In Wake of US Election, People Seek Out Encryption Apps and Privacy Tools

Last week, the United States elected their 45th president in a historic election. Now, fearful that privacy policies may change and surveillance may expand under the new leadership, many Internet users are seeking ways to better protect their information online. It’s being reported that people are turning to encryption to protect their data, seeking out encrypted services for messaging and communicating.

Privacy advocate Edward Snowden spoke on the matter during an interview last week, calling for people around the world to take ownership over their privacy. He stressed that concerns are not isolated to the United States and cautioned against being too reactionary to a single political event such as an election. Instead, he advocated for a more holistic approach: “We should be cautious about putting too much faith or fear in elected officials,” Snowden said. “We’re never farther than an election away from a change in leader, from a change in policy, a change in the way the powers we have constructed into a system are used. So what we need to think about now is not how do we defend against a president Donald Trump…” He continued to ask:

How do we protect the rights of everyone, everywhere, without regard to jurisdictions, without regard to borders?

He also had a message for businesses: “The best way to defend against it,” Snowden said, in reference to the surveillance apparatus, “is to make sure you do not collect information, as a business, that you do not need.” This resonates closely with us at Golden Frog, as we log a very minimal amount of information for the shortest period possible, and are transparent about our practices. Snowden further advocated that the people are ultimitely responsbible for implementing desired changes, and have an ability to take control over their own privacy by using tools such as encryption and two-factor authentication.

There is still some uncertainty, as it remains to be seen how privacy protections or surveillance activities will shift once Trump takes office. Regardless, it’s always wise to take measures to protect your privacy and security online – and encryption is an excellent way to do so. When you use a VPN, such as VyprVPN, your Internet connection is encrypted meaning that no one can view the information you are sending – content of communicaitons, data, location and other revealing details. The VyprVPN app secures your connection and protects you against surveillance at all times, across all devices, from any location in the world.

Sources: TechCrunch, Variety