this post was submitted on 27 Apr 2025
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Privacy

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I created an infographic of privacy-forward alternatives to Google products...and would love your feedback.

Is it easy to use? Enough white space? Intuitive? Sharable? Is there anything I'm missing?

The infographic image in this post is NOT clickable. The link above will give you a downloadable PDF with working hyperlinks.

Re: the legend, "easy set-up/use" means either that this is a big part of the alternative product's branding, or I've used it myself and found it easy.

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[–] sic_semper_tyrannis@lemmy.today 16 points 2 months ago (1 children)

Not listing Organic Maps is a travesty. Possibly mention Immich, though I see you're going more for SaaS and not really self hosted

[–] Corduroy_Pillows_Making_Headlines@hexbear.net 6 points 2 months ago (1 children)

Yes, this is definitely more for beginners (like myself. :) I will check out Organic Maps and maybe add them in, thanks!

[–] sic_semper_tyrannis@lemmy.today 4 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago) (3 children)

If you try Organic Maps yourself, try using Sherpa Onnx TTS with it. It's a great open source match and really makes the experience of navigation top tier

https://k2-fsa.github.io/sherpa/onnx/tts/apk-engine.html

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[–] Charger8232@lemmy.ml 15 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago) (3 children)

Organic Maps and OpenStreetMap should be listed as map alternatives. Mullvad Leta is a recently popular private search engine.

Google isn't inherently bad; they are bad for privacy but good for security. For that reason, Chromium-based browsers such as Vanadium, Trivalent, or Brave Browser are still good alternatives to Google Chrome even though Chromium (which is the open source base for Chromium-based browsers) is developed by Google.

Also: the "T" in PeerTube should be capitalized.

[–] Corduroy_Pillows_Making_Headlines@hexbear.net 3 points 2 months ago (1 children)

Thank you, thank you, thank you! If there was one browser from my list you'd replace with Vanadium, which would it be?

[–] Charger8232@lemmy.ml 6 points 2 months ago (1 children)

Epic, only because I've never heard of it so it probably isn't recommended often. I should note that Vanadium is only available on Android and is very difficult to install if you don't use GrapheneOS. Trivalent is only available for a small subset of Linux distros (and comes preinstalled on secureblue). Brave Browser is cross-platform and recommended by GrapheneOS as an alternative to Vanadium if you want specific features Vanadium lacks.

Thanks! Oh yes, I knew that...I use GrapheneOS myself. I'll check these others out.

[–] ryannathans@aussie.zone 1 points 2 months ago (1 children)

What kind of security is google good for?

[–] Charger8232@lemmy.ml 2 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago)

Chromium, as I mentioned, as well as the Android Open Source Project used as the base for GrapheneOS. Their hardware is also very secure, which is why it is used by GrapheneOS. Google Play Store is also one of the most secure app stores for Android, but one of the least private. This is where Google becomes a double edged sword.

[–] ProletarianDictator@hexbear.net 9 points 2 months ago (1 children)

Open source licensing, offline-only usability, and self-hostable are the only important criteria to me, and they are not listed here.

Yes, I'd say this is for beginners—say, my mom—who are heavily in the Google ecosystem and don't know how to get out. Maybe I should change the focus away from privacy, since Google has many other issues besides privacy that made me leave.

[–] MonkderVierte@lemmy.ml 7 points 2 months ago (1 children)
[–] SaltyIceteaMaker@lemmy.ml 6 points 2 months ago

nah With all respect, as a proton user, proton docs sucks ass. but that may change in the future

[–] DieserTypMatthias@lemmy.ml 2 points 2 months ago (4 children)

Isn't Grayjay a frontend for YouTube?

[–] Psyhackological@lemmy.ml 1 points 2 months ago

It is. Same as NewPipe but they are using different extraction methods I think.

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[–] elver@feddit.uk 2 points 2 months ago

It's contacts syncing that I'm stuck on. Hoping to do something with a box running OMV but I've never come across anything so simple as Google Contacts 😔

[–] beachsquid@lemm.ee 1 points 2 months ago (1 children)

Any alternatives for Google Tasks?

Ooh, good question! It looks like Nextcloud has a tasks app. I can't fit every product on the infographic, but may add this to the links website page.

[–] hexagonwin@lemmy.sdf.org 1 points 2 months ago (1 children)

would you mind if i translate this to my language and use it as a poster?

[–] Corduroy_Pillows_Making_Headlines@hexbear.net 2 points 2 months ago (2 children)

What's your language? Would the products.links still make sense to readers of this new version?

In any case, it's fine with me as long as you're not making. monetary profit from the poster. Also, will you please share a copy I can add to my website?

Also, I made a poster of a similar infographic I created several years ago when I owned a content studio...I forgot all about that and think I may do it for the English version as well! I can sell it at cost. A friend also suggested I turn it into a mouse pad.

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[–] cj2127@lemm.ee 1 points 2 months ago (1 children)

Great list so far! I'd also like to recommend KSuite. They have email services and KDrive for storage.

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[–] blindbunny@lemmy.ml 1 points 2 months ago (3 children)

Y'all should probably stop mentioning proton

[–] Dreaming_Novaling@lemmy.zip 2 points 2 months ago (4 children)

As someone who wants to drop Proton VPN and has stopped using their mail in favor of mailbox.org, I think we should still mention them, just with an asterisk. People deserve to make their own choice about if they wish to support him or not. At least it's non-profit now.

I really wanna stop using the VPN and go to Mullvad (since they've proved they have no logs), but they don't offer port forwarding anymore, and the only other option is AirVPN, which had a server seizure in 2015 that they didn't want to disclose until like 2023... (gag order?)

I don't torrent often, but I do occasionally...

[–] HappyTimeHarry@lemm.ee 5 points 2 months ago

If you dont torrent often you probably arent really needing port forwarding. I use mullvad and i torrent things all the time with zero issues.

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I know there has been some political controversy around them lately, and that for email Tuta is recommended over Proton Mail—I do mention both of these facts in DISENGAGE: Opting Out—and Finding New Options—to Reclaim Your Life from Spammers, Scammers, Intrusive Marketers and Big Tech, which I'm trying to promote through the infographic. But overall I've been happy with Proton's suite of products as compared to the relevant Google products.

[–] mooncake@lemm.ee 1 points 2 months ago (1 children)
[–] Scrollone@feddit.it 1 points 2 months ago (3 children)

The owner of Proton is publicly a Trump supporter. Never trust a company that publicly supports Trump (e.g. Proton, StickerMule, etc.)

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[–] shortwavesurfer@lemmy.zip 1 points 2 months ago (1 children)
[–] catloaf@lemm.ee 1 points 2 months ago (1 children)

Why could this not just be a webpage with links instead of an image or PDF

Because I like infographics. :) I'll be putting it on my website.

[–] Twitches@lemm.ee 1 points 2 months ago
[–] Kage@discuss.tchncs.de 1 points 2 months ago (1 children)

I see Ground News recommended all the time but for some reason i cannot trust it, idk why

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