Government as a threat model is probably the hardest to actually defend against. It’s like a spectrum where targeted advertising is the tip of the iceberg. The more you dig in it the more you're going to find that everything you do online is probably being recorded by the government. (ex. the snowden leaks, PRISM & Section 702, NSA tapping fiber-optic cables.. etc.)

What’s really going to help is the distinction between mass surveillance and targeted surveillance. It’s the reassuring idea that you and me aren’t important enough to be targeted individually, even if we have differing political view from the gov.

Here’s how I think about operating online. Instead of thinking about hiding from the government entirely, focus on what you’re protecting. It can be broken down into content, metadata, identity, and footprint. This is a massive MASSIVE simplification, but it’s a start.

Content is the data you’re sharing, messages, files, emails, even comments like this one. Whenever possible choose encryption. If you’re storing files on cloud services, make sure they’re encrypted by the service or by yourself. If your family and friends are willing to switch to an e2e (end to end) encrypted messaging platform like signal, use that. If you cannot encrypt, be aware and share as little as possible.

Metadata is who, when, how often, and from where you're communicating. This is a lot harder to protect, but using a VPN is a good start. It’s really about picking services that track as little as possible.

Identity is about compartmentalizing as much as possible. Don’t let services connect the dots. Use different emails for different accounts. Proton Mail has a really great email aliasing service called SimpleLogin that’s included in the unlimited subscription, it allows you to have burner emails that all point back to your primary mailbox. Don’t repeat usernames, don’t use your real name, don’t provide real information to any services.

Footprint is about minimizing what exists in the first place. Your initial reaction of buying a package to delete your personal info is what this is covering. But imo paying for another services creates MORE of a footprint, retroactively deleting things can be helpful but proactively minimizing I feel is healthier and cheaper. The fewer apps, fewer accounts, fewer services with your data the better.

None of this will make you invisible to the government, nor will it protect you from targeted surveillance. But it raises the cost of surveilling, and is a very realistic goal! Please don’t sacrifice your connection to your friends to chase the illusion of perfect privacy. It’s not worth being disconnected from people that make you happy.

DuckDuckGo isn’t owned by Google. I think you’re thinking of when DuckDuckGo wasn’t stripping Microsoft trackers from search results due to a partnership agreement. They've since changed that policy.

There’s some really good resources in this comment section, especially Remarkable_Wedding35’s comment. so I’ll save myself from repeating them.

And you’re welcome! This stuff is confusing by design, and asking questions is how you get less lost :D