How To Stay Anonymous Online

Some might argue that the internet was built on anonymity, paving the way for a place where free speech reigns supreme. But after years of learning about who’s snooping into everything we do online, privacy on the web is hardly a given.

- Eric Griffith

It’s not just about government spying; it’s also about how much data big companies such as Amazon, Google, Facebook, and Microsoft have collected in order to serve you targeted ads. (Not to mention how much of your personal data gets scooped up in all the breaches and hacks.)

There will always be good reasons for people to go online without being tracked. It may be the only way for a real whistleblower to reveal corruption, considering how some have been treated. There’s nothing wrong with wanting to stay anonymous, no matter what you’re doing.

Is it even possible to take control of your own personal privacy online? Ultimately, the only way to stay truly anonymous online is not to go online at all. That’s not really an option for most of us these days, though. Here’s a rundown of what you can do to minimize the spying, targeted ads, and ID theft as you explore the world online.

PHONE CALL CONFIDENTIALITY

If you want to be anonymous, forget the smartphone. The big-name OS makers are control freaks (Apple) and ad servers (Google). To remain anonymous when you’re mobile, your best choice is a prepaid phone—a.k.a. a burner.

Even a burner had call records, though, and you can be triangulated via GPS. The upside of a burner is not having your real name associated with the device. As you see in the movies, you can always throw the phone into a passing truck and lead whoever might be tracking you on a wild goose chase.

But when you’ve got an expensive smartphone, you won’t want to throw it away. Thankfully, there are apps aplenty to get you temporary, anonymous numbers you can use with Android or iOS. One of those apps is named, aptly, Burner.

LIGHT THAT FIREWALL