Privacy
Online privacy is less about hiding and more about control — deciding what you share, with whom, and in what context. Most people do not want to disappear from the internet; they want fewer surprises about how their data is collected, combined and sold.
How tracking typically works
A handful of mechanisms do most of the tracking you'll encounter online:
- Cookies. Small files a website stores in your browser. First-party cookies keep you signed in; third-party cookies were historically used to follow you between sites.
- Tracking pixels and tags. Tiny scripts embedded on pages that report visits back to ad and analytics networks.
- Fingerprinting. A combination of browser, OS, fonts, screen size and other signals that together can identify a device without any cookie at all.
- Account-linked tracking. Once you log in to a large platform, activity across its other products can be tied back to the same profile.
- Data brokers. Companies that buy, merge and resell data from many sources to advertisers and other buyers.
The principle: data minimisation
The single most useful idea in privacy is to share less by default. If a service does not need a piece of information to do its job, there is usually no reason to provide it. Data you never give cannot be leaked later.
Practical habits that help
- Use a privacy-aware browser and keep tracker blocking on.
- Review account privacy settings on the platforms you use most. Defaults are rarely the most private.
- Prefer email aliases for sign-ups you don't fully trust. Burner addresses make it easier to see who shared your details.
- Limit the granularity of permissions you grant apps: approximate location instead of precise, one-time access instead of always.
- Audit third-party app access on your Google, Apple, and Microsoft accounts every few months.
- Use a reputable DNS resolver that does not log your queries indefinitely.
- Request data deletion from services you no longer use. Many regions give you a legal right to do so.
What privacy is not
Privacy is not the same as anonymity. You can use your real name and still expect companies to respect the limits of what you've agreed to share. You can also be pseudonymous and still be tracked through device fingerprinting or linked accounts. Knowing which you actually want — confidentiality, control, or invisibility — helps you pick the right tools.
Common misconceptions
- "Incognito mode makes me anonymous." It prevents your local browser from storing history; it does not hide you from the sites you visit or your network.
- "I have nothing to hide." Privacy is less about hiding and more about deciding the audience for a given piece of information.
- "A VPN makes me private." A VPN changes who can see your network traffic. It does not change what websites learn about you once you interact with them.
Where to go next
Browse the blog archive for practical guides, or start with the password manager guide and the ten essential tips.