We are living in a digital age. I know this is a cliché but is the truth. We are constantly surfing on the web, using mobile apps, sharing our personal data... But we are also sharing our privacy with big companies without even realizing. This is a cute way to say it but at the end we are giving so many details about us on digital platforms. As a developer, we have so many things to do. Writing the code, managing the requirements etc. But also being a developer means you have to somehow respect your users privacy. Of course this applies if you have any ethical concerns. This shouldn't be like this but today we are here. This doesn't mean we don't have any way to protect ourselves. In this article, I will share some ways to avoid this kind of situation.

Let's Start

Let's start with basics.

AdBlockers

As a MacBook user, or Apple user in general, I really like to use Safari. It is really fast, easy to use, seamless synchronization and so many other useful stuff. But it is not easy to find a good AdBlocker for MacOS or Safari.

I am using Wipr. It is a really good adblocker and it is really light weight. It is paid. Which is a good thing because if something is free, you should be afraid.

Pi-Hole

Pi-Hole is the best use for Raspberry Pi. If you have on and laying somewhere in the house (This is what we do when we see a new Raspberry Pi. Buy it. Never use it.) use it as a content and tracking blocker. It can act as a AdBlocker but with steroids.

You can check out the official Pi-Hole website for information and installation steps. Also don't forget to add unbound to Pi-Hole.

As a Developer

We can talk about privacy and effects on marketing for hours but at the end this an ethical topic and we and up nowhere. I will just show you few ways to be more privacy friendly and if you agree with me please use this tools.

Simple Analytics

Simple Analytics is a tool for analytics. I have recently encountered and fell in love with it because it is totally, %100, perfect way to use analytics and respect user privacy.

It is GDPR, CalOPPA, and every other privacy protecting law compliant, little bit pricey (if you live in anywhere outside of the Europe or USA) but perfect tool. You can use it without hesitation because if you use this tool, you don't have to add anything to your privacy policy.

Also this website is using Simple Analytics and I am really proud of it.