Non-Technical Resources

We’re all trying to keep up, but that can turn out to be very difficult in a world that’s constantly iterating. Below you’ll find the resources we believe are most appropriate to help you, your family, and your community engage more meaningfully with today’s digital technologies.

All Resources
BEACON Resources
Internet Safety
Educational Content
Big Tech Alternatives
Control Your Data
Issues To Watch
Books

A Day in the Life of Your Data

A simple story from Apple about the ways a man and his daughter are tracked throughout their trip to the local park.
BEACON Tool
BEACON Policy
BEACON Resource
Digital Wellness
Data
Child Safety
Books
Issues To Watch
Proposed Legislation
EDucation
ACtive Legislation
Internet Safety
Product
Big Tech Alternative
Learn to Code

The Social Dilemma

Silicon Valley insiders reveal how social media is reprogramming civilization by exposing what’s hiding on the other side of your screen.
BEACON Tool
BEACON Policy
BEACON Resource
Digital Wellness
Data
Child Safety
Books
Issues To Watch
Proposed Legislation
EDucation
ACtive Legislation
Internet Safety
Product
Big Tech Alternative
Learn to Code

Automating Humanity

Automating Humanity is an insider's perspective on everything Big Tech doesn't want the public to know or think about.
BEACON Tool
BEACON Policy
BEACON Resource
Digital Wellness
Data
Child Safety
Books
Issues To Watch
Proposed Legislation
EDucation
ACtive Legislation
Internet Safety
Product
Big Tech Alternative
Learn to Code

In 5G Race With China, U.S. Pushes Allies to Fight Huawei

Huawei’s offices in Warsaw. Polish officials recently came under pressure from the United States to bar Huawei from building their country’s 5G communications network.
BEACON Tool
BEACON Policy
BEACON Resource
Digital Wellness
Data
Child Safety
Books
Issues To Watch
Proposed Legislation
EDucation
ACtive Legislation
Internet Safety
Product
Big Tech Alternative
Learn to Code

For Owners of Amazon's Ring Security Cameras, Strangers may have been Watching Too

Ring has a history of lax, sloppy oversight when it comes to deciding who has access to some of the most precious, intimate data.
BEACON Tool
BEACON Policy
BEACON Resource
Digital Wellness
Data
Child Safety
Books
Issues To Watch
Proposed Legislation
EDucation
ACtive Legislation
Internet Safety
Product
Big Tech Alternative
Learn to Code

AT&T says it’ll stop selling your location data, amid calls for a federal investigation

The announcement follows sharp demands by federal lawmakers for an investigation into the alleged misuse of data.
BEACON Tool
BEACON Policy
BEACON Resource
Digital Wellness
Data
Child Safety
Books
Issues To Watch
Proposed Legislation
EDucation
ACtive Legislation
Internet Safety
Product
Big Tech Alternative
Learn to Code

The Social Dilemma

Silicon Valley insiders reveal how social media is reprogramming civilization by exposing what’s hiding on the other side of your screen.
BEACON Tool
BEACON Policy
BEACON Resource
Digital Wellness
Data
Child Safety
Books
Issues To Watch
Proposed Legislation
EDucation
ACtive Legislation
Internet Safety
Product
Big Tech Alternative
Learn to Code

Automating Humanity

Automating Humanity is an insider's perspective on everything Big Tech doesn't want the public to know or think about.
BEACON Tool
BEACON Policy
BEACON Resource
Digital Wellness
Data
Child Safety
Books
Issues To Watch
Proposed Legislation
EDucation
ACtive Legislation
Internet Safety
Product
Big Tech Alternative
Learn to Code

Canary

Help report all of the problems you see on the internet so we can create reports on what everyone is seeing
BEACON Tool
BEACON Policy
BEACON Resource
Digital Wellness
Data
Child Safety
Books
Issues To Watch
Proposed Legislation
EDucation
ACtive Legislation
Internet Safety
Product
Big Tech Alternative
Learn to Code

