</p>
Again, different laws might use different terms for this, depending on the region. For example, in Canada the enforcing authority for a privacy law is often called a *Privacy Commissioner*. In Europe, the term used is a *Data Protection Authority*. In the state of California in the United States, the entity responsible for enforcing the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) is the *California Privacy Protection Agency*.
This text will use **Data Protection Authority** or **DPA** as an umbrella term to refer to any authorities mandated to enforce a privacy regulation.
</div>
Reporting even small violations can help improve privacy rights not only for yourself but for everyone else as well.
Often, reporting is simple and can make a big difference down the line, especially in number.
Once an organization is ordered to bring corrective changes or is sanctioned for malpractice by a DPA, this can have many beneficial effects at the individual and collective level:
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</style>
<div class="emoji-list-a" markdown>
- A delinquent organization might be mandated by law to correct the problem. For example, a company without a clear privacy policy might be ordered to publish one.
- You might be able to get personal data that you were unable to delete before finally deleted with the help of your DPA (and similarly for access requests).
- An abusive organization might be banned from operating in your country entirely.
- Individual complaints can create a legal precedent that could speed up enforcement for similar violations in the future.
- Strong sanctions that are made public can send a powerful warning to other organizations to avoid making the same mistakes, and adopt corrective privacy-protective measures preventively.
- Cases and sanctions that are publicized can notify the public about potential problems, and potential solutions.
- If a DPA receives multiple complaints targeting a single organization, they might decide to launch a larger investigation and order the organization to improve its privacy practices more broadly.
</div>
## When you can report a violation
You can **submit a complaint** any time your local privacy rights have been violated by an organization required to comply with the law, and you weren't able to resolve the issue on your own.
To report a privacy law violation, first ask yourself these questions:
- [x] Following the criteria described in your local privacy regulation, is the organization obligated to comply with this law?
- [x] Is your affected information considered *personal information* under the law?
- [x] Which article(s) of the law has the organization breached?
When in doubt, never hesitate to send any questions you have to your local DPA.
The people working at your local DPA are the best specialists to contact to get the most accurate information specific to your local privacy protections.
## How to report a violation
Most regulations will have a clear process to submit an official complaint.
Once you've found the official documentation for your local privacy law(s), read through it to find who is responsible for enforcing the law (who is your DPA), and what the complaint process is.
Before submitting a complaint, you may want to:
### 1. Document everything you can
Try to collect as much information as possible to support your case.
Save copies of your email communication with the organization, take screenshots of the organization's chatbot replies to you, print to PDF the organization's privacy policy, etc.
### 2. Try contacting the organization directly
Depending on the context and violation, some legislations will require that you first contact the organization to attempt to resolve the problem directly.
For example, let's say you want to delete your account's data but cannot find a way to do this within the application. You could then contact the organization's *privacy officer* to request data deletion. If you don't receive any replies after a certain number of days (usually around 30 or 45 days, depending on regulations), you can then submit a complaint to your DPA to help you resolve this issue, if your local laws include a [Right to Erasure/Delete](https://gdpr-info.eu/art-17-gdpr/) or equivalent.
This is applicable for any other data subject rights.
### 3. File an official complaint with your Data Protection Authority
On the website of your local DPA, you should be able to find either a form to submit a complaint or an email address you can contact with the details.
When sending an official complaint, make sure to:
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- Follow the complaint process as described in the law or on the DPA's website.
- Have the name and contact information of the organization you want to report.
- Have a precise summary of the privacy violation and the steps you have taken so far to try resolving the issue.
- Be mindful of the information you share in your complaint.
This information could get shared with the organization you are complaining against, or even partially published later on. Read the DPA's privacy policy about complaint information, and do not hesitate to ask your DPA questions from an anonymous email address beforehand if needed.
- Be ready to share additional evidences if your DPA requests it.
This might include screenshots of the infraction, email communication with the delinquent organization, link to the organization's privacy policy, or any other evidences related to your case.
</div>
## More resources
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- [European Union Member States Data Protection Authorities - List and Map (*EDPB*)](https://www.edpb.europa.eu/about-edpb/about-edpb/members_en)
</div>
### Complaint form and process examples (region/law/DPA)
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- [Australia (Privacy Act): Office of the Australian Information Commissioner](https://www.oaic.gov.au/privacy/privacy-complaints/lodge-a-privacy-complaint-with-us)
- [Canada (PIPEDA): Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada](https://www.priv.gc.ca/en/report-a-concern/file-a-formal-privacy-complaint/)
- [Canada-Quebec (Law 25): Commission d’accès à l’information du Québec](https://formulaire.cai.gouv.qc.ca/)
- [France (GDPR): Commission Nationale de l’Informatique et des Libertés](https://www.cnil.fr/fr/plaintes)
- [Ireland (GDPR): Data Protection Commission](https://www.dataprotection.ie/en/individuals/exercising-your-rights/raising-concern-commission)
- [Nigeria (NDPA): Nigeria Data Protection Commission](https://services.ndpc.gov.ng/breach/)
- [United Kingdom (UK GDPR): Information Commissioner's Office](https://ico.org.uk/make-a-complaint/data-protection-complaints/)
- [United States-California (CCPA): California Privacy Protection Agency](https://www.cppa.ca.gov/webapplications/complaint)
- [United States-Texas (TDPSA): Office of the Attorney General](https://consumerprotection.texasattorneygeneral.gov/consumercomplaintportal/s/)
</div>

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---
title: Small Actions Matter
description: There is so much to do to improve privacy rights. So much, that it's sometimes easy to feel discouraged. But everything helps, and even small action matters.
icon: fontawesome/solid/puzzle-piece
cover: activism/banner-toolbox-tip-small.webp
---
There is so much to do in the movement for better privacy rights. So much, that it's sometimes easy to feel discouraged when facing the scale of what's left to accomplish. But **everything helps**. Every small improvement counts, and every small victory should be celebrated.
Even if you don't feel like you have the [energy](tip-take-time-to-rest.md) to move a mountain today, there are plenty of small actions you can do.
Moreover, you don't have to move this mountain alone! If you push on it a little today, and a thousand people join you tomorrow, then a thousand more the day after, this mountain will eventually move.
Here's why every action and each victory matter, no matter how small:
## Small actions cumulate over time, and with numbers
Discouragement often emerges from envisioning too much of what's left to do at once. While it's important to [expand your perspective](tip-dont-stop-at-individual-solutions.md), when it comes to action, it's also important to segment the task at hand into smaller bites.
Even if you do not have the resources to organize a large campaign around a privacy issue, do not minimize the power that you have.
All the ==small contributions you can make will culminate over time==, and end up having a significant impact overall.
Additionally, you are [not alone](tip-lift-your-allies-up.md) in this battle. If you can make a small contribution today, and perhaps convince one or two other advocates to do the same, you have already contributed significantly to the movement.
