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In the internet-dominated world, more people are online than ever before. According to DataReportal, almost 4.7 billion people use the internet worldwide in 2021. Just imagine all the data they generate daily. So, naturally, internet users want to know how third-party websites are using their data.
Since more and more people are concerned with digital privacy and online behavior, it has become clear that the internet community is asking the ultimate question: can privacy online be guaranteed?
Nowadays, more and more companies are working around the clock to inform internet users about data protection and privacy in their efforts to inform, educate, and empower people to protect their privacy and private information.
Third-party companies are constantly collecting your data, but there are numerous ways to protect your data and privacy. You can make it your number one priority to control your digital footprint and keep your online activities to yourself.
Back in the day when the internet was created, it was supposed to help connect people and provide them with the information they need. However, the only personal service at the time was email, and it was mainly used for personal communication.
No one talked about online privacy or protecting personal information online in the past. However, things considerably changed the moment personal desktop computers became a necessity. The internet became much more than just an online place where you could find the information you needed.
Once internet users started using the internet connection for personal correspondence and financial transactions, things went south. That was how digital threats like cyber-bullying, malware, blackmail, and identity fraud became regular menaces.
Modern internet consumers like to think they are in charge of everything, including their privacy and personal information. However, the rise of social media claims the exact opposite.
Even though there are options that allow internet users to hide their traveling information, online purchasing habits and behavior, financial and private information, shopping patterns, and so on, people still willingly disclose personal and private information on blogs, social media network posts, etc.
Almost every internet user has a Facebook account, and they use countless online services to communicate with their friends, find love, buy things they need, play games, listen to music, the list goes on and on.
The more they share and reveal their personal information online, the more they become prone to hacking, slander, cyberbullying, stalking, and an entire range of threats, such as identity theft. But, unfortunately, that is where the real problem lies – most internet users aren't aware of the cyber threats that lurk in every corner of the internet.
The biggest for-profit companies like Facebook and Google gather your data for profits and marketing reasons. They collect information about internet users online regarding the things they like, brands they trust, websites they frequent, the whole deal.
The thing is that they are doing it in stealth mode, without using any invasive methods or noticeable techniques. They can gather all the information they need on internet users by simply monitoring and tracking the websites they visit and the terms they search for.
Based on the gathered data, they can provide internet users with targeted ads and marketing campaigns for specific products, services, etc. There are also websites called data aggregators that sell collected user data to third-party websites, businesses, and companies.
If you ever used the internet to buy some item, your information was captured and stored online. On the other hand, government agencies can also access your information by monitoring and tracking your online behavior and activities.
It is possible to increase your anonymity online, but no one can guarantee your privacy or anonymity, for that matter. If you wish to remain anonymous online, you need to know what data is used to track your online behavior.
What can you do to become more private online? Well, first of all, we suggest becoming more aware of the things you post voluntarily. Try to maintain a low profile and avoid exchanging your personal information for discounts or other temporary offers. Also, you can try new tools, such as replacing Google Chrome with browsers like Brave or Mozilla Firefox. Then, you can always opt to browse in Incognito mode, which might not do a lot, but it helps to stay away from some annoying tracking. Finally, you can use a VPN app like Atlas VPN to encrypt information about your online activities. Additionally, this tool will mask your IP address, meaning that online entities will no longer know your approximate geo-location.
No matter how tech-savvy you are or how hard you try, third-party websites will still find a way to track your online behavior and get pieces of your private information. It's just how the internet works these days.
However, you can increase your privacy in many different ways and make it harder to collect your data on them. One thing is certain – the number of tools for helping you remain anonymous will continue to grow as more and more people are becoming aware of privacy issues and the fact that they are being tracked and monitored online.
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