Here’s a great reason to stay home, or if you go anywhere in public, go where you don’t know anyone and nobody knows you, has your phone number, knows where you live, work, etc. And do not participate in social media like Facebook or anything where you can be tracked or identified. Think: “Witness Protection Program.” Go by a different name at social gatherings, use a landline or non-internet enabled phone. Remove the battery or place in a Farraday case when not in use. The location of such a device can be traced, but only if the battery is in it. It doesn’t have to be turned on to give a signal. Get rid of home appliances with AI. Do you really need Alexa or Siri? I’m freaked out by any inanimate object that speaks to me! Buy used appliances without all the bells and whistles.
My sister purchased a refrigerator in January after the old one from 1990 broke. Shortly after filling her new chrome monster, she noticed she was getting pop up ads on her phone and computer, and even in the snail mail, for brands of food she regularly purchased. My parents on whose credit card they allowed her to charge the refrigerator, began to get the same advertisements on their TV. I thought it was just plain creepy, and my parents agreed. As soon as my sister repaid them, they cancelled the card and got another. After a month, the new refrigerator also broke. She ended up returning it for a refund. In the meantime, a friend’s husband came over to look at the old refrigerator which she’d moved onto the back porch. He fixed it for about $50 in parts, cleaner, and lubricant. So it’s cleaned up and back inside, minding its own business of cooling foodstuffs. The ads vanished over several week’s time.
Really, paying contact tracers is a huge waste of time and money. Why pay people when their refrigerators can see and hear everything?