Profile: privacy conscious
This is the base profile for people who want a stronger privacy posture. You want to rely less on Google and Big Tech without jumping straight to extreme OpSec.
Profile: privacy conscious
Who this guide is for
This is the base profile for people who consciously want to rely less on Google, Meta, and other data-hungry ecosystems without moving straight into journalist or high-risk operational security.
You’re not an activist. You haven’t done anything illegal. But you’re done with how Google tracks every search, every click, every location and every YouTube video. You want control over your own data — not because you have to, but because it’s the logical choice.
This profile is for anyone who consciously chooses to become less dependent on Google, Meta and other data-hungry tech companies.
Use this as your base profile if you want to go further than the normal baseline without moving into journalist or high-risk territory.
You do not need to replace your phone, email and cloud in one weekend to do that well. This profile works best when you move in layers and only take on friction that you can actually sustain.
When this is overkill
If your real concern is still just basic account security and breach hygiene, you may get more value from the normal-user profile first. This profile matters once reducing Big Tech dependence itself has become part of your goal, not just a side effect.
What are your real threats?
Mass data profiling by Big Tech Google and Meta build a detailed profile of your habits, political preferences, health interests, relationships and finances over years. This profile is sold to advertisers, shared with governments on legal requests, and can be leaked in a data breach.
App tracking and unnecessary permissions Most free apps make their money from your data. They request access to location, contacts and camera — and share that information with dozens of ad networks.
Google Play Services as a central data pipe On a standard Android device, Google Play Services runs in the background with full system access. It tracks your location, reads app activity and syncs everything to Google servers — even when you haven’t consciously set this up.
Lock-in via free services Gmail, Google Drive, Google Photos — they’re convenient but create dependency. Your data is locked in a system you don’t control.
What you DON’T need to do
At this threat level you don’t need Tor, Tails or Qubes. You’re not the target of directed surveillance. The threats are mass and commercial — well contained with the right tools and habits.
That also means you should not treat GrapheneOS, SimpleX or other heavier tools as the automatic first step. They may become logical later, but they are not the default start here.
What you gain, and what it costs
If you follow this profile, you usually gain:
- less dependence on Google and Meta
- less background tracking through standard apps and platform services
- more control over communication, storage and app choice
- a more realistic path toward a privacy-friendlier phone
But it also costs something:
- some replacements are less polished than default apps
- moving to different services takes time and adjustment
- GrapheneOS and similar steps require more upkeep than ordinary baseline measures
For this profile, that is usually a reasonable tradeoff. If you accept very little extra friction, the normal baseline is often the better start.
Approach: de-Googling in layers
You don’t have to do everything at once. Start with the layer that gives the most benefit.
Layer 1: Browser and search (15 minutes)
Every search query in Google adds to your profile. This is the fastest way to stop that.
- Choose your browser by profile and for daily use usually start with Firefox or Brave
- Install uBlock Origin if you use Firefox
- Set DuckDuckGo, Startpage or Brave Search as your default search engine
After this step your existing search history doesn’t disappear retroactively, but new searches stop accumulating immediately.
Layer 2: Communication
- Signal as your primary messenger (including groups)
- ProtonMail or Tutanota for email — or your own domain via Migadu
- Result: messages and email outside Google/Meta
Gmail no longer uses email content for ad targeting, but Google still has full access to your data. Start new accounts with ProtonMail and migrate gradually.
Layer 3: Maps and cloud
- Improve your current phone first with Android privacy without a custom ROM or iPhone privacy settings
- Add privacy-friendly DNS as a low-friction network step
- Maps: Replacing Google Maps — use Organic Maps (offline, OpenStreetMap) or OsmAnd
- Cloud: Proton Drive, Nextcloud, or local storage
- Result: location history and files no longer at Google
Layer 4: Phone (the big step)
- GrapheneOS on a Pixel device
- Sandboxed Google Play if you still need Google apps — isolated without system access
- F-Droid for open-source alternatives
- Result: Google Play Services no longer runs as root on your phone
Behaviour checklist
Do now
- Install Firefox + uBlock Origin
- Switch search engine to DuckDuckGo or Startpage
- Install Signal and use it as your primary messenger
- Check app permissions on your phone — revoke unnecessary location/contacts/microphone access
This week
- Read choosing secure email without overkill and then decide whether Proton Mail or another provider is worth the move
- Read replacing Google Maps and install Organic Maps or OsmAnd
- Delete apps you don’t actively use
Bigger step
- Look into GrapheneOS — see the GrapheneOS guides
- Identify which Google services you actually need and whether alternatives exist
Tools
| Google service | Alternative | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Google Search | DuckDuckGo / Startpage | Free |
| Chrome | Which browser should you choose? | Free |
| Gmail | Choosing secure email without overkill | Free / paid depending on route |
| Google Maps | Replacing Google Maps guide / Organic Maps review | Free |
| Google Drive | Backup implementation guide | Free / self-host |
| Signal setup guide | Free | |
| WhatsApp (without phone number) | SimpleX Chat / Threema | Free / €6 one-time |
| Google Play Store | F-Droid (open source apps) | Free |
| Android | GrapheneOS | Free (hardware needed) |
Hardware at this level
You do not need special hardware to get started. Hardware only becomes relevant once you are seriously considering GrapheneOS.
- improve your current phone first if you are not ready to switch
- only then move into the GrapheneOS guides and which phone to pick
Next step
Start here
- Android privacy without a custom ROM — if you want to improve things without switching phones
- Privacy DNS guide — low-friction network improvement
- Which browser should you choose? — pick the right daily browser for your level
- GrapheneOS guides — from picking a phone to fully configured
- App hardening guide — which apps to replace, which settings to change
- F-Droid: the open-source app store — alternatives to Google Play
Also relevant
- Security as a habit — building privacy into daily use
- SimpleX Chat guide — messaging without a phone number or account
- Threema guide — paid, Swiss, no phone number required
- Which network setup fits your profile? — VPN on router, DNS filtering
Reviews and further reading
If you have worked through all of the above: you are operating deliberately and with low dependence on Big Tech. The next step only makes sense if your situation demands it — journalism, source protection, work with sensitive data. See profile: journalist / activist or profile: IT professional. If that is not your situation, this is the right stopping point.