I have opted out of using most current types of online social media, because the large platforms in widespread use are actively engaging in censorship, which is bad for our society and endangers our future ability, as a whole species, to express independent or creative/divergent thought.

Additionally, all use of these centralized systems is subject to continuous surveillance: every “private” message, every image, every check-in. Even simply using them to read and view others’ postings is providing them with a lot of information, from your location history to what and how often you read.

As Edward Snowden famously says:

“Arguing that you don’t care about the right to privacy because you have nothing to hide is no different than saying you don’t care about free speech because you have nothing to say. When you say, ‘I have nothing to hide,’ you’re saying, ‘I don’t care about this right.’

It’s our basic responsibility to those around us in human society to reject use of these systems and to warn our family and friends of the dangers of widespread surveillance and censorship.

You can read an in-depth explanation of my decision here: https://sneak.berlin/20200211/instagram/.

Sign up to receive updates directly from me, and reject corporate control over what you’re allowed to see and read: https://sneak.berlin/list.