It is so difficult to find modern electronics without telemetry and ads. Smartphones, laptops, TVs, home routers, security cameras, cars, game consoles, e-readers, projectors, 3D printers, fitness trackers, speakers, and even some printers. Why can’t customers be free from this data collection and advertising? It’s not that we don’t care about it. There simply aren’t many alternatives, and the few that do exist are either more expensive or offer fewer features. Seriously, we need a list of products we can buy and use directly without worrying about telemetry or advertising.
Please note that this list may contain errors.
- PC: Anything Linux
- Laptop: Framework Laptop, System76, MNT, Purism Laptops, Starlabs Laptops, TUXEDO Computers, NovaCustom, Slimbook, Pinebook by PINE64
- Smartphone: Jolla Phone, Purism, NovaCustom Smartphones, Fairphone with /e/OS, PinePhone by PINE64
- Brax Phone and its Criticism
- Google Pixel + GrapheneOS might be a better option
- Fairphone OS collects information such as the IMEI, serial number, OS version, device model/brand, operator information, and network/cell information…
- Tablets: StarLite by Starlabs, PineTab by PINE64
- Smartwatch: Pinetime, Bangle.js, ZSWatch, Pebble
- GadgerBridge is a free and open source Android application that allows you to pair and manage various gadgets such as smart watches, bands, headphones, and more without the need for the vendor application.
- HealthyPi Move is not available yet
- Wireless headphones: Fairbuds, PineBuds by PINE64
- Alternatives: IEMs (wired in-ear monitors) + wireless dongle
- Kiwi Ears Cadenza, Truthear Gate/Hexa/Pure, Moondrop Chu 2, Fiio BTR11, Snowsky Retro Nano…
- Wireless Speakers: ?
- E-ink devices: PineNote by PINE64
- Open Book Touch is not available yet
- https://www.crowdsupply.com/e-paper
- Alternatives: CrossPoint Reader Devices require a manual CrossPoint install after purchase.
- TVs: All modern TVs upload your screen, sound out the speaker, information about other device in the same WiFi, conversation collected with built-in microphones and video recordings with built-in camera 24/7.
- Projectors: Same as TV
- Game Console: Anything Linux
- MiSTer FPGA is an open-source FPGA-based retro gaming platform, not a single commercial console. There’s no official finished console to buy.
- VR:
- Steam Frame has telemetry but there is no better option
- Routers: OPNsense
- Alternatives: GL.iNET collects minimal telemetry, and you can install OpenWrt on it.
- MikroTik routers does seem to collect telemetry
- SmartHome: PineVoice and PineCam by PINE64
- Alternatives: Home Assistant + Zigbee / Z-Wave Devices Without WiFi
- Security cameras: ?
- Reolink cameras collects telemetry but can be used locally.
- Printers: All modern printers put invisible tracking codes in printed pages, which can identify the exact printer and date and time of printing.
- Openprinter is not available yet.
- 3D printers: Prusa 3D Printer, Sovol
- Cars: All modern car uploads location, speed, information on every device you have connected to your car, your contacts, in-car conversations with built-in microphones and video recordings with built-in camera 24/7
- It’s Official: Cars Are the Worst Product Category We Have Ever Reviewed for Privacy by Mozilla
- Slate is not available yet
- Anything else that doesn’t come with ads or telemetry built in?
Other suggestions:
OC write up by @[email protected]
For e-ink devices I really like XTEINK X4 Classic (X4 V2) Pocket eReader
This anvil.
If an app is required, hit it with a hammer until an app is no longer required.
Cellular Service:
- Phreeli https://www.phreeli.com/
- Cape https://www.cape.co/
ARM-based hardware, perhaps? I use a RPi 5 as my desktop.
For e-readers, the Diptyx EReader looks promising. I haven’t gotten it yet but it’s gonna ve my Christmas present to myself
Maybe it would also be good to include software options into this?
Like browsers (librewolf, hardend firefox, etc.)
Browsers on mobile
Search engines (ddg, kagi, …)
email providers (proton, tuta, …)
Vpns (proton, ivpn, airvpn, …)
Messanger (signal, …)
Or things like FreeTube to reduce telemetry and ads from youtube
And alternatives such as lemmy for reddit, mastodon for twitter
It will bloat this post quite a bit, and they are more easily accessable to find, but it’s nice to gather all the materials needed in one place maybe?
Privacy tools and privacy guides already do this. Privacy hardware like this is something I haven’t seen before though
Security Cameras: Any camera with ONVIF support. Install Frigate on Linux and block the cameras’ mac address at the router. You could even go crazy and put the cameras on their own vlan. This is perfect security with even the dodgiest Chinese camera.
Projectors are not the same as TV. Most have barely functioning wifi, if at all. I don’t know any with a microphone and if they did they’d be unusable over the fan noise.
