The WIRED Guide to Protecting Yourself From Government Surveillance (wired.com)

🔗 https://www.wired.com/story/the-wired-guide-to-protecting-yourself-from-government-surveillance/
Posted on Jun 16, 2025

Overview & Context

In this June 16, 2025 WIRED guide, Andy Greenberg and Lily Hay Newman offer actionable tech tips and policy context to help individuals—especially those in risk groups—protect data from government surveillance.

🔒 Why It Matters

  • The article warns that a surveillance-heavy government, especially with Trump allies in power, exploits vast digital tools to target journalists, activists, immigrants, and protesters.
  • With diminishing legal protections, digital hygiene and encryption become essential stays against intrusion.

🛠️ Key Protection Strategies

  • Encrypted messaging & calls: Use Signal, WhatsApp, or iMessage, with Signal favored for minimal metadata retention.
  • Device encryption: Enable full-disk protection and strong passwords, avoiding biometrics that can be compelled.
  • Location safeguards: Shield against tracking via smartphones and tracking devices like AirTags.

🚨 Special Contexts

  • Protest privacy: Leave phones off or use Faraday bags; consider secondary “burner” devices.
  • Border crossings: Prepare for agent device searches; disable biometrics, use passcodes, and keep software updated.

✅ Basic Digital Hygiene

  • Switch to privacy-friendly browsers (Brave, Firefox) and engines (DuckDuckGo).
  • Use multi-factor authentication and password managers.
  • Consider VPNs (like ProtonVPN) and Tor for browsing anonymity.

📚 Citation

WIRED. (2025, June 16). The WIRED Guide to Protecting Yourself From Government Surveillance. Retrieved from https://www.wired.com/story/the-wired-guide-to-protecting-yourself-from-government-surveillance/
Summary generated by ChatGPT (GPT‑4).