How to Protect Your Online Privacy

The 4 Pillars of Digital Defence

Real privacy isn't about one single tool; it's about a holistic approach to your digital behaviour. We categorise protection into four key areas:

Network Security: Your First Line of Defence

Whenever you connect to the internet, your Internet Service Provider (ISP) logs your DNS requests. In the UK and US, this data can be sold or stored for years.

• Use a Trustworthy VPN: A VPN encrypts your traffic so your ISP only sees gibberish. Ensure you choose a provider that has been independently audited to confirm they keep no logs.
• Enable HTTPS-Only Mode: Configure your browser to strictly load HTTPS versions of websites. This prevents "Man-in-the-Middle" attacks on unsecured public Wi-Fi networks.

Browser Isolation & Fingerprinting

Your browser is the biggest leak in your privacy armour. To stop advertisers from building a profile on you, you must compartmentalise your browsing.

Data Clean-Up: Removing What's There

Prevention is good, but what about the data already out there? Data brokers scrape public records and sell your address, phone number, and relatives' names.

You have the right to request deletion. Services like Incogni or DeleteMe can automate this process, sending legal removal requests to hundreds of brokers on your behalf. If you prefer the manual route, focus on the big players first: Whitepages, Spokeo, and PeopleFinder.

Mobile Hygiene

Your smartphone is a tracking device you voluntarily carry. Apps frequently request permissions they don't need to harvest your location and microphone data.

• Audit Permissions: Go to Settings > Privacy and review which apps have access to "Location" and "Microphone". Revoke access for any app that doesn't strictly require it (e.g., a torch app shouldn't need your location).
• Update your OS: Delaying updates leaves your phone vulnerable to zero-day exploits. Enable automatic updates for iOS or Android to ensure security patches are applied immediately.

Email Aliases & Burner Accounts

Your email address is your digital passport; protect it fiercely. Handing out your primary email to every newsletter and shopping site is a recipe for spam and phishing attacks.

Use Aliases: Services like SimpleLogin or Apple's "Hide My Email" allow you to generate a unique, random email address for each service you sign up for. These aliases forward messages to your real inbox. If one alias starts receiving spam or is leaked in a data breach, you can simply delete that alias without affecting your main account or other services.