Online privacy is becoming increasingly rare these days. As we browse the web and use online services, our activities are constantly being tracked by website owners, advertisers, and data brokers. The extensive data collection going on threatens our freedom and violates our basic right to privacy.
However, there are several steps you can take to avoid being tracked online and protect your privacy. In this blog, we are sharing 10 ways to avoid being tracked online while browsing.
Use a VPN
Surfing the web incognito is possible with a Virtual Private Network or VPN. This handy online tool masks your IP address, making you anonymous. It’s like browsing in an invisibility cloak! Your movements across the web are concealed as the VPN encrypts your traffic and reroutes it through a private tunnel.
Sneak through the internet undetected, safe from prying eyes trying to monitor your activity. With a trusty VPN guarding your identity, your browsing habits stay secret, and you avoid leaving a traceable trail across the vast digital landscape.
ExpressVPN is one of the popular VPNs that offers you safe browsing without getting tracked. With Express VPN sign in you can use its features to keep your data traffic hidden over the internet.
Enable Private Browsing
The big web browser players like Chrome, Firefox, and Safari have a nifty feature called Private Browsing mode. This opens a clean, blank slate tab where nothing sticks after you close it. Your searches, sites visited, and cookies collected – all wiped away like footprints in the sand.
No trail is left behind for anyone to trace where you’ve been on the web. Open a private window and roam the internet freely and anonymously, keeping your browsing activities completely confidential. It’s like donning a privacy cloak, obscuring your digital footprint for that browsing session. So next time you want some privacy online, go incognito with just one click.
Use the Tor Browser
The Tor browser is designed for maximum online privacy. It routes your traffic through multiple servers making you anonymous and encrypts the data end-to-end to protect from surveillance and network monitoring. Using the Tor browser helps prevent tracking of your online activities.
Delete Cookies Regularly
Cookies are small text files stored by websites you visit in order to identify your device. Deleting cookies regularly prevents companies from building extensive profiles about your browsing habits using persistent cookies. You can manually clear all cookies from your browser settings.
Avoid Logging in to Accounts
Many online services and platforms track your usage patterns when you are logged in to customize your experience. Avoid logging in to accounts like Google, Facebook, Amazon etc. while browsing to limit tracking linked to your identity. Use services anonymously wherever possible.
Use Search Engines That Don’t Track You
Google records your search queries and tracks your online activities to show personalized ads. Use more privacy-focused search engines like DuckDuckGo and Startpage that do not store user information and provide unbiased results. These alternative search engines will not link queries to your profile.
Don’t Click on Personalized Ads
Online ads you see are targeted based on your browsing history and interests. Clicking on personalized ads confirms that you are receptive to that marketing profile linked to you. Avoid clicking on tailored suggestions and ads as much as possible to limit advertisers from building a more detailed profile.
Block Online Trackers
Many browser extensions like Privacy Badger, Ghostery, and uBlock Origin can detect and automatically block online trackers that follow you around the web. These tools prevent companies from secretly collecting your browsing data without consent. Install tracker blockers to take control of who gets access to your online activities.
Use Email Alias Services
Your email address can be used to connect your identity across sites and build an online profile. Use alias email services like AnonAddy and SimpleLogin that generate unique fake email IDs to use instead of your real email. This makes you less identifiable.
Limit App Permissions
Mobile apps access sensitive data and permissions like location, contacts, camera, microphone, etc. Reduce app permissions to only those strictly required for its functionality. Also, disable personalized/targeted ads in app settings. This limits tracking and profiling based on your mobile usage patterns.
How Does The Use Of VPN Help Avoid Online Tracking?
VPNs mask your IP address and encrypt your internet traffic so that your online activities cannot be traced back to your device and monitored. This prevents tracking of your browsing data.
There are various VPNs that you can use to hide your online tracks. IPVanish is one such VPN to maintain your online privacy. With IPVanish login, even ISP will not be able to track down your browsing data.
Is Private Browsing Mode 100% Secure?
Private browsing prevents local storage of your browsing history and website data. However, it does not make you anonymous on the web. Your online activities can still be monitored by the websites you visit and your ISP.
Can I Be Completely Anonymous Online?
It is difficult to be completely anonymous online nowadays. However, adopting good privacy practices minimizes tracking linked to your real identity. Using privacy tools also hides your browsing patterns from prying eyes.
Is It Safe To Disable All Cookies In My Browser?
Completely disabling cookies may break certain website functionalities. But deleting cookies regularly or allowing only first-party cookies gives you better control over online tracking while still allowing sites to function properly.
How Often Should I Clear My Browser History And Cookies?
It’s best to clear your browsing history and cookies every few days or at least weekly. This prevents extensive user profiling based on your past online activities and reduces repeat tracking.
Conclusion
Our basic right to privacy is under attack from pervasive online tracking. But we can defend our digital freedom through small acts of web rebellion. Arm yourself with the tools to resist surveillance, fight profiling, and vanish without a trace.
Employ ad-blockers, tracker-jamming browsers, and encrypted networks. Let VPNs cloak your identity and private modes leave no trail. Be the rebel alliance against the data empires. Stay free, stay informed, and stay private.
