In the XXI century, the growth of the internet and information technologies have made the web a revolutionary addition to the modern day of life. By studying the use of digital devices and behavioral patterns of private users, modern smartphones, tablets, computers, and their software are designed in comfortable and convenient ways. When devices become too valuable for casual and professional communication, tech giants and social media networks add digital entertainment to encourage dependency and addiction.
When digital devices motivate and force user engagement, the digital world can no longer be separated from physical reality. The average user spends a large portion of their free time glued to a digital device. Even the moments unaffected by smartphones and computers are just an illusion – idle devices keep gathering data and tracking location changes.
These modern tools that offer comfort and convenience in the modern way of life have become the most tracking devices, transmitting private user information to tech giants that continue developing new ways of surveillance of manipulation without consequences. The comfort and entertainment we receive from digital devices are valuable, addictive, and ingrained into modern society that it became near impossible for the average consumer to renounce their use.
Most internet users cannot imagine their life without the pleasures of the web, but online tracking is a real problem that cannot be ignored. Although creating a fully private browsing experience is no longer possible, our goal is to teach internet users to minimize tracking on the internet. We will discuss using multiple browsers, rotating proxy, different user agents, and extensions. These tactics and other details will help us diversify the browsing experience and preserve private user data.
Table of Contents
Start with proxy servers
Proxy servers are like intermediary stations we use to disguise the information in delivered data packets. While we have different types of proxies, the goal of each one is to apply a different IP address to transmit information and change your geolocation. Using a proxy server instead of your main IP or cycling between addresses with a rotating proxy will stop recipient servers and advertisers from finding associative patterns in your browsing sessions. A rotating proxy will keep changing your IP address at chosen time intervals. These customizations can be done for all proxies, but there are two types that have their unique differences.
Datacenter proxies come from specialized, well-protected data centres. When the information reaches the used datacenter, the distance and the internet speed of a chosen provider are the key parameters that affect the difference in latency. Best datacenter proxies should be close to your physical location, making the changes in internet speed insignificant while masking your IP address. While they are cheap, these IPs come in interconnected bulks, and having one address exposed and blacklisted puts others in danger.
Residential proxies are supplied by all the digital devices that have an Internet Service Provider. By connecting to this kind of server, the disguise of another user is far more believable. Their downsides are higher prices and sharing of dynamic addresses that can hurt the internet speed when a few users send packets through the same IP.
Change your browsers
Most websites have HTTP cookies that track your activity and recurrent visits. On popular pages and social media networks, we have a surveillance nightmare – third-party cookies that can see your digital footprints on multiple pages at a time.
Changing browsers to having a separate one for designated pages with privacy restrictions may diminish the effectiveness of third-party cookies. Having an entire browsing history on one browser makes surveillance much easier: every step on the web can be traced back to your real identity, and the feeling of being watched only gets stronger.
Swap user-agents
Similar to browser swapping, user agents contain information about the version of your browser as well as your operating system and kernel. User-agent tracking helps web server owners by stopping unaltered bots from establishing a connection. When trackers see identical user agents, associating them with popular website visits, or even worse – social media networks, becomes very easy.
User-agent switchers modify their information. You can choose a different or an old version of a browser and even go for android OS while using a computer to throw off trackers and experience an altered version of a visited page.
Avoid using identical passwords
We get it, managing many passwords at a time can be very confusing and frustrating. Without proper documentation or password manager extensions, you may end up recovering your rarely used passwords at least once a month. However, using additional tools or writing down your passwords are still safer practices than going for the same one on all accounts. All it takes is to have one password leaked, and all your private data is up for grabs. You may never know if somebody knows your password. Hackers and cybercriminals can know your one-for-all passcode and keep tracking you for a long time.
Internet privacy is tricky, and you never know how you are tracked. Some security gaps invite criminals to prey on your data, while tech companies keep developing new ways to collect private information. Even if complete anonymity is impossible, you should change as many things as you can and usage of social media networks while browsing.
Read also: Importance Of The Internet In The Current Era