In the early days of the internet, everyone valued the ability to be truly anonymous. Anyone could post from anywhere and feel as though their personal identity was protected.
Nowadays, many of us have thrown our anonymity away by choice. You see countless people making social media posts on public profiles exposing their details to the world. Some make distasteful comments with their families and workplaces in clear sight, while others reveal personal information without a second thought.
Is it still possible to be anonymous online? We all know that our data is being used for tracking purposes. It’s how we end up with targeted ads, spam emails, and other annoying online occurrences. You may also be worried about any government tracking efforts.
While true anonymity is difficult, we want to offer some tips on making your online experience more anonymous so you can feel safer. Keep reading for more.
Don’t Be Fooled by VPNs
Many people are under the impression that a good VPN offers complete privacy. This isn’t true.
While VPN stands for “virtual private network,” this name is misleading. This doesn’t mean that a VPN isn’t useful (after all, it can protect you from several forms of online attacks on otherwise public networks, and it can come in handy if you need to access a site or service in a restricted country).
While it offers some form of privacy, it won’t make all of your personal information private. You still aren’t anonymous on a VPN.
Use Alternative Services
If you’re still using basic email programs, you’re risking your anonymity and personal information.
Most people use Gmail. It’s easy, accessible, user-friendly, and pre-installed on one of the most popular web browsers. But is it anonymous? Are your emails private and safe?
No, they’re not.
Gmail (and the other popular emailing options) can screen your emails. While there isn’t someone picking through every email that’s sent with a fine-toothed comb, your emails are still scanned. This means that it’s possible for you to be put under surveillance (even government surveillance).
You want to look for services that offer some form of zero-knowledge email or file storage. These services claim to not look into your private information, and they keep you safe from third parties.
Don’t Post Your Entire Life Online
This one is easy. If you choose to use social media (for true anonymity, don’t), be careful as to what you post. The world is watching.
You can make your account as private as possible, but you still need to be careful. There’s no reason for you to have your workplace, birth date, location, family relationships, or any other personal information on public display.
While sites like Facebook require a real name, consider using a nickname (or not using Facebook at all). Social media is a great way to break any chances of anonymity you have. If you don’t need it, and you want to have actual anonymity, ditch it.
Use Adblockers
Adblockers aren’t just for making your website viewing experience better. While ads support creators, it’s better for your anonymity to pay these creators directly through things like Patreon or donation areas.
Ads come paired with tracking elements and cookies that track your internet habits, including your buying habits. Have you ever noticed that after an online purchase or search, more items related to that purchase start showing up in your online ads? It’s because they’ve looked into your data.
This is a smart strategy for sellers, but it’s bad news for your anonymity efforts.
While adblockers do take some kinds of data from you, it’s less data than from the ads themselves. Don’t let businesses see you as money in their pockets.
Go Incognito
One of the most common methods of private web browsing is going incognito. Note that this still isn’t true anonymity, but it offers an extra shield for your browsing habits. Incognito mode hides your cookies and site data and won’t save them to your advice. It also offers a browser that’s separate from your normal browser so businesses see you as an entirely new person.
Many people suggest going Incognito when trying to get more affordable airline and hotel prices, but this method has been disputed.
Figure out how to turn on incognito mode on your device for a small step towards privacy.
Check App Permissions
When you download an app or allow it to update, do you click “accept” regardless of what’s in that wall of text that they give you?
Always be careful when you’re accepting terms and conditions. Check on what the app is actually using and what kind of information you’re offering to it. Sometimes apps will ask to use your camera and microphone or ask to have access to your social media.
For some apps, this makes sense. A photo app, for example, needs to use your camera to function. For others, you’ll note that there’s no reason at all for it to have those needs. Stay suspicious.
Reject the Smart Home Future
More and more people are using smart devices in their homes. While they’re useful, futuristic, and trendy, are they good for your privacy?
Not at all.
We don’t know the extent to which these devices listen to us, but we do know that they’re associated with major online companies that already listen to us and reject our anonymity.
There’s some evidence to suggest that these handy devices are spying on you. While this spying may not be malicious per se, it does take away your chances at privacy.
Staying Anonymous Online Isn’t Easy
Is there any true anonymity on the internet? We’re not sure. It seems as though you have to abandon the online world and live technology-free to be safe from people trying to steal your information.
This isn’t an option for most people, though, so focusing your efforts on staying anonymous online is the best that you can do. Stay wary of who may be watching you.
For more articles on technology and more, visit the rest of the site.
