I’m a Cybersecurity Hypocrite (and Why You Should Be Too)

Why Would a Cybersecurity Expert Break Their Own Rules?

I teach people how to dodge leaks, scams, and privacy traps like their life depends on it.
Because sometimes? It actually does.

I show them how to strip metadata, how to spot phishing, how to lock their digital lives down tighter than a submarine hatch.

And I still use an iPhone.
I still log my lifts into an app.
I still post online—sometimes without a VPN.

So what kind of cybersecurity person does that make me?

A strategic one.

Because here’s the part nobody talks about: perfect privacy doesn’t exist.
Not for me. Not for you. Not even for Edward freaking Snowden.

And if you’re out here chasing some fantasy of digital invisibility—scrubbed metadata, blurred faces, no trackers, no trace—you’re setting yourself up for burnout. Or worse, inaction.

See, privacy isn’t about locking down every inch of your life. It’s about making intentional decisions. It’s about knowing the cost—and deciding what’s worth it.

That’s why I’m a cybersecurity hypocrite.
And if you care about your freedom? You might need to become one, too.

But how do you actually know where to draw the line between being cautious… and just living in fear?

Have We All Been Lied to About What Privacy Really Looks Like?

If you’ve ever tried to go full tinfoil—no smartphone, cash-only, off-the-grid—you already know it’s a nightmare. A single Google Maps check-in or credit card swipe ruins the illusion.

You can’t function in this world without leaving a trail.
Every phone ping, location blip, smart fridge interaction, shopping app, tap-to-pay—it all gets logged, timestamped, sold, or stored.

Still think you can disappear?

Edward Snowden—the guy who exposed a global surveillance system, fled the country, and lives in exile—still couldn’t erase his footprint.
Encryption helped narrow his exposure. But even he had to accept risk.

That’s the part most people miss. Privacy isn’t “on” or “off.” It’s a sliding scale. Every choice you make tilts it—one way or the other.

Refusing to accept any risk is like locking yourself in a windowless room for life because you’re afraid of burglars. Nobody’s getting in—but you’re never getting out either.

So if full invisibility isn’t the goal… how do you protect yourself without feeling like you’re trapped in digital solitary confinement?

And more importantly—how do you stop chasing a myth and start taking back control?

Why Would a Privacy Advocate Willingly Log Their Lifts Into an App?

Every time I go to the gym, I open my workout tracker and log my lifts—rep by rep, set by set.
Not because I’m obsessed with data.
Because when I didn’t track anything, I stayed stuck.
Random workouts, random weights, no plan, no progress.

Once I started logging my lifts? My strength exploded.
I stopped guessing. I started lifting on purpose.

Do I know that information might be scraped, sold, or used by insurers in the future?
Absolutely. And I’m still choosing it—for now.

Because I’m playing the long game.
When I’ve got the reach and the platform, I’ll start building privacy-respecting tools that don’t make you pick between getting stronger and being surveilled.
But until then? I know the trade-off I’m making—and I own it.

That’s the difference.

Because here’s what I won’t touch:

• Period trackers. Too risky—especially if you’ve got a uterus. That data gets sold, leaked, and legally weaponized.

• Sleep and biometric tracking. I don’t need an app watching my body while I sleep.

• Windows machines. Too much telemetry, not enough control. I don’t play that game.

I use Apple devices—but I’ve hardened the hell out of them. Tracking stripped. Privacy tools stacked. Convenience on my terms.

And yeah—I post online. Because my mission outweighs the risk.
I don’t post private info. I don’t post metadata. I stay tactical.
But I show up—because hiding helps no one.

Privacy isn’t about being perfect.
It’s about understanding the stakes, and making every trade-off on purpose.

So what are you choosing intentionally—and what are you only doing because no one told you the cost?

How Do You Actually Decide Which Risks Are Worth It?

Here’s the part no one teaches you:
You don’t need a degree in cybersecurity or a clearance level to make smart privacy decisions.

You just need a system that asks three things:

• What are the actual threats here?

• What matters most to you—your “crown jewels”?

• What’s the move—accept, mitigate, or avoid?

That’s risk management. Not corporate. Not complicated. Just useful.

I accept the risk of logging my lifts—because the gains are worth it.
I mitigate the risk of using Apple—because I’ve locked it down.
I avoid period trackers completely—because the threat model is too high.

From there, I built my baseline—my non-negotiables.

Here’s what mine includes:

• No app gets full location access

• Camera/mic permissions are off unless I’m actively using them

• Browsers run aggressive tracker blocking

• Every sign-up gets a separate email alias

• No password is ever reused—ever

Your baseline might be different.
And that’s the point. Your life, your threats, your rules.

But if you don’t decide where the line is… someone else already has.

So—are you protecting your data on purpose, or just hoping no one takes advantage of the gaps?

Who’s Already Profiting From the Risks You Didn’t Choose?

If you haven’t set your privacy baseline, don’t worry—someone else already has.
And it’s designed to benefit them, not you.

Advertisers, data brokers, insurers, and law enforcement love when you leave things at default.
When you don’t review app permissions.
When you let location run 24/7.
When you never stop to ask, “Wait, why does this game need access to my contacts and camera?”

Because the moment you say “Allow,” your data gets harvested.
And then it gets sold. Over and over again.

We’re not talking about theoretical risks—we’re talking about actual data products being sold right now, like:

• “Pregnant women in their third trimester”

• “Casino visitors”

• “People who recently visited an abortion clinic”
  (Yes, really.)

