Blocking Ads, Internet Privacy, and more

Here are multiple products/services you can use to improve your internet experience by blocking ads, increasing privacy, and fighting back against our corporate overlords.

Everyday our lives become more and more online. With big tech companies showing no interest in wanting to slow down climate change and the current political climate, it has become increasingly important to take control of your online activity, not be at the will of corporations, and stay private and secure online. It's really refreshing to be able to use your device how you want and to not be bombarded with ads or AI all the time.

Any service you use collects data about you to sell to advertisers. Both the services and advertisers are at risk of data breaches. For example, recently a big ad company called Gravy Analytics recently had a massive data breach that exposed millions of users (possibly including you). Gravy and companies like them already sell the information they gather about you to various sources, like location data to the US government including ICE (404 Media).

Ad Blocking

• Blocks ads, trackers, and security threats across any device while being faster than default settings. Works on websites and apps. Get rid of virtually all ads.
• It blocks connections to web addresses that have unwanted things, so it blocks ads on almost everything including games and websites.
• It doesn't work on platforms that get their ads andcontent from the same place, like social media or streaming. Browser Extensions and ReVanced pick up the slack.
• There is a monthly limit for free accounts, but I’ve never reached it. Available on anything with an internet connection.

• Ad blocker for browsers. Will block anything on a browser NextDNS doesn’t already.
• AdNauseam is the same as uBlock Origin except it also messes with the advertisers and has a gallery to visually show you everything you block. AdNauseam is recommended, but if you have a more pure heart than me maybe you'd rather use uBlock Origin.
• Note that "uBlock" and "uBlock Origin" are different extensions ran by different people. uBlock Origin is the superior and recommended version.
• With either, you can use Element Picker mode to block specific elements that bother you. I like to block any ads put on sites by the website owner (like the New York Times advertising their own subscriptions on their own website), useless and invasive AI features, videos that play in the corner whether you like it or not, and to block barriers that normally stop you from seeing content unless you pay or give your email.
• Google doesn't allow the full versions on Chrome. For full ad blocking functionality, see De-Googling and Rejecting Corporations: Browsers and Search Engines: Browser
• Both are free and open-source. Both are available on most browsers.

• Basically modded versions of various platforms like YouTube, Instagram, Spotify, or even Duolingo.
• The apps blocks ads and often give you premium features or useful settings.
• You need to download apks (app files) from the internet to mod them. ReVanced gives you a search you can do. If the app you download is in the apkm format, in order to use it you'll need to split it using AntiSplit M.
• Sometimes the apps may break. If that happens, just repatch it.
• Free and open-source. Only available on Android.

• Another option for system wide ad blocking, but NextDNS is preferable. If you run out of credits on NextDNS, you could use it.
• It pretty much does the same thing as NextDNS, but works as a VPN.
• Available on most mobile platforms, but only fully functional on Android.

• Third-party client for YouTube.
• Free and open-source. Only available on Android.

VPNs

• make you more secure and private online, but they don't make you untouchable
• change where services think you are in the world, thus giving you access the things from other countries you normally wouldn’t have access to
• can make services forget who you are or make them think you’re a new user
• unblock things that are blocked by the Wi-Fi network you’re on, since you’re accessing the internet through the VPN rather than through your Wi-Fi
• slow your internet speeds, depending on what VPN you’re using and where it is

There’s not much of a reason for most people to use a VPN 24/7, other than to be extra private and secure. Unless you pay for a VPN, I would only use one when you're using it for one of the above reasons.

This is a simplification. I’m not an expert on how VPNs function, take what I say with a grain of salt. For more informationsee Proton's "What is a VPN?"

I recommend Proton VPN. It's the industry standard, most recommended by experts, and very secure. It is owned by a nonprofit that is constantly making new alternatives to Google products. There are limits for free accounts, but it’s good for simple privacy and location changing. Open-source. Available on most mobile and PC platforms.

Additional Browser Extensions

These extensions are linked to and for Firefox, but they or similar versions can likely be found on other browsers. Some of these are pretty overkill, these are just the ones I use. Here is the Firefox collection for all the extensions. The most useful ones in my opinion will be bolded. All are free and open-source unless otherwise noted. All are on desktop and mobile unless otherwise noted.