A Day in the Life of Your Data

A simple story from Apple about the ways a man and his daughter are tracked throughout their trip to the local park.
BEACON Tool
BEACON Policy
BEACON Resource
Digital Wellness
Data
Child Safety
Books
Issues To Watch
Proposed Legislation
EDucation
ACtive Legislation
Internet Safety
Product
Big Tech Alternative
Learn to Code

TheCloudFall

Tech companies abuse their power over your data. Here is a visual proposal for a way forward that empowers both users and companies by keeping data and AI on‑device.
BEACON Tool
BEACON Policy
BEACON Resource
Digital Wellness
Data
Child Safety
Books
Issues To Watch
Proposed Legislation
EDucation
ACtive Legislation
Internet Safety
Product
Big Tech Alternative
Learn to Code

Public By Default

PUBLIC BY DEFAULT. Venmo Stories of 2017
BEACON Tool
BEACON Policy
BEACON Resource
Digital Wellness
Data
Child Safety
Books
Issues To Watch
Proposed Legislation
EDucation
ACtive Legislation
Internet Safety
Product
Big Tech Alternative
Learn to Code

HTTPS Everywhere

A plugin to help make sure all your browsing is more secure
BEACON Tool
BEACON Policy
BEACON Resource
Digital Wellness
Data
Child Safety
Books
Issues To Watch
Proposed Legislation
EDucation
ACtive Legislation
Internet Safety
Product
Big Tech Alternative
Learn to Code

Jumbo

A tool to help you take control of your data
BEACON Tool
BEACON Policy
BEACON Resource
Digital Wellness
Data
Child Safety
Books
Issues To Watch
Proposed Legislation
EDucation
ACtive Legislation
Internet Safety
Product
Big Tech Alternative
Learn to Code

Privacy Badger

Privacy Badger automatically learns to block invisible trackers.
BEACON Tool
BEACON Policy
BEACON Resource
Digital Wellness
Data
Child Safety
Books
Issues To Watch
Proposed Legislation
EDucation
ACtive Legislation
Internet Safety
Product
Big Tech Alternative
Learn to Code

UK Safer Internet Centre

Offers guidance to help children have a safe and positive time online and information for those working with young people including teachers, foster carers and adoptive parents, healthcare professionals and governors and trustees
BEACON Tool
BEACON Policy
BEACON Resource
Digital Wellness
Data
Child Safety
Books
Issues To Watch
Proposed Legislation
EDucation
ACtive Legislation
Internet Safety
Product
Big Tech Alternative
Learn to Code

Get Safe Online

Offers free expert advice on protecting computers, children and adults against a range on online risks
BEACON Tool
BEACON Policy
BEACON Resource
Digital Wellness
Data
Child Safety
Books
Issues To Watch
Proposed Legislation
EDucation
ACtive Legislation
Internet Safety
Product
Big Tech Alternative
Learn to Code

Which?

Offers detailed FAQs, step by step guides and template letters and regulation explainers on protecting consumer rights online
BEACON Tool
BEACON Policy
BEACON Resource
Digital Wellness
Data
Child Safety
Books
Issues To Watch
Proposed Legislation
EDucation
ACtive Legislation
Internet Safety
Product
Big Tech Alternative
Learn to Code

Public By Default

PUBLIC BY DEFAULT. Venmo Stories of 2017
BEACON Tool
BEACON Policy
BEACON Resource
Digital Wellness
Data
Child Safety
Books
Issues To Watch
Proposed Legislation
EDucation
ACtive Legislation
Internet Safety
Product
Big Tech Alternative
Learn to Code

Guard

Learn more about what's going on behind the scenes of the privacy policies you agree to
BEACON Tool
BEACON Policy
BEACON Resource
Digital Wellness
Data
Child Safety
Books
Issues To Watch
Proposed Legislation
EDucation
ACtive Legislation
Internet Safety
Product
Big Tech Alternative
Learn to Code

Have I been Pwned?

