For the last twenty years , my smartphone has hardly ever left my side. Right from the moment I wake up listening to its alarm, to the second when I reluctantly pull myself away from its glowing screen – this device is my constant companion.
I use my phone to send and receive emails, make calls, message, navigate unknown streets or browse known websites…. the list is endless. In all these activities, I end up leaving a digital foot print of my whereabouts.
Now I am told this data finds its way to the servers of the apples and googles of the world. They in-turn pass it on to their business associates, who plaster me with their product advertisement. This footprint is used by job agencies to weed out ‘UN-fit’ candidates in recruitment drives. Government organizations use it to screen and segregate ‘law-abiding’ citizens from the ruffians. Considering the fact that I live in a ‘democratic’ society, I find this ‘attention’ disconcerting.
Along comes / e / which promises to cut down on this surveillance and reduce if not totally cut down on this unwanted check on my individuality. The code is open source. While I may not be able to go through it line by line, I can certainly run apps which let me know what calls if any are going out from my phone and to whom and report it to the team. The users on its forum are actively helping the / e / team in achieving this goal of creating a safe digital environment for one and all.
This I believe is a step in the right direction. This I believe will be an ongoing process and also not be easy. The apple, googles - the big business conglomerates will not give up without a fight but remember the story of David and Goliath? The story where size did not matter in bringing down the big-bad-guy. Given the focus of its delivery team and the active cooperation of its user-base I believe / e / will develop into a full-fledged user-privacy-respecting OS.
I believe I made the right decision in opting for / e /.
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