Companies and websites keep tabs on everything you do online. They gather data on your location, browsing habits, and more through ads, social media, and websites. They can infer some pretty personal stuff from all this data, including things like your religious beliefs, and medical conditions. Even if you don't share any of that on social media, the websites you visit, on a regular basis can provide enough data for advertisers to figure it out.
While you can't really get rid of EVERY ad, pop-up, or tracker, you can significantly reduce them. Here are a few tips:
Get A Reputable Ad Blocker Many big-name virus protection software companies offer ad blockers that will also block tracking and dangerous sites as well as prevent malware intrusions.
Disable Interest Based Ads You can turn off interest-based ads on most platforms, click the links below to see how. Twitter Facebook Google Apple OS Most sites have opt-out policies, but you have to do it manually. You can try a site like Simple Opt Out to find direct links to opt out of data sharing for hundreds of sites. Be sure to manage browser settings in Chrome, and Safari to turn off tracking and location settings.
Ask Apps Not To Track For Android phones-Ask Websites not to track, and change permissions for each app if you can. Make sure to turn off location services for apps that don't need them for navigation purposes etc. For iOS-Turn off Request to Track. You can also check and change Safari settings on your iPhone.
Use Secure Sites Make sure you are using the secure version of a website, especially if you are using public wifi. This makes it much for difficult for bad actors to digitally snoop on what you're doing. To see if a site is secure just look for "HTTPS" at the beginning of the URL. If you use public wifi often, using a VPN will add another layer of security.
Keep Operating Systems Up To Date OS updates often include security and privacy patches, you can set the updates to run automatically, but it's good practice to check every once in a while to make sure updates were completed. Make sure you are doing this on all of your devices!
Do A Security Check Up On Your Accounts You can check and see if your email address has been part of a data breach by going to Have I Been Pwned?. Just enter your email to see if it appears in this database of breaches.
Use A Password Manager A password manager will generate complex, unique passwords for each of your accounts, remember them for you, and sync them across your devices. Many will also alert you to security breaches, and check for weak or duplicate passwords.
Securing your data can feel daunting and time-consuming. We hope these tips make it easier for you to take control of your data. A little time and patience setting up these practices now will go a long way towards making sure your data only goes where you want it to.
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