Discover whether your data has been part of a recent breach
BEACON Tool
BEACON Policy
BEACON Resource
Digital Wellness
Data
Child Safety
Books
Issues To Watch
Proposed Legislation
EDucation
ACtive Legislation
Internet Safety
Product
Big Tech Alternative
Learn to Code

Tor Browser

Protect yourself against tracking, surveillance, and censorship.
BEACON Tool
BEACON Policy
BEACON Resource
Digital Wellness
Data
Child Safety
Books
Issues To Watch
Proposed Legislation
EDucation
ACtive Legislation
Internet Safety
Product
Big Tech Alternative
Learn to Code

The Light Phone

A phone is a tool, and it should serve you as the user, not the other way around. The Light Phone II is a phone that actually respects you.
BEACON Tool
BEACON Policy
BEACON Resource
Digital Wellness
Data
Child Safety
Books
Issues To Watch
Proposed Legislation
EDucation
ACtive Legislation
Internet Safety
Product
Big Tech Alternative
Learn to Code

Ecosia

Make Ecosia your new search engine and plant trees with your searches - for free!
BEACON Tool
BEACON Policy
BEACON Resource
Digital Wellness
Data
Child Safety
Books
Issues To Watch
Proposed Legislation
EDucation
ACtive Legislation
Internet Safety
Product
Big Tech Alternative
Learn to Code

No More Google

Privacy-friendly alternatives to Google that don't track you
BEACON Tool
BEACON Policy
BEACON Resource
Digital Wellness
Data
Child Safety
Books
Issues To Watch
Proposed Legislation
EDucation
ACtive Legislation
Internet Safety
Product
Big Tech Alternative
Learn to Code

A Day in the Life of Your Data

A simple story from Apple about the ways a man and his daughter are tracked throughout their trip to the local park.
BEACON Tool
BEACON Policy
BEACON Resource
Digital Wellness
Data
Child Safety
Books
Issues To Watch
Proposed Legislation
EDucation
ACtive Legislation
Internet Safety
Product
Big Tech Alternative
Learn to Code

How Much is Your Private Data Worth and Who Should Own It?

In an ideal world, consumers would control the rights to their data but would also be able to sell it broadly.
BEACON Tool
BEACON Policy
BEACON Resource
Digital Wellness
Data
Child Safety
Books
Issues To Watch
Proposed Legislation
EDucation
ACtive Legislation
Internet Safety
Product
Big Tech Alternative
Learn to Code

GDPR Tracker

Track the compliance and data privacy of +13,000 cloud services, companies and subprocessors.
BEACON Tool
BEACON Policy
BEACON Resource
Digital Wellness
Data
Child Safety
Books
Issues To Watch
Proposed Legislation
EDucation
ACtive Legislation
Internet Safety
Product
Big Tech Alternative
Learn to Code

LinkedIn

Access and download your LinkedIn data
BEACON Tool
BEACON Policy
BEACON Resource
Digital Wellness
Data
Child Safety
Books
Issues To Watch
Proposed Legislation
EDucation
ACtive Legislation
Internet Safety
Product
Big Tech Alternative
Learn to Code

Google

Access and download your Google Data
BEACON Tool
BEACON Policy
BEACON Resource
Digital Wellness
Data
Child Safety
Books
Issues To Watch
Proposed Legislation
EDucation
ACtive Legislation
Internet Safety
Product
Big Tech Alternative
Learn to Code

About Cookies

A guide to deleting and controlling cookies, brought to you by OUT-LAW, part of international law firm Pinsent Masons.
BEACON Tool
BEACON Policy
BEACON Resource
Digital Wellness
Data
Child Safety
Books
Issues To Watch
Proposed Legislation
EDucation
ACtive Legislation
Internet Safety
Product
Big Tech Alternative
Learn to Code

