Outpost 6

The Case for Going Back to “Dumb Phones”: Privacy, Simplicity, and Mitigating Surveillance

Smartphones have become an integral part of modern life, but they come with significant privacy risks. These devices constantly collect data, track user behavior, and facilitate surveillance by governments and corporations alike. With the growing invasion of privacy and the omnipresence of digital monitoring, a return to non-smartphones, or "dumb phones," offers a compelling solution. These simpler devices—prevalent before smartphones took over—provide a way to mitigate privacy risks, reduce distractions, and regain control over personal data.

This article will explore how using a dumb phone can significantly reduce exposure to surveillance from both government agencies and big tech companies. Additionally, we will highlight how these devices, though not entirely immune to tracking, help limit the scope of data collection, offering a more private and controlled digital experience.

Protecting Privacy: Dumb Phones vs. Smartphones

The privacy concerns associated with smartphones stem from their advanced capabilities. Smartphones are designed to be multifunctional, running applications, storing sensitive data, and using GPS to track locations—all of which expose users to constant monitoring by tech giants such as Google, Apple, Facebook, and countless app developers.

How Smartphones Compromise Privacy

• Continuous Data Reporting: Smartphones continuously send telemetry data to the companies that control their operating systems—Google for Android and Apple for iOS. This data can include everything from app usage to location details, phone performance metrics, and even interactions with websites or services connected to your phone.

• Precise Location Tracking: Smartphones with built-in GPS are designed to provide precise location services, which are crucial for maps, ride-hailing apps, and fitness trackers. However, this also enables constant location monitoring, which is valuable not only to advertisers but also to governments for surveillance purposes. Even when location services are disabled, your movements can be tracked through other means, such as Wi-Fi connections and cell tower triangulation.

• App Permissions and Background Monitoring: Many smartphone apps request access to a range of data, including contacts, camera, microphone, and more, even when these permissions are not necessary for the app’s core functionality. Many apps also continue collecting data in the background, adding to the wealth of information collected without the user’s direct knowledge or consent.

A move back to dumb phones helps mitigate many of these risks. Dumb phones are free of the apps, operating systems, and features that harvest data on a constant basis. Without GPS, they limit the accuracy of location tracking, and their basic functionality means fewer opportunities for background data collection.

Dumb Phones: A Privacy-Friendly Choice

Dumb phones inherently offer more privacy because they lack the complex systems used by smartphones to gather and transmit data. Users of dumb phones avoid many of the privacy pitfalls associated with smartphones, as these simpler devices are limited in their data-sharing capabilities.

• No GPS or Apps: Dumb phones don’t come with GPS, making it far more difficult for companies or governments to track users' exact locations. While dumb phones still communicate via cell towers, which can be used to triangulate a phone’s position, this method is far less accurate and doesn’t provide the same real-time tracking that GPS offers.

• Limited Data Transmission: Dumb phones don’t rely on app ecosystems like Android or iOS, so there’s no constant stream of data flowing back to tech companies. While telecom providers can still collect some basic data like call logs or SMS records, the absence of apps and internet browsing significantly reduces the amount of personal information that is exposed.

• Fewer Vulnerabilities: Because dumb phones are not connected to the internet in the same way as smartphones, they are less vulnerable to hacking, spyware, or malware that could compromise personal data.

Mitigating Government Surveillance with Dumb Phones

The rise of government surveillance programs in the past two decades has made smartphones a prime target for monitoring. After the September 11 attacks, governments around the world, particularly in the United States, significantly expanded their surveillance capabilities. Modern smartphones have made it easier for these agencies to monitor citizens’ communications, locations, and behaviors.

However, dumb phones limit the extent to which government agencies can conduct surveillance on an individual. While no phone is entirely free from the possibility of monitoring, using a dumb phone mitigates many of the risks associated with mass surveillance programs.

The Smartphone Surveillance Ecosystem

Government agencies rely heavily on the data produced by smartphones. This includes metadata from calls and texts, geolocation information from GPS services, and content gathered from apps and internet activity. Programs like the NSA’s PRISM, revealed by Edward Snowden, showed just how much access government agencies have to this information, often without the need for a warrant.

By contrast, dumb phones produce far less data that can be accessed by government agencies.

• No App or Internet Surveillance: Smartphones often allow governments to access information through apps and internet services, but dumb phones don’t support apps, browsing, or internet usage. This significantly reduces the channels through which a government can track user activities.

• Minimal Geolocation Tracking: Unlike smartphones that constantly share GPS coordinates, dumb phones rely on cell towers for location data. This makes it harder for agencies to track a person’s movements in real-time. Though cell tower triangulation is still possible, it is not as precise or continuous as GPS monitoring.