You probably agreed to it—buried deep in a Terms of Service you never read.

Fitness apps? Your movement data might be pitched as a wellness discount—but once insurers get their hands on it, they can turn around and say:
“Looks like you’ve been slacking lately. Time to raise your rates.”

Credit card companies? They flag frequent liquor store visits and gambling transactions as high-risk behavior. That “cash back bonus” comes at a price.

And law enforcement? They don’t always need a warrant.
Why would they—when they can just buy your data from a broker who scraped it from your favorite flashlight app?

So if you’re not choosing your risks… who’s cashing in on them right now?

What Are You Actually Trading When You Tap “Agree”?

If someone knocked on your door and offered you a $10 Starbucks gift card in exchange for a copy of your house keys… would you say yes?

Because that’s what most of us do—every single time we tap “Agree” without reading a word.

We trade away slices of our privacy in exchange for speed, convenience, and honestly? Laziness.

And it’s not just the sketchy apps.
Smart assistants are always listening—waiting for their wake word, sure, but storing and uploading recordings in the process. Some of those have been reviewed by actual people.

Cloud backups? They’ll scoop up every photo, file, and message unless you manually exclude the sensitive stuff.
And let’s be real: how often do you remember to do that?

The cost isn’t always immediate.

Sometimes it shows up as eerily accurate ads for something you only thought about.
Sometimes it shows up when your location data ends up in the wrong hands, during the wrong moment, in the wrong political climate.

The scariest part? You won’t know until it’s already happened.

So before you click the next “Agree”—do you actually know what you’re handing over?

Can You Actually Live with Risk and Still Stay Free?

If you try to eliminate every single risk from your digital life, you won’t end up free—you’ll end up locked inside.

Zero-risk sounds responsible… until it starts to feel like isolation.
You stop using tools that help you grow. You second-guess every click. You spend more time avoiding harm than living your actual life.

But throwing your hands up and accepting everything isn’t freedom either.
That’s how people end up surveilled, profiled, and quietly exploited—without ever realizing they said “yes.”

So what’s the move?

Intentional risk.
Setting a privacy baseline and building daily habits that stick.
Not a 50-step survivalist routine—just small, repeatable actions that tighten the screws without burning you out.

Like:

• Turning on automatic software updates so you’re not walking around with security holes

• Doing a quarterly permission audit on your phone (you’d be shocked how many apps are still tracking your location)

• Logging out of accounts you’re not actively using

• Running tracker blockers that actually block—not the fake ones that just look pretty in your toolbar

You don’t need hours. You just need rhythm.
Build it into your second brain. Add it to your workflow. Let your tools carry the load so your brain doesn’t have to.

This is how you stay free: not by dodging every risk, but by refusing to be surprised by them.

So—are your habits actually protecting you, or just giving the illusion of safety?

What Changes When You Start Playing Offense Instead of Defense?

The moment you set a baseline, the entire power dynamic flips.

Advertisers get less.
Insurers see less.
Law enforcement has to go through you—not the backdoor you didn’t know was open.

Because when you control the flow of data, you decide who sees what.

But this isn’t just about personal boundaries. It’s about collective pressure.
The moment enough people start locking things down, companies shift. Fast.

We’ve already seen it:

• Browsers now ship with tracker blocking by default

• Devices offer transparency reports and privacy labels

• Whole products have been shut down when users push back

None of that happened because we politely waited for better laws.
It happened because people like you stopped blindly saying “yes.”

So imagine if we scaled that.
If tens of thousands of people built baselines, stuck to them, and started making noise about it.

What would the internet look like if privacy wasn’t an uphill battle—but the default?

And what happens when the system realizes we’re not for sale anymore?

Is It Time to Stop Hiding Your Contradictions and Start Owning Them?

Let’s get real: if you care about privacy, you’re going to have contradictions.
You’ll make trade-offs. You’ll use tools that aren’t perfect.
You’ll prioritize your health, your time, your mission—and sometimes that means accepting risk.

That doesn’t make you a fraud. It makes you strategic.

I log my lifts, but I don’t track my sleep.
I use Apple, but I’ll never touch Windows.
I post online, but I don’t post anything that exposes me.
I teach people how to harden their lives, while fully owning the calculated risks I take in mine.

That’s not weakness. That’s what privacy actually looks like in real life.

Because this work isn’t about achieving some flawless tinfoil utopia.
It’s about clarity. It’s about boundaries. It’s about agency—the ability to choose your risks instead of letting them choose you.

So yeah—I’m a cybersecurity hypocrite.
And if you want to protect your freedom without burning out or checking out? You might need to be one too.

Here’s your move:

📓 Write down 3 hard no’s—risks you’re never willing to accept.
Maybe it’s biometric tracking. Maybe it’s full location sharing. Maybe it’s posting your real name. Doesn’t matter—just make them real. These are your red lines.

🔐 Then build your baseline around them.
That’s your anchor. That’s your defense. That’s how you stay grounded when the next “Agree” tries to pull you in.

🧠 And if you want help making that baseline liveable—without spiraling into paranoia—subscribe to the YouTube channel. I break down the exact tools, workflows, and mental shifts that make this stuff sustainable.

Because the people winning this game?
They’re not chasing perfection.
They’re playing with their eyes open.

So—are you ready to stop performing privacy… and start protecting your power?

Stay Curious,

Addie LaMarr