i wouldn't follow "i have nothing to hide" with "you can search me". the realm of the world wide web is not my real life, as i have authority only over my being, naturally physical, mental, emotional, but not digital.

@VictoriaNotes yw thank you

Get a VPN matey ... good start anyway !!! ))

@jorj No, they didn't.

"The Obama for America organization accessed voters’ Facebook information when they logged on to the campaign web site via Facebook. Obama supporters were given a permission screen in which they could approve or deny the request, which clearly came from the Obama campaign."

Cambridge Analytica worked by using information without the knowledge of the people they were the information on.

[snopes.com]

@jorj you need to study further, pull up the CEO of (CA) Andrew Nix's own lecture, that is where I got my inf...Obama (no Hillary), did nothing like what they did with trump!

@Lauren CA, took the information gotten from Facebook, and developed a program, that put in motion a munipulation (beyond our awareness) of EACH person's personality...for THEIR (CA) own gain, then they sold that program, to trump organization!

@jorj you need to do more research...this is way above your grade level...it is almost above my own! But, I have put the time in to study this thing!

@jorj maybe if you focused on one issue at a time, you could understand more! This thread was about Internet privacy...not Obama, not Hillary...but our personal privacy! If you are going to dispute Cambridge Analytica, at least go to their Web site and get information from their CEO! That is where I found my information! It may not mean anything at all to you...but I am neither LEFT nor RIGHT, and it makes me feel angry, that you are attempting to challenge me on ideas...that don't even apply! Have I once labeled you? I could care less which side you are on, as long as you respect the inherent dignity of all people! I am not your enemy, stop trying to make me one...it does not become you! Ps...the CEO, himself said it wasn't the same, as to what they did with the trump campaign! Surely, you would believe the person who set the whole thing in motion! He is telling this in a large crowd of people!

@jorj if you studied what Cambridge Analytica, did with people's Facebook information...that helped get trump elected...you would understand why I brought trump into my post! The CEO, explained it himself...what he used in the trump campaign! I can hardly grasp the concept myself...that is why I keep saying go and get the info 'from the horse's mouth!' He has developed a system, to hook people... who use the web, that will undermined us (rob our freewill)! It will make us do things...that someone else wants us to do...without OUR ever knowing that it is happening! (This is based on all that personal data that has been gathered on us, over time.) It is psychologyical war fare! He was proving it's validity, by how it got trump elected! Andrew Nix, (CEO) was happy about his creation, before that large crowd, in his lecture...(it was in the UK, I think, his business is in the UK)! My comment about your 'grade level,' is most likely true for this situation! Because, if you understood what this (CA) information means to everyone of us, you would be very concerned about your own welfare...and, not about me! Just about everyone uses AI...now days! And, everyword we put 'out there' is being analysed and collected! Everywhere we go with our phone on, is being collected! Now, if you are confident about your intelligence, use it to get educated about this matter, because 'the wild horse is out of the barn!' And...start 'seeing'...people with different points of view instead of LEFT or RIGHT people...I hate labels!

@jorj and on top of that I am not the same from one day to the next...except I believe in the the inherent worth of all people, every day!

@jorj my feeling is that you are doing just fine...get use to being challenged, it is how we learn! When we don"t understand something we push back at the other person! And, if you make that something against you personally, then you will slow down your understanding of a matter! I once did exactly what you are doing, took opinions too personal (and in certain situations, I will find myself still doing that now)! Back in the day, I thought my opinions were who I was! I have all kinds of opinions...some people agree and other people push back and challenge me on them! Plus I learned my opinions changed in many cases...after I was able to comprehend more information...after I either...got new information or I simply couldn't/didn't understand before! So, in reality...I am not my opinions...people are more than just their opinions! You can verify this for yourself, by observing people around you! A human being is someone, who HAS opinions! I am not on this site to tout my knowledge, but I have gained a lot that I think would be helpful to others and I get another point of view here and I see how other people assimilate information and even their life...different from my own! So I am learning to accept THEM...even when I often times disagree on matters! No need to limit yourself here...real life isn't all that neatly wrapped up, at times! The same will be true here! But, it appears to me, that the majority of people on this site are here, because they want to face issues...and find 'real' understanding...not mud sling! I accept your apologie, but I think no apologie is necessary! I try to explain myself the best I know how and I think that other people are doing the same! The words are not always meant to insult, but to make a point! And, they can catch us off base, which brings out some anxiety! That is normal! If someone here just doesn't want you in their 'sights'...you will be deleated! For me as well! We will never please all the people all the time...and that is just fine! I find some people unpleasing, too, lol, and i may want to move off their radar! You, too!

