5 simple steps to protect your privacy online
There are many small steps you can take to protect your privacy online, even if you are not an expert with technology!
1. Do a social media privacy checkup
If you do use social media, you should regularly review your privacy settings. Social media companies often make changes to privacy settings without telling you.
- Facebook’s privacy checkup tool
- Google’s privacy check-up tool
- Instagram’s privacy settings information
Don’t forget to regularly go through your timelines and delete anything that might impact your reputation – companies now regularly review the social media profiles of new and existing employees.
2. Check you aren’t storing private information in the cloud
While cloud services like Dropbox, iCloud, OneDrive and Google Drive are convenient, you shouldn’t store sensitive information in these services – all online services run the risk of being hacked.
3. Use a password manager
If you are like everyone else, you have accounts all over the web with different services. It’s nigh impossible to keep track of every single different password! Luckily, there are great tools that work on all of your devices, that will generate secure passwords and remember them for you.
4. Use a private search engine
Keep your searches private, don’t let the big search engines build a profile on you that they can sell to advertisers.
- Findx: An independent, open-source, European search engine – you can search for web content, products, locations, images and videos, and keep your route planning private. There are also mobile apps for iOS and Android devices that let you browse in private, free of tracking!
5. Communicate in private
Are you ready to look for private alternatives to the big messaging and video call software tools that snoop into your information? Great! Here are our favourite tools that work on desktop and mobile devices:
- Wire: For chat, voice and video calls, all in private. Plus you can even send files!
- Signal: For chat and voice calls, and to send files in private.
More tips for digital selfdefense
If you want to take a look at more options to protect yourself online, we’ll recommend this extensive list of tips about digital selfdefense from DataEthics. Digital selfdefense tools at DataEthics..eu
Other ressources:
privacytools.io
Comparison of private search engines
If you want to search in private there is a number of private metasearch and search engines available. But what are the advantages and disadvantages of each one? See the comparison chart and make you choice.
How to keep your searches private
Keep your search and browsing information out of the hands of advertisers – use a private search engine
How do private search engines make money?
If you want to use a private search engine, one of the question that often is askes is “How do they make money?”. There various ways a search engine can keep you privacy and make money. See the comparison chart and learn more about private search engines.