Your privacy matters
It’s been a while since I last wrote to you. In this time of winter hibernation coupled with feeling unsure about the trajectory of this country (the US), I haven’t felt inspired to write about anything until now.
In an age of decreasing online privacy, it’s terrifying to be sharing all of our personal information online. I’ve had several of you reach out to let me know you’re going dark- getting off all social media, OnlyFans, and even texting. In my desire to be present online AND be as secure as possible with my personal information and yours, I met with a friend of mine who works professionally in cybersecurity to talk about my options. This is by no means an exhaustive list and I highly recommend you do your own research to see what best suits your needs.
Use a VPN: If you’re not already using one, you needed one like yesterday. Every single thing you do on your phone, laptop, tablet, and desktop is being tracked. The sites you visit and companies you buy from are compiling your data and selling it. Using a VPN makes your internet browsing untraceable. Download and enable it on all of your devices asap. I personally use Proton VPN because I already pay for my email account and it’s included. My cybertech friend recommended Mullvad as a VPN and browser.
Email: Get an encrypted email. I use and recommend Proton. Currently, I’m unable to use my Protonmail account for this newsletter so just know that when you hit “reply” to this email, it’s going to a Gmail account and is not encrypted. My booking form is also not secure. For this I apologize and I wish that I had one that is. If you are informed in this area, please let me know! When booking with me, you are always welcome to send all of the required booking information to my Protonmail account. If you send it from an unencrypted email (gmail, yahoo, etc.) your information is NOT secure! Get a Protonmail.
Messaging: All of your texts and messaging apps are being tracked. Anything you say in text can be used against you by companies that share your data. I use Signal for encrypted messaging and video chats. It’s free and easy to get the hang of. My number listed on my ad is the same on Signal and you’re welcome to message me there. I will always encourage us to do virtual dates here too.
Browser: I’ve used Firefox for years, though I’m now learning it’s not as secure as I thought. Mullvad seems to be the best option and it’s what I switched to. If you search for the most secure browsers online, you’ll find quite a few options to choose from.
Payment apps: At this time, I don’t know of any secure payment apps. For the love of all things holy, please go set your Venmo privacy settings to private. Your housekeeper/ex/friend from high school doesn't need to see that you sent your favorite provider $500 for ‘pizza’. Speaking of pizza, please be discreet in payment apps. Each time you type something like “deposit for May 8th” in my personal Cash App, a puppy gets run over by a semi truck. If you must type something, “Thank you” is always a great option! (or pizza).
There is of course way more you can do to be secure, but these are some great areas to start. In this age of AI profiles and scammers, you can’t be too safe. Use your resources, research the providers you want to book with, and if something seems too good to be true, it is!