• No Backdoor Searches: Programs like PRISM allowed government agencies to directly access servers of major tech companies, extracting personal data such as emails, social media interactions, and browsing histories. Dumb phones, which don’t run these services, mitigate this risk. They don’t store emails, app data, or online interactions, leaving very little information for government agencies to collect.

Case Study: How Dumb Phones Limit Tracking

In 2019, reports emerged of high-profile individuals using dumb phones specifically to avoid sophisticated digital tracking. These individuals, including politicians, activists, and business leaders, turned to dumb phones as a way to ensure that their movements and conversations couldn’t be easily intercepted. Dumb phones provided a layer of security and privacy not possible with internet-connected smartphones, reducing exposure to both corporate and government tracking.

By reverting to basic phones, users avoided GPS tracking, app-based data collection, and telemetry data reporting, which made it more challenging for both hackers and government agencies to monitor their actions.

Reducing Big Tech’s Reach

Another compelling reason to switch back to dumb phones lies in limiting the reach and influence of big tech companies. Google, Apple, Facebook, and others have built vast data-collection networks that are deeply embedded in their respective operating systems and app ecosystems. Smartphones have become tools for these companies to gather detailed information on users, which is then monetized through targeted advertising, data brokerage, and partnerships with other industries.

The Smartphone Data Economy

Both Apple’s iOS and Google’s Android are designed to gather as much data as possible. This includes location history, browsing habits, app usage, and even conversations. Many free apps on these platforms make their money by selling user data to advertisers or data brokers, who then create comprehensive profiles of individuals based on their digital behaviors.

By switching to a dumb phone, users take themselves out of this data ecosystem. Dumb phones don’t track online browsing or app usage, and they don’t report user behavior back to tech companies. This limits the amount of personal information that big tech companies can collect and monetize.

• Opting Out of Data Brokerage: Many companies involved in data brokerage rely on smartphones to gather valuable information. This information is then sold to third parties, including advertisers, insurers, and even political campaigns. Using a dumb phone minimizes your exposure to these brokers, as there is simply less data available to collect and sell.

• Escaping the Attention Economy: Apps on smartphones are designed to capture and maintain user attention, creating an addictive cycle that fuels the attention economy. Dumb phones don’t support these apps, freeing users from the constant push to stay connected and engaged.

Where to Find Dumb Phones Today

Dumb phones are still available for purchase, both new and used, for those who want to take a step back from smartphones. Here are some reliable sources:

New Dumb Phones

NOTE: Recent "dumb phones" now have GPS and do transmit GPS data to the mobile carrier provider, pinpointing your location. If this is not a worry, and you only want to mitigate exposure to big tech, then these recent models will fit the bill.

1. Nokia 3310 (2017 Edition): A modern reboot of a classic model, the Nokia 3310 is simple, durable, and free from the data-harvesting capabilities of modern smartphones. Available on Amazon and through mobile retailers.

2. Light Phone II: Designed for those seeking simplicity, the Light Phone II offers basic functions like calling and texting, intentionally avoiding apps, social media, and internet browsing. It is available directly from the Light Phone website.

3. Punkt MP02: Another minimalist device, the Punkt MP02 offers essential features without the distractions of a smartphone. It also supports encrypted messaging via Signal. Available on Punkt’s website and from select online retailers.

Used Dumb Phones

1. eBay: A great resource for finding older dumb phones from brands like Nokia, Motorola, and Sony Ericsson. Many of these models are still in working condition and can be purchased at reasonable prices.

2. Swappa: Swappa offers used electronics, including dumb phones. This platform ensures that the devices are in good working condition, and it provides a range of options for buyers.

3. Amazon (Used Section): Amazon’s marketplace for used electronics often features older dumb phones. Be sure to check network compatibility and phone condition when purchasing from this platform.

Conclusion: A Return to Privacy and Simplicity

Switching back to dumb phones represents a proactive step toward mitigating the risks associated with modern technology. Smartphones have become gateways for mass surveillance by governments and big tech, exposing users to unprecedented levels of data collection and monitoring. Dumb phones offer a way to limit this exposure, with no GPS tracking, no apps to siphon data, and no operating systems designed to report telemetry back to companies.

Choosing a dumb phone isn’t about rejecting technology entirely

; it’s about choosing a more intentional, private, and simplified way of living. For those concerned about their privacy, tired of the distractions of modern life, or eager to escape the reach of big tech and government surveillance, dumb phones provide a refreshing alternative—one where personal information remains just that: personal.