December 2, 2021

Privacy in Action: Josh Summers, All Things Secured host

Interview with privacy advocate and cybersecurity expert Josh Summers.

Looking for tips and tutorials on how you can improve your security online? You’re in luck!

For our latest Privacy in Action interview, we talked to privacy and cybersecurity expert Josh Summers.

Josh Summers is an entrepreneur who became a privacy advocate while living and traveling around China’s western region of Xinjiang, a place regarded as China’s testing ground for all new surveillance technology. After seeing what’s possible with video surveillance, internet censorship and device tracking, he’s made it a point to educate both himself and the average internet user about basic privacy on his website All Things Secured and on his YouTube channel which was viewed by more than four million people in 2021. We encourage you to check out his top 4 tips on how to use Startpage to improve your privacy.

Youtube video: How to SEARCH ANONYMOUSLY Online using Startpage (4 Pro Tips)

Interview with Josh Summers

Startpage: What does privacy mean to you?

Josh Summers: Privacy in our digital world is the right to control your own data and how it gets used. We all fall on different points of what I call the “paranoia spectrum”, and there is no one-size-fits-all privacy solution. Each of us needs to make a conscious decision about what we’re comfortable and not comfortable with, and privacy is the ability to act on that decision.

Startpage: One a scale of 1 to 10, how private are you?

Josh Summers: At this moment in time, I’d rate myself about a 6. That’s low, I realize, and there are two reasons I say this. First, as a “public figure” who publishes written and video content online, I recognize the irony of having to give up some of my own privacy in order to promote privacy to others. Second, as technology and the internet evolve, I’m learning that privacy is a moving target. Unless I decide to move off the grid and delete all my online accounts, and I don’t plan on doing that yet, then privacy is a balancing act between protection and convenience. In other words, I rate myself low so that I don’t get complacent and think that I’ve finally “attained privacy”.

Startpage: What prompted you to start All Things Secured?

Josh Summers: I spent more than a decade living and traveling around China, a country that I learned to love despite its many flaws. For the longest time, I thought that internet censorship was the only thing I needed to worry about. It wasn’t until later, when I was shown the file of all the data they had been collecting on me, that I realized just how cavalier I had been with my data. All Things Secured was born out of that experience, not because I’m any kind of expert, but because I have a desire to learn and to open the eyes of people like my parents who understand that privacy is important, but may not have the technical know-how to do anything about it.

Startpage: We heard you’re quite the travel writer! Has living outside the US impacted your views on security and privacy?

Josh Summers: Absolutely! The biggest threat to the average person’s privacy is often naivety and complacency. Traveling internationally tends to shake the foundation of that false sense of security because when you cross the border into another country, you voluntarily forfeit so many of those rights. I’ve had my computer seized and searched; I’ve been required to download tracking apps on my phone; I’ve had police enter my home or hotel just to “say hi”. It’s hard to be naive when you’re blatantly confronted with this kind of personal invasion, but it’s opened my eyes to the fact that this happens even in my home country (USA), even if it’s not nearly as in-your-face obvious.

Startpage: What advice would you give to people new to security and privacy?

Josh Summers: I would remind people that security and privacy are never a default. Securing your online accounts with something like 2-factor authentication is easy and effective, but it requires you taking the time to set it up. Basic privacy is possible – and worthwhile – but it demands a change in how you approach your personal data, the tools you use, and how you fix the damage that has already been done.

Startpage: What are some common misconceptions about security and privacy tools?

Josh Summers: The biggest misconception I’ve seen is the expectation that any one tool can provide complete security or anonymity. People tend to be lazy about their data and personal information when they think they are hidden and 100% protected. I’ve also been surprised by the amount of trust people put into tools and services offered by anybody who has a pretty website. Do your homework. Read the privacy policy and find out where the company is based.

Startpage: Do you use any privacy tools? If so, what are your favorite privacy tools?

Josh Summers: I use a number of different privacy tools and I’m constantly testing more! As I browse online, I enjoy using both Firefox and Brave (basically anything other than Chrome) and I make sure to have Startpage as my default search engine. In terms of online account security, I rely on 1Password for my passwords and Yubico for 2-factor authentication. Finally, masking my data is really important to me, so I use different services to provide a virtual address (TravelingMailbox), virtual phone numbers (Hushed) and even virtual credit cards (Privacy.com).

Startpage: What Big Tech company knows you the best? (Youtube, Amazon, Facebook, etc)

Josh Summers: The company that knows you best is the one you use the most. I believe that’s different for every person, but it’s important that you take the time to evaluate where you spend your time online and what kind of data you’re giving them. Pay attention to the screen time report you receive from your mobile device – the hours you spend on TikTok may seem harmless, but if that’s where you spend most of your time, they will be the ones who know you best. And that should scare you.

Startpage: Would you rather share your search history or only be able to use the internet for 1 hr each day?

Josh Summers: That’s a tricky question! While it’s tempting to say that “I have nothing to hide” – and in many ways that’s true – giving up something as simple as our search history is a gateway drug in the privacy world. It seems innocent, but it opens the door to much greater invasions of privacy. So out of principle, I would have to choose to use the internet for only 1 hour a day. On a more practical note, that might also force me to be more intentional about the time I spend online, so that’s a good thing!


Privacy in Action is a series of interviews with privacy-minded Startpage users from diverse backgrounds. If you are interested in participating in the Privacy in Action or would like to nominate someone to be interviewed by us, reach out to us at privacyplease@startpage.com.

The views expressed in this Q&A are those of the interviewee and do not necessarily reflect those of Startpage.

 

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