Stop Uploading Your Data to Google
a year ago
- #Data Privacy
- #Self-hosting
- YouTube deactivated DJ Slopes' channel, possibly due to an uploaded file triggering automatic deletion.
- Similar incidents occurred in the past, like a man losing his account after sending child photos to a doctor.
- The author realized the risk of losing access to their Google account, which stored decades of data.
- Established personal rules: avoid uploading data to Google, self-host when possible, use encrypted services, and separate services.
- Recommended alternatives: Proton Mail or Tuta for email, Filen or self-hosting for cloud storage, 1Password or self-hosted Bitwarden for passwords, Kagi or SearXNG for search, and Baikal for calendars.
- Self-hosting is simpler than it seems, requiring just an old PC, Docker, and Tailscale.
- Self-hosting shifts data backup responsibility to the user but offers more control.
- Google's treatment of users is criticized, not the users themselves for relying on its services.