You installed a free flashlight app. It asked for access to your contacts, location, microphone, and photos. You tapped "Allow" because you wanted a flashlight. Six months later, you're getting spam calls and targeted ads that seem to know things about you. The flashlight worked fine. The privacy cost was invisible until it wasn't.
Privacy isn't about hiding wrongdoing. It's about controlling who knows what about you—and making that choice yourself instead of having it made for you.
We're not security experts or privacy advocates. We're people who got tired of feeling surveilled by the internet we helped build. This guide covers practical steps anyone can take today, using tools that are free, simple, and don't require a computer science degree.
Why Privacy Matters (Even If You Have "Nothing to Hide")
The "Nothing to Hide" Problem
"I have nothing to hide" sounds reasonable until you think about it:
- You have nothing to hide from your employer. Would you give them your browser history?
- You have nothing to hide from your in-laws. Would you share your medical records?
- You have nothing to hide from advertisers. Would you let them read your texts?
Privacy isn't about hiding bad things. It's about maintaining appropriate boundaries with different people and organizations.
What's Actually at Stake
Identity theft: Your personal information can be used to open accounts, take loans, or commit fraud in your name.
Targeted manipulation: Data about your habits, beliefs, and vulnerabilities can be used to manipulate your behavior—from shopping to voting.
Professional consequences: Things you share can affect job prospects, insurance rates, and opportunities you never know you missed.
Personal safety: Location data, routine patterns, and personal information can be exploited by stalkers, abusers, or criminals.
The Asymmetry Problem
Companies collect data about you for profit. You get free services. But:
- They have entire teams devoted to collecting your data
- You have no idea what they're collecting
- They keep it forever
- You can't take it back
This asymmetry is why privacy requires active effort.
Password Security
Why Passwords Still Matter
You've heard it a thousand times. You still have the same password on multiple sites. We get it—remembering unique passwords for 100+ accounts seems impossible.
Here's the reality: if one site gets breached and you reused that password, every account with that password is compromised.
Use our Password Generator to create strong, unique passwords.
What Makes a Strong Password
Length beats complexity. "correct-horse-battery-staple" is harder to crack than "P@ssw0rd!" because length matters more than special characters.
Strong passwords are:
- At least 16 characters (longer is better)
- Unique to each account
- Not based on personal information
- Not common phrases or patterns
Weak passwords include:
- Dictionary words
- Personal info (birthdays, pet names, addresses)
- Simple patterns (123456, qwerty, password)
- Previous passwords with minor changes
Password Manager Basics
The problem: You can't remember 100 unique strong passwords.
The solution: A password manager remembers them for you.
How it works:
- You remember ONE strong master password
- The manager generates and stores unique passwords for everything else
- It auto-fills passwords when you log in
- Your passwords are encrypted
Popular options:
- Bitwarden (free, open source)
- 1Password (paid, polished)
- Built-in browser password managers (convenient but less secure)
The key insight: You only need to remember one password. That's manageable.
Two-Factor Authentication (2FA)
What it is: A second verification step after your password—usually a code from your phone.
Why it matters: Even if someone steals your password, they can't access your account without the second factor.
Types of 2FA (from best to worst):
- Hardware keys (YubiKey) - Most secure, requires physical device
- Authenticator apps (Google Authenticator, Authy) - Very secure, code changes every 30 seconds
- SMS codes - Better than nothing, but vulnerable to SIM swapping
Enable 2FA on:
- Email (this is your recovery account for everything)
- Financial accounts
- Social media
- Any account you'd be upset to lose
Encrypted Communication
What Encryption Actually Does
When you send a normal message, it's like a postcard—anyone handling it can read it.
When you send an encrypted message, it's like a locked box—only the intended recipient has the key.
End-to-end encryption means even the company running the service can't read your messages.
Using Our Text Encryption Tool
Our Text Encryption tool encrypts text before you send it through any channel.
How to use it:
- Type your sensitive message
- Set a password
- Copy the encrypted text
- Send via any channel (email, chat, text)
- Share the password separately (different channel)
- Recipient decrypts with the password
Use cases:
- Sharing passwords or PINs
- Sending sensitive financial information
- Private messages on non-private platforms
- Any text you wouldn't want intercepted
Everyday Encrypted Messaging
Signal: End-to-end encrypted by default. Open source. The gold standard for private messaging.
WhatsApp: End-to-end encrypted, but owned by Meta (Facebook). Metadata is still collected.
iMessage: Encrypted between Apple devices. Not encrypted to Android users.
SMS/Text messages: Not encrypted. Your carrier can read them. Don't send sensitive information via SMS.
Understanding Your Digital Footprint
Your IP Address
Your IP address is like your internet mailing address. It reveals:
- Your approximate location (city level)
- Your internet service provider
- Sometimes your organization
Use our IP Info tool to see what your IP address reveals about you.
