Following on from our article outlining what Google knows about you, here’s a great guide on how to keep your identity safe on the web. Let’s start with disposable accounts. After you have read this and made use of the great resources, I would click the what google knows about you link. It will help you to understand the sheer amount of data kept on you and allow you to switch most of it off.
Keep Your Identity Safe On The Web
Not only does it create a name, it also creates a load more too. Including an email address (that actually works), phone number, birth date, social security number, the works. Great for when you need an identity for a website but don’t want to use your own. Makes everything look believable and you don’t have to spend any time making it up!
Ah, you say, but most sites now need a phone number to verify you’re a real person. Don’t worry, I got you covered there too!
Hushed can be used worldwide as an Android or iOS app and gives you a disposable phone number. The drawback is that it’s not free. Although there is a trial version that gives you 3 days with 10 sms messages and 10 minutes of calling.
Google Voice on the other hand, is completely free but is only available in the US. You can use it elsewhere through a VPN and in fact, Opera has a free, unlimited VPN built right in.
Spam email is annoying and makes up the vast majority of all email communications sent and received. To keep your main email relatively anonymous, use 10 minute mail to sign up for things. The service is free and here’s how it works. Once you go to the site, it creates a unique email address with no sign up or password, that destruct in 10 minutes. Use it to sign up and never need it again.
The only search engine that does not track everything you do. You can add it to any browser and surf the web in anonymity.
It’s like snapchat for large files. Once delivered, the file self destructs, leaving no trace. Great for privacy if you’re sending personal documents.
Don’t want to have to sign up, login or any other nonsense on a website? This is where you head. Bug me not keeps a database of usernames and passwords for pretty much every site, so you can use the credentials without having all the hassle of having to build an account.
This last one is for lovers of complete privacy.
Tor is a browser that is completely private and comes pre-configured. It contains everything you need to keep safe while on the web. However, because of how it’s built, it will run slower than a normal web browser as it searches to keep your connections private.
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