Business is good for VPN providers – the companies that provide virtual private networks, encrypted tunnels through which internet data travels, that are used to spoof users’ locations.
Previously, VPNs were a niche interest. They’re now used by those for whom the age verification checks on many websites imposed by the terms of the Online Safety Act are too much hassle.
In the weeks after the act came into force on 25 July, VPNs shot to the top of UK app stores as people sought to protect their ID.
It’s understandable that users who feel they’re being asked to hand over ever more personal information would look to VPNs. But they’re far from the only way to stay safe when you’re using the web.
Go incognito?
Users’ first port of call may be the ‘Incognito’ or ‘Private browsing’ mode they see as an option in their web browser. But beware the misleading terminology.
“When it comes to private browsing, it’s not actually that private,” says Jake Moore, a cybersecurity expert at internet security firm ESET. “All it does is prevent your browser from saving your search history, cookies and autofill data on your device.”
That’s useful if you don’t want to leave a trace on a shared computer – for instance, if you’re trying to buy a present for a loved one online and don’t want them to know what you’ve been searching for – but it’s less useful for stopping snooping elsewhere.
“It doesn’t hide your identity from websites, your ISP or advertisers,” says Moore. “In fact, they can still see your IP address and track you should they want to.”
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Shun the big boys
Search engines are a major gateway to many websites, but users often feel uncomfortable with the level of data that tech companies build up about them and use to sell ads – ads that follow them around the web.
“Google harvests a tremendous amount of user data for profiling and targeted ads, which generates them money,” says Moore.
“This data analysis can be extremely intrusive and many people will simply have no idea that [tech companies] analyse their data and track their movements online.”
There are privacy-focused search engines available as alternatives that are just as good as Google. “I would always recommend DuckDuckGo,” says Alan Woodward, professor of cybersecurity at the University of Surrey.
Alongside its search engine, DuckDuckGo also offers a web browser as an alternative to Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge or Apple’s Safari. Both are recommended by Moore and Woodward.
Another key part of our online lives is email.
While ‘Big Tech’ isn’t reading every word of your Christmas email updating family and friends about your year, they are scanning your data for advertising – “and have been doing so for years,” says Moore.
It’s why the likes of Gmail, Outlook and Yahoo are able to offer their services for free.
For most people, myself included, the cost-versus-convenience tradeoff is such that I’m okay with it. If you’re not, there are alternative options.
Proton Mail is the best known and has been around for more than a decade. It has end-to-end encryption, and comes with anonymity built in as standard.
It provides 1GB of storage for free, plus 5GB in a Proton Drive cloud storage service, which is around a third of what you’d get with Google, but still plenty for most people.
Paying for things online worries many web users, but it’s increasingly becoming something you can’t avoid. One good option is PayPal.
“PayPal is very convenient and I’ve never had any problems with them selling my data or commoditising me,” says Woodward.
Moore points out that PayPal is often a better option than paying directly via card at online shops because you don’t have to hand over your card details directly.
But if you’re worried about your credit card data being vacuumed up by cybercriminals, many banks now offer virtual cards for occasional or one-time use through their app.
Apple or Android?
Debate between fans of Apple and Android phones gets as heated as local football rivalries, so it’s no surprise to find the experts are divided.
“One thing about Apple is that you’re locked into their ecosystem, so they do control you, but everything’s a bit tighter, and I personally feel safer,” says Woodward.
Apps uploaded to Apple’s App Store tend to go through marginally more rigorous checks, which can make them a good choice.
Still, “Apple and Android both battle it out to learn what they can about their users,” says Moore. “Both desire knowledge on their users, which can equate to power.”
Stay away from social media
The same is true for social media. While it’s an important part of our lives these days, the reality is there isn’t a safe sweet spot between participating in a digital debate and protecting your ID – or stopping social platforms trawling your data.
“When it comes to data-hungry social media, having no social media presence at all is the best option when it comes to privacy,” says Moore. “Remember: when the product is free, you are most likely going to be the product.”
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