The friend I'm trying to help was just someone, nearby-in-the-social-graph
on Tumblr, who asked for help with securing communication and stuff.
Their specific situation is that they're about 15, autistic and bipolar,
and have both a very active and emotionally important online life, and very
invasive parents who wouldn't think much before cutting that off if they
thought it might help make them "easier to deal with"-like. I don't really
know -- I just offered to help.
This question was trying as much for specific for them, as general
strategies that minors can use -- I'm also thinking of one person from a
while ago, whom I knew better and who is thankfully in a much better
situation right now, who was using their abusive dad's laptop when
available and terrified of the possible and likely consequences if their
dad found the thread that they were getting sympathy, advice, and support
in. I'm pretty sure I've run into other kids who were concerned about stuff
like that. One friend is working at this problem, partially to use,
partially just to get a sense of infosec, partially just in case. After I
posted the original post here, another friend specifically asked me to
summarize what I learned from this thread, 'cause they expect to run into
people who need advice.
Mostly I'd like to be able to work out something that, if I run into
someone in a similar situation, I could say "Here, try this, this, and
this. Look for these things -- you can do that like this -- and if you find
this then you have to take this other precaution. And if you can, try
reading this and this and see if that's applicable to your situation." At
least as a start. And I'd like be able to share that like I can share "well
here's how you make it harder for Google/The Government/An Identity Thief
to get your info...".
