Enhanced Tracking Protection in Firefox automatically protects your privacy while you browse. It blocks many of the trackers that follow you around online to collect information about your browsing habits and interests. It also includes protections against harmful scripts, such as malware that drains your battery. We have a range of different forms of screen guards, depending on what type of protection you are looking for. Whatever your need is we have a solution for you. ViaScreens offers privacy screens and filters, anti-glare screen and surface protectors as well as rugged screen protection.
You might also be interested in our privacy tips for iPhone.
Follow these easy steps to protect the personal data on your Android devices, and don't forget that can include TVs and other dedicated devices as well as phones and tablets. Also note that the instructions below may differ slightly depending on your version of Android.
1. Minimize Google's data collection.
On most Android devices you don't have to sign in with your Google account, although some services may be limited. Also make sure you review your Google activity profile at https://myactivity.google.com/myactivity.
2. Lock down your device.
Use a PIN or ideally an alphanumeric password to lock your device.
How:Settings > Security > Screen lock
3. Encrypt the device to protect the data stored on it.
Note that a PIN or password needs to be set to do this, and the device needs to be plugged in.
How:Settings > Security > Encrypt phone/tablet
4. Keep the device's software up-to-date.
Good advice for any device, not just Android.
How:Settings > About phone/tablet > System Update
5. Be wary of third-party app stores.
Also, don't allow installation of apps from 'unknown sources' unless you're very confident in the source.
How:Settings > Security > Unknown sources
6. When installing an app, check its permissions first.
Think carefully about whether to continue installation if it's requesting access to sensitive data. Seek out apps that require the minimum permissions necessary, like our search app.
7. Review permissions for installed apps.
You may have missed changes during updates or perhaps changed your opinion of what's acceptable. Remove apps you no longer use, and consider replacing some with ones that request the minimum permissions necessary to do their jobs like DuckDuckGo (us) for search.
How:Settings > Apps > [app name]
8. Consider which apps you want syncing with the cloud.
Not syncing apps will limit the data they send to the cloud.
How:Settings > Accounts section > [app name]
9. Hide private notifications.
Stop apps from showing notification content in the lock screen (newer versions of Android only).
How:Settings > Sound & notifications
10. Review default apps.
Assess your default applications, making sure you trust critical communication apps like email, SMS, and browser (newer versions of Android only).
How:Settings > Apps > ⚙ icon > Default
11. Don't share your location with apps.
Stop individual apps accessing your location (newer versions of Android only).
How:Settings > Apps > ⚙ icon > App permissions > Location
12. Don't share your location with Google.
Stop Google services tracking your location, and reset your location history.
How:Settings > Location > Google Location History
13. Consider using a non-Google version of Android.
One popular example is LineageOS, based on CyanogenMod, although this requires technical knowledge to install on your device.
How: Be aware of the risks and follow the install guides.
14. Set DuckDuckGo as your default search engine.
We (DuckDuckGo) are the search engine that doesn't track you. Although it's not possible to add us in Android's built-in browser because Google doesn't include us as an option (go figure), there are several other browsers you can use. You can also add us to your homescreen — visit our homepage for instructions.
15. Install the DuckDuckGo Privacy Browser.
Our mobile app has built-in tracker network blocking, smarter encryption, and, of course, private search, all designed to operate seamlessly together while you search and browse the web.
How: Get the app from https://duckduckgo.com/app
General note
Audio hijack 3 6 4 x 8. When using Google services and apps on Android and elsewhere, you can control your data by:
Reviewing and limiting Google's tracking of your activity in your My Activity page. See our post on deleting your Google history.
Disabling Google's ad profiling and tracking. See our post on changing Google ad targeting settings.
Congratulations! You've just taken a big step to increasing mobile privacy and protecting the data on your Android device. You may also be interested in the Tor community's efforts to harden Android further. You might also be interested in our privacy tips for iPhone.
⇲ You can also download a printable PDF of all these tips.
For more privacy advice follow us on Twitter, and stay protected and informed with our privacy newsletters.
Most internet users have heard of the concept of 'cookies' that store information about websites they've visited, but not many people realize the scope of information that these cookies capture or how they can be used to monitor your behavior. In recent years, the usage and complexity of browser cookies has increased significantly while going largely unnoticed by most users. In this post we'll summarize how cookies are used to gather information about you and what you can do to minimize this invasive monitoring. Learn how to manage web cookies to protect your online privacy.
What is the Purpose of Browser Cookies?
Cookies are a tool used by website owners to track your behavior on their site and store information about you for future visits. Information contained in these cookies could include your IP address, browser version information, a user ID assigned by the site owner, the dates you visited the site, and what pages you viewed or actions you took on the site. All of this information is combined to create a unique profile assigned to you. While cookies usually don't contain any personal information about you like your name or phone number, these hardware details can still be used to build a 'profile' on you that marketers can study and analyze.
One of the most common examples of cookie monitoring is 'retargeting' advertising, where a business will continue advertising to you long after you've left their website. Ever notice how you'll visit a site, and then something from that website (or closely related to it) will start showing up in your Facebook ads? Facebook partners with a massive number of web service providers to allow them to continue advertising to you on social media after you visit their website. This is just one example – most social media platforms and large websites employ this method of advertising.
How to Manage Web Cookies
This invasive tracking should be concerning to privacy-minded users. The most effective way to prevent cookie usage on your PC is to simply turn them off, but note that this may break some functionality on certain websites. First-party cookies are placed directly by the site you're visiting, and may be required for some parts of the website to work. Third-party cookies are placed by the site's partners, such as advertising agencies and monitoring services, and are usually not necessary for a site to function. An acceptable compromise may be to enable cookie deletion upon closing the browsing session – most modern browsers have this ability. You can take this a step further and use the various private-browsing modes available on your browser. These private sessions don't create cookies for the activities you perform during that session, and any temporary files created during the session are deleted afterwards.
For the most vigilant users, you can open the directory in which the browser cookies are stored, and routinely delete the contents of that folder. Each OS stores them in a different location, so research where the directory is located on your PC and review the files there to determine if you want to keep them.
Implement a VPN System for an Added Layer of Protection
While there are steps you can take on your local PC to minimize the impact of web cookies, you can also set up a VPN to mask your computer's details and supply a false IP address to the marketers that use cookies. One of the most concerning data points contained in a web cookie is the IP address of the user it belongs to. An IP address contains sensitive geographic information that can be used to pinpoint your exact location, and can even pull up your personal information if your internet service provider gets involved.
When using a VPN, your true IP address is never revealed to the website you're communicating with. Since all traffic is sent through the VPN provider, the website will only see the VPN server's IP, not yours. This means that you can create an effective diversion to prevent your geographic location from being revealed to the website owner. Paired with the practices mentioned in the second section of this post, a VPN will create an airtight seal against the invasive monitoring by cookie owners.
Cookie 5 7 9 – Protect Your Online Privacy Screens Online
In summary, most users don't realize the extent to which they are being tracked and monitored by web cookies. While addressing cookies is an effective way to limit the information you provide, keep in mind that there are many other methods that websites and advertisers use to track you which are outside the scope of this post. Utilize the recommendations in this post to stop cookies from being planted on your PC, and enjoy peace of mind that your activity will remain private.
