I think the weirdest response I’ve seen from people about the Kompakt, both online and in real life, is to joke that the only people who need it are criminals. Even among my friends who I’ve expressed my privacy anxiety to, and who agree it’s invasive and concerning that our phones track our every move, when I explain the Offline+ switch or the de-Googled nature of my phone, they laugh and say something like “What are, you a drug dealer?” I’ve even seen youtube videos and blog posts with sensationalized titles to that effect (I know it’s algorithm baiting, it still annoys me).
I just find it disquieting that Mudita can put so much work into designing a brand that’s very obviously not sketchy but people’s initial reaction to the very concept of privacy is to assume the userbase has something sinister to hide. It sucks that 24/7 surveillance is so normalized that suddenly I’m suspicious just because I appreciate being able to take my phone fully offline without putting it in a faraday cage.
The seemingly cavalier attitude of the average person with the statement “I’ve got nothing to hide” now comes to bite us in the behind with upcoming changes that will render Linux and De-Googled phones not practical for the common person. All because no one cared. This gave politicians the signal that they can push laws that actually control our computers and Big tech loves it, because they get to keep the control.
A few months ago, my friend sent me this from the dark corners of the internet about Mudita Kompakt
The killer tagline…Mudita Kompakt is for people not for crime.
Horrifying that people think a private phone is sketchier than the constant surveillance and predatory advertising! I have never gotten that response, but I do get a lot of “wow I could never do that, good for you” the smart phone addiction is real!
I’m just happy that at least there is a noticeable cultural shift happening right now, especially with younger people, regarding online privacy and embracing offline life. People now are fully aware of how bad the situation is surrounding our modern internet and corporate tech surveillance, so I mostly notice positive support amongst people who are disconnecting and embracing privacy. Nearly everyone who I’ve shown my Kompakt to has reacted super positively to it, with regards to its minimal nature and it basically forcing me to disconnect in a highly productive and positive way. With the exception of one of my best friends who lovingly refers to it as my “schizo phone”
it’s kind of a sort tech racism like the blue and green bubles, and brainwashed profiling. Criminals use unencrypted messages ???
Iv’e been routine checked while driving and was treated as a suspect for having a dumbphone, also there was a molly drywall gun and the cop actually asked if it was a weapon, I almost laughed at him, but I felt worried and unsafe because of how stupid he was.
Most people are so captured by the “convenience “ of the smartphone, that they have been convinced they need, by clever marketing. That they cannot comprehend, anyone questioning if much of it is actually necessary.
Many are also not prepared to give up much of this convenience and are would rather give up personal privacy to keep it, the rest are in the ‘I have bigger things to worry about” camp the apathy around personal privacy is staggering