## Divide your big ideas in small bites
Whenever you have a big idea to attack a privacy issue, make sure to [plan out your action](https://commonslibrary.org/effective-activist-strategic-plans/) by splitting up the task over time, and delegating to allies.
For example, if you want to organize a petition, perhaps ask one person to help with the website infrastructure, another with the design, another with the text, and another with the backend. Then, instead of trying to collect one million signatures by yourself, try to find allies and ask if they can help collect a few signatures each. Multiply your small impact by delegating to many.
Each person who signs the petition is contributing their own small action. Each person who helps spread the word about the petition is adding another small action. And each person who contributes to promoting the petition on their own channels helps as well. All this counts, and it all matters.
What can seem like a large project at first can become much more realistic and manageable after delegating and splitting up the tasks.
## Evaluate your resources, and see what's possible within these limitations
What you can accomplish will, of course, depend on the resources you have access to. If you are an individual, or a small organization with a very tight budget, you will not be able to commit as many resources as a large organization with lots of employees and stable funding.
But regardless of the resources you have, there's always something you can do to contribute.
Here are examples of some actions you might be able to do, from small tasks to larger projects:
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- Sign a petition related to an ongoing privacy issue, and encourage others to do the same.
- Write a social media post about an ongoing campaign from a digital rights organization you care about.
- Write a social media post about an ongoing privacy issue you care about.
- Contact your local representatives to tell them how privacy rights are important to you or your organization.
- Donate to a privacy organization and promote a privacy project you like.
- Contribute to a privacy project you like that is looking for volunteers.
- Build a web page to inform the public on a privacy issue (e.g. [Patrick Breyer's Chat Control page](https://www.patrick-breyer.de/en/posts/chat-control/)).
- Build a web form or application to inform the public and facilitate taking action against a specific privacy issue (e.g. [Fight Chat Control](https://fightchatcontrol.eu/), [Stop Online ID Checks](https://www.stoponlineidchecks.org/)).
- Find organizations sharing your values to sign a public joint statement about an ongoing privacy issue.
- Read more on small and big [tactics you can use for your privacy activism](https://activisthandbook.org/tactics#list-of-tactics) from the Activist Handbook.
</div>
## More resources
- [Privacy is not dead: Beware the all-or-nothing mindset (*Privacy Guides*)](https://www.privacyguides.org/articles/2025/02/17/privacy-is-not-dead/)
- [Learn about Points of Intervention to better plan and divide your actions (*The Commons Social Change Library*)](https://commonslibrary.org/points-of-intervention/)
- [Social change myths: What is a movement (*The Commons Social Change Library*)](https://commonslibrary.org/social-change-myths/)

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---
title: Start Alliances, Not Wars
description: People in the privacy community can have different views that can create conflicts at times. For our community to thrive, we must start alliances, not wars.
icon: fontawesome/solid/handshake-angle
cover: activism/banner-toolbox-tip-alliances.webp
---
The privacy community consists of a patchwork of individuals, activists, organizations, and businesses that sometimes hold quite different views. These divergences can create conflict and friction at times.
While reporting falseness and abuse is important, when other differences lead to infighting, gossiping, competitive dunking, and organizations attacking others, we need to pause and ask how these internal wars are negatively impacting the community as a whole, both internally and from an outsider's perspective.
For our community to thrive and slowly build a movement, **we need more alliances, not wars**.
Here's how you can nurture alliances, instead of fueling conflicts:
## Acknowledge that you cannot win this battle alone, neither as a person nor as a single organization
To fight for privacy rights in this hostile environment, **we need to create a movement**. Effective movements grow from collaboration, not from competition. ==You cannot do it alone.==
Attacks on digital rights have increased exponentially in the past few years. Not one organization, and certainly not one person, can solve these complex issues on their own. Not even the most prominent ones.
Despite our differences and diverse points of view, we are all in this together. If we want to have a chance to succeed in making privacy a valued and respected human right, we must learn to support and uplift each other as a community. We must split up the tasks and learn to work together, even if it's only for sporadic actions.
When people and organizations sharing the same values come together, this builds a movement. And a movement is what is needed to push back against the countless attacks against privacy rights.
## Reject competition, embrace collaboration
Sadly, it's quite common in the privacy community to see privacy-focused businesses and organizations publicly dunking on each other instead of collaborating.
Perhaps some businesses and organizations think they are competing for the same scarce privacy-minded customers or donors. But this is a narrow vision that doesn't represent the bigger picture.
The digital privacy rights movement is in its infancy.
There are in fact many more potential customers and potential donors, more than enough for every current organizations and privacy-oriented businesses on the planet. The part that is scarce is people who understand why protecting their right to privacy is important, and how to do it.
By promoting privacy rights *together*, we all participate in growing a movement where more and more people become aware of these issues, and will be interested in taking part in the solutions.
Competition, and especially when this competition leads to businesses and organizations badmouthing each other, ends up damaging the whole movement, therefore impacting negatively all of our goals.
Additionally, tearing down perceived competitors sharing your values isn't a good look for you. It's draining for people already in the community, and often repulsive to potential new people on the outside. ==This behavior often results in pushing away newcomers== that were initially interested in joining our movement. This is bad for your competitors, sure, but it's *also* bad for *you*.
Newcomers get confused when they receive competing new information. Confusion leads to *inertia*, and inertia in the current Big Tech ecosystem means staying with Gmail instead of moving to Tuta or Proton mail, or any other privacy-focused email services. This is a bad outcome for *all* of us.
*None* of us win if people stop listening and stay with Big Tech, because we are too busy fighting each other. Instead of damaging the movement with infighting, combat inertia and build alliances with each other.
## How to start alliances
Here are a few ideas to start building alliances within the privacy community:
- **Keep a list** of organizations and other privacy activists sharing your values. Mastodon's [list feature](https://fedi.tips/how-to-use-the-lists-feature-on-mastodon/) can be very helpful to build a social network feed for this. Using an [RSS feed reader](../../news-aggregators.md) is another great way to do this.
- **Get familiar** with what your allies are working on. Think about ways their mission might be compatible with yours.
- **Reach out** to your allies and [amplify their voices](tip-lift-your-allies-up.md) whenever you can. Boost them up! 📣
- **Participate** in local events where you might be able to meet allies in-person, if this is something you can afford and do safely.
- **Organize** a campaign and invite value-compatible organizations and people to join your action. Try asking for support that doesn't require too many resources on their part at first. As you build a trust relationship with your allies, you might want to increase your level of collaboration.
- When a new privacy rights issue arises in the news, **reach out** to your allies and see how you could coordinate an action together, to make it more powerful. [Joint statements](https://museumofprotest.org/methods/signed-public-statements/) signed by multiple organizations and specialists can be an effective way to sway public opinion, bring an issue to the attention of the media, and get governments to listen.
- Ask your trusted allies about ways you could **collaborate** together. Think about how you could exchange or share resources to make both of your work stronger with partnerships.
