Your Data Is Not Free#
Every time you open a browser, send a text, or search for something online, you leave a trail. Who reads that trail? What do they do with it?
Most of us have never been told. We were handed phones and accounts and apps without a manual. This guide series is that manual — written for neighbors, elders, young people, and anyone who wants to take back a little control over their digital life.
You do not need to be a tech person. You just need to care about yourself and your community.
Why Privacy Matters Here#
Privacy is not just about hiding things. It is about power — specifically, who has it over you.
When a corporation collects your location, your searches, your messages, and your browsing habits, they build a detailed profile of who you are. That profile gets sold to advertisers, shared with law enforcement, and used to predict and influence your behavior. This is not paranoia — it is their publicly documented business model.
For communities in the Klamath bioregion, the stakes are especially real:
- Elder residents are disproportionately targeted by phone and online scams, many of which use personal data purchased from data brokers to seem legitimate
- Tribal members and activists have documented histories of government and corporate surveillance targeting Indigenous-led movements
- Rural households often rely on limited internet providers with little competition — and those providers legally sell your browsing history
- Everyone faces the everyday harm of being profiled, manipulated, and exploited by systems built to extract value from their attention and data
Taking digital privacy seriously is an act of community self-defense.
What This Guide Series Covers#
The Privacy 101 series walks you through the most impactful, practical changes you can make to protect your digital life — starting with the basics and building from there. Each guide is short and actionable.
| Guide | Topic |
|---|---|
| 1.01 | This intro — why privacy matters |
| 1.02 Internet Browser | Switch to a browser that doesn’t track you |
| 1.03 Search Engine | Stop searching in front of a surveillance camera |
| 1.04 Password Manager | Stop reusing passwords before you get hacked |
| 1.05 Email | What Google and Microsoft do with your email |
| 1.06 Messaging | Encrypted messaging that actually works |
After completing Privacy 101, check out our Advanced Privacy guide for the next level — VPNs, Tor, secure operating systems, and threat modeling.
A Few Things to Keep in Mind#
You don’t have to do everything at once. Privacy is a practice, not a destination. Even one change — switching your browser, setting up a password manager — meaningfully improves your situation. Pick what feels manageable and start there.
Perfect is the enemy of good. You will never be completely private online. That’s okay. The goal is to make yourself a much harder target than you are now, and to stop being a passive product of surveillance systems you never agreed to.
This is not about fear — it’s about agency. We believe technology should serve people, not exploit them. These guides are about taking back a little control, building your own knowledge, and helping the people around you do the same.
Ready to start? Head to the next guide:
1.02 Internet Browser →
Questions? Reach us at contact@klamathtech.diy or subscribe to our mailing list: