Every time you go online, a user-tracking network springs into action. This network notes and logs every click, setting, or preference online. Then, they use the information, usually to sell you something. All the gathered information most likely ends up somewhere in a data center because it is, or will be, valuable to someone.
Does it sound alarming? Learn more about who tracks your online activities, how they do it, and what you can do to increase your privacy.
What Is a Digital Footprint?
Your digital footprint is the trail of your online interactions. This includes shopping, using apps, browsing webpages, sharing content, and interacting on social media or instant messenger. Once posted or shared, your digital footprint can stay on the internet forever. Needless to say, it will influence how other people perceive you. It can affect your relationships, opportunities, finances, and employment.
Where Does My Digital Footprint Come From?
Here’s a tip for all those “anonymous” compulsive keyboard warriors: You can’t escape the pervasive online surveillance environment. It will catch up to you one day. There are several layers of surveillance every time you go online or use your smartphone. Let’s take a look at two of them:
Layer One: The ISP Tracking Layer
When you establish an internet connection, your Internet Service Provider (ISP) assigns an IP address linked to your account.
- If your IP address is visible, the ISP can identify you. In certain circumstances, ISPs may be obliged to hand over your data to governmental institutions.
- Your ISP can see and log what websites you visit, what you do during your visit, and how long you stay there.
- They also log your device’s unique Media Access Control (MAC) address. Additionally, they may log the port numbers you use and will know whether you are browsing the web or sending emails.
How to Defeat the ISP Layer?
Use a VPN. It encrypts everything you do on the internet. Your ISP can see that you’re using a VPN (although with premium VPNs, you can hide it), but they can’t see what you’re doing. But there’s a catch. The VPN provider can see what you’re up to. Check your VPN privacy policy thoroughly and look for the no-logs rule.
Layer Two: The Website Tracking Layer
The next layer of surveillance comes from websites and smartphones via cookies, tracking scripts, fingerprinting, or tracking pixels.
All websites require a minimum amount of information exchange to work. That’s where cookies came in originally. However, over the years, cookies have evolved. They’ve developed ways to share the information they collect about you with advertising partners. Today, most websites are—in some way—part of a vast network of advertising services. The ubiquitous Google Analytics and ad services network is the most prominent but often overlooked example.
Websites want to make their visitors happy, but they still need ads to make money. So they may show you pop-ups and active ads on every page you visit. However, ads and banners have become intrusive and annoying, slowing websites down.
Ads can also be dangerous. Cybercriminals sometimes hide malware within legitimate-looking ads. Others use ads to lure you to fake websites where they can steal your credit card details and other personal information.
How to Defeat the Website Tracking Layer and Block Ads?
You can block most of these tracking scripts, cookies, and other forms of online surveillance with ad-blockers. This software typically runs as a browser extension, but it may also function as an independent app or part of an antivirus system. While a site is loading, the ad-blocking software checks the loading elements. If the elements come from certain known advertising domains, the ad blocker will stop them.
Ad blockers remove annoying ads and make websites faster. They also prevent tracking scripts designed to follow your activities online. As a bonus, they may protect you from malware and viruses hidden in online ads. A VPN ad blocker preserves your privacy in other ways, too, as it obscures your IP address at the same time.
Clean Up Your Digital Profile
If your digital footprint is too sensitive, you can take steps to clean it up. Personal data removal services can scour the internet and request to remove your information. However, this will only make the information disappear for a while unless you stop using the internet. It is simply not possible to scrub your identity from the wide web. Data removal will make it much harder for someone else to obtain a complete profile of you.
Keep in mind that data removal services are a popular niche for scammers. Be sure to choose the data removal company just as carefully as your VPN.
More Tips To Help You Stay Private
After deleting your profile at as many data aggregators and people search sites as possible, you must stop feeding the beast. Take a few basic precautions first, and intensify your efforts when caution becomes a way of life.
- Use Tor, an Anonymous Browser: Alternatively, use a privacy-focused browser like Brave or Mozilla Firefox.
- Always Decline Third-Party Cookies: If you use a privacy-focused browser, you can set it to do this automatically.
- Install a Reputable Privacy Extension: Visit the Electronic Frontier Foundation. The site offers excellent insight into the deplorable state of internet privacy.
- Use an Anonymizing Search Engine: A simple solution to most data tracking woes is to stop using Google as a primary search engine. DuckDuckGo provides an anonymous interface between you and Google. Google won’t be able to store your searches or record your personal information.
- Use a Reputable, Premium VPN With an Adblocker: VPNs obscure your IP address to allow anonymous connections to your favorite websites. Remember that you get what you pay for. “Free” VPNs most likely make their money by logging your surfing, searches, clicks, and actions and selling them to the highest bidder.
- Reduce Social Media: This is a big move, but consider the facts. Social media, like Facebook, TikTok, Instagram, and Pinterest, are free. That’s because they’re surveillance platforms on an industrial scale. While you’re having fun, they track every click, search, or other interaction. Then, they sell advertising opportunities to the highest bidder. These powerful companies keep making headlines for their poor data-handling practices.
Be Cautious About What You Post Online
Be aware of what information social media can reveal about you. Social media platforms are known for tracking your personal information. However, the daily tidbits you post can reveal a lot about your personal life. Your social media profile often contains your name, education, work, and where you live. Cybercriminals can use the information to target vulnerable people or target you through phishing or spear phishing campaigns. Employers can use this information to decide whether to hire you (or keep you employed).
Keep Covering Your Tracks
No matter how much you cover your tracks, there is always some information out there that can be used to identify you. Due to the nature of the Internet, you can never be truly anonymous. Anonymity tools can only reduce the amount of information available.
It takes work to stay anonymous online. It requires conscious effort. If your anonymity is a priority, be prepared to embrace new browsing habits and spend money on reputable privacy tools.
