TechJunkie is a BOX20 Media Company

Home How to Stay Anonymous Online

How to Stay Anonymous Online

How to Stay Anonymous Online

In today’s fast-paced, digital world, it seems like online privacy is nearly impossible to achieve. Every action we take on the internet is tracked one way or another. Have you ever noticed that you kept seeing ads about that one product you googled once? Platforms like Facebook, Google, and Amazon, among other services, collect user data. It’s an open secret nowadays that this information is used to target ads and make money by selling ad spaces to the highest bidder.

You might think that you and your personal information are safe online, but almost anyone can be a victim of hacks and cybercrime nowadays. Sharing too much information and using dangerous websites can even result in identity theft and credit card fraud.

That’s why being anonymous online has become more important than ever. Although it may seem like it can’t be done, staying anonymous on the web is possible. You just have to change your digital routine and start using safer websites and search engines.

Here are some tips on how to stay anonymous online and have a safe browsing experience.

1. Start With Incognito Mode

Most browsers offer a private browsing mode, otherwise known as Incognito Mode. It allows you to browse the internet without recording your search history on your computer. It also prevents cookies and the website cache from being saved on your device. If you use Google Chrome, Safari, Mozilla Firefox, Internet Explorer, or Microsoft Edge, you’ll be able to take advantage of Incognito Mode.

Incognito Mode is usually used so you can search for whatever you want without worrying about the browser remembering it. When you close the Incognito window, your session won’t be saved on the browser. It also means that other people who use the device won’t be able to see what you used the browser for.

Even though you can browse privately with Incognito Mode, your IP address will still be visible to third-party websites. That’s why Incognito Mode is a good solution for temporary privacy, but for complete anonymity, we will have to go a step further.

2. Use Alternative Search Engines and Browsers

Of all the search engines available, Google is the least safe when it comes to online privacy. Other popular search engines, like Bing and Yahoo, aren’t any better. All of these search engines use cookies to track your online activity. If you want to use a safer search engine, DuckDuckGo is the best “mainstream” option. It protects your privacy, and it doesn’t track which websites you visit.

If that is not enough, one of the best ways to stay anonymous online is with an anonymized browser. We recommend using Tor, free and open-source software that allows you to remain anonymous. Not only does Tor hide your identity online, but it also conceals your location. Tor does this by using random nodes to reduce the possibility of websites tracking you and your data usage information. You can use DuckDuckGo and Tor at the same time.

Keep in mind that using Tor doesn’t make you 100% anonymous. Your internet service provider will still know that you’re browsing on Tor. To prevent this from happening, you should use a VPN as well, which we’ll cover below.

3. Use a VPN

A VPN or a virtual private network is mainly used to hide your IP address and search history. It does this by encrypting any sort of web traffic, not just from browsers, but from apps that use the internet as well. Installing a VPN on your device also hides your online activity from your internet service provider. All your online data will go through an encrypted digital tunnel.

There are various VPNs available, but most of them require a paid subscription to get complete protection and all the benefits. You can find free alternatives as well, but they may not offer the same features. Some of the best VPNs you can use to protect your online privacy and stay anonymous online are ExpressVPN, NordVPN, Surfshark, Private Internet Access VPN, IPVanish, and more.

Aside from anonymity, VPNs are also used to access geo-blocked websites and content. For example, if you want to watch a Korean drama show on Netflix, but it’s not available in your region, you can use a VPN to change your location and have access to the show.

4. Limit Your Social Media Usage

Today, almost everyone uses social media, even children and the elderly. Social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter are nowhere near as safe as you might imagine. By oversharing on social media, you make yourself a target to hackers, identity theft, and third-party websites that collect your personal data. And these are just some of the potential dangers you’re facing online. Even worse things can happen in real life, from bullying to stalking. Therefore, be careful about what you share and who you share it with.

Another useful tip is to log out of those apps when you are no longer using them. This prevents those platforms and apps from tracking your online activity. We know that signing in and out of each app every time you use it might seem like too much, but if you want to stay anonymous online, doing this will help you achieve your goal. If you decide to stop using a social media platform, it’s better to delete your account than to just disable it.

5. Check and Restrict App Permissions

If you don’t want to stop using social media, the best thing you can do is turn on the privacy settings for each of these apps. Every time you install a new social media app, or any app at all, you’re asked to give that app permission to access various information on your device. Most apps track your location, and they have access to your photos, camera, and contacts. Messaging apps, like WhatsApp, Viber, and Facebook Messenger, also have access to your microphone. Ask yourself, does that one particular app really need my location?

Social media apps also collect all your data and activity within the app. Did you know that you have the option to download a copy of all your Facebook data? Everything you have ever done on Facebook since you created your account will be stored here. You’d be surprised what you’ll find there. That’s why you should also check and restrict privacy permissions within each app.

