Hey all

A few years ago, when I started my journey into the realm of open source, decentralisation and privacy as an ignorant, naïve young internet user, I had already registered with numerous companies without giving it much thought. I randomly signed up for services using my google and microsoft email addresses, which I opened when I was very young.

I have been struggling with this naivety and carelessness for several years now. During this time I have gone through all the services I have ever registered for, requested my data everywhere, written dozens of emails, deleted my google account a year ago, then the amazon account, my apple account and yesterday now also the microsoft account, with the email I have used the longest and replaced everything with open source, privacy respecting services.

Now there’s only one big player missing, as you can imagine. Yes, Meta has me in its grip like no other company with its chat service WhatsApp. I myself would have been ready to finally ditch this increasingly bad service long ago unfortunately, those around me don’t see it the same way.

But I have now started my preparations:

• I have cleared out, structured and organised all my contacts.
• I have said goodbye to all long-dead groups.

And now comes the exciting part:
in the near future, I will write a message to my most important contacts explaining that WhatsApp, with all its clutter, has become a burden for me and that there are better, privacy-respecting alternatives. I will suggest Signal to them and explain that I will slowly withdraw from WhatsApp. I won’t be on the platform as often, but I’ll still be available for emergencies. And that they should take a look at this very familiar looking app. their data and I will thank them for it :)

In conclusion, I would like to say that I have realised that you can achieve anything, not radically, but in incremental steps. Especially when others are affected, you have to give them space and time to familiarise themselves with the alternatives without having to deviate from your own convictions. And if there is no other way and if they are also averse to this plan in the long term, new ways will be found. I have already lived without a mobile phone for more than half a year a few times and have also managed that.

What do you think? I’m interested in your opinion :)