Monday's issue was about deciding to leave a service. This is about what you switch to. The hardest part of opting out isn't quitting, it's not knowing whether the replacement is any better. Privacy Guides (privacyguides.org) exists to answer that.
What it is
Privacy Guides is a free, nonprofit, community-run site that recommends privacy-respecting tools across the categories most people actually use:
Web browsers and search engines
Email providers and aliasing services
Messaging apps
VPNs
Password managers
Operating systems
Why we trust it
Its picks are criteria-based. Tools have to meet a published standard, not just sound good.
It favors open-source, independently audited software, so the claims can be checked.
No ads and no pay-for-placement. Nobody buys their way onto the list, which is the thing that quietly corrupts most "best privacy app" roundups.
How to use it with Opt Out October
This pairs directly with the EFF's Opt Out October. When the EFF guide convinces you to drop a service, come here to pick the replacement:
Go to privacyguides.org and find the category you're replacing (say, your browser or email).
Read the short criteria and the recommendations.
Pick one, switch, and move your data over.
Quick tip
Replace one category at a time. Start with your search engine, it takes thirty seconds and you'll notice it every day, which makes the next switch feel easier.
Up next · Friday
The highest-impact opt-out of the month: a step-by-step for stopping AI from training on your data, across the accounts you already use.