Your presence online is not as private as you think. The idea that people’s actions online are being logged, is not a mere conspiracy theory anymore. With the recent Facebook data scandal the conspiracy has turned into a fact, a disturbing one at that.
From your search engine history and online purchases to your location and personal data, everything is at risk of being tracked. Your personal data can be sold and shared on platforms, without you knowing anything about it.
The information is also acquired by big businesses, companies, and agencies, who capitalize on your interests and habits to target ads according to that. Moreover, ISPs and state-administered institutions can also access your entire internet traffic.
At first glance, getting tracked by an ISP might not be that bad considering you are one good citizen. However, the problem arises when an ISP has more than required access to your personal data. This may include banking information, retirement accounts, and other sensitive financial information that may even be hidden from your loved ones.
How Do You Get Tracked Online?
After knowing you are being tracked online, the first thing you would want to know is; HOW? Well, for starters most websites glean your information the moment you visit them. The disturbing fact is, knowingly or unknowingly, you grant them access yourself.
If you are not new to the internet, you’d know that every time you open a website you agree to their cookie policy. Although the name appears rather cute, agreeing to the cookie policy means you have provided them with a license to track you. That’s the reason you continue to see ads for a product you merely searched for for a minute or two.
Not just that, browser plugins are another thing you should be cautious of. Although they are beneficial in many cases, cyber privacy experts believe that they sometimes have access to more information than required. The Adobe Flash plugin raised major security concerns back in 2017.
You must remain anonymous in all your web searches and online traffic if you want to keep things personal. Besides, it’s a complete nuisance and headache knowing you are being watched or tracked every time you browse the internet.
Ways to Download Files Anonymously
The idea that you need to be a tech expert to make anonymous and untraceable searches is entirely false. By tweaking a few settings and adopting some newer tools and software, you can keep your data out of harm’s way. However, if you have the ability to use bots to do all this then go for it, but make sure to use CAPTCHA or Cloudflare bypass to avoid any limitations.
Utilize Browser Privacy Tools
You don’t need to look for additional tools to maximize your browser’s privacy when your existing one features a host of privacy tools. They are efficient in providing sufficient anonymity using encrypted servers or via peer-to-peer systems from mass surveillance. However, for those seeking even greater privacy measures, delving into the specifics of Brave vs DuckDuckGo can shed light on which browser aligns better with your preferences and requirements.
Google Chrome being the most widely used web browser offers ways to adjust and modify the privacy settings to the user's needs.
- Open the drop-down window by clicking the three dots on the top right corner of the screen.
- Click on settings, go to advanced settings, and select privacy settings from the menu.
- Here you can easily advance your online privacy by disabling all options that appear on the window.
In case you want to have personalized settings, read through each option before enabling or disabling them, to understand what type of setting would suit you the best. Upon enabling an option, Google will demand some level of personal information from you as well.
Set up a Proxy Server
A proxy server as the name suggests acts as a proxy for your IP address in front of your addressee. The dedicated server plays an intermediary role between you and the website you are interacting with, by substituting your private data with its own.
There are various websites (free and subscription enabled) that provide proxy services to online users and allow them to browse any blocked website. However, make sure to hover through the reviews and user ratings before setting up the proxy server.
Although most proxy servers are freely available and provide high anonymity, using a free proxy checker can help you identify potential downsides more easily.
- Free servers offer the lowest speed.
- Demands user trust and credentials.
- Requires users to set up access guidelines for each application.
Activate Incognito Mode
Incognito mode is another name for invisible browsing, at least to some extent. Once activated, the browser will no longer keep records of your online activity and browsing history. Nevertheless, there’s still a chance that your ISP can track your activity.
In Chrome, you can activate the incognito mode by opening “File” and clicking on the “New Incognito Window” for trackless browsing. There are also ways of activating incognito mode on Android and iOS.
Subscribe to a VPN
VPNs have become the most widely used tool for online anonymity given their maximum stability and ease of use. VPN introduces a private network into the public web network, normally known as the internet.
A network placed by the VPN shadows the user’s presence on a public network by establishing a type of private network with the addressee. VPN locates and accesses public networks working anywhere around the world.
This means you can obtain an IP address from the other part of the globe, let's say Brazil, while situated in your home in Japan. This is also one way of accessing websites or networks that are otherwise banned in your geographical location. Not to mention, users can avail the management and security policies offered on a private network.
In spite of the fact that a free VPN can get your needs covered, if you want advanced anonymity and high speed even while downloading files, you should prefer the paid options.
Downloading Files without Being Anonymous: Possible Risks
While most things on the internet are right to use (given you abide by the requirements), not everything there is legal to download. Countless copyright issues come into play when it comes to downloading anything without authorization. Everyone is familiar with people getting fined or jailed over copyright infringements.
There are chances of getting held in Germany for downloading even the legal things from BitTorrent. Your important data like IP address, MAC address, and service provider’s information can be accessed by the operator. However, adopting anonymous ways to download such files can keep you from such trouble.
Final Thoughts
There is no denying the fact that the internet is not private at all and that your personal information is always at risk of being stolen or being used against you. However, it is not complicated to be anonymous while you browse the internet. There are four credible and easy ways of keeping your anonymity while browsing and downloading files from the internet.