In the face of frequent data breaches and widespread data collection by aggregators like Google, FB, Amazon, etc. how do you protect against companies building a thorough profile of your life against your will?
I'm not talking about extreme anonymity here. I'd still like the ability to use social tools, Google services, etc. to the extent practical. Are there any straightforward steps that can be taken to fragment the data that is collected about me? Some examples:
Can I use Google Maps on my phone without it logging my location to Google servers?
Can I use Instagram, Facebook, and Whatsapp independently so that my usage and connections aren't shared between the co-owned services?
Is it safe or reasonable to allow a service like Mint or Personal Capital aggregate my financial information?
Are there services that I should just avoid entirely due to breaches of trust or too much data aggregation?
How do you manage your digital identities?
