Extreme Privacy: What it Takes to Disappear by Michael Bazzell

hmmm

Recently ‘read’ this book about how to be extremely private online and offline. I didn’t know what to expect when reading this book. At first I thought it was a book about stories of anonymous people and how they disappeared from extremely popular public life based on the preface but this book was more of a manual for how to become extremely private.

It starts off with in depth instructions on how to make your computer, digital devices and home network private. This was pretty interesting and there were instructions for software for all types of devices: MacOS, iOS, Windows, Android, Linux etc etc.

For example, it talks in depth about all the types of information Apple and Microsoft collect when you use their software/hardware like your location, search history, programs downloaded, IP address history, typed text etc. and how to make sure your device is truly private.

He then focuses on mobile devices and has the classic Android vs iOS debate. He concludes that iOS is much better than Android for security and privacy even though it also collects a lot of your data.

His list of most private and secure to least for mobile device is as followed.

1. GrapheneOS

2. Custom Un-Googled Device

3. Custom AOSP Device

4. Manual Un-Googled Device

5. Apple iOS Device

He then goes on about how to get a completely private phone number, setting up a virtual private network that is truly private, encrypted email address systems, extreme password management, secure messaging apps and more.

This was the extent to which I read the book, mainly reading about the digital privacy steps. The next part of the book was about the legal structures involved in changing address, vehicles, housing, real estate purchases, payments for utilities, services, employments, pets, death considerations, physical security and more. I wasn’t really interested in these chapters because it didn’t concern my needs and these were mainly US centric as well.

The last few chapters of the book were more interesting. It showcases examples of the author’s clients and how they managed to become more private from various situations like an angry mob after a police shooting to an abusive ex-boyfriend who installed malware on all devices to make death threats.

Overall, would recommend if you find reading and installing privacy tools and software fun or if you are super paranoid about security and staying private in all areas of life. After years of reading every article and every youtube video about iOS, Mac and Windows privacy settings and steps, I feel like I just read ‘the bible’ of privacy steps.