Friends and I are considering some travelling around the world, including perhaps a trip to China. There is much negative press on the state of digital privacy in China, but what exactly should I pay attention to if I do visit? If I am your typical privacy enthusiast with a GrapheneOS phone and Linux laptop, how might I prepare for the trip privacy-wise? I’d also love to hear any firsthand experience as to which concerns are myths and which ones are real.
Get a cheap phone like a Galaxy A36 for the trip, then install some VPNs with GFW circumvention like Windscribe, Proton and Psiphon before you go.
You should also get a roaming SIM card, preferably from an MVNO or an eSIM app do you don’t get rip-off prices.
Roaming SIM cards usually route traffic through their native network like a VPN which bypasses the GFW and gives you some extra privacy.
And once you get there, don’t say anything negative about the Chinese government or politics.
Watching YouTube videos and reading posts here about unrelated subjects is okay as long as you are using a roaming SIM card, a VPN or preferably both togther.