The concept of “spyware” has disappeared from the common internet lingo after it became the case that the word could now be used to describe nearly every major website and a huge percentage of the most commonly-used software.
We should intentionally bring it back and start curating anti-spiware tools. Actually, let’s start calling adblock “anti-spyware”. We NEED to force the line here.
I use AdGuard Home with the “WindowsSpyBlocker” and “Firebog Easy Privacy” lists to block spyware across every device in my home network. all you need is a low-power computing device that you’re okay with leaving on 24/7 - something like a Raspberry Pi (even an old model 2 or 3) will do the trick, or you can use any old laptop you have gathering dust. AdGuard Home does not run on Windows, so you’ll need a Linux OS - I use Ubuntu Server.
despite the name, you don’t actually have to block ads with it. I leave ad-blocking to each of my devices individually, so I can override it easily when I need to. for example, AdAway on Android will block you from reaching the unsubscribe page for some email lists, and hitting a “proceed anyway” button on my phone is easier than going and temporarily switching off something running on a different computer.
the statistics page gives you some really interesting data. for example, you can easily see here that the main entity trying to spy on me is Microsoft, with live.com making up almost ¾ of blocked requests.
meanwhile, I have just discovered another server I probably want to block, because my washing machine, which I only connected to wifi so I could get notifications when it finishes a cycle, has phoned home to its manufacturer almost 3000 times today
listen if I weren’t the kind of person to keep something in my house after it proved itself unreliable, untrustworthy, and potentially deadly I would have gotten divorced years earlier