## How to stop wars
Here are a few ways that might help to reduce the impact of infighting within the privacy community:
- **Do not badmouth** your competitors. This is a bad look for you, and has a negative impact on the whole community as well.
- **Do not engage** when people or organizations are dunking on each other on social platforms. Disengage and do not feed the fire.
- When trying to advertise your products or organizations, **focus on what you have** to offer that is beneficial and unique, instead of using comparison with your perceived competitors. Make sure to describe what you have to offer in simple terms, so that it's accessible to newcomers.
- **Be a part** of the privacy rights movement. Participate in promoting privacy rights for everyone, even if that means some people might buy another company's services, or donate to another organization.
- **Position yourself** as a mature leader in the movement who is above petty infighting. Instead, focus your energy on generously sharing resources for the cause, and promoting our shared values. Become a valued member of the privacy rights community.
## Examples of digital rights alliances and coalitions
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- **Campaign:** [**Bad Internet Bills (2025)**](https://www.badinternetbills.com/)
**Host:** [Fight for The Future](https://www.fightforthefuture.org/)<br>
**Participants:** ACLU, Defending Rights & Dissent, EFF, National Coalition Against Censorship, and more.
<hr>
- **Campaign:** [**Stop Scanning Me (2022)**](https://stopscanningme.eu)
**Host:** [EDRi](https://edri.org/)<br>
**Participants:** ApTI, Bits of Freedom, Chaos Computer Club, Digital Courage, EFF, Epicenter Works, Internet Society, La Quadrature du Net, and more.
<section class="admonition success" markdown>
<p class="admonition-title">Coalition donation page example</p>
EDRi's *Stop Scanning Me* coalition provides a great example of collaboration with a [donation page](https://stopscanningme.eu/en/donate.html) listing all the coalition members with their countries of origin, and linking to external donation pages. EDRi humbly listed their own donation link at the bottom. We need more strong coalitions like this.
</section><hr>
- **Campaign:** [**The Nameless Coalition (2015)**](https://act.eff.org/action/dear-facebook-authentic-names-are-authentically-dangerous-for-your-users)
**Host:** [EFF](https://www.eff.org/)<br>
**Participants:** Access, ACLU, Article 19, Center for Democracy and Technology, Human Rights Watch, OpenMedia, Transgender Law Center, and more.
<hr>
- **Campaign:** [**Protect Our Privacy Coalition (2013)**](https://openmedia.org/press/item/more-30-organizations-unite-safeguard-canadians-privacy-rights-amid-spy-agency-scandal)
**Host:** [OpenMedia](https://openmedia.org/)<br>
**Participants:** Amnesty International, BC CLA, Canadian Civil Liberties Association, EFF, FIPA, GreenPeace, Lead Now, and more.
</div>
## More resources
- [Coalition building: Start here (*The Commons Social Change Library*)](https://commonslibrary.org/coalition-building-start-here/)
- [How to build a new coalition (*Activist Handbook*)](https://activisthandbook.org/organising/coalition-building/starting)
- [How to develop nonprofit relationships to expand and scale (*Nonprofit Learning Lab*)](https://www.nonprofitlearninglab.org/post/how-to-develop-nonprofit-relationships)
- [Templates, worksheets, and checklists for changemakers (*The Commons Social Change Library*)](https://commonslibrary.org/templates-worksheets-checklists-for-changemakers/)

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---
title: Stay True to Your Principles
description: If you manage a digital rights group, it's important to make sure you aren't subjecting your contributors to the privacy-invasive tech you're fighting against.
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cover: activism/banner-toolbox-tip-principles.webp
---
If you manage a digital rights group, meetup, chat room, event, or organization even, make sure you aren't subjecting your members and contributors to the very privacy-invasive tech you're fighting against. Sadly, it's not rare to see organizations and communities that aren't following their own privacy advice for internal practices.
Here's why it's important to **stay true to your principles** and lead by example:
## Be the groups and organizations you want to see in the world
As a leader in your digital rights community, it's critical to set an example and apply your privacy advice internally as well.
Sometimes, it's easy to just use the most popular tool and forget privacy best practices when we're in a rush. But the importance of maintaining integrity by applying *internally* the principles we promote externally shouldn't be downplayed.
Staying true to your privacy values internally has many benefits:
- [x] It significantly increases your credibility while telling others what tools and practices they should adopt when you are following the same advice yourself.
- [x] It supports the privacy-enhancing tools and projects you would like to see prosper.
- [x] It demonstrates that it is possible to manage a group or organization using privacy-focused services, practices, and partners. It makes you set a positive example.
- [x] It builds your reputation as someone who knows what they are talking about.
- [x] It gives you valuable insight to understand better your own recommendations, and their potential downsides. You will be better equipped to answer questions about how to deal with the disadvantages of some privacy-preserving tools and practices if you have adopted them yourself internally.
- [x] It makes your group or organization more attractive to recruit new qualified members or employees. Most privacy experts and advocates are in this field because they deeply care about privacy rights. By adopting good practices internally, you will show them that you are trustworthy, know what you're talking about, and will respect their own data if they work with you.
- [x] It normalizes the use of privacy-preserving technologies and privacy-respectful practices with your members, contributors, and employees, as well as with any external observers.
## How to stay true to your principles
There are many things you can do to stay true to your principles, both in your own personal life and in your privacy advocacy work.
Here are a few examples of practices and good habits you might want to adopt:
- [x] Make sure to [inform yourself about the privacy laws](tip-know-your-privacy-laws.md) you have to comply with in your work, and go above and beyond to respect them carefully.
- [x] Create a [Code of Ethics](https://www.wikihow.com/Develop-a-Code-of-Ethics) for your group or organization, and ensure it includes a special emphasis on enforcing your privacy values.
- [x] Build protocols to minimize data *collection* and maximize data *protection* when collecting data internally (e.g. from employees), and externally (e.g. from subscribers). Verify that your protocols are thoroughly followed by everyone in your group or organization.
- [x] Educate the members and contributors of your group or team. Make sure that everyone understands well your values, your Code of Ethics, and applies your established protocols.
- [x] Pick your vendors carefully. [Research](https://www.privacyguides.org/articles/2025/09/03/red-and-green-privacy-flags/) each third-party software you use, to select the most privacy-preserving option available.
- [x] Whenever relevant, request [Service-Level Agreements](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Service-level_agreement) (SLA) from your service providers, to ensure you have a legally binding contract they have to comply with to respect your own terms of service.
- [x] Reject any offers for partnership or sponsorship from third-parties that have not been properly vetted for being trustworthy and sharing your privacy values, or who might only have profit and advertising in mind.
- [x] Keep your promises. As a privacy advocate, group, or organization, your reputation is the most valuable thing you have. ==If people cannot trust your integrity, they will not trust any of your advice either.== If you promise to never accept sponsorship from certain Big Tech companies, then make sure you are ready to hold this promise. If you promise to never accept venture-capital money for your privacy-preserving app, then keep your word and be ready to reject even attractive offers.
