Can you avoid having an online presence in a day and age when everyone and everything is present on the web?
You would probably have to live a life of a saint to avoid the Internet and even then not have any guarantee of obscurity.
That’s how persuasive the online medium can be.
But is it all bad?
Not at all! In fact it is thanks to the Internet that information is at our fingertips and we are so easily connected with one another.
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| How You Can Ensure Your Online Privacy in 6 Simple Ways: eAskme |
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So, while you make social media accounts in numerous platforms, while you look up for something on a search engine, while you shop online, watch a series on an OTT platform, you are inadvertently exposing information about yourself to advertisers and other interested parties.
How to protect your privacy online when there are clearly scores of interested parties collecting information about consumers like you?
The answer to this is online privacy which pertains to how much personal, financial and digital information about you is safe and private on the Internet.
Online privacy is a growing concern in the midst of news of data leak by social networking sites, search engines and other websites.
On the Internet, there are two types of information –
- Personal information which includes your physical address, IP address, current location etc.
- Sensitive information which includes medical reports, financial data, sexual orientation political views etc.
While we must concede that for an average Internet user it is almost impossible to remain safe from data threat or data mining, there are still few things that you can do to ensure your online privacy.
Make Use of DNT Setting
Do Not Track Settings in available on all popular online browsers such as Firefox and Chrome.
Using them will tell every site that you visit, and their third-party partners,that you do not wish to be tracked.
Do Not Sign in For App Tracking
As mobile browsing has increased, so has the threat to your privacy increased.
To stop this, opt out of app tracking by making the appropriate changes in settings.
This will ensure that you are not tracked.
Block Cookies
Though cookies are essentially harmless, you can still keep them at a safe distance by blocking them.
Use a browser extension that will prevent a website from tracking you and gathering information about you.
Read Before Agreeing on User Agreement
A mistake we are all guilty of making -‘Agreeing’ to privacy policies and user agreements.
The best practice is to read before agreeing on anything. It may take time, but in such cases time will be well spent.
Use VPN Network
A virtual private network is an encrypted virtual tunnel that redirects your online activity and keeps your location and IP address safe.
Check Before Clicking Anything
It is true that you can land anywhere while browsing – most of the times inadvertently.
But it is a good practice to always be wary of what you click.
Do not click on anything that looks risky and dubious.
Final Words:
We have answered on how to protect your privacy online.
While there is no absolute surety that your information can be completely safe, the above best practices will ensure that are protected to a large extent.
In case of any questions, feel free to ask me via comments.
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