In 5G Race With China, U.S. Pushes Allies to Fight Huawei

Huawei’s offices in Warsaw. Polish officials recently came under pressure from the United States to bar Huawei from building their country’s 5G communications network.
BEACON Tool
BEACON Policy
BEACON Resource
Digital Wellness
Data
Child Safety
Books
Issues To Watch
Proposed Legislation
EDucation
ACtive Legislation
Internet Safety
Product
Big Tech Alternative
Learn to Code

For Owners of Amazon's Ring Security Cameras, Strangers may have been Watching Too

Ring has a history of lax, sloppy oversight when it comes to deciding who has access to some of the most precious, intimate data.
BEACON Tool
BEACON Policy
BEACON Resource
Digital Wellness
Data
Child Safety
Books
Issues To Watch
Proposed Legislation
EDucation
ACtive Legislation
Internet Safety
Product
Big Tech Alternative
Learn to Code

AT&T says it’ll stop selling your location data, amid calls for a federal investigation

The announcement follows sharp demands by federal lawmakers for an investigation into the alleged misuse of data.
BEACON Tool
BEACON Policy
BEACON Resource
Digital Wellness
Data
Child Safety
Books
Issues To Watch
Proposed Legislation
EDucation
ACtive Legislation
Internet Safety
Product
Big Tech Alternative
Learn to Code

How Much is Your Private Data Worth and Who Should Own It?

In an ideal world, consumers would control the rights to their data but would also be able to sell it broadly.
BEACON Tool
BEACON Policy
BEACON Resource
Digital Wellness
Data
Child Safety
Books
Issues To Watch
Proposed Legislation
EDucation
ACtive Legislation
Internet Safety
Product
Big Tech Alternative
Learn to Code

This clever AI hid data from its creators to cheat at its appointed task

Depending on how paranoid you are, this research from Stanford and Google will be either terrifying or fascinating. A machine learning agent intended to transform aerial images into street maps and back was found to be cheating by hiding information.
BEACON Tool
BEACON Policy
BEACON Resource
Digital Wellness
Data
Child Safety
Books
Issues To Watch
Proposed Legislation
EDucation
ACtive Legislation
Internet Safety
Product
Big Tech Alternative
Learn to Code

When Websites Won't Take No for an Answer

Persuasive design is a longstanding practice, not just in marketing but in health care and philanthropy. But the same techniques that encourage citizens to do good may also be used to exploit consumers’ cognitive biases.
BEACON Tool
BEACON Policy
BEACON Resource
Digital Wellness
Data
Child Safety
Books
Issues To Watch
Proposed Legislation
EDucation
ACtive Legislation
Internet Safety
Product
Big Tech Alternative
Learn to Code

Automating Humanity

Automating Humanity is an insider's perspective on everything Big Tech doesn't want the public to know or think about.
BEACON Tool
BEACON Policy
BEACON Resource
Digital Wellness
Data
Child Safety
Books
Issues To Watch
Proposed Legislation
EDucation
ACtive Legislation
Internet Safety
Product
Big Tech Alternative
Learn to Code
Get Involved

Help Make Things Better

There's only so much we can do alone, it's much easier if we all work together. If you have any special resources you think the BEACON network should know about, we'd love to hear about them!

Submit Resource

Sharing resources is critical to our the success of any movement. Share your favorite today and help everyone!

Get Started

More Resources

Not finding the resources you're looking for? Try these.

Non-Technical Resources

You know how to get around the internet but don't spend your day writing code. These resources are meant to help the average person get ahead.
View Resources

Technical Resources

You spend your day writing code or otherwise buried in modern technology work. These resources are meant to help you stay ahead of the curve and informed.
View Resources

Policymaker Resources

You spend your days figuring out how to keep society safe from the forces of modern tech companies. These resources are meant to help you stay up to date.
View Resources

Better Emails

Industry news, cutting edge tips, and valuable resources

Join Mailing List
Our emails come once a month because they're better.