How to protect your privacy online?

Today, the internet has become a must. Searching for information, shopping, listening to music, chatting… the internet is used for almost everything. However, this network is complex and presents huge risks. It is sometimes difficult to see the dangers. It can happen that strangers collect information about you without your consent. So you need to take steps to protect your privacy online. In this text, you will find tips on how to do so.

Why protect your privacy online?

Before the Internet, it was somewhat easy to maintain your privacy. Everyone was in control of their personal information. Even if you divulged data, it didn’t go outside your circle of friends. Nowadays, everything has changed and your privacy is exposed. It is important to preserve your privacy because it ensures your stability and well-being.
So, protecting your privacy online means making sure you control what information is published about you. You also need to control who can see that data. This is essential because some information about you can cause harm when it gets into the hands of malicious people.
For example, think of videos and photos of yourself that you would like no one to see. If everyone gets a hold of them, it could compromise your image or reputation. You may even be harassed by others.
Therefore, it is crucial that you maintain your privacy to prevent its violation. Do so in a way that allows you to decide with whom and what information to share. This way, you can avoid problems with the Internet and enjoy the pleasures it offers without fear.

The dangers of leaving data online

When you leave your personal information online, you are more vulnerable to the outside world. It is possible for malicious individuals to easily exploit this data in order to harm you. Be aware that putting information on the internet presents many dangers. Here are some of the dangers and how to deal with each one.

Your email address

E-mailing is still the number one activity for Internet users. You have certainly noticed that many services and sites require you to register by creating an account. Most of the time, you have to fill in a password, an email address and a nickname.
You are therefore giving your email address to an unknown site that you may never use again. As a result, your information may fall into the hands of malicious people. This potentially exposes you to great danger. So, how can you avoid this?

Solution: Use a disposable email
Rather than giving out your real email address, you have the option of providing a disposable email address. A disposable email is a temporary email address that can be discarded after a short period of time.
Several sites such as Yopmail offer free anonymous disposable email address creation. The use of this tool is very simple. You just need to indicate the address you want and then connect to its interface.
However, it should be noted that the most well-known disposable email providers are Guerilla Mail, Fake Inbox and 10 Minute Mail. Apart from these, you can also choose between Trashmail, Jetable.org, Temp mail and Mohmail.

Browsing while connected to Facebook

Facebook is the first social network in the world. It has millions of users. Browsing the internet already leaves its mark. Besides that, everyone who posts his or her Facebook timeline on a daily basis leaves a digital footprint. The size of this digital footprint increases tenfold when you also feed the Silicon Valley giant your personal data.
This information is usually about your favorite music, your age, your passions or your favorite fashion brands. And you should know that Facebook can resell digital records to its partners, which can affect your privacy.

Solution: Use a privacy-friendly browser

It is possible that your internet service provider collects data during your web browsing. Likewise, the sites you visit are trying to collect information. So to avoid this, you should surf the Internet anonymously using a privacy-friendly browser like Tor.
With it, your internet browsing is secure. It routes your connection through many routers and encrypts the information you exchange. Rather than taking a direct route from sender to receiver, it passes between relays and is encrypted. This makes it possible to cover your tracks. Moreover, the browser gives you access to the hidden service or invisible web and the Darknet.

Let Google know your searches

Your age, the name of your browser, your gender, your connection location, even your reading speed… when you explore a web page, Google probably knows everything about you. It controls your every move on the web. It is also likely to evaluate the legality of the content of your emails. But the good news is that you can disappear from the Mountain View giant’s radar at any time.

Solution: Use a search engine that does not store your data or use private browsing
Google records your personal information. It then uses it to present optimal search results and, in particular, to carry out targeted advertising. You can easily use a search engine that does not track you and does not store your data. There are two that are extremely efficient and offer good results: Qwant and DuckDuckGo.
The other option is private browsing. With it, your history, cookies, information or other are no longer stored. Your downloaded files and your favorites created are preserved. You can then browse without leaving your personal information to the browser.

Conclusion

It is important to remember that protecting your privacy is essential to avoid the various inconveniences of the Internet. It is the insurance to have a peaceful and controlled life. To do this, there are many measures you can take. These include using a disposable email, private browsing and a privacy-friendly browser. You can also use a search engine that does not store your data. The purpose of data protection is not to collect personal data without the consent of the person. This data is stored and then sold to companies. Then they are processed and used for commercial purposes. The disclosure of personal information goes against the respect of privacy.