You can explore the DigDeeper website that I'm addressing here.

Introduction:

Let's start with a disclaimer: there's nothing inherently wrong with being a privacy enthusiast. If you want to run a de-Googled Android, avoid JavaScript, or use niche Linux distros, great. Do what makes you happy. Privacy preferences are personal, and everyone has different levels of comfort with the trade-offs that come with modern technology.

But DigDeeper isn't about personal preference. It doesn't read like a "here's what works for me" guide, it reads like an unhinged manifesto. The creator's preferences are presented as gospel truth, and any deviation from their rigid worldview is labelled as foolish, naive, or outright complicit in a global surveillance conspiracy. What could have been a resource for supporting people to make informed choices instead turns into a condescending, fearmongering echo chamber that alienates readers and pushes them deeper into a vortex of distrust.

The most infuriating part? DigDeeper links to an entire ecosystem of similarly paranoid, self-reinforcing websites, creating a vicious circle where paranoia feeds paranoia. By promoting this schizo circle jerk, DigDeeper transforms legitimate privacy advocacy into a black hole of fear and impracticality.

The problem with DigDeeper's Tone:

One of the first things you notice about DigDeeper is its tone. From the very first page, it becomes clear that the creator doesn't just see themselves as informed—they see themselves as the lone crusader of truth in a world of ignorant "normies." The writing drips with condescension, treating anyone who doesn't adopt their extreme measures as complicit in their own surveillance.

For example, if you use mainstream tools like Signal or ProtonMail, you're not just misguided, you're stupid. If you don't de-Google your phone and ditch telemetry entirely, you're a "normie" who deserves to be exploited. There's no room for nuance, acknowledgement, or that different people have different needs and priorities. It's an all-or-nothing worldview, where the only path is to follow DigDeeper's recommendations to the letter.

This isn't only offputting, it's counterproductive. Privacy advocacy should support readers, giving them practical steps to take control of their digital lives. DigDeeper, by contrast, overwhelms readers with a sense of hopelessness, making them feel like anything short of abandoning modern technology entirely is a failure. Instead of offering solutions, it gives ultimatums.

The Hypocrisy: Becoming what they Critique:

DigDeeper spends a lot of time railing against corporations, governments, and "normies" for imposing their systems and values on others. But at the same time, it imposes its own extreme worldview on its audience, treating any dissent as invalid.

This hypocrisy is especially glaring when it comes to the site's fearmongering tactics. DigDeeper criticizes "big tech" for manipulating users through surveillance, but it uses the same manipulation to push its ideology. By presenting every mainstream tool as a potential surveillance trap, it leaves readers feeling like there's no alternative but to conform to its extreme demands. It's the very thing it claims to fight against a system that discourages critical thinking and forces conformity.

The Schizo Feedback Loop: A Network of Paranoia:

One of the most alienating aspects of DigDeeper is the network of websites it promotes. Instead of linking to balanced, well-researched resources, it points readers to an entire constellation of similarly paranoid sites, creating a feedback loop of distrust.

These sites include Spyware Watchdog, Eldritch Data, Shadow Wiki, and even bizarre conspiracy hubs like Miles Mathis. They all share the same approach: every tool is suspect, every company is malicious, and every institution is part of a grand conspiracy.

Spyware Watchdog: Everything is Spyware

Spyware Watchdog claims to catalogue privacy risks in software, but it does so with such extreme criteria that almost every piece of software is labelled "spyware." Tools that include telemetry, use cookies, or connect to the internet are automatically deemed evil, with no room for nuance.

Take telemetry, for example. Telemetry tools like Real User Metrics (RUM) help developers improve their software by understanding how users interact with it. But DigDeeper and Spyware Watchdog treat telemetry as inherently evil, ignoring its legitimate uses in software development. This oversimplification alienates anyone who understands how modern technology works.

Miles Mathis: Full-blown Conspiracies

Then there's Miles Mathis, a site DigDeeper enthusiastically endorses. Mathis isn't necessarily about privacy, he's about rewriting reality. From claiming that major historical events were faked to suggesting Stephen Hawking wasn't real, Mathis is the ultimate conspiratorial rabbit hole.

DigDeeper's endorsement of Mathis reveals just how far removed it is from reality. When you're promoting ideas like "don't register your child's birth or use hospitals," you're no longer advocating for privacy, you're pushing dangerous, impractical nonsense.

Eugene McCarthy and the Pigpill:

And who could forget Eugene McCarthy's theory that humans are hybrids of chimpanzees and pigs? DigDeeper unironically refers to this as the "pigpill," treating it as some groundbreaking insight. The fact that this pseudoscientific drivel is included alongside privacy resources is both hilarious and depressing.

Telemetry isn't Evil:

Telemetry deserves special attention because it's one of DigDeeper's favourite boogeymen. The idea that all telemetry is malicious spyware ignores its legitimate uses in software development. Being someone who has worked in programming, I can tell you that telemetry isn't a bad thing, it's a necessity.

Developers use telemetry to figure out how their software works in real-world conditions. Are users struggling with a certain feature? Is a particular page crashing? Telemetry answers these questions, helping developers improve their products. Suggesting that all telemetry is part of a surveillance conspiracy is not just ignorant, it's misleading.

Final Thoughts:

DigDeeper could have been a valuable resource for privacy-conscious users. Instead, it's a paranoia hub that overwhelms readers with fear and impractical demands. Promoting an ecosystem of similarly paranoid websites creates a vicious circle where distrust feeds distrust, leaving readers feeling hopeless and isolated like they're in a world where everything is out to get them.

Privacy is important, but it's not an all-or-nothing thing. People deserve the freedom to make their own choices without being shamed or ridiculed. Until DigDeeper learns to respect that, it will remain what it is: a schizo circle jerk that preaches to the choir and alienates everyone else. And I will continue to write articles like this to call it out.