Other options are also on the table. But that is not enough to keep you anonymous online. These privacy modes merely protect your privacy from other users on the same device, or who log into your browser using the synchronization feature.
You can pair private browsing with a VPN for improved anonymity and privacy. However, Tor browser is still recommended for maximum anonymity. Multiple users—dozens, hundreds, and even thousands—are assigned a single IP address. This makes it nearly impossible to trace the activity of a single person in the pool. VPNs are built for privacy and not anonymity, however, so we caution against using them alone if you want to truly remain hidden.
Privacy and anonymity often go hand in hand but remember this important distinction: anonymity means no one can identify you. Very few VPN providers own their own physical server infrastructure. Your traffic is encrypted on your local device and remains encrypted until it arrives at the VPN server. It is then decrypted before being sent to its destination.
For a brief moment, your activity is visible to the VPN provider. Some VPN providers claim to be logless but in reality, they still store metadata. Depending on how anonymous you want to be, this is a nuance to be wary of. Even the few true zero-logs VPNs out there require customers to trust them. For the highest level of anonymity, then, try combining your VPN with Tor. Avoid VPNs based in the United States and Europe, where data retention laws and government intelligence agencies could put your data at risk.
VPNs can also be configured manually in live operating systems like Tails. This enables two computers on the internet, such as your phone and a website, to find each other and establish a connection. This process usually takes place in a fraction of a second. Even when using a proxy like a VPN, these DNS requests can be sent outside the encrypted tunnel to the default nameserver. We recommend DNS. It goes without saying that remaining anonymous online means not logging into any of your existing accounts.
Several services offer free fake and burner email accounts. For one-off registrations and messages, we recommend Guerilla Mail. No registration is required and it includes a password manager to help remember the passwords associated with those accounts.
For a more long-term untraceable email account, the best option is probably ProtonMail. This end-to-end encrypted service is open-source and uses zero-knowledge apps for web and mobile.
Zmail is another alternative. It allows you to send emails from fake addresses. Never use your own email account when trying to be anonymous. If you want to make an anonymous purchase or donation, cryptocurrencies are superior to PayPal and obviously credit cards. This publicly available ledger can be analyzed so that the wallets you use and the transactions you make could be linked to your identity. By analyzing the activity which is visible to anybody on the public blockchain an observer may well be able to link your personal identity with all of the wallets you use and therefore your entire transaction history.
In a way, this makes Bitcoin even less private than a bank account. To get around this, use wallets that change your bitcoin address after each transaction. Privacy News Online. Search for:. How To Remain Anonymous on the Internet Learn over 20 ways to stay as private as possible on the web.
Aliza Vigderman , Senior Editor. Gabe Turner , Chief Editor. How To Remain Anonymous on the Internet True online anonymity requires many changes to your digital routine, such as replacing your operating system, browser, search engine, messaging apps, and email provider. Use an encrypted messaging app. Instead of sending a text message to a friend on your Android, use an encrypted messaging app like Signal. With Signal, all communications have end-to-end encryption on its open-source protocol.
Use an encrypted browser. Google is notorious for its ample data collection. Instead of using Chrome or another browser from a large tech company, use Tor, a secure browser that encrypts your IP address and web activity three times.
What is a VPN , you ask? Use a VPN. Keeping your passwords under lock and key, making a different one for each service, and making them hard to guess. I give that advice to intelligence agencies, and I give that advice to ordinary people. Using encrypted messaging apps like Signal and WhatsApp make your messages more private and more difficult to trace.
If you liked this story, sign up for the weekly bbc. Grand Challenges Grand Challenges. The reasons you can't be anonymous anymore. Share using Email. By Bryan Lufkin 29th May Is it time we just gave up on the idea altogether? Grand Challenges In this special series, Future Now takes a close look at the biggest, most important issues we face in the 21st Century.
People tend to think of cyberspace as some kind of imaginary space without true boundaries, a space not to be taken too seriously — John Suler. Going off the grid is no fix While skipping a Facebook profile is a good way to disconnect, there are still ways people can sleuth out your identity.
Is the death of anonymity good? Around the BBC. For example, before you enter any information in a form — online or even paper — or allow an app or service to access information about you including your current location or your contacts , ask yourself what they need it for.
But remember that, despite claims, none of these tools can entirely stop tracking; no tool can address all potential tracking methods. Learn more. There's No Anonymity Our video explores how you can be identified online, and how to make it harder. Check It Out. How Unique Are You? See how demographically unique you are.
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