Do you guys think that we have the right to surf the web anonymously or do the sites we access have the right to know where we are? Sometimes I use the tor browser and the site hideipfree.com, but both these resources block me the access to some sites. What programs do you use to surf the web anonymously?
Well, Tor will only take you so far. It's not so much as 100% protecting your identity and location as it is providing you with peace of mind. You'll need to take extra steps and use far more effective programs to truly hide yourself from websites and even government agencies, although I doubt any of us have the need to hide from the latter. Still, people will try even if they have nothing to hide. Anonymity isn't as simple as firing up Tor, though.
I've never really bothered with an online privacy, although I do feel concerned with privacy I feel that there's not a great deal that can really be done as there will always be logs/records of something which can be dug up.
I use Firefox with an addon that lets me see who's tracking me. I also use proxies and VPN. You also have to consider the apps and software you're using. I have abandoned nearly all Google products. Even Facebook has privacy issues. I take careful steps in protecting my privacy online but I know I can only do so much. Well, better do something than nothing.
Tor is what I use sometimes but it is really a hinderance at some websites. And forget about checking your email on Tor ! Ha. They will send you a confirmation code to your cell phone. Or just lock the account altogether. Tor also requires constant updates and Flash does not work properly with it.
Firefox has some nifty proxy add ons. I used Anonymx [don't know if that's the right spelling] but it's probably the best FF add on which anyone who isn't tech savvy can use. Unlike some of the other add ons that require you to download lists of proxy servers then configure proxy ports and stuff with this one it's point, click and you'll be browsing the net anonymously. Anyway, that said, only occasionally do I have to change my IP address.
We obviously have our right to privacy online, but nobody is listening that as it's pretty cl;ear that not only American, but other governments are also spying on you whether you like it or not. As someone above me said, Tor is not going to take you too far. If you are serious about protecting your privacy, you should start using some paid VPS services.
I have also dabbled with IP masking software. I have never paid for any of these softwares, and have been careful to download the softwares that aren't loaded with viruses or malware. But even so, a lot of them do not work. There are still websites that will pick up on your IP address regardless of whether or not you are using masking software or not. I am not sure if that is because I didn't purchase the masking software though. Some websites work and others can still identify you, like Google. But if your Ip is successfully masked, a lot of the time it will slow your browser down tremendously, which is quite annoying and inconvenient. I think that it is good, in a sense, that we can never be completely anonymous online, because of people like pedophiles and such. A lot of them have been caught through police obtaining their IP address and such. But on the other hand, I think that the privacy of the masses is and has been invaded in a big way over the last ten years or so. I can only see it getting worse.
Sadly some people need to be watched. Do you think a lot of paedophiles would have been caught if they weren't being watched downloading child porn? How about some of the people who download movies and files illegally? I don't do anything illegal so if people want to see m surfing boring sites and having boring chats on Facebook then they can knock themselves out.
I'm not an important person, they don't care what I'm doing, just that I'm a potential customer and I block ads and don't sign up for things so as to avoid being sold to. I do think our privacy should be respected, but until that day comes, I'm just careful.
I have always used Web only for browsing purposes so I do not worry about things like online privacy. I am least bothered about such things as they are not my prime concern. Also I prefer not to do too much of Internet banking to avoid getting hacked.
I think Tor isn't really going to protect your privacy much if agencies like the NSA are really interested in your internet data. But for most people, there simply isn't any interest in what your online searches are and what you may be downloading/pirating.
I offered the same sentiments above. I recently watched a documentary on Youtube about pedophiles that had been caught. And most of the investigation comes from the offender's activity online. The police can contact the offender's IP address and find out where the person lives. From there they can and do further their investigation. I was so grateful for IP addresses when I watched this documentary. But I do also see the other end of this matter.
I think we should have the right to browse freely, however I accept people use the web for immoral and illegal purposes and accept that some things may be monitored. Therefore never write or post things that can be misconstrued. As for masking and changing your IP address, I think things can still be traced and I have nothing to hide. I should imagine that the authorities would be more suspicious of people that were masking their IP addresses and hiding their identity. If I was a police officer questioning someone I would ask they why they felt the need to do this if they had nothing to hide...
There are too many people that abuse "privacy laws" to incredibly invade someone else's privacy, so no, I don't agree with anonymous browsing. I'm sick of people hiding behind false tenets in the name of American freedoms. You must have boundaries in order to experience a life that is close to free.
I don't care if people can find where I live at, because the biggest Government entity near me knows my location, so some stranger on the internet who knows where I'm at isn't going to bother me. What I'm concerned in internet privacy, is my right to search and view whatever I want without any interference from any external entities. What I do is my right to do, so long as I harm, injure, or wrong no man or woman.
What I don't like about the internet, on a more general scale, is that you can find out where people live merely by typing a person's name into google and their country of residence. Or their State of residence. Say I typed in someone's name and Twickenham after it, all of the person's details will come up as far as their household, so people can find out where I live. The website also details who else lives in your household, according to the census, and it also details when the house was purchased and how long a person has been residing there, which I think is potentially dangerous. What if I had a stalker or something? The net makes it pretty for criminals in that regard. But then I remember that when we moved into our new house, we needed to contact the previous owners and we didn't have any way to contact them. so I googled their name and the region that they moved to, and I was able to find out their new place of residence immediately. So that was helpful. But it is also quite dangerous.
Yikes.. I didn't know that. I've typed my info into google before and never came up with anything. I owned my house in my home town too, so shouldn't I be easy to find then? You're absolutely right about how scary that is though. I did have people look me up that I didn't want to know where I was, but thankfully, all that comes up is a really old address. Where I lived before I had children or even knew my husband lol. So go for it.. stalk away LOL. But maybe they just didn't dig deep enough? Or is it just easy to stalk people on your side of the pond? In which case, I'll have to cancel my future plans to live there lol.
I just typed my name into Google again, along with the general region, and all of my info came up on this website:Log In. It had my mother's name, and her boyfriend's name, and my name. It has the date that we moved in too. That information is free, and you have to sign up with them - pay, I think - to get a full background report. The website seems to just be a UK thing, so you may be safe. But there has to be a Canadian/US equivalent. If you go to that website you can type in a person's full name, and it will give you a list of people with that name, how old they are, and where they live. It's pretty invasive, considering nobody knowingly gave the website permission, unless they just take it from the census, which I hear they do. I used to dabble in hacking, so I know a thing or two about how to dox someone's information. The person who was stalking you probably was not thorough enough, or you are just very smart in keeping your information off of the internet But I wasn't even trying to dox when I discoveredLog In. It fell into my lap - was that easy. I told my mother, and she was absolutely horrified!!
Concealing our identities online is the ultimate dream, right? Sad to say that this will never be achieved for browsers, etc. get their profit from advertisements that were tailored for you based on the information you shared online. Also, the government itself which should be "protecting" our privacy rights is spying on us through the Internet.