## Integrity is essential to build our movement
Staying true to our principles can be challenging at time. Nonetheless, when we are talking about privacy rights, we are also talking a lot about *trust*. Without integrity, there cannot be any trust.
Maintaining integrity with leading by example and keeping our promises is therefore essential to our fight for privacy rights. It's also fundamental to build our community, and to grow our movement with alliances.
Become a respected privacy-ally others in the community are eager to work with, by staying true to your principles, always.
## More resources
- [The complete guide to writing a Code of Ethics (*WikiHow*)](https://www.wikihow.com/Develop-a-Code-of-Ethics)
- [Privacy washing is a dirty business (*Privacy Guides*)](https://www.privacyguides.org/articles/2025/08/20/privacy-washing-is-a-dirty-business/)
- [Policy and procedure templates for non-profit organizations (*The Commons Social Change Library*)](https://commonslibrary.org/policy-bank-policy-and-procedure-templates-for-not-for-profit-organisations/)

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---
title: Support Your Privacy Comrades
description: Fighting for privacy rights is a collective endeavor. This battle can be difficult and isolating at time. That's why it's critical to care for each other.
icon: fontawesome/solid/hand-holding-heart
cover: activism/banner-toolbox-tip-support.webp
---
Fighting for better privacy rights, privacy tools, and privacy practices is a collective endeavor. You cannot do it alone. Anyone around you contributing is fighting the same battle by your side. This battle *can* be difficult and isolating at times. That's why it's critical to care for each other.
Here are things you can do to **support your privacy comrades**:
## Fighting for privacy rights can be isolating in unique ways
We live in a world of social connections. Regrettably, when we moved these connections online, we also gave power to large corporations to monitor and monetize our social relationships and communications.
Many privacy advocates will choose, rightly so, to completely [leave](tip-migrate-outside-the-surveillance-ecosystem.md) those abusive platforms. Sadly, a side effect of this is often severed relationships with loved ones, who refuse to join us on better, privacy-respectful environments. It's unfortunately common to lose friends when we quit Facebook, or refuse to join a Discord server. Taking a stand for our privacy values can come at the cost of some painful social losses.
Moreover, fighting to protect privacy rights while reading about attacks on those rights every day in the news can be draining.
Most advocates have experienced moments of great discouragement, and feelings of helplessness while facing the magnitude of the task at hand. ==Social support is a matter of survival== to recharge and continue this long battle for human rights.
This is why we must work to rebuild communities of our own. Supportive privacy communities that are [kind](tip-be-kind-to-people-but-be-relentless-with-institutions.md), [inclusive](tip-keep-your-posts-and-community-inclusive.md), and [accessible](tip-be-mindful-of-accessibility.md).
## Stay vigilant to spot signs of distress and fatigue
Whether you are participating in a [privacy-oriented forum](https://discuss.privacyguides.net/) or reading posts and replies of your privacy comrades on social media, pay attention to potential signs of distress.
Some people will periodically take time off from the internet to rest, which can be very healthy at time. But others might isolate from fatigue and discouragement. Keep your eyes open, and try to develop your compassion whenever you read comments that could be a clue someone is at the end of their rope, and in need of support.
## Help whenever you can
Here are a few things you can do to support your privacy comrades in times of need:
- [x] Work on strengthening your empathy skills, and demonstrate more compassion. This is a superpower to take care of your community.
- [x] Tell them you understand this is difficult, and that you are here to help if they need support.
- [x] Ask if they would like to talk more about their difficulties in private.
- [x] Offer your time to talk with them on a privacy-respectful chat, audio, or video call, if this is something you are comfortable doing.
- [x] Invite them to join your community or group of like-minded people, if you think they might be a good fit.
- [x] Organize a group or event to socialize with your privacy comrades regularly, offline or online, in a privacy-respectful way.
- [x] Depending on circumstances (and only if they might be open to it), refer them to a helpful resource in private. However, be careful not to fall into [the advice trap](https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-questionologist/202103/how-guide-people-without-giving-advice), unless they specifically asked for advice.
- [x] Stay kind and do not take it personally if they refuse your help or disagree with your [*solicited* advice](https://www.verywellmind.com/whats-behind-different-types-of-unsolicited-advice-3144961). Let them know the door is always open to reach out to you whenever they might need help later.
## More resources
- [*Privacy Guides* Forum](https://discuss.privacyguides.net/)
- [What is empathy, and tips for strengthening your empathy skills (*Verywell Mind*)](https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-empathy-2795562)
- [How to guide people without giving advice (*Psychology Today*)](https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-questionologist/202103/how-guide-people-without-giving-advice)
- [Take care and prevent an activist burnout (*Activist Handbook*)](https://activisthandbook.org/wellbeing)
- [Build communities on privacy-respectful social networks, and invite your privacy comrades to join you there (*Privacy Guides*)](tip-improve-your-social-media-and-build-resilient-communities.md)

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---
title: Take Time to Rest, But Come Back to Fight With Us
description: The battle for privacy will be a long one. This isn't a sprint, it's a marathon. If you want to be a good advocate, you must learn to rest when you need it.
icon: fontawesome/solid/battery-quarter
cover: activism/banner-toolbox-tip-rest.webp
---
The battle for privacy rights will be a long one. This isn't a sprint, it's a marathon.
If you want to be a good advocate, who will be able to fight with us for a long time, you *must* take the time to **rest when needed**.
Burning out isn't an option, we cannot afford to lose your precious contribution! And to prevent burning out, you must learn how to rest.
When you are starting to feel the activist and dystopia-fighter fatigue, it's important to take the time off you need until you feel rested. Then, come back to the battlefield to fight with us again!
Here's why it's fundamental to learn how to rest when you need it:
## Knowing when to rest is a strength, not a weakness
We have some bad news for you: **You are a human.**
This has many annoying side effects, such as having limited energy and a flesh-and-bone body you need to take care of. Trying to ignore this undeniable fact will only slow you down even more.
In our society's hustle culture, it's counterproductive that we often value overwork more than strategic rest.
The thing is, overwork isn't a sustainable strategy for the long battle ahead of us. ==What we need to succeed is privacy activists who will fight by our side for a very long time.== We need endurance and persistence. And for this to happen, we need ourselves and our [privacy comrades](tip-support-your-privacy-comrades.md) to be well-rested, by taking pauses and adopting the strategies we all need to recharge.
We need our movement to stay away from the often toxic hustle culture we have all observed from Big Tech companies, and instead embrace a culture of mutual support that encourages self-care.
We shouldn't try to imitate our opponents by "[moving fast and breaking things](https://www.privacyguides.org/articles/2022/04/04/move-fast-and-break-things/)."
We need to move at a *sustainable* pace, and build a powerful privacy rights movement that will last.
The important part isn't to fight for privacy rights 24/7. What matters most is that once you are well-rested after taking some time off, you come back to the battlefield to fight with us again.
