
I don't trust ANYONE with my private browsing data
But there's fuck all I can do about it. Somebody has to answer my request to connect to El Reg, and the first in line is my Internet provider, or my phone company if I'm using my "smart"phone. I have no choice about that, and what they do with that data vs what they say they do is beyond my control.
Google has its sticky fingers everywhere, thanks to its "free" libraries every web developer is using these days, and it's kind of difficult to block that 100% of the time (but I try my best with NoScript and uBlock Origin - obviously my default browser is not Chrome). Facebook is easier to block, but only because I don't have an account, so I don't care and no website will refuse to work if I do. As for Apple, I don't have an iPhone or anything Cupertino-based, so that is also blocked by default (thank God for NoScript).
Xi is not my problem. As mentioned before, he doesn't give a gnat's fart about me and there's nothing he can do to me. If he gets my browsing info from my VPN provider, so be it.
But there is one thing that gets my hackles up every time :
"Chinese law can force any China-based company to assist national intelligence agencies and share customer data with Beijing "
That kind of declaration should automatically be followed by "just like the USA can do to any American-based company with its National Security letters".
Enough of this gratuitious China bashing. NSA letters have existed since 1978, so I think it is safe to say that Beijing is just following Washington's lead on this subject.