(ThyBlackMan.com) A huge number of people don’t realize just how public certain pieces of information that they post online is. This information can be tracked, collected, and then used for a multitude of purposes. They can track things like posts that you make or actions that you take on social networks, your Internet search or browsing histories, or even where in the world you are.
Your internet privacy is never all that private, it turns out. This post isn’t supposed to scare you, though; just teach you some important things to be aware of about your online privacy.
Using Social Networks
Social networks are great for sharing and connecting, but this aspect of using the web makes it difficult to maintain your privacy.
Information posted on social networks (and the internet in general) is almost impossible to completely delete once it has been posted, so it’s definitely worth being mindful of this whenever you next use Facebook or Twitter.
Free To Use Websites And Apps
Many sites out there are free to use and we take them for granted daily. However, because these sites are free, they are usually allowed to collect and sell information generated by your public Internet activities while using them. They can see links that you click on, keywords that you search for, information that you post in public spaces even your Internet address, which can be used to figure out where you are in the world. You can even search What is my ip? And find out in seconds – this is your computer’s unique address, much like your home address, and is used to find out where you are searching from. A VPN is the only thing that can make it look like you’re browsing from somewhere else and potentially help you to access sites that a particular country has prohibited, but it is not a magical formula.
What Private Browsing Does
Private browsing isn’t the best way to protect yourself, either. This simply deletes all Internet tracking records such as your browsing history, cache, and cookies from your computer when you close your browser. Governments, website owners, data collection companies, and even individuals can still see what you’ve been doing online if they are determined enough.
Become Aware of How Sites Can And Can’t Collect And Use Your Information
The majority of websites these days have what is known as a “privacy policy”. This tells you exactly how they plan on using your data and how they won’t use it. Usually, users don’t read these documents and just assume everything is fine. The language can be complicated, and it can put people off knowing exactly what is going to happen to their data. However, you should always read a privacy policy carefully, so you can figure out the following:
- What information does the website collect from you when you use it, and why?
- Who does the website share the information that they collect from you with?
- How long does the website keep information that they collect from you?
Hopefully, you now know a little more about your online privacy and what you can do to stay safe!
Staff Writer; Greg Lee