@jorj you have not proved me wrong yet? If you came back to me and showed by your own description of that Cambridge Analytica, theory, then I would have to admit, I missed the mark! In the first place I was not putting you down...I was attempting to stress to you, that what that CA company is doing, is way above simple explanation! When I worked for the IRS, at a low level 5, I did not have the skills to perform at a grade 12, like my friend did! That is not an insult, that is a fact! This is where you are using issues to prove yourself by! How you treat others with dignity and regard, is what we judge ourselves with. Disagreeing with someone is not assulting their charater, unless you have degraded that person? Can you say that I have degraded you?

@jorj you should honor your specific nature! However, study of all kinds pays off...in dividends! You don't necessarily need to go to college...unless you have a burning desire to do something that requires that much study! I once felt less than other people because I did not have the education that I thought other people had! But i studied on my own, and now in my old age, I am out doing my peers...the ones that are still living! If you want to be happy and successful, follow your heart...develop your own interest, that is where your strength lies. And without our inner strength to support our own nature, life is harder and not much fun! You can check this out by observing the people around you!

@jorj if you don't mind my advising you...I want to say that you are casting your 'net' to far! Focus on one issue at a time, then when you have gained enough information...only then can you began to see a bigger picture! Plus, you may be trying to understand everything all at once...and that is not possible for anybody! In fact, you could go into overload, and understand very little! This is simply the nature of the brain! Maybe you could do a little research on the 'brain,' to see how you could regulate yourself better. Now, I am speaking of research here. Your library should have CD's called, 'The Great Courses'...they have all kinds of research and lectures, by scientists, professors and other experts...on the brain! It helps to start at the main source of something! It helps to know how our brain works! These are college courses and you can find all kinds of ideas that you are interested in. I spent thousands of dollars buying these courses, until I couldn't afford them! We all need to limit our focus, because it helps in understanding things better. Nobody can take on our whole social order, within a short time span! I hope this is helpful to you, as that is my wish.

@jorj I was here writing these post to you and I have a call come in from Russia! Did not answer and deleted it and then it came in again! So now everybody must be on some Russian list!

@jorj I agree there is some truth in what you are saying. However, if you want to be a catalyst for change, you must know yourself first! It is not possible for any other person to change the thinking of other people...they will change when they are able to and no one knows when that will happen for someone else! Heck, a couple of my children are out there in 'left field,' and I am not referring to politics! There is much mental illness, on their father's side and my side! I have tried to educate them on mental illness, down through the years, but their problems may be above my 'pay grade!' If I want to be a fully functioning person, I will need to limit my time with them. Sometimes, we can't even save our loved ones! But, someone else, or something else may come along and help them, I can live with that. I must put myself in order, so that if I am needed I will have the where-with-all, to help! They are just angry, hatefilled people and that throws me completely off balance! I have stepped up to the plate and tried to find some resolution, but nothing has worked and now I am getting to the end of my life and I don't want my last few years filled up with anger! It sucks the life out of me! There is a deep problem when people have that much anger!

@jorj well, don't waste your intelligence worrying about people you have no control over! It will suck the life right out of you! I do believe we need to keep abreast of what our government is up to, but change comes very slowly for anything...there are no instant fixes! OR...quick fixes! So relax, and make your life good for yourself...you WILL need it, if you live until old age!

@jorj well, I applaud you...that is an honorable thing on your part! Please, understand that I most likely grew up poorer than you! And, most of my life I was ashamed of my upbringing. But, I had a little idea in the back of my mind, that I wanted to be somebody! It took me many years to overcome so many obstacles...and I must tell you that I paid, some high prices at times! If you recall, I got 25 yrs of mental help. But, I never lost sight of the fact...that i wanted to be somebody! But, what that turned out to be was, just finding and honoring my real nature! I never wanted what others wanted, like fancy cars, jewelry, clothes fine house! I am really a peasant, at heart! Or maybe a gypsy...but these things were frawned upon in society so I tried to be like what THEY wanted me to be! Money, is not the measure of a 'man'...status, is not the measure of a 'man' (as in mankind). To honor and nurture our own nature is the real measure of a 'man!' And, that is what I strive for everyday! And now I am respected and taken seriously! I am myself and I do much more than I ever did in the past! Make sure you are doing things for yourself, that supports your true nature...it pays off in ways that you cannot envision, until you are old and grey! Now, I look back and see that my upbringing helped me to understand so much more than I would have ever been able to, otherwise! Make your life, what you want it to be...that is worth something!

