Four Simple Ways to Help Preserve your Privacy

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Here are 4 simple ways to help preserve your privacy online. Each one is presented simply and with links you can use. All these methods are free.

1. Choose a Browser that Respects Your Privacy

Do not use a browser from:

Google: It is an advertising company.

Microsoft: You can't trust them not to sell your data or use it themselves.

Instead use a privacy respecting browser like:

Firefox

Vivaldi

Brave

2. Choose a Privacy Respecting Search Engine

Do not use untrustworthy search engines like:

Google (it's an advertising company!)

Bing (You can't trust Microsoft)

Instead use a privacy respecting search engine. As you can see from the list below, there are many to choose from.

DuckduckGo.com (The old standby. Always good)

You.com (my current favorite)

Qwant.com (Good European search engine)

eTools.ch (an excellent metasearch engine)

PreSearch (another good bet)

Startpage.com (Anonymizes Google)

Groot (Also anonymizes Google, but with flair)

Andisearch (Fascinating combination of Chatbot and Search engine that is unique. Still in Beta. Check it out.)

I've got a list and clear instructions for adding any of these search engines to Vivaldi or Firefox here.

3. Avoid Using Your Email as Your Username

If you can use anything for your username, don't use your email address or even your real name. Make something up. I log into one bank account as Mortimer Snodgrass. I do use my real name on social media and technical forums. I want those people to know who is writing.

4. Always Browse with an Adblocker/Antitracker Installed

My current favorite is Ublock Origin; however, Adblock Plus is also good. If you feel the need for even more protection from trackers, then both Duck Duck Go's Privacy Essentials or EFF's Privacy Badger are excellent.

Date: April 2023

This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.