Google Photos dilemma

Privacy
1

Hey guys,

I’m in the process of replacing Google Photos with Ente, but I realized what’s the point of replacing it with a private photo and backup management when my family and friends use Google Photos to share and backup their photos? For example, my family and I just went on a trip and our phones automatically back up the photos to Google. I mean, I could convince them to use a private alternative or even host an Immich instance for them, but those photos would end up on Facebook or Instagram right after a trip.

What I’m trying to protect here is our location and our activities, but it seems like an uphill battle. Most of our photos are just baby memories, holidays and memes. Private photos, of course, are not uploaded and remain offline.

So what do you think about using a private photo management app when it’s going to leak anyway? Yes, I read about the dad who lost his Google account for posting pictures of his kid’s groin area, but if we’re using a 3-2-1 backup strategy (as we should), I don’t really care if my online account gets banned for no reason.

2 Likes
2

I understand your concern. There are two possible answers.

The first answer is that you’re not trying to completely erase your online presence. You’re just trying to minimize it.

The second answer is that at some point you have to convince thenmthat they shouldn’t use Google Photos. You can try to convince them that it’s for them. You should also say that it’s for you. That if they respect you they shouldn’t have put pictures of you to Google’s or even Facebook.

Another good way of convincing them to switch to something like Entek js actually inviting them your Ente family so you will take extra storage and you will say, hey look, you only got 15 gigs on Google Photos, but here if you join Ente I will give you 50 gigabytes. That will maybe convince them to switch.

about social networks. I do think it’s an important difference because on social networks there will only be pictures that you or your friends or your family decided to share publicly or at least with a selected group of people. Sure, maybe you didn’t mean to share it with Facebook, but nearly with your friends. But when you use Google photos on other cloud services you share all your photos with them. So it’s an important difference.

4 Likes
3

But when you use Google photos on other cloud services you share all your photos with them. So it’s an important difference.

this aspect should be understood very well, you did the right thing in pointing out this distinction.

4

this is what i did. i just paid for my family and they love it works cross platform.

5

Taking financial aspects on oneself gives results, to all those who think there are difficulties with migration from close people
in the format:

Not Private to Private

I recommend to try it.

6

Excellent advice.

PRIVACY IS COLLECTIVE

As I learned from Carissa Véliz’ book Privacy is Power, privacy not just an individual issue, it’s a collective issue. In her books, she actually argues that shouldn’t be allowed to share your DNA with a company because you share your DNA with many family members, and would also be compromising their privacy.

MY ADVICE: CONSENT MATTERS

I would still use Ente for myself if I were in your shoes, and recommend my family uses it too.
Suppose Ente didn’t exist, and you didn’t use Google Photos. You have every right to ask your family to not upload pictures of you on Google or social media, regardless of if it’s private or public.

I asked my friends years ago to stop posting pictures of me online. Every time they did, I told them to remove the pic. I once met up with a friend I hadn’t seen in a long time. We had dinner together, and we took pictures. I had no issue with it, but I asked her not to post them online.

She was bummed by it, but I don’t understand why Instagram needs to see this.

Forcing people to pause and question why it should be ok to post pictures of you when you asked them not to, is a good thing. People should question the surveillance paradigm we’re currently under.

GET AN ENTE FAMILY ACCOUNT

I don’t know if Ente has family accounts yet, but if they do, and you can afford it, I would get a family account, even if it’s just for one year, so the family can try it out, and see how much better it is than Google Photos.

But even if that’s not an option, you have the right to rescind your consent. Granted, if you asked them to remove thousands of pictures of you that they’ve uploaded over years, that would take time. But asking them to stop uploading pictures of you is a fair ask.

TAKE TIME TO PREPARE FOR THIS CONVERSATION

If I were in your position, I would take a lot of preparation for that conversation so that I can help my family understand.