A recent survey conducted by Malwarebytes indicates that a majority of individuals are concerned about the misuse of their personal data by corporations. However, you don’t have to feel helpless in this situation. Here are ways to enhance your data protection.
Are you apprehensive that large corporations and government entities are indiscriminately harvesting your personal information and misusing it? You are certainly not the only one.
In a report released today, the security company Malwarebytes unveiled the findings from a survey of 1,500 subscribers to its newsletter. Here’s a quick overview of some key takeaways from their report:
- 89% of those surveyed expressed worry about their personal information being inappropriately utilized by corporations, with the same percentage concerned about AI tools using their data without permission.
- 77% perceived that “numerous online activities today, from making purchases to downloading files to setting up new accounts, seem like schemes to collect my data.”
- 72% are anxious about government access to their personal information without their approval.
- 70% feel that “I’ve resigned myself to the fact that my personal data is already available out there, and I have no way of retrieving it.”
- 60% of participants are worried that their phones are eavesdropping on their discussions and directing advertisements at them.
And the most disheartening insight of all:
While 87% of respondents “favor national regulations on how businesses can collect, store, share, or utilize our personal data,” 60% believe “we will never have straightforward, effective means to safeguard our data.”
It’s important to clarify that this is not a randomized, statistically representative survey reflecting the broader population; rather, it captures the opinions of a self-selected group of individuals who are already concerned enough about privacy and security issues to subscribe to a newsletter on the topic. However, from my experience, these bleak, pessimistic sentiments are quite common among anyone who has seriously considered privacy issues.
That sense of pessimism is broadly justified. The notion that individuals can exert any meaningful control over their privacy these days is ludicrous.
As you move around, surveillance cameras record your presence. When driving, cameras capture images of your license plate. Your smartphone continually connects with cell towers, and the GPS functionality of that device meticulously logs your whereabouts. Law enforcement frequently utilizes this data as evidence in criminal cases, such as the trial of a South Carolina lawyer convicted of murder in a notorious 2023 case.
Your online activities are being tracked with equal thoroughness, and advertising networks have become mercilessly adept at merging data signals to create a comprehensive profile of you, despite your efforts to block such tracking.
In the dystopian novel A Scanner Darkly, Philip K. Dick envisioned a technology that would allow individuals to be completely anonymous in the surrounding world. In his narrative, undercover officers could don “scramble suits” that rendered it impossible for even their supervisors to know their true identities.
Unfortunately, that’s purely science fiction, not real-life technology. No technology exists that can render you invisible in the physical realm, nor online.
The goal is not to achieve invisibility. Instead, the focus should be on guaranteeing that your interactions in the digital realm are transparent. Are you aware of what information you are sharing? Do you know what the organization that collects that information intends to do with it? What risks do you take when you share that information?
Here are five strategies you can implement today to reclaim control over your data.
1. Utilize privacy tools
Ad blockers and tools for preventing tracking can disrupt evident forms of data collection, particularly by large online advertising networks.
VPNs and anonymous browsing services can hide your location and identity when you are engaging in activities involving sensitive information. This is especially important for political activists or anyone researching topics that could expose them to danger in jurisdictions where certain reproductive health issues have been criminalized.
For any communications regarding those topics, it’s crucial to use encrypted email and messaging applications.
2. Understand which privacy settings are significant
It’s easy to open the Privacy section of your browser, smartphone, desktop operating system, and individual applications and flip all the settings to Off. However, that approach is excessive and sure to cause frustration.
The essential settings to focus on involve location services, access to the camera and microphone, and cross-site tracking. The nonprofit organization National Cybersecurity Alliance offers a helpful guide on navigating your privacy settings.
3. Create one or two alternate identities
When engaging with an application or website that you’re unfamiliar with, why should you provide them with your real name or other personal details? It’s simple to generate email aliases for such situations.
You can also use services like Google Voice to create temporary phone numbers that are not linked to your actual identity.
Utilize a disposable credit card number from privacy.com when you need to make a purchase but lack trust in the recipient’s ability to manage your financial details securely. This service also allows you to establish transaction limits to prevent a dubious service provider from making additional unauthorized charges.
4. Review your apps and services
If a service raises your suspicions, refrain from using it. According to the Malwarebytes survey, 40% of participants indicated they halted their use of platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and X because they no longer trusted those services to protect their data. If you choose to follow suit, ensure you close your account and remove the relevant apps from any devices you possess.
It’s wise to periodically scan your mobile device and remove any apps and services you no longer require before they become potential privacy concerns. For instance, among survey participants, 26% abandoned fertility or period-tracking applications due to privacy apprehensions.
5. Decide who is worthy of your trust
Avoid getting overwhelmed by privacy agreements. While privacy agreements are crucial and deserve your attention, many examples exist where permissions required to carry out basic functions can be exploited. Cloud storage providers often demand alarming permissions to operate effectively. At the same time, AI developers frequently gather data without adhering to privacy agreements, potentially violating the law.
By sharing information with online services, you’re choosing to trust them with that data. Do they merit that trust? If your response is “no” or “I’m uncertain,” it might be time to explore alternatives.
I never employ my personal credit card for free trials, and I avoid sharing my card details with unfamiliar merchants. Here’s my approach.
Shopping online can present a risky challenge. While major vendors strive to create a sense of security, what do you do when you need to supply your credit card details to an unfamiliar vendor?
Fortunately, there is a type of financial tool—known as a virtual card—that can assist you. A virtual debit card can be activated or deactivated, allow the setting of spending limits, and generate unique card numbers.
A virtual card is not only useful for transactions with unknown online retailers, but it can also be utilized for those free trials that automatically renew and can prove hard to cancel. With a virtual card, you can permit just one charge, after which it becomes inactive. No unexpected renewals. Similarly, you can use it to avoid overcharges on subscriptions. By setting a maximum limit, you won’t suddenly encounter a substantial bill you must contest.
I utilize a service that allows me to control how my card is charged without my explicit consent. Privacy.com enables me to set spending limits on any card I create, restrict how many times a card can be used, and more.
Let’s go over the steps to get started, how the system operates, and the advantages you receive from using Privacy.com.
How to begin with Privacy.com
To initiate, direct your browser to Privacy.com. Note: Privacy will request some personal information, such as your name, home address, date of birth, and possibly a copy of your driver’s license. They may ask for other documentation as well.
Why? The company provides its rationale for these somewhat intrusive requests:
To assist the government in combating terrorism financing and money laundering activities, federal law mandates that all financial institutions obtain, verify, and maintain information that identifies every individual who opens a Privacy Account.
You will also need to establish a funding source. This is the account from which Privacy will withdraw money to pay the vendor you are transacting with. Keep in mind that though Privacy issues credit card numbers, it does not extend credit. Everything you pay using Privacy will be deducted directly from your bank account or via a debit card linked to your bank account.
Those are your two options for funding sources: a personal bank account or its respective debit card. The free version of Privacy will not function with a business bank account. You will have to specify a funding source when setting up your Privacy account. If you wish to modify sources later, navigate to the Account menu item under the little head icon in the upper-right corner of the page.
You can have various bank accounts as funding sources, but you cannot have multiple debit cards, nor can you have both a bank account and a debit card.
Although some time has passed, I recall that it took a few days post-signup for Privacy to fully activate my account. Therefore, if you intend to use this service, don’t leave it until the last moment when you urgently require it.