Why and how to be anonymous online
How can you be private and be anonymous online? To get you started, here are a few tools you can use – from browsers to search engines.
Why would you want to be anonymous online?
There are many reasons why people would want to keep certain actions, interests, and conversations private online. The answer to the above question is highly personal and different for each person. The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) provides a comprehensive response as to why many choose to keep their online identity and actions anonymous:
“Many people don’t want the things they say online to be connected with their offline identities. They may be concerned about political or economic retribution, harassment, or even threats to their lives. Whistleblowers report news that companies and governments would prefer to suppress; human rights workers struggle against repressive governments; parents try to create a safe way for children to explore; victims of domestic violence attempt to rebuild their lives where abusers cannot follow.”
There’s a tremendous amount of value in your identity and personal data. When you’re not anonymous or protecting your privacy, you’re in a vulnerable position for:
- Bad actors to steal your identity.
- Big Tech to target you with ads.
- Governments to monitor your activities and use them for criminal charges.
Who would want to be anonymous?
Startpage believes that the more people that go anonymous online, the better. Too many people needlessly give away their personal data when there are multiple easy tools to use to protect themselves.
Being anonymous is not reserved for hackers or bad actors. At some point, you’ve probably participated in an activity under anonymity. At work, you may have submitted an anonymous recommendation. Socially, you may have even gone to a masquerade party. Furthermore, many people have gone anonymous online including whistleblowers, journalists, activists, writers, and artists. You may have done it as well when creating a dating or social media profile. For example, when Mary Shelley first published Frankenstein, it was issued anonymously. And, today, Banksy is one of the most well-known artists while remaining anonymous.
Anonymity vs Privacy
Is there a difference between being anonymous and being private? Easy answer: Yes.
Jack Daniel, co-founder of Security BSides, gave us a great summary of Blaine Burnham’s insightful Usenix 2000 talk:
“Privacy is a global system property, the system knows but doesn’t tell.
Anonymity is an edge property, the system doesn’t know and therefore cannot tell.
This highlights a value of anonymity, if they don’t get our data, they (whoever “they” are) can’t use it.”
Tools you can use to be anonymous
There are plenty of resources out there to help you on your journey to being anonymous online: from privacytool.io and thinkprivacy.ch to Techlore’s video “Become Anonymous: The Ultimate Guide To Privacy, Security, & Anonymity”. To get you started, here are a few tools you can use to remain anonymous.
Operating Systems
You’ve probably indirectly picked your operating system by what type of device you bought. If you have an Apple MacBook, you probably have macOS Big Sur. If you have a PC, you probably have Windows 10. But, don’t limit yourself to that. You can install a different OS on your devices (laptop, desktop, or phone) to protect your privacy.
Frequently recommended by privacy experts:
For more information on how to use Tails OS, check out our guide.
Browser
Do you use the browser that’s pre-installed in your device – Chrome, Safari or Microsoft Edge? Once again, you don’t have to limit yourself to these browsers. You can choose a private browser that limits trackers such as 3rd party cookies.
Frequently recommended by privacy experts:
For more information on private browsers, check out our article on why your browser matters.
Private Search Engine
All browsers come with a default search engine – either Google or Bing. But, non-private search engines collect, store, and sell your personal data. A true private search engine, on the other hand, doesn’t track you or log your search history.
In this case, we recommend using Startpage. We deliver Google search results and protect your personal data: no search history, no ip address, and no trackers. Our Anonymous View feature lets you visit and explore websites without leaving a trace.
For a comparison on private search engines, check out this article by privacy advocate and ThinkPrivacy.ch founder Dan Arel.
If you’re not using an encrypted email service, your emails can be read by either the service company and law enforcement. Eek! When you use an encrypted email provider, only you and the receiver have access to the contents of the email. And, some email services even provide the option to create aliases so you don’t have to give out your email.
Frequently recommended by privacy experts:
StartMail is our sister company, sharing co-founder and CEO Robert E.G. Beens. Here’s a comparison of StartMail and ProtonMail.
Messenger
Same as with email, SMS and most messaging apps are not secure. Your text messages can be intercepted and read by others.
Frequently recommended by privacy experts:
For more information on encrypted messengers, check out our recent article on switching to encrypted messengers.
What tools do hackers use?
In a recent interview with ethical hacker and author John Jackson, we asked him what tools he uses to stay private online.
Here is John’s list:
- Search Engine: Startpage
- Browser: Brave
- Email: Protonmail
- Messaging: Signal
Keep in mind, privacy and anonymity is a practice. You don’t expect to be fit just by buying exercise equipment, do you? You actually need to put it to use.
So, what privacy tools do you use and how do you stay anonymous online? Let us know on social media or by emailing [email protected].
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