Sunday Shopping: 3M Privacy Filters for ALL of your devices

I know this is an odd thing to bring up on a money/style/minimalist (questionable..) blog, but I am also heavily into data security and making sure that your info is protected.

I am not so scared about reading my credit card info out loud in a public place, but I am very paranoid about passwords, backups, and all of that.

Enter: 3M Privacy Filters

They have them for phones:

3M Privacy Filter for Phone

And they have them for laptops:

3M Privacy Filter for Laptops

And for monitors:

If you want extra security for the laptop, get a gold filter:

3M Privacy Premium Gold Filter for Laptops

The gold ones are the ones I have. They are a little more expensive (about $10 – $20 more), but are much better at blocking out prying eyes than the plain black ones.

Why a privacy filter in the first place?

When you work in a cafe like I do, or travel with a laptop, why do you want people reading your emails or private things? I just don’t like people reading my screen, that’s it.

Even at work.

If you are logging in, typing emails, banking, whatever, even on a secured network, you can just easily have someone come by and eyeball your screen, maybe have photographic memory and be able to blab about your business.

Okay but I don’t get the phone…

I didn’t either and I just bought the phone for my phone and I am marveling that I didn’t before. I use my phone all the time in public places to do banking, write emails, etc.

How DUMB am I to think that if I am able to side-eye or glance over to someone standing in line beside me, and see his phone in broad daylight, texting his girlfriend, that they can’t do the same to me?

What if I was checking my balance, typing in my PIN or my password to a banking or brokerage account?

How easy would it be to just steal that info, and quietly shift money over? Or use that password for other sites (I have different passwords for everything, just so you know, I am insane. Certifiably insane about passwords.)

Or being anonymous, I don’t want people to see I am on my Instagram account or blog, working on things while waiting in a coffee shop.

Just pure paranoia, but also data safety.

Why 3M?

Because they are THE BEST. There’s no point in cheaping out if you’re going to buy a privacy filter – buy the real thing and be done with it.

Sure, you can buy a cheap “3M-like” filter, and it may work, but will it work as well as a 3M one? Likely not.

You’d have to try it in bright sunlight, dim light, at home, and still gain that crystal clear clarity while you are using it without blurriness?

I never bother with the cheap crap for stuff like this – even the GLUE that they use has to be special so that it sticks, doesn’t peel off, and doesn’t leave residue on your phone if you decide to remove it. Some glues, do exactly all of the above and you’ll have “saved” 50% of the cost, but will eventually buy a good filter (like 3M!) because you can’t stand the cheap crap.

Buy less, and buy quality. Creates less waste, you save money, everyone wins.