When I talk to people about online privacy, the reaction I most often get is you can’t win so why try? Yet when I tell them the amount of data companies are compiling – the fact that every email ever sent or received (even those deleted) on Google and Facebook is saved; the fact that location information for where you log into your accounts is saved; the fact that every video and comment you’ve left on YouTube is saved – their ears perk up a little more. This is only the tip of the iceberg. Companies are grabbing data on everything you’ve searched for, app information, calendar events, credit card information (if saved) and purchases made…the list goes on and on.
Chrome/Google
In addition to this, many of you are required to use Google for much of your online activities. For instance, Google has done a brilliant job of infiltrating the public-school system. So much so that teachers and administrators don’t give a second thought about requiring kids to turn in assignments through Google. There are no alternatives, no paper options. You hand it in electronically or fail.
And this extends into the workplace too as many “efficiency” tools are provided by Google. I’m honestly amazed that companies are willing to let so much of their proprietary information go across Google’s servers. Because in the end, you really don’t know what they are cataloging and what they aren’t.
Incognito
Some have been steadfast in their use of Incognito or Private Windows when browsing, thinking that it’s helping maintain some control over their data. Unfortunately the only person you are hiding your activities from is yourself. What happens with Incognito is your search information is deleted from your machine. However, the sites you visit can still track you and your ISP still knows everything you’re doing online, even in Incognito.
Add-ons
I’ve tried add-ons and extensions on different browsers. Yet I’ve inevitably run into the website that won’t load without deactivating one of them. Not only do you have to search for the right one to turn off, you also lose what little protection you had when accessing the site.
It’s not a big deal if you’re researching something esoteric and not logging in. But if it’s your bank, that becomes more pressing. Add-ons provide a benefit and can help, but only if they allow you to access the sites you want to visit.
Against this backdrop, what can you do? How can you take advantage of everything the Internet offers and still maintain as much privacy as possible?
Browser Compartmentalization
One way is through browser compartmentalization. Now, before I get started on what this is, let me tell you what it isn’t. You are not going to have a completely private existence on the Internet unless you go to extreme measures. Just one example: to be truly private you would have to use cryptocurrency for all purchases so there’s no data for MasterCard or Visa to sell to Google.
However, by using several browsers, you can significantly reduce the amount of data these behemoths are collecting. The idea is to only visit certain kinds of sites using specific browsers. Cookies and tracking data don’t cross between browsers, so what you’re doing on one isn’t known to the other. Here’s how it works.
Download another browser
Most of you use Chrome. How do I know this? At last count, they had more than 60% (some estimates are approaching 70%) of the world market. Safari, Edge/Explorer, and Firefox are next on the list.
To compartmentalize your web activities, you need at least two browsers. Take some time to research privacy browsers; you might be amazed by how many exist. Many sites recommend Chromium browsers, others Firefox (or one of their offshoots).
Compartmentalize your browsing
Once you download several browsers, segregate what you’re doing so all your data isn’t on one browser. There are a couple of easy ways to do this.
Fence off Google, keep money separate
One way you can compartmentalize your browsing is by using three browsers.
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- Use a Chromium browser for all Google-related browsing, whether it’s signing into Gmail or Youtube or whatever. Additionally, use this browser for any social media, especially those companies (Facebook, Twitter) that are known – like Google – to follow you around the Internet.
- Use a second browser for banking and investing. I use a secure browser with add-ons and tweaks made to the browser’s configuration.
- Finally, have a browser for everything else. When you’re reading your favorite blogs or checking where a product is the least expensive, use this browser. Ordering things online? Use this browser. This keeps data-hungry companies from knowing that you’re interested in that sweater but still lets you figure out what sweater you want. And if you’re shopping on Amazon, it separates one data-hungry company (Amazon) from the others.
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For each of these browsers, consider using add-ons that will delete cookies, provide secure http addresses, and reduce tracking among the sites you visit. Additionally, you can make changes to the configuration of the browsers but do your research first.
Sign-in required
Another way to compartmentalize that some have recommended is to divide everything between sites you sign into and those that you don’t. The advantage here is one less browser that you have to deal with and an easy way to delineate between the two options. I still would be cautious about signing into Google and your bank account using the same browser though.
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- Use a browser for anything you sign into. Banking, Google, the site for your kid’s grades, the library… everything requiring a sign on would come under one browser. In this instance, I would do even more research about add-ons and make sure to sign out every time you go to a different page. The last thing you want to do is have your Gmail account open while you’re doing other things that you wish to keep more private.
- A separate browser would be for everything you don’t have to sign into. When you’re finding out how to freeze homemade biscuits, researching your next car, or looking at houses for sale, this would be where you’d do that.
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Sign out
I mentioned this above, but it bears repeating. If you are visiting any Google, Facebook or Twitter product, sign out after you finish. Even consider deleting the cookies and history in your browser before you go on to another page.
Don’t step over the line
To maintain as much privacy as possible, make sure not to randomly browse on the more secure browser and vice versa. If you don’t already, consider adding websites to your bookmarks bar to help reduce confusion. Maybe for the secure one, have your bank or email listed. For the surfing browser, have lots of bookmarks (the news you read, blogs, shopping sites, etc.). You can also rename the browser – perhaps one is Secure and another is Surfing – to help you distinguish between them. These will act as a visual guide so you don’t forget what browser you’re in.
VPN is still our friend
A virtual private network is still key in protecting your data from the Internet service provider (AT&T, Comcast, etc.) that runs the wire into your house. You may not care that they know you are looking for landscaping ideas, but remember that everything they get adds to the picture they have of you. Might as well give them as little as possible.
A small step
Unfortunately, while no one was looking our data was stolen. And it is our data, not some company’s, no matter what they try to tell you. It seems that people are starting to wake up as more and more companies are revealed to have huge quantities of information on each of us. Take this small step, even consider moving away from Google as much as you can, to democratize the Internet and hopefully push the pendulum back to people being in control of their privacy.
Photo by ev