@BrideOfLinux

I'm surprised the article doesn't say more about how individuals can shelter from surveillance and targeted advertising. Here's my standard package of measures:

• Remove all mobile phone apps you're not using
• On both your computer and your phone, use a more privacy-focused browser than Google #Chrome. I use #Firefox. Don't use anything based on #Chromium.
• In your browser, on all devices, install the following extensions: #uBlockOrigin, #Decentraleyes and either the #EFF's #PrivacyBadger or #Ghostery
• Install PiHole to protect your home network (or cook a nice dinner for a geeky friend who installs it for you)
• On your phone, install either #Blokada or #TrackerControl to prevent apps from phoning home while you're using mobile data and you're not protected by your Pi-Hole.

It's terrible that you have to be this careful and this technically knowledgeable to reduce the harms of targeted advertising. I agree with the article about the legal changes we need to make. But, since that's not going to happen in the foreseeable future, we should also talk about the things people can do to protect themselves right now. And, as technically knowledgeable people, we should offer practical help to our friends and loved ones to protect them directly.

Update #1: A user tracked this to having #PrivacyBadger or #uBlockOrigin or #Ghostery extensions installed.

Testing with disabled #uBO made Fennec load pages instantly, but let's be honest, we can't use the Internet without uBlock... 🙄

uBlock issue tracked in: https://github.com/uBlockOrigin/uBlock-issues/issues/3770