Is there any privacy reason not to make an account for a service i already use?
Bandcamp, specifically. I already buy music there and i don't plan to stop unless the artists i like move somewhere else. Currently i have to be careful with my files and/or keep the download links for albums i buy if i want to make sure i never lose them (which i do). The main reason i might make an account is just so all those download links are in one place.
Given that i already use Bandcamp, do i stand to lose anything or give them anything extra by making an account instead of continuing to buy stuff without one? I skimmed their privacy policy and didn't see anything specific to people who do or don't have an account.
emotional_soup_88
in reply to IndigoGolem • • •I would recommend formulating your threat model before doing anything else. There is a lot of materials on the topic on the world wide web, but for starters, ask yourself and answer the question, what information about yourself would you like to keep secret and why.
Again, before anything else, subscribe to an email alias service - maybe there are free ones out there too, I don't know. This way, you don't have to share your real email address and you can turn off or even delete that attack vector at anytime.*
Finally, regarding Bandcamp, I have never uses it myself so my understanding of your situation is poor to say the least, but are not able to simply save the links in a text file? Again, I'm not trying to play down the situation, I just don't understand it.
*This is basically what I do with almost all my services that need registration: I give them an email alias, a randomly generated cyberpunk name and create a 30 characters long password with a password manager. The only services where this doesn't anonymize you are those that require your payment informati
... Show more...I would recommend formulating your threat model before doing anything else. There is a lot of materials on the topic on the world wide web, but for starters, ask yourself and answer the question, what information about yourself would you like to keep secret and why.
Again, before anything else, subscribe to an email alias service - maybe there are free ones out there too, I don't know. This way, you don't have to share your real email address and you can turn off or even delete that attack vector at anytime.*
Finally, regarding Bandcamp, I have never uses it myself so my understanding of your situation is poor to say the least, but are not able to simply save the links in a text file? Again, I'm not trying to play down the situation, I just don't understand it.
*This is basically what I do with almost all my services that need registration: I give them an email alias, a randomly generated cyberpunk name and create a 30 characters long password with a password manager. The only services where this doesn't anonymize you are those that require your payment information, which is often tied to your real identity. Had I been living in the US, I would have used those anonymous prepaid debit cards that work like email aliases, but for your debit or credit cards.
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Undertaker
in reply to emotional_soup_88 • • •Answer is simple as always: As much privacy as possible.
So here the question was: Does account creation in this situation affect privacy?
It is meaningless, what the threat model is, the answer is always the same.
taco
in reply to IndigoGolem • • •I don't think so. Bandcamp, specifically, only really keeps tabs on your purchases (ostensibly something you're okay with, since that's the point), your shipping/billing information (saving this is optional), your name (no obligation to be real), and your email (mine's an alias).
Ultimately, these sorts of things are all trade-offs we decide for ourselves, but by creating an account, you have an additional layer of protection against losing purchased music, as well as opening the ability to stream your purchases (I don't use this feature regularly, but found it useful once during a power outage when the nas hosting my music was down for a couple days).
Ulrich
in reply to IndigoGolem • • •Undertaker
in reply to IndigoGolem • • •Undertaker
in reply to Undertaker • • •Example: All data you type in for account registration but do not for purchase.
Easyer tracking directly and indirectly. Data broker use all they can get to identify you, so cross site tracking happens whenever you provide same phone number or mail.
Being able to switch these data points is helpful for privacy. And switching is easyer without accounts.