The best privacy advice: avoid saying or doing things that could get you in trouble.
The most secure app in the world won’t help if you’re engaging in stupid and risky behavior. Before you do or say anything, ask yourself if the potential risks outweigh the benefits.
Remember that anything said online is permanent and can be shared with anyone.
IP address: An IP address, or IP, is a unique identifier your computer receives when connecting to the Internet. Your IP identifies your general location, and in some cases can be traced to your personal identity. Your IP can be hidden through a proxy or VPN.
VPNs: A VPN, or Virtual Private Network, is a program that encrypts your Internet traffic and routes it through a different computer. This hides your true IP address from websites that you visit, and also hides your traffic from your ISP. However, both your true IP address and your Internet traffic are fully visible to your VPN provider, so VPNs are not 100% safe.
TOR: TOR, or The Onion Router, is a program that encrypts and routes your Internet traffic through multiple other computers in a way that no single computer knows both your true identity and the traffic you are sending. Although there are limits to its usefulness, TOR is generally more secure than a VPN. TOR+VPN is actually less safe than just TOR (usually).
Encryption: Encryption is a process that encodes a message so that only the sender and intended recipient can decode it and read it. End-to-end encryption is essential for any messaging application to be truly secure; otherwise messages can be easily intercepted and read by third parties.
Open-source: “Open-source” means that the source code used for a program is publicly available. In other words, programs that are proprietary (not open-source) can have hidden functionality, which often includes tracking. Try to only use software that is open-source.
Browser: Use an open-source browser. Ensure your browser settings prevent your browser from tracking you. Use add-ons like uBlock Origin, HTTPS Everywhere, and NoScript.
Websites and apps: If possible, avoid using web services known to engage in tracking, such as Google Search or Facebook. Don’t give out info to websites that they don’t need, such as your name or phone number. Remember, any application that stores your data on a server you don’t own, such as Gmail or Discord, has access to all of your data. Websites or apps that offer data hosting or other services for “free” are often selling your data or can be compromised in other ways. Be careful and do your research.
Finally, don’t buy wiretaps like Amazon Alexa. Treat any device with a microphone or webcam as if it is always on.