Other Things

Blocking Cookies

They may sound tasty, but rejecting cookies is a really easy way to increase your internet privacy. Make it a habit that whenever you enter a new website you reject cookies rather than accepting them. The site will still work (sites typically don't let you reject essential cookies) and you won't be sending tracking and diagnostic info.

Kiwix

Kiwix is a service that allows you to download offline versions of many critical and crucial online resources like Wikipedia, Project Gutenberg, iFixit, MedlinePlus, Khan Academy, the Minecraft Wiki, and much more then access them using their readers. You can download all of Wikipedia for just over 100 gigabytes. If you have an extra storage drive laying around, why not make use out of it by backing up information in case of an internet outage? Open-source. Available on most mobile platforms, most PC platforms, most browsers, and from any browser.

Github and Gitlab

Github and Gitlab look scary at first if you aren't a techy person, but they aren't as threatening as it looks. If you ever come across something you really want to use that's only on one of them and you don't know how to use it, first check for any guides on the project itself. Most projects contain a README section that you can see by scrolling down on the main page. This README section normally contains instructions on how to use the program. If the README isn't there, check the files for a file labeled read me. If you still can't find it, look for the Releases section for any released versions of the program. Depending on the program, what you're looking for will often be there.

Syncthing

Syncthing is a service that essentially allows you to have files on more than one device in a specific file location by synchronizing them. This can be used to backup files, as a free alternative to cloud storage that allows you to keep your files on your own hardware, or to sync things you want to access from multiple devices that need to be in a specific file location, like game save data. Free and open-source. Available on most mobile and PC platforms.

RSS

RSS is a web feed that allows you to get a curated feed of things like news and updates. You can follow any given RSS feed using a reader. I used the open-source Folo (open-source, available on most mobile platforms, most PC platforms, and from any browser) to follow all the news services I enjoy and get notifications for a feed curated to me without needing to open a social media app or a designated app for each service.

• Many sites by appending "/feed", "/rss", or ".rss" to the end of the normal URL (for example, ".rrs" on Subreddits or with "/feed" on Substack)
• Convert any email newsletter using Kill the Newsletter!
• Set up RSS automation with Zapier
• Techlore
• Proton

Communication

Many popular ways of communicating online are extremely unsecure and not private, like standard texting, WhatsApp, or through Instagram. For secure and private communication, use Signal or a peer-to-peer service like Briar. Both are free and open-source. Signal is available on most mobile and PC platforms. Briar is available on Android.

Emulation

Emulators are systems that are capable of replicating the function of a device on another. Many exist for retro and modern video game consoles, allowing you to play console games on PC or mobile. Often emulators allow for a better and more accessible gaming experience when compared to the original consoles or other methods that corporations intend for you to utilize, like ports. Below are some emulators I recommend, all are free and open-source:

Nintendo Switch Emulation

Ryujinx was an emulator for Nintendo Switch on PC, before it was taken down after the team was contacted by Nintendo. Despite its' discontinuation and unfinished state, it is still capable of playing most Switch games better than an actual Switch can. Free and open-source. Available on most PC platforms.

1. Download the latest version of the emulator from here (for 64-bit Windows download "win-x64.zip").
2. Move the extracted folder somewhere you’d like to keep it
3. Get the prod.key file and the firmware update zip from your hacked Switch
4. Get the "Amiibo.json" file with your amiibos
5. Create folders for a place to store your games, updates, and DLCs somewhere you’d like to keep them.
6. Open Ryujinx.exe. It will open a command prompt window then the UI menu will open
7. In Ryujinx, navigate to File > Open Ryujinx Folder
8. Navigate to Ryujinx/System and place the prod.keys file there
9. Create a folder called "amiibo" at Ryujinx/system/amiibo and place the Amiibo.json file there
10. In Ryujinx, navigate to Tools > Install Firmware > Install a firmware from XCI or ZIP
11. Select the firmware zip file
12. In Ryujinx, navigate to Options > Settings > User Interface > Game Directories
13. Add your game directory there
14. Once your games are loaded, add the updates and DLC to each game that has them by right clicking the game > Manage Title Updates/Manage DLC and adding the update/DLC files from whereveryou stored them