How to keep your anonymous data separate from your identity¶

To protect your privacy and make it harder for companies to track you, you can take a few simple steps to break the digital chains that link your online activity to your identity.

Break tracking chains¶

Use different browsers for different purposes. For example, try Firefox Focus for sensitive browsing (like searching for medical or financial topics) and your regular browser only for logged-in services (like email or social media). Also, enable privacy features like “Total Cookie Protection” in Firefox or “Strict” tracking prevention in Microsoft Edge to limit how websites follow you.

Scramble your digital fingerprint¶

Websites can identify you by subtle details like your screen size and browser settings. To make this harder, install an extension like CanvasBlocker (which fakes some of these details) and set your screen resolution to common values, such as 1920×1080, so you blend in with other users.

Separate your online identities¶

Create different email addresses for different parts of your life—one for banking and finances, another for social media, and a separate one for shopping and newsletters. This way, if one account gets exposed, it won’t automatically reveal everything else about you.

Hide your location patterns¶

Turn off Wi-Fi and GPS when you don’t need them, and use features like Apple’s “Private Wi-Fi Address” or Android’s “Randomised MAC” to prevent your device from being tracked across different networks.

Disrupt tracking tricks¶

To confuse companies that try to link your activity over time, add random delays (5–120 minutes) before posting on social media. Occasionally visit decoy websites (like random news sites or shopping pages) to pollute the profile that trackers build about you.