<div class="admonition quote toolbox-quote" markdown>
<p class="admonition-title toolbox-quote">Successful social change activists learn to be the tortoise rather than the hare. Looking after yourself and your family is important.</p>
<p class="toolbox-quote-source" markdown>Source: [*The Activists' Handbook* by Aidan Ricketts](https://aidanricketts.com/the-activists-handbook/)</p>
</div>
## Tips to help prevent privacy activism burnout
Unfortunately, activism burnout is quite common. And, in the privacy field, this is amplified by the well-documented effect of [privacy fatigue](https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0747563217306817).
Additionally, the fact that we have to incessantly push against a tidal wave of new privacy-invasive legislations and technologies is understandingly exhausting. But we can adopt many strategies to prevent activism burnout, minimize privacy fatigue, and learn how to rest and valorize self-care as an essential part of our work:
<style>
.emoji-list-a ul {
list-style: emoji-list-a;
}
@counter-style emoji-list-a {
system: fixed;
symbols: "⛵️" "🧠" "⌛️" "📵" "📲" "🏡" "🙌" "🎉" "🧳" "🔋" "✊" "☎️" "💛";
suffix: " ";
</style>
<div class="emoji-list-a" markdown>
- **Take breaks:** When you start feeling completely discouraged about the state of privacy rights in the world, it's time for a break. Take a few days off if you can, and try to enjoy activities that have nothing to do with your privacy advocacy.
- **Take care of your body:** Make sure not to neglect your bodily needs, this should always be a priority. Your body and your brain are the most essential tools you have for your privacy advocacy work. Take care of them first and foremost.
- **Sleep well:** Prioritize quality sleep and adopt a rigorous [sleep routine](https://sleepresearchfoundation.com/2024/03/03/top-10-tips-to-create-an-ideal-sleep-routine/) with a strict schedule.
- **Keep bedtime calm:** Try to avoid reading about stressful privacy news or exciting privacy technologies close to bedtime. This can all wait for you tomorrow.
- **Separate devices:** If you can afford it, use separate devices for your personal usage and your privacy activism work. This can help keeping a mental barrier between personal and professional, and limiting the "always-on" privacy-advocate mode.
- **Find friends:** Find a [community of peers](https://discuss.privacyguides.net/) you can talk to. Exchange resources and seek support from your community. Remember that you aren't alone in this battle.
- **Split the work:** Delegate tasks to privacy comrades. Seek allies and [alliances](tip-start-alliances-not-wars.md). Reach out for help, and don't take all the responsibilities of your projects on your own shoulders. Build a team, and learn to trust others with the work.
- **Celebrate!** Take the time to celebrate each victory, no matter how small. Celebrate with your peers too, and never miss an opportunity to [congratulate](tip-give-credit-where-credit-is-due.md) everyone's hard work.
- **Take vacations:** Plan longer breaks through the year with activities that will have nothing to do with your privacy advocacy work. Make sure they are long enough that you have time to even miss the privacy battlefield, and come back eagerly once you are fully rested.
- **Plan your (temporary) replacement:** If you are in a leadership position, make sure there is a system in place to take over your responsibilities fully when you need time off. You shouldn't be indispensable for your projects to keep going in the short term, and you should have the same access to time off as the rest of your team. As a leader, it's important to valorize rest for your team, leading by example. Rest is essential for you too.
- **Keep hope with long-term objectives:** If you feel discouraged by the current state of privacy rights, try to keep in mind the bigger picture. We will lose many fights on the journey to improvement. This is to be expected. But all the work we do matters, including the fights we lose. Try to focus on the movement as a whole, and on advancing privacy rights even just a little in our lifetime. See defeats as opportunities to learn from for the next stronger and better-organized battle.
- **Call for help:** If you feel like you are at the end of your rope and might be experiencing symptoms of [burnout](https://www.webmd.com/mental-health/burnout-symptoms-signs), seek professional help to support you.
- **Support others:** Don't forget to [support your privacy comrades](tip-support-your-privacy-comrades.md) when you feel well-enough yourself, to prevent exhaustion as a community.
</div>
## More resources
- [Find a community of privacy comrades (*Privacy Guides* forum)](https://discuss.privacyguides.net/)
- [Privacy is like broccoli, take it one step at the time (*Privacy Guides*)](https://www.privacyguides.org/articles/2025/07/24/privacy-is-like-broccoli/)
- [Personal sustainability for activists (*The Commons Social Change Library*)](https://commonslibrary.org/personal-sustainability-for-activists/)
- [The role of privacy fatigue in online privacy behavior (*ScienceDirect*)](https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0747563217306817)
- [What can be done about activist burnout? (*Sharon Nepstad* YouTube video)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BNm2ar3dEug)
- [How to avoid activist burnout (*Change Atelier*)](https://www.changeatelier.org/blog/how-to-avoid-activist-burnout)
- [Strategies to prevent activist burnout (*The Art of Living*)](https://www.newsletter.samuel-warde.com/p/strategies-to-prevent-activist-burnout)

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---
title: Value Allies with Complementary Expertise
description: In privacy like everywhere else, diversity is a strength. If you want your community to have a broad set of skills, you need to value a diversity of expertises.
icon: fontawesome/solid/circle-half-stroke
cover: activism/banner-toolbox-tip-complement.webp
---
In privacy, like in other areas of life, **diversity is an incredible strength**. If you want your community to have a broad understanding of threat models, and be able to address issues on multiple levels, you need to value a diversity of expertises.
Gathering people with a wide range of skills and experiences in your community is critical to effective work. People with different skill sets and lived experiences will together be able to reach out to a broader audience, and provide much more accurate and useful advice covering a variety of situations.
Here's how to recognize, respect, and retain experts with skills that are different to your own:
## Recognize people with different skills
Privacy is a vast multidisciplinary field. It doesn't just encompass the privacy technologies we use to protect our data, but also the laws that determine the legality of the tools and practices we use. Furthermore, the culture plays an essential role in our fight for better rights, despite being often a neglected aspect of privacy.
Being an expert in privacy can mean so many things. No two specialists have the same knowledge.
Whatever your own privacy expertise might be, make sure to always stay aware of the [bigger picture](tip-keep-in-mind-the-whole-landscape.md), and recognize that other privacy specialists might have knowledge entirely different from yours. Your knowledge might intersect, or you might not share any at all.
This doesn't mean they are any less valuable. On the contrary, this ==diversity of knowledge gives us the best chance to succeed== in our common cause.
## Respect people with different knowledge
It's easy to fall in the trap of staying with our own group of peers who share the same knowledge as ours and discard the others. Unfortunately, this attitude is detrimental to our movement.
As a privacy activist, it's essential to **develop respect** for privacy advocates who specialize in privacy-related knowledge other than your own. You need them to fight *with* you, and they need you to fight with them.
Pay attention to the people in your groups that might be pushed aside because their area of expertise is different from the majority that are present. Try to make them feel respected and included in your groups and communities. Engage with them positively when they contribute, even if you don't understand their specialty.
