Protect Your Privacy with Simple Steps

Facebook and Google are the biggest offenders of collecting your data. They keep track of which searches you make, where you shop, and if you use a service such as Gmail even your deleted emails that you never sent. If you don't use Gmail, but someone at the other end is using a Google email service, they still have your emails. These companies and others such as Twitter have compiled a huge file with everything they know about you. They use it to try an influence your browsing decisions, your news and your politics. They control what you see when you search or browse and they control what you don't see. They make a lot of money selling this information to everyone from the Democrat Party to George Soros and his ilk to advertisers and news agencies. Some of it they try to tell you is just so they can help you. Yeah right. Help themselves to your brain and your back pocket maybe.

There's an article on the Medium website written by Robert Epstein based on his research into the tendencies of some of the big social network companies to try and control politics or buying habits. The title is Seven Simple Steps Toward Online Privacy. Here we repeat the steps, but you should read the article for the complete picture. Step one is to get rid of Gmail. Change your email provider to a company that doesn't collect and sell your habits. He recommends a service based in Switzerland called Proton Mail.

Step two is to switch search engines away from Google to Startpage or perhaps DuckDuckGo. Neither of these track you, but Start Page is probably the best because it still uses Google's amazing index. Step three is to get rid of Chrome. It's just another of Google's tools to get more data from you. Step four is get rid of your Android phone as soon as you can. Again it is simply another data collection tool for Google. Step five: Do not use any of Google's Home devices. They are all data gathering tools, and they are always on. It is a huge privacy invasion dressed up as helpful devices.

The sixth tip from Dr. Epstein with which we also agree is to learn to clear your browser cache and cookies. On a desktop or laptop browser most of the time you can either go to the settings and look for the Privacy or Security selections and pick new settings. Or you can press ctrl-shift-del keys while the browser is open and it should give you the relevant menu. On a phone check the Settings menu of your browser and look also for Privacy and Security.

The seventh step is a little harder but worth it to learn. Use a Proxy or a VPN (virtual private network). He recommends Private Internet Access which is $40.00 per year. A Proxy or VPN puts a step in between you and the internet and makes you more anonymous.

If you want to check the security of your computer, tablet or phone try DNS Lead Test or Browser Leaks websites.

Other things you can do that are not in his article we tell you about on our Virus Help page or our Tips, Tricks and Help page.