Anonymity online has gotten a bad reputation due to people abusing it, thinking that they can do or say whatever they want since no one will recognize them. However, some people really just want to keep their personal details off the internet while still enjoying what it has to offer. Here are ways you can keep it that way.
1. Watch the Details You Add
This is the most obvious one, but you'll be surprised how much you can reveal by including things like your age, your date of birth, and even your pet's name. The best way to stay anonymous is to provide details that really have nothing to do with you like random numbers and letters. This also applies to creating emails and such.
2. Create an Anonymous Email Account
Most, if not all social media platforms require some kind of email address so that you may verify your account and have a way to recover it if you lose your password. Instead of creating or using a personal email account, you can create a new one that has nothing to do with you. It can be as random as you want and it will still be valid.
3. Don't Link Payment Accounts
Unlike emails and social media accounts, your bank accounts wouldn't exist if you did not have some form of identification. The sites, banks, or companies that you applied to have your details and those can be traced back when you use them to pay for stuff online. The best way to avoid that is by using cryptocurrency, but that also has its own risks.
4. Use Encrypted Messaging Channels
Even as an anonymous user, you might find like-minded friends online that could lead to continuous conversations that go beyond posts and comment sections. If you do want to talk to people online, it's best to use the messaging feature of the site you're using or use encrypted messaging apps like Telegram.
5. Use Privacy-Focused Browsers
The usual browsers used are Google Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Opera, and more, but your safest bet would be browsers like DuckDuckGo or Tor. The former does not retain your search history, and the latter has multiple layers of security that can protect your data. Tor is capable of hiding your IP address, which is yet another thing that can be traced back to you.
6. Avoid Public/Unsecured Wi-Fi
The account you are using may be anonymous and has no ties to you, but your devices and the files they hold are still personal. Connecting to a public or risky Wi-Fi might make you vulnerable to bad actors who aim to take control of your devices or steal your data. Not only will you lose your anonymity, but you may suffer the other effects of a cyberattack.
7. Be Careful What You Share
Staying anonymous doesn't mean you only get to view things from the internet. You can also interact with strangers if you want to, but you have to be careful how you respond and what you share with them. They're strangers to you, just like you are to them, meaning that you won't know whether they have bad intentions. Threat actors roam around social media too.
