You Didn’t Opt In—You Can Still Opt Out
How to reclaim your power, data, and personal sovereignty.
Why This Matters Now
You didn’t sign up for this.
But you’re in it. Every time you open your phone, each time you click “accept.”
Convenience has become a currency we spend without thinking. But as fragile systems wobble—from food supply to logistics to local business—we need to ask: convenience for whom, and at what cost?
This isn’t about paranoia. It’s about power. And if you’ve already started walking away from broken, extractive systems, this is the next step: taking back control of your digital life.
If you're looking for more context on how we got here—and why this moment matters—I highly recommend Carole Cadwalladr's TED Talk. It's a powerful breakdown of how data, power, and platforms have merged in ways we can no longer ignore.
“It’s a coup. I know you probably don’t want to hear that, but we can’t fight it if we can’t see it.” —Carole Cadwalladr
The Coup Already Happened
Perhaps, you turned off your Amazon account and deleted your socials.
But your phone still tracks where you sleep.
Even if you’ve opted out of Big Tech’s storefronts, the tools in your pocket still report back. Our data is collected, sold, and used to influence, not just what we buy, but how we think.
This isn’t about dystopia. It’s about design. And understanding that is your first lever of control.
Four Small Shifts to Start
Here’s what I’ve done—not all at once, but step by step. These aren’t theories. They’re what I use every day to stay alert without being afraid.
You don’t need to throw your phone in the ocean. Simply stop feeding the systems that treat you like a product.
1. Switched to Proton Mail
There’s a free tier, but I use the paid version. It includes:
Email aliasing (so companies can’t link your logins)
Calendar, Drive, VPN, and a password manager
Multiple addresses under one login
And most importantly: Google isn’t selling my data.
If you’re a free subscriber to my newsletter and want to try it out, here’s my referral link that will help support this work.
2. Brave + DuckDuckGo
I use the Brave browser with DuckDuckGo as my search engine. Ads are blocked, tracking is minimized, and pages load faster. Simple as that.
3. Signal for Messaging
If it’s good enough for the Secretary of Defense, it’ll probably meet your needs. Unlike WhatsApp, Signal doesn’t sell your data. Just be careful who you add to group chats.
Download signal here.
4. Anonymous Logins
Every app I use has a different email alias and a unique password. If one gets breached, it doesn’t affect anything else. That’s privacy by design, not accident. As I mentioned above, Proton Mail offers email aliasing with their password manager on the Pro Plan.
Take One Step. Not All the Steps.
You don’t have to go full tin-foil hat. You just have to choose one thing to take back this week:
Switch your browser.
Download Signal and tell a friend.
Create your first email alias.
Audit one app’s permissions.
That’s it. Don’t scroll past this and feel guilty. Choose one and do it.
“We have to learn how to digitally disobey.” —Carole Cadwalladr
Why This Feels So Hard. And Why That’s the Point
This feels hard on purpose.
That’s the point.
You’re not broken. You’re being trained to obey the defaults.
They want you to feel like you’re the problem. Like it’s too complicated. Like opting out means missing out.
But you are not the product of your convenience. You’re the designer of your experience.
And you don’t need permission to start. One small step will open up a path to the next one.
“They want us to feel powerless. That’s the plan.”
What Comes Next
If this post resonates with you, take a look at my earlier article, “7 Steps to Quietly Exit a System That Wants You Dependent”. It lays the groundwork for opting out of broken systems—economically, socially, and now digitally
You’re already ahead of the curve if you read this far.
This isn’t about purity. It’s about direction.
Resisting the digital coup means choosing tools that serve you, not platforms that feed on you.
The future doesn’t need to be perfect.
It just needs to be yours.
Calls to Action:
Choose one thing to reclaim your digital privacy today and let me know what you’re doing in the comments.
Share this post with someone who wants to take the next step.
What’s one small change you’ve made that actually worked? Let me know in the comments.
Let’s walk together.
Great article, recently switched over to protonmail, and and have beem using alternatives to drive, maps, & search. Since the beginning of the year Ive completely stopped ordering from food delivery, & take taxis instead of uber. Deleted all meta associated accounts & requested my data be deleted. For the few things I use AI for Ive been using Le Chat from Mistral, who are EU based.
Right now Im seeing what grows well in my tiny backyard