If you specialize in technical tools, value people with legal and social knowledge and be public about your respect for these specialties. Conversely, if you are a privacy lawyer, bring technical or cultural experts to your groups, and value their roles working for our common cause.
## Retain specialists that are different
**Inclusivity is key** to retaining newcomers in your groups and communities. People who are new or different from the majority of the group should feel welcome and valued.
Work on developing your awareness of these dynamics in your groups. Try to improve your empathy skills, and [support better your privacy comrades](tip-support-your-privacy-comrades.md), especially those who might be different from the majority because of their expertise, demographic, or location. Reach out to them in private to make them feel welcome. Praise them publicly when they contribute in a way you like. [Give credit where credit is due](tip-give-credit-where-credit-is-due.md).
If you organize an event or hire people, make sure to fairly compensate all your contributors. Pay special attention to make sure people with different expertises or demographics aren't always the ones who have to work as volunteers.
Inclusivity, empathy, support, acknowledging successes publicly, and fair compensation are all tools that will help you retain diverse specialists with expertises that are complementary to yours in your communities.
This is something that is *incredibly* valuable in our fight for privacy rights, together.
## More resources
- [The psychology of activism and movement longevity (*Museum of Protest*)](https://museumofprotest.org/guides/guide-the-psychology-of-activism-and-movement-longevity/)
- [Is your team using its biggest resource (*Social Science Space*)](https://www.socialsciencespace.com/2013/07/is-your-team-using-its-biggest-resource/)
- [How to make people feel valued on projects (*PM Today*)](https://www.pmtoday.co.uk/how-to-make-people-feel-valued-on-projects/)

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---
title: Welcome Beginners
description: For our privacy rights movement to grow, we must bring more people in. To accomplish this, it's fundamental to make our communities welcoming to newcomers.
icon: fontawesome/solid/user-plus
cover: activism/banner-toolbox-tip-beginners.webp
---
For our privacy rights movement to grow, we must **bring more people in**. To accomplish this, it's fundamental to discuss privacy in ways that are accessible to newcomers who aren't familiar with the basic concepts yet.
Here's how you can improve your advocacy work to make it more approachable to beginners:
## We cannot grow our movement without newcomers
Beginners and newcomers are *indispensable* to our privacy rights movement. Without them, we cannot grow. And without growth, we cannot win.
To attract new people to our communities and our cause, we need to create an environment that is welcoming, safe, and pleasant to be in. When newcomers face rudeness and criticism, they leave. And when they leave, we lose.
Kindness, patience, and compassion are the first steps to attract and retain newcomers. Then, knowledge accessibility is vital. There are many things you can do in your daily advocacy to help with this.
## What to keep in mind to make beginners feel welcomed
<style>
.emoji-list-a ul {
list-style: emoji-list-a;
}
@counter-style emoji-list-a {
system: fixed;
symbols: "🔤" "📟" "1️⃣" "🙋" "🆗" "📚";
suffix: " ";
</style>
<div class="emoji-list-a" markdown>
- **Beware of acronyms:** Do not assume that everyone knows the acronyms you use in your material, even the most common such as VPN (Virtual Private Network). Always make sure to write the whole expression at least once before carrying on with the acronym's letters only.
- **Explain technologies:** As for acronyms, don't assume that everyone has the same knowledge as you when it comes to technology, even the technologies that seem basic to you. Perhaps you have been in tech for so long that you have forgotten not everyone knows what an Operating System (OS) is. Nevertheless, make sure to provide a short explanation or example to keep your content welcoming to beginners. If you talk about Operating Systems, perhaps also add "such as macOS, Windows, or Linux" to add context that could make your point more accessible.
- **Start with the basics:** Depending on the context, do not neglect to discuss the most basic privacy concepts before jumping in the juicy tech. Fundamental ideas such as consent, data collection, data storage, or encryption are important to master in order to understand the benefits and dangers related to data privacy. Specific tech and services come and go, but *fundamental* ideas remain. Anyone who comprehends these core concepts will have a much easier time understanding all that follows.
- **No stupid questions:** There are no stupid questions, only impatient answerers. Whenever a beginner asks a question that seems obvious to you, refrain from replying with something dry or snarky such as "Google it," or its privacy-equivalent "DuckDuckGo it." This only has the effect of chasing people away from our community. If you don't feel like helping, just reply nothing. But if you do want to help, try to find an answer for them. If you are in a rush, something like "Hey! Sorry I don't have the answer, but maybe this [resource](../../basics/why-privacy-matters.md) might be helpful to you!" or "Sorry I'm not sure, but perhaps asking on this [forum](https://discuss.privacyguides.net/) might get you an answer."
- **Stay patient and compassionate:** Always stay patient with beginners and newcomers (and everyone else, actually). To keep people fighting with us and grow our movement, we cannot afford to lose anyone just because we felt angry that day. Develop your [empathy skills](tip-support-your-privacy-comrades.md) to provide support and reply with compassion. People stay where they feel safe and welcomed. ==Make them feel safe and welcomed.==
- **Do not confound lack of knowledge with lack of intelligence:** Everyone has a different set of knowledge. Lack of knowledge doesn't mean someone isn't intelligent, it just means they haven't come in contact with this area of knowledge yet. They probably know a lot of things you don't know at all. Be careful not to sound patronizing when communicating with newcomers (or anyone else really). This is a behavior sadly too common in the privacy community, and we all need to work on this to create an environment that is more welcoming and enjoyable for everyone.
