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David Einslow

David Einslow (a.k.a. "That Private Dude") is a privacy advocate documenting their journey deep into the weeds of digital security—testing niche tools from alias services to sharing hands-on experiments and step-by-step guides with formal yet witty humility, and mapping practical solutions for anyone seeking to protect their data and get more privacy in their lives.

Why You Might Be Paying More for Groceries: Understanding and Blocking Surveillance Pricing

On December 9, 2025, "More Perfect Union" and "Consumer Reports" published a video: "We Had 400 People Shop for Groceries. What We Found Will Shock You." - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=osxr7xSxsGo Here's part of their video description: "EXCLUSIVE: We uncovered a secret corporate scheme to raise grocery prices. We found that Instacart is using AI algorithms to charge customers different prices for the same items. The scary part? It's not just online. It's in physical grocery stores, too....
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When Chinese Domains Unexpectedly Appeared in DNS Logs

003 - When Chinese Domains Appeared in My DNS Logs by: David Einslow (a.k.a. - That Private Dude) TL;DR: I discovered hundreds of DNS queries to unfamiliar Chinese domains in my logs and initially feared my network was compromised. After days of investigation, I discovered someone in China was using my NextDNS configuration ID—likely through brute-forcing or an unknown leak. The fix was simple: regenerate your NextDNS config ID. If you use NextDNS, check your logs now to ensure you're the onl...
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Mastering Email Aliases – A Follow‑Up Primer

002 - Mastering Email Aliases – A Follow‑Up Primer by: David Einslow (a.k.a. - That Private Dude) Introduction This is a follow‑up to my previous post, “Refining the Email Strategy of the GOAT.” While that piece dove straight into practical workflows, it did not clarify the terminology that underpins the whole discussion. If you’re new to privacy‑focused email practices, or even privacy in general, consider this a brief glossary and conceptual overview that will help you understand why ali...
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Refining the Email Strategy of the GOAT

Refining the Email Strategy of the GOAT by: David Einslow (a.k.a. - That Private Dude) Introduction Privacy‑savvy readers of Michael Bazzell’s Extreme Privacy (5th Edition) know that email is the digital front door to our lives. A single address can betray more than a careless “reply‑all” ever could. Yet the modern toolbox—custom domains, aliasing services such as SimpleLogin, and the ever‑reliable ProtonMail—offers enough levers to keep the door firmly shut. In this post we’ll walk throu...
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