@jorj I agree, that would be a GREAT start!

@jorj let me suggest that you do even small things for yourself, where you are, that supports your nature...any kind of interest that you enjoy! It will help you carry out the job that you have taken up! And, when things change (and they always do, sooner or later), you will know what you like or dislike and can build on that! I am sorry that you have certain restrictions, but don't allow these restrictions to rob yourself...in this process! You must have your reasons for your choice. But, you still matter and you always need to nurture your own spirit, whenever possible, if not everyone will loose...if you should fold up! My 55yr old nephew, took my sister from an assistant living home, about 15 years ago. She was 60 yrs old and schophernic (I hope this spell right) and now he walks with 2 canes and needs hip replacements! My sister is 75 and cannot be left alone, except short periods! He should put her in nursing home, but can't bring himself to leave her someplace and can't afford to hire help! I understand what it is to care for a family member...I was disabled up until last year, so I could not help me sister! Life surely has it's challenges!! I wish you well, whatever you do...at least you can express yourself here and get support too!

VPN's are great. But to be completely invisible, I would have to never create login information at any website, and that's practically impossible to avoid.

@Lauren Yep unless everything you do is a ghost!! on alias' . like completely spoofed + tunelled. A VPN is enough to just protect you in public wifi and home from basic attacks isn't it. It's not foolproof but much better than a straight connection especially through wifi.. IF I am really being nuts I TOR over VPN on fully spoofed hardware id's .. re connect on the VPN every 15 to be safe and not now but used to use VPN payed for on anon email through crypto .. !! To be honest though just protecting you private info massive passwords. Avoiding keychain and VPNs is pretty good .. It's getting wild out there and even certain Linux version are harder to fully Harden and tunnel with ... certainly from CMD line some are useless and spit DNS leaks everywhere. Can only be done through the software interface and GUI Gnome.. horrible lol !!! ))))

Most public payed VPN use the same servers!! DNS is where most fall over.

DNS leaks can be pretty unpleasant. I used TOR at one point, only to discover that, when used with the Chrome browser, DNS was still going direct. I think that's why they started bundling Firefox Portable as part of the TOR package.

I used PrivateTunnel for a long time - liked the fact that you pay by the GB, credit lasts forever, and you can use it across unlimited devices. But PrivateTunnel's owners do log, and they will rat you out if you use it for anything legal. So IPVanish (who promise to not log) in order to finish off watching Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. and to torrent The Orville (which isn't available by any legal means, here.) None of which is traceable back to me personally... at least in theory.

I thought as long as you were running VPN as a gateway, you were safe from DNS bypasses. The problem with TOR was that it ran as a web proxy (configured in the browser) and of course you're then at the mercy of whether the browser ever tries to do anything direct, rather than through the proxy. And Chrome was being rather naughty in that respect.

@NicoleCadmium Ahh okay !!! I run tor off a usb pen!! So it leaves traces only in men and couple temp files. As standalone with USB formatted to same format as system. I route manually if possible but if not I'll config through the "Tunnelblick" app. It's open source so you know the code is safe. This is a good DNS service and free !!! [opennic.org] ... I have Used NordVPN, Tiger, Hotspot Shield Free, Cyberghost... some others too but can't recall.. My faves are Nord and Tiger! Neither log and both accept crypto!

I can't believe what you went through, Victoria, and the level of frustration you must have experience ... and probably still are. I confess I was reckless initially with Google and FB both, but you're a reminder for me to keep in shape.

@VictoriaNotes Another thing of which us guys are clueless (or is that 'we' guys). About the facial profiling; thanks for reminding me I just read something I will post on this subject.

However, there are people here wanting to meet and even on dating sites there are lots of people with images instead of faces.

@VictoriaNotes You are right not lot's. On FB I have my car/kayak picture not my face. That has become my non-meeting pic.

tru dat

@VictoriaNotes Interesting, scary! Thanks.

@VictoriaNotes You can repeat that question as much as you'd like, there is literally nothing to be done about it. If you have a solution, by all means wave your wand and fix it.

@VictoriaNotes You too!

@VictoriaNotes so is slacktivism and faux concern.