</div>
## More resources
- [Building a community for beginners (*Jennifer Konikowski*)](https://www.jenniferkonikowski.com/blog/2017/2/10/building-a-community-for-beginners)
- [Creating a welcoming space for beginners (*Raquel Moss*)](https://www.raquelmoss.com/creating-a-welcoming-space-for-beginners/)
- [Bring kindness back to open source (*Scott Hanselman*)](https://www.hanselman.com/blog/bring-kindness-back-to-open-source)

12
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@@ -168,7 +168,7 @@ Our forum is built on Discourse, which uses the following cookies:
| _bypass_cache | Yes | Session | allows the server-side cache to be bypassed during login flows |
| _t | Yes | 1440 Hours | remembers who you are when you log in |
| _forum_session | Yes | Session | associates an ID, and other security-related information, with your browsing session |
| dosp | Yes | Next Page View | enables client denial of service protection, a security protection |
| dosp | Yes | Next Page View | enables client denial-of-service protection, a security protection |
| text_size | Yes | 1 year | remembers default text size when a user wants to change it on only one device |
| cookietest | Yes | Session | checks if cookies are enabled when authentication fails |
| __profilin | No | Session | used by software developers to bypass rack-mini-profiler |
@@ -235,9 +235,9 @@ The lawful basis for our processing determines what rights are available to you
| [Account data](#privacy-guides-collects-account-data) | Email Address, IP Address | **Legitimate interest** | Required to defend our website against spam and abuse |
| [Account data](#privacy-guides-collects-account-data) | Email Address, Username, Password | **Contract** | Required to make our services available to you according to our terms of service |
| [Account data](#privacy-guides-collects-account-data) | Optional profile information (name, location, etc.) | **Consent** | Required to publish the information you provide to your public or internal profile, according to your preferences |
| [Posts & activity](#privacy-guides-collects-data-about-posts-and-other-activity-on-our-forum) | Content of your posts, activity data like bookmarks, likes, and links you follow | **Contract** | Required to make our services available to you according to our terms of service |
| [Posts & activity](#privacy-guides-collects-data-about-posts-and-other-activity-on-our-forum) | Content of your private messages | **Contract** | Required to make our services available to you according to our terms of service |
| [Posts & activity](#privacy-guides-collects-data-about-posts-and-other-activity-on-our-forum) | Email Address | **Contract** | Our forum is an email-based platform, and email notifications about forum activity are an integral component required to make our services available to you according to our terms of service |
| [Posts & activity](#privacy-guides-collects-data-about-posts-and-other-activity) | Content of your posts, activity data like bookmarks, likes, and links you follow | **Contract** | Required to make our services available to you according to our terms of service |
| [Posts & activity](#privacy-guides-collects-data-about-posts-and-other-activity) | Content of your private messages | **Contract** | Required to make our services available to you according to our terms of service |
| [Posts & activity](#privacy-guides-collects-data-about-posts-and-other-activity) | Email Address | **Contract** | Our forum is an email-based platform, and email notifications about forum activity are an integral component required to make our services available to you according to our terms of service |
| [Mailing lists](#privacy-guides-collects-data-you-give-to-sign-up-for-mailing-lists-and-announcements) | Email Address | **Consent** | Required for sending you messages you subscribe to |
| [Open source contributions](#privacy-guides-collects-data-about-open-source-contributors) | Email address, name, GitHub profile information, other information provided via Git | **Legitimate interest** | We have a legitimate interest in tracking the provenance of contributions to our open source projects to prevent abuse and ensure intellectual property rights are respected |
| [Donations](#privacy-guides-collects-data-when-you-donate-to-us) | Payment information including billing address and email, GitHub profile information | **Legitimate interest** | We have a legitimate interest in processing this data to prevent payment abuse and fraud, and for facilitating your transaction |
@@ -304,7 +304,7 @@ These decisions are later reviewed by moderators, who can override these decisio
Privacy Guides shares account data with others as described in [the section about account data](#privacy-guides-collects-account-data).
Privacy Guides shares data about your posts and other activity as described in [the section about forum data](#privacy-guides-collects-data-about-posts-and-other-activity-on-our-forum).
Privacy Guides shares data about your posts and other activity as described in [the section about forum data](#privacy-guides-collects-data-about-posts-and-other-activity).
### Subprocessors used by Privacy Guides
@@ -332,7 +332,7 @@ You can always request the deletion of your data at any time regardless of this
## How can I contact Privacy Guides about privacy?
You can send questions, requests, and complaints via email to us at <team@privacyguides.org>. You may also use Signal or another contact method detailed [here](about.md#contact-us) to contact us more securely.
You can send questions, requests, and complaints via email to us at <team@privacyguides.org>. You may also use Signal or another [contact method](about.md#contact-us) to contact us more securely.
For complaints under GDPR more generally, you always have the option to lodge complaints with your local data protection supervisory authorities.

2
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@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@
*[DoQ]: DNS over QUIC
*[DoH3]: DNS over HTTP/3
*[DoT]: DNS over TLS
*[DPA]: Data Protection Authority
*[DPI]: Deep Packet Inspection identifies and blocks packet with specific payloads
*[E2EE]: End-to-End Encryption/Encrypted
*[ECS]: EDNS Client Subnet
@@ -60,6 +61,7 @@
*[NAT]: Network address translation
*[NAT-PMP]: NAT Port Mapping Protocol
*[NTP]: Network Time Protocol
*[Nunavut]: The largest and northernmost territory of Canada
*[OCI]: Open Container Initiative
*[OCSP]: Online Certificate Status Protocol
*[OEM]: Original Equipment Manufacturer

1
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@@ -118,7 +118,6 @@ theme:
- navigation.path
- navigation.indexes
- navigation.footer
- content.action.edit
- content.tabs.link
- content.tooltips
- search.highlight

1
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@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ markdown_extensions:
- tools.md
- about.md
- about/*
- activism/*
targets:
exclude:
- about/contributors.md

44
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@@ -284,10 +284,9 @@ theme:
- navigation.tracking
- navigation.tabs
- navigation.sections
- navigation.expand
- navigation.path
- navigation.indexes
- content.action.edit
- navigation.footer
- content.tabs.link
- content.tooltips
- search.highlight
@@ -366,6 +365,9 @@ markdown_extensions:
pymdownx.emoji:
emoji_index: !!python/name:material.extensions.emoji.twemoji
