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But what have you done about it?

Well it definitely put the nail in the coffin of social media (except HN) for me. I was already creeped out after the Snowden revelations but hearing Schneier in person was like a smack to the face.

I use DuckDuckGo instead of Google in most cases, and I avoid Facebook (and particularly Messenger) unless absolutely necessary, and I have become much more conscious of my online activity.

Why particularly Messenger?

Facebook is a glorified address book. Messenger is a convenient way to get in touch with friends from outside the United States, because we aren't always on Skype and regular cell/SMS costs money.

But nowadays Messenger is more of a way to start by saying "let's Skype"

But what can you do as an individual? I think that's what we're all struggling with.

There is no single good answer; that's why people struggle with it. The solutions are disparate, and vary depending on your threat model. Answers to these problems aren't available and packaged in a one-size-fits-all solution that your average middle-class family has the time or ambition to take advantage of. Some solutions exist, however--and more are being developed.

In a lot of ways, I see the issue boiling down to how much you're willing to be inconvenienced.

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