What I pay for: - Mullvad - Addy.io - Tutamail

What I “pay” for (through donations, if that counts): - The EFF - Wikipedia - GrapheneOS - Asahi Linux - Python

I don’t really subscribe to much, but I’m definitely looking to expand the latter list, so I’ll probably start donating to the maintainers of ad blocker filter lists and seek out more organizations fighting the good fight.

Oh shit I forgot, Mullvad is such a given that I didn’t even consider it a paid service, it’s more like a utility bill for me, like electricity or broadband access.

I cannot overstate how legit they are, if there is one company on the planet I trust like my family it’s them. Don’t ask how I know, but I have first hand information the lengths they go to to protect their customers. It’s run by Swedish 80’s OG hackers who have NO need for the money, they’re involved in other projects and have fuck you money, this is an idealist run outfit and they are legit as a MOTHERfuk. Trust that. They are on OUR side.

Honestly I’d love if more companies could adopt their payment model. Phreeli looks like a solid cellular provider and I’m sure their double-blind armadillo thing is legit, but if I could just mail them an unmarked envelope with nothing but a numeric account identifier and some cash I’d like it way more. Same with Tuta. But I understand there’s some possibility for logistical concerns there (what happens if the user loses their account identifier? Too many banks still use SMS 2FA, etc. etc.).

Hahaha yeah I love that. What other VPN provider can boast “cash in an envelope” as a payment option for absolute privacy? I’m telling you these guys take privacy very seriously, I know first hand.

Well I’m not gonna lie, I envy your firsthand experience, lol. I’ve looked at jobs they have open from time to time, but alas, they generally either don’t fit my experience or are more aimed at candidates from Europe.