emoji_generator: !!python/name:material.extensions.emoji.to_svg
options:
custom_icons:
- theme/icons
tables: {}
footnotes: {}
toc:
@@ -458,6 +460,44 @@ nav:
- !ENV [NAV_ADVANCED, "Advanced"]:
- "alternative-networks.md"
- "device-integrity.md"
- !ENV [NAV_ACTIVISM, "Activism"]:
- "activism/index.md"
- !ENV [NAV_ACTIVISM_TOOLBOX, "Activist Toolbox"]:
- "activism/toolbox/index.md"
- "Check Your Laws":
- "activism/toolbox/tip-know-your-privacy-laws.md"
- "activism/toolbox/tip-report-privacy-violations.md"
- "Choose Your Tools":
- "activism/toolbox/tip-beware-of-privacy-snake-oil.md"
- "activism/toolbox/tip-migrate-outside-the-surveillance-ecosystem.md"
- "activism/toolbox/tip-improve-your-social-media-and-build-resilient-communities.md"
- "Expand Your Perspective":
- "activism/toolbox/tip-dont-stop-at-individual-solutions.md"
- "activism/toolbox/tip-keep-in-mind-the-whole-landscape.md"
- "activism/toolbox/tip-consider-everyones-unique-situation.md"
- "Support The Community":
- "activism/toolbox/tip-lift-your-allies-up.md"
- "activism/toolbox/tip-support-your-privacy-comrades.md"
- "activism/toolbox/tip-be-kind-to-people-but-be-relentless-with-institutions.md"
- "Build Alliances":
- "activism/toolbox/tip-start-alliances-not-wars.md"
- "activism/toolbox/tip-value-allies-with-complementary-expertise.md"
- "activism/toolbox/tip-give-credit-where-credit-is-due.md"
- "Make It Accessible":
- "activism/toolbox/tip-welcome-beginners.md"
- "activism/toolbox/tip-keep-your-posts-and-community-inclusive.md"
- "activism/toolbox/tip-be-mindful-of-accessibility.md"
- "activism/toolbox/tip-make-it-cute.md"
- "Uphold Integrity":
- "activism/toolbox/tip-refuse-to-participate.md"
- "activism/toolbox/tip-stay-true-to-your-principles.md"
- "activism/toolbox/tip-protect-your-allies.md"
- "Stay Persistent":
- "activism/toolbox/tip-small-actions-matter.md"
- "activism/toolbox/tip-take-time-to-rest.md"
- "Take Action!":
- "activism/toolbox/tip-engage-boosts-and-contribute.md"
- "activism/toolbox/tip-level-up-assemble-and-organize.md"
- !ENV [NAV_BLOG, "Articles"]: !ENV [ARTICLES_SITE_BASE_URL, "/articles/"]
- !ENV [NAV_VIDEOS, "Videos"]: !ENV [VIDEOS_SITE_BASE_URL, "/videos/"]
- !ENV [NAV_NEWS, "News"]: !ENV [NEWS_SITE_BASE_URL, "/news/"]

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<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" standalone="no"?>
<svg height="682.68799" viewBox="2799 -911 512 682.688" width="512" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><script xmlns=""/><g stroke-width="32"><path d="m2799-911v341.344l256-170.656" fill="#211f20"/><path d="m2799-569.656v341.344l256-170.656" fill="#737373"/><path d="m3055-740.344v341.344l256-170.656" fill="#f1680d"/></g></svg>
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@@ -610,3 +610,224 @@ path[d="M20.71 7.04c.39-.39.39-1.04 0-1.41l-2.34-2.34c-.37-.39-1.02-.39-1.41 0l-
#ghost-portal-root, #ghost-comments-root {
color-scheme: light;
}
/*********** Activism Section ***********/
/* Toolbox Color Variables */
:root {
--color-toolbox: #21bddc;
--color-toolbox-legal: #15678a;
--color-toolbox-tools: #457759;
--color-toolbox-perspective: #5c7e40;
--color-toolbox-community: #717924;
--color-toolbox-alliances: #847306;
--color-toolbox-accessibility: #926d07;
--color-toolbox-integrity: #ad5c14;
--color-toolbox-persistence: #ba4d13;
--color-toolbox-action: #a83410;
}
/* Toolbox Button Style*/
.toolbox-button-grid {
display: grid;
grid-template-columns: repeat(auto-fit, minmax(0, min(100%/0, max(150px, 100%/4))));
grid-gap: 1em 5em;
}
.toolbox-button-grid .toolbox-button {
display: flex;
flex-direction: column;
text-align: center;
align-items: center;
font-size: 0.8rem;
font-weight: bold;
line-height: 1;
height: 11em;
width: 11em;
color: white;
padding: 5px;
border: 2px solid var(--pg-light-border);
border-radius: 12px;
cursor: pointer;
}
.md-typeset .toolbox-button-grid .toolbox-button:hover, .md-typeset .toolbox-button-grid .toolbox-button:focus {
position: relative;
transform: scale(1.08);
/* box-shadow: 5px 10px 10px 5px rgba(0,0,0,0.3); */
color: white;
}
.toolbox-button-grid .toolbox-button-icon {
height: 7em;
display: inline-flex;
padding: 1.1em;
overflow: visible;
}
.toolbox-button-grid .toolbox-button-icon svg {
width: 5em;
overflow: visible;
}
/* Toolbox Button Colors*/
.toolbox-bg {
background-color: var(--color-toolbox);
color: #2d2d2d !important;
}
.toolbox-bg-legal {
background-color: var(--color-toolbox-legal);
}
.toolbox-bg-tools {
background-color: var(--color-toolbox-tools);
}
.toolbox-bg-perspective {
background-color: var(--color-toolbox-perspective);
}
.toolbox-bg-community {
background-color: var(--color-toolbox-community);
}
.toolbox-bg-alliances {
background-color: var(--color-toolbox-alliances);
}
.toolbox-bg-accessibility {
background-color: var(--color-toolbox-accessibility);
}
.toolbox-bg-integrity {
background-color: var(--color-toolbox-integrity);
}
.toolbox-bg-persistence {
background-color: var(--color-toolbox-persistence);
}
.toolbox-bg-action {
background-color: var(--color-toolbox-action);
}
/* Toolbox Tip Card Style */
.toolbox-tip-card {
padding-top: 0;
padding-left: 1.5rem;
padding-right: 1.5rem;
margin-bottom: 2rem;
color: var(--md-typeset-color);
background-color: var(--md-primary-fg-color);
border: 5px solid var(--pg-light-border);
border-radius: 15px;
}
.toolbox-tip-icon {
float: left;
height: 120px;
width: 120px;
margin-right: 20px;
}
.toolbox-tip-card:hover {
position: relative;
transform: scale(1.01);
box-shadow: 0 10px 20px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5);
}
.toolbox-tip-card a, .toolbox-tip-card a:hover {
color: var(--md-typeset-color);
}
/* Toolbox Tip Card Colors */
.toolbox-border-legal {
border-color: var(--color-toolbox-legal);
}
.toolbox-border-tools {
border-color: var(--color-toolbox-tools);
}
.toolbox-border-perspective {
border-color: var(--color-toolbox-perspective);
}
.toolbox-border-community {
border-color: var(--color-toolbox-community);
}
.toolbox-border-alliances {
border-color: var(--color-toolbox-alliances);
}
.toolbox-border-accessibility {
border-color: var(--color-toolbox-accessibility);
}
.toolbox-border-integrity {
border-color: var(--color-toolbox-integrity);
}
.toolbox-border-persistence {
border-color: var(--color-toolbox-persistence);
}
.toolbox-border-action {
border-color: var(--color-toolbox-action);
}
/* Toolbox Button Top Style */
.toolbox-button-top {
font-size: 0.7rem;
float: right;
}
.toolbox-button-top a, .toolbox-button-top a:visited {
color: var(--md-default-fg-color--light);
}
/* Toolbox Tip Button Next */
.toolbox-tip-button-next {
float: right;
margin-top: 20px;
margin-bottom: 40px;
}
/* Toolbox Tip Quote Box */
.toolbox-quote {
margin-top: 15px !important;
font-family: bagnard !important;
font-size: 1em !important;
font-weight: 400 !important;
background: #9e9e9e1a !important;
}
.toolbox-quote .admonition-title {
background-color: transparent !important;
}
.toolbox-quote-source {
font-family: var(--md-text-font-family) !important;
text-align: right;
font-size: 0.7em !important;
font-weight: 400 !important;
}
.toolbox-quote.quote>.admonition-title.toolbox-quote::before {
transform: rotate(180deg);
}
.toolbox-quote .admonition-title.toolbox-quote::after {
background-color: #9e9e9e;
mask-image: var(--md-admonition-icon--quote);
content: "";
height: 1rem;
mask-position: center;
mask-repeat: no-repeat;
mask-size: contain;
position: absolute;
bottom: .75em;
width: 2rem;
}