Privacy

Privacy is an important part of the internet that many of us ignore until something bad actually happens. Not only do you need to worry about scammers or malicious websites, but even many of the companies that you trust collect an unnecessary amount of data on what you do.
 
You can check out information about antiviruses or removing malware in our Quick Fixes section.

Safe Websites

This is an obvious tip, but always make sure the URL matches the website that you think you are on. You should always make sure that the URL has the padlock icon (like in the image below) or starts with https (the s is important). Some legitimate websites may lack this padlock, in which case you should never enter sensitive information, like passwords or addresses, into those websites.

Delete Cookies

Cookies are used by websites to keep track of who you are. This can be helpful for keeping certain settings you have on websites or keeping you logged in, but it can take up space on your device and can be used to track you. You can manually delete cookies or set the browser to automatically delete them at certain times in your browser’s settings, usually under privacy or security settings.

Search Engines

Many popular search engines keep a profile of you based on what you look up, which may help the search engine more easily find the type of information you enjoy but you may not want to trust a company with a detailed account of you. There are special search engines you can switch to that focus on privacy like DuckDuckGo.

Prevent Android from Tracking You

  • Hide Notifications - If you don’t want people to be able to see your notifications without unlocking your phone, you can set notifications to be hidden on the lock screen by going to Settings > Sounds & Notifications, and scroll down to “When device is locked”.
  • Ad Tracking - Google keeps track of your interests and location to better serve you ads and news. You may go to Settings > Google > Ads and opt out of personalized ads to prevent this.
  • Google Backup - You may also turn off backup if you do not trust Google with your phone’s information. Note that removing backups could mean that you lose your app data, text messages, contacts, and settings should you erase the data on your phone.
  • Location Tracking - Your phone constantly keeps track of your location to get an idea of your interests. You can disable this feature by going to Settings > Location. You can then select “Google Location History” to manage if your location history gets deleted from Google’s servers, or disable the feature entirely. You can also turn off location on your phone to prevent all apps from accessing your location and potentially save a little battery life, however functions like GPS or weather may not work.
  • App Permissions - Manage the permissions of other apps that you’ve installed by going to Settings > Apps and tap the three dots on the upper right and select “Permission Manager”. Make sure no app is using something you don’t want to share, and consider why an app might need to access a specific function before allowing it to do so. Try to only allow apps to use a function while the app is actually in use instead of all the time. If an app requires too many unusual permissions that you believe is unnecessary for its functionality, uninstall the app and consider alternatives.

Prevent iPhones from Tracking You

  • App Permissions - You can control what apps have access to from the Settings app. In the Settings app, scroll down and tap on “Privacy” to reveal a list of private types of data, like Location Services, Contacts, and Photos. Tap on each of these to see a list of apps that have requested access. Tap the toggle to grant or revoke access to any app you see fit.
  • Ad Tracking - Apple sends targeted adverts through some apps, including the App Store, Apple News, and the Stocks app. Head to the Settings > Privacy menu, scroll to the bottom of the list, and then tap “Advertising.” If you Limit Ad Tracking, Apple will disable interest-based targeted ads. This means the adverts you receive will be less relevant.
  • Spam Blocking - Fear you might be on some telemarketer’s target list? Worry no more, with iOS 13, your iPhone can intelligently determine whether you know the caller or not. If the number is found in your contacts, mail or messages, the call will be let through to you, like your own personal assistant. Settings > Phone > Silence Unknown Callers
  • Bluetooth - Ever noticed that Facebook sends you specific ads because you visited a specific store? It’s probably because it has access to your Bluetooth data. Settings > Privacy > Bluetooth
  • Location Data in Photos - You can remove location data from any photo or video before posting it or emailing it out to somebody. Just tap on all the photos you want to send in the Photos app, tap the Share button, then find the new Options button and toggle Location to off.
  • Siri Dictation Data - First download and install iOS 13.2 on your iPhone or iPad. Then fire up the Settings app and go to Siri & Search > Siri & Dictation History. From there tap the big, ominous-looking red button marked Delete Siri & Dictation History. Then you confirm that you want to carry out this action by tapping Delete Siri & Dictation History on the popup. You should finally get confirmation that the request has been received by Apple.

Prevent Windows from Tracking You

You can choose how much information to share with Microsoft by changing your privacy settings; go to the Start Menu (by clicking the button at the lower left corner of your screen), selecting Settings > Privacy. Here you can change your global privacy options and that will determine how Windows handles your information.
  • Privacy Dashboard - Some privacy and tracking settings are only available through Microsoft’s web tool Privacy Dashboard. After signing in to your Microsoft Account, you can change settings related to your activity (this includes browsing, app activity, etc.), Cortana, and Ads. You can also download the data Microsoft has tracked if you’re curious.
  • Ad Tracking - Windows 10 keeps an advertising ID associated with your account to send you targeted ads. This ID tracks information as you browse the web and use other Windows apps. To turn this ID off, go to General and under “Change privacy options” the first option controls the advertising ID, just be sure to switch the option from “On” to “Off.”
  • Location Tracking - You can decide on an app-by-app basis where you give permission to know your location. Under “Location” you can find a list of apps that ask for your location. Additionally, you can see the location history Microsoft has kept on you. To clear it, scroll down to “Location History” and click Clear.

Prevent MacOS from Tracking You

You can learn about how to stop MacOS in this article.