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Personal Privacy Guide Track

The personal privacy guide is one of anoni.net's three tracks for 2026, alongside Tor relays on campus and anonymous payments. This page is the track's public entry point, covering the research goals, the article index, current progress, and how to join the discussion. The annual plan and quarterly rhythm are in the 2026 roadmap.

Why this is a track of its own

After years of advocating for Tor, Tails, and OONI, the question we hear most is "what do I actually do next to be safer". What sits behind it is the absence of an operational guide graded by situation.

Existing Chinese-language material mostly stops at introducing a tool or listing techniques, without the bridge connecting concepts, tools, and situations. A reader finishes a tool page without knowing which risk it addresses, finishes a scenario without knowing where to start implementing, finishes a concept without knowing how to apply it. Connecting those three layers is what lets personal privacy move from knowing a tool's name to actually adopting it in your own circumstances.

Research goals for 2026

  • A three-level threat model framework: reference tables mapping tools and steps to everyday use, sensitive work, and high-risk situations
  • The bridge from concept to practice: the decision process between threat modelling and operating a tool, covering when to escalate and when additional protection is unnecessary
  • Common misconceptions: unpacking the frequent ones, that a VPN is not anonymity, HTTPS is not safety, private browsing is not privacy, decentralization is not anonymity. Two have dedicated pages already (VPN: risks and how to choose and networks mistaken for anonymity), with HTTPS and private browsing still to come
  • Scenario guidance: practical workflows for journalists, activists, domestic violence survivors, LGBTQ+ people, and other specific roles
  • Connecting the threads: integrating the connection layer, the identity and personal data layer, and the money layer (see why networked freedom matters) into a single personal plan
  • Teaching material: turning the output into material usable at workshops and meetups

The material is distributed across the site's layers rather than collected in one place:

Done so far

  • Eight concept pages published, establishing the vocabulary the rest of the track builds on
  • The three-dimension framework: why networked freedom matters sets out connection, identity and personal data, and money as the skeleton for the whole guide
  • Regional regulatory references: the 2025 data protection overhaul and the whistleblower protection act are both complete
  • Writing standards and taxonomy: the seven-section sitemap landed, with clear reading paths

In progress

  • Drafts across the tools, scenarios, and advanced layers are published and being revised against reader feedback
  • The remaining misconceptions: HTTPS is not safety, private browsing is not privacy
  • The consolidated three-level guide, the track's core deliverable, planned to integrate the layers above
  • Workshop material: turning the research output into handouts for workshops and meetups
  • Translation candidates, listed below

Reading and translation candidates

External resources the community has flagged, where help translating or summarizing is welcome:

How to join

Discussion happens on Matrix (homeserver im.anoni.net), in the relevant rooms of the community's public Space. Collaborative writing uses CryptPad, and regular calls use Jitsi. Account requests and service entry points are on Community services.

Backgrounds we would particularly welcome:

  • Education or workshop facilitation, turning technical concepts into something people can act on
  • Writing or translation, working through long technical resources
  • UX and design, making guidance visual through flowcharts and comparison tables
  • Front-line experience as a journalist, NGO worker, or activist, knowing what guidance usually leaves out
  • Security expertise, reviewing for technical accuracy

No security background is required. Wanting to learn is a sufficient reason to join.

We are at Global Gathering 2026 in Estoril on 6 September, and guides that misread regional context are one of the things we want to hear about there. See the booth announcement.

Ground rules

All discussion presumes lawful use. This track presents material for education and risk understanding, and does not assist evasion of legal responsibility, harassment, stalking, or other unlawful conduct. For legal questions about a specific situation, consult a professional. Community members' observations do not substitute for legal advice.