6. Actually Read Privacy Policies

Let’s face it; no one really reads the privacy policy before checking the “I agree” box. This doesn’t only happen every time you install a new app, but when you open a website on your browser for the first time. A privacy policy will tell you exactly how a website or an app will collect and use your data. A lot of companies also sell your data to their affiliates. Most people disregard the privacy policy without even thinking about the consequences.

Privacy policies are similar to website cookies. Every website uses cookies to remember information about the person who visited the website. Cookies are automatically downloaded from the web page you visit. They are mainly used for targeted ads that you will keep seeing no matter which web page you go to. Many users aren’t aware of the fact that it’s possible to disable cookies on almost all browsers. We highly recommend doing this to bolster your online privacy.

7. Install Encrypted Messaging Apps

Another effective way of protecting your online privacy and staying anonymous is with encrypted messaging apps. You’ll want apps that offer end-to-end encrypted communication, like Signal and Telegram. WhatsApp used to be known as a perfectly good encryption messaging app, but after going through so many privacy scandals, more and more people are moving to safer alternatives. Even though WhatsApp claims to be the most secure messaging app there is, there were concerns that this messaging platform was sharing the users’ data with Facebook.

Signal is a free encrypted messaging app available for Android devices and iPhones. You can use it to send text and voice messages and make audio and video calls without worrying about someone stealing your data. Telegram is another messaging app that’s safe to use. In fact, Telegram has so many users that it has grown into a social media platform. This encrypted communication app is free, and it can be found on the App Store and Google Play store.

8. Use a Different Email Address

A great way to stay anonymous online is with a different email address. Every time you make a new account on an app or website, you are required to use your email. Not only does this compromise your online safety, but it also means endless newsletters, notifications, and discount alerts. Before you know it, your inbox is full of junk mail.

To solve this, you can create a temporary email that doesn’t contain any personal information. Similarly, make sure the temporary email isn’t connected to any accounts that store your personal information. There are various fake mail generators that can give you a free temporary email address.

You can also use an encrypted email, like ProtonMail, which is far more secure than Gmail, Outlook, and Yahoo. Another option is to install a webmail extension, like SecureGmail. It encrypts all your emails, providing you with a safer online experience.

9. Use Ad Blockers

You may have noticed how you keep seeing ads that offer you exactly what you’ve been looking for recently. That’s called ad targeting, and it’s a result of website cookies we have already talked about above. While they may be useful, they’re a sign of exactly how much Google knows about you. Even though those ads are more annoying than dangerous, it’s normal to feel like your privacy has been violated. This is where ad blockers come in.

Ad blockers are helpful in a number of ways. Not only do they remove all the ads from websites, but they also allow the site to load faster. Some of the best ad blockers are Ghostery, AdBlock, AdGuard, AdLock, AdBlocker Ultimate, and more. Note that some websites won’t load at all with ad blockers, so look for ad blocker apps that have the whitelist feature.

10. Enable Anti-Tracking Browser Extensions

There are many anti-tracking browser extensions that can help you stay anonymous online. One of them is HTTPS Everywhere. This extension can be installed on Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, and Opera. If you’re using Tor or Brave, it’s already installed. This browser extension allows you to only visit encrypted websites.

Another web extension you can use to prevent tracking is Privacy Badger. It prevents third-party websites from tracking your online activity and blocks ads. It can be installed on Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, Mozilla Firefox, and Opera. We’ve already mentioned Ghostery as an ad blocker, but it’s actually a browser extension. Aside from blocking ads, Ghostery also reveals which websites are tracking you.

11. Research Online Privacy

We’ve all heard the saying, “knowledge is power.” To figure out how to be as anonymous online as possible, you need to understand how websites use your data to target ads. This means learning what kind of data is collected, which websites collect our data, and what exactly they do with it. There are many state, federal, and international data collection laws companies are obligated to abide by. However, once you click on the “I agree” button when you first enter a web page, you give that website permission to track your online behavior. Your online data can then be stored, shared, and sold to third-party websites.

12. Don’t Go Online

Unfortunately, the best and most secure way to stay anonymous online and protect your privacy on the internet is by not going online at all. But since everything is online these days, few people can actually afford to do this. Our advice is to limit your screen time as much as possible, not just to protect your online privacy, but for various other reasons as well.

Stay Anonymous Online

Stay Safe and Protect Your Online Privacy

Even though many people believe that being 100% anonymous online is impossible and that they can’t control data tracking, it can be done. It’s just not as simple as using Incognito Mode or a VPN. If you want to stay anonymous online, you need to use a safer search engine, browser, webmail, and messaging apps. In addition, you’ll need to install a VPN, an ad blocker, and an anti-tracking browser extension. Ultimately, the best way to be anonymous online is not to be online at all, which might not be suitable for everyone.

The Best Macbook Alternatives in 2022

Read Next 

One thought on “How to Stay Anonymous Online”

bobie says:
It’s very easy to stay anonymous online if you use the Utopia P2P browser. It completely encrypts your data and gives you the ability to change your IP and your location. I always choose the easiest way to remain anonymous and encrypt my personal data.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *


Arch

Jul 13, 2022

1933 Articles Published

More