Freedom by Design: Why Purism Rejects Big IT Status Quo

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Purism

Beautiful, Secure, Privacy-Respecting Laptops, Tablets, PCs, and Phones

Latest posts by Purism (see all)

• Librem PQC Encryptor: Future‑Proofing Against Both SS7 and Quantum - September 19, 2025
• Freedom by Design: Why Purism Rejects Big IT Status Quo - September 19, 2025
• When “Efficiency” Becomes Exposure: How DOGE Put America’s Identity at Risk - September 19, 2025

When Privacy Is Optional: How Three Recent Breaches Expose a Systemic Failure

• Google was hit with a $425 million jury verdict after collecting data from nearly 100 million users—even when they switched tracking “off.” A privacy control that doesn’t work isn’t a mistake—it’s deception.
• Samsung saw 270,000 customer records leaked after credentials stolen in 2021 were never rotated. This wasn’t a sophisticated attack; it was four years of negligence finally exploited.
• Chess.com, a hub for millions of players, exposed sensitive personal information because a misconfigured database left records wide open. Names, emails, hashed passwords, and even locations were left for anyone to find.

This wasn’t a hack driven by malice or high-tech trickery—it was careless management in a place meant for community and trust. Players expect a fair game, not to have their personal information carelessly given away.

Each incident tells a different story, yet all trace back to the same flaw— a culture that treats privacy as optional, not essential.

The Pattern: Three Moves Toward Checkmate

• Google: The breach wasn’t technical—it was of their word. A privacy toggle that didn’t stop collection is not a “misunderstanding”; it’s a betrayal. Users felt in control, but the company defined what “control” meant.

• Samsung: The breach was literal. Stolen credentials sat in a database for years, flagged and known, but never revoked. Privacy detonated slowly, predictably, and preventably.

• Chess.com: The breach was architectural. Misconfigured access controls left the doors wide open—not through hacking, but through neglect.

The systemic flaw is clear:

• Consent as theater: Google let users think they were in control while quietly ignoring the privacy switch.
• Security neglect: Samsung allowed stolen credentials to linger, leaving customers vulnerable for years.
• Oversight and configuration and oversight failures: Chess.com mismanaged access controls, leaving sensitive data exposed.

Purism’s Counter-Philosophy: Privacy as Architecture, Not Accessory

At Purism, we don’t bolt privacy on after the fact. We build it into the foundation. That means:

• Data minimization as a first principle. If we don’t collect it, it can’t be stolen, subpoenaed, or misused.
• True user control. When you flip a switch, it’s not a suggestion—it’s a command. Our systems are architected so that “off” means off, enforced at the hardware, firmware, and OS level.
• Credential hygiene as ritual. Keys are rotated, access is audited, and stale credentials are purged—not because a breach forces us to, but because it’s part of the ceremony of stewardship.
• Configuration as discipline. We treat every database, every permission, every access point as a sacred trust—not a default to be left unexamined.
• Transparency without euphemism. We don’t hide behind “anonymization” when the data could still be linked back to you. We tell you exactly what’s collected, why, and for how long.

The Future We Refuse to Inherit

If the industry continues down this path, “privacy” will become a marketing slogan with no more weight than “all-natural” on a cereal box. Breaches will be treated as national disasters—unavoidable, unpreventable— when in fact, they are predictable outcomes of design choices.

Purism exists to prove that another path is possible.

• One where devices are not spies in your pocket.
• One where your consent is not a UX flourish but a binding contract.
• One where the locks are checked not after the burglary, but as part of the daily ritual of keeping you safe.

Trust, once broken, cannot be patched with a software update. It must be designed, defended, and renewed—every day, in every line of code, every system configuration, every decision about data.  That’s the work we do. That’s the work we’ll keep doing. That’s our promise.

LINKS:

• Google Fined $425 Million for Tracking Users Who Said ‘No’. https://www.androidheadlines.com/2025/09/google-fined-425-million-for-tracking-users-who-said-no.html
• Google Hit With $425 Million Jury Verdict in Privacy Trial (5). https://news.bloomberglaw.com/litigation/google-violated-privacy-of-nearly-100-million-users-jury-finds
• Infostealer Strikes Samsung — 270,000 Records Stolen – Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/sites/daveywinder/2025/03/31/infostealer-strikes-samsung-270000-records-stolen/
• Data Breach 2025: Samsung, Hertz, Bank of America, Healthcare Breaches …. https://news.trendmicro.com/2025/04/20/samsung-data-breach-hertz-bank-of-americ-oracle/
• Chess.com Data Leak Exposes Sensitive User Information. https://example.com/chesscom-data-leak

Purism Products and Availability Chart

	Model	Status	Lead Time
	Librem Key (Made in USA)	In Stock ($59+)	10 business days	Learn More Buy Now
	Liberty Phone (Made in USA Electronics)	In Stock ($1,999+) 4GB/128GB	10 business days	Learn More Buy Now
	Librem 5	In Stock ($799+) 3GB/32GB	10 business days	Learn More Buy Now
	Librem 11	In Stock ($999+) 8GB/1TB	10 business days	Learn More Buy Now
	Librem 14	Out of stock	New Version in Development	Coming Soon
	Librem Mini	Out of stock	New Version in Development	Coming Soon
	Librem Server	In Stock ($2,999+)	45 business days	Learn More Buy Now
	Librem PQC Encryptor	Available Now, contact sales@puri.sm	90 business days	Learn More Contact Us
	Librem PQC Comms Server	Available Now, contact sales@puri.sm	90 business days	Learn More Contact Us