Why it matters:
- Websites can roughly locate you
- Advertisers use it for targeting
- Repeated visits can be linked together
What Websites Track
Cookies: Small files that remember you. Some are helpful (staying logged in). Others track you across the entire internet.
Fingerprinting: Combining your browser, screen size, fonts, and settings to identify you without cookies.
Third-party trackers: Those "Share to Facebook" buttons track you even if you don't click them.
Analytics: Most websites track which pages you visit, how long you stay, and where you came from.
Reducing Your Footprint
Browser settings:
- Block third-party cookies
- Enable "Do Not Track" (many sites ignore it, but some don't)
- Clear cookies periodically
Browser extensions:
- uBlock Origin (blocks ads and trackers)
- Privacy Badger (learns to block trackers)
Browser choice:
- Firefox with privacy settings enabled
- Brave (blocks trackers by default)
- Safari (decent privacy defaults)
Search engines:
- DuckDuckGo (doesn't track you)
- Startpage (private Google results)
Practical Privacy Habits
Before Signing Up
Ask yourself:
- Do I actually need this account?
- What information is required vs. optional?
- Can I use a throwaway email for this?
- What's the privacy policy? (At least skim it)
Tips:
- Don't use "Sign in with Google/Facebook" (links accounts together)
- Provide minimal information
- Use a secondary email for non-essential signups
- Lie on security questions (just remember what you said)
App Permissions
Review what apps can access:
- Location (does a flashlight need this?)
- Contacts (does a game need this?)
- Microphone (does a calculator need this?)
- Camera (does a weather app need this?)
Principles:
- Grant minimal permissions
- Choose "While Using App" over "Always"
- Review permissions periodically
- Delete apps you don't use
Social Media Hygiene
Settings to check:
- Who can see your posts?
- Who can tag you?
- What information is public on your profile?
- Are your past posts still visible?
Behaviors to consider:
- Think before posting (internet is forever)
- Don't share location in real-time
- Be cautious about sharing personal details
- Remember that "friends only" isn't really private
Public WiFi
Risks:
- Unencrypted networks can be monitored
- Fake hotspots can capture your data
- Other users might be able to see your traffic
Precautions:
- Avoid logging into sensitive accounts on public WiFi
- Look for HTTPS (the lock icon) before entering data
- Consider a VPN for frequent public WiFi use
- Your phone's cellular data is generally safer
Privacy vs. Convenience Trade-offs
Honest Trade-offs
More privacy often means less convenience:
| Privacy Measure | Convenience Cost |
|---|---|
| Unique passwords | Need password manager |
| 2FA enabled | Extra login step |
| Blocking trackers | Some sites break |
| Not using Google | Less convenient search |
| Private browser | Lose some personalization |
The key is choosing where you care enough to accept inconvenience.
Pragmatic Privacy
You don't need to be invisible. A reasonable approach:
High priority:
- Strong unique passwords (no password reuse)
- 2FA on important accounts
- Encrypted messaging for sensitive topics
- Basic browser privacy settings
Medium priority:
- Privacy-respecting search engine
- Reviewing app permissions
- Using encrypted email for sensitive communication
- Being thoughtful about social media sharing
Lower priority (unless you need high security):
- Using Tor
- Avoiding all Google services
- Encrypted phones
- Extreme operational security
The 80/20 Rule
80% of privacy benefit comes from:
- Not reusing passwords
- Enabling 2FA on email
- Basic browser privacy settings
- Thinking before sharing online
The remaining 20% requires significant effort for marginal gain. Focus on the high-impact steps first.
Quick Reference Checklist
Today (5 Minutes)
- Check what your IP reveals with IP Info
- Create a strong password with our Password Generator
- Enable 2FA on your primary email
This Week (30 Minutes)
- Get a password manager (Bitwarden is free)
- Enable 2FA on financial accounts
- Review social media privacy settings
- Check phone app permissions
This Month (Ongoing)
- Migrate important accounts to unique passwords
- Delete unused apps and accounts
- Use encrypted messaging for sensitive topics
- Review and adjust browser privacy settings
Conclusion
Privacy isn't all-or-nothing. Every step you take—using a unique password, enabling 2FA, being thoughtful about what you share—makes you a harder target.
Most data collection relies on people not paying attention. By paying a little attention, you move from the easy-target majority to a more protected minority.
Our Password Generator, Text Encryption, and IP Info tools are free, work locally (your data doesn't leave your device), and require no signup. They're small steps, but small steps compound.
The internet remembers everything. Give it less to remember.
Keep Reading
- Data Backup Security Checklist - Protect your important files
- Work From Home Digital Tools Guide - Secure remote work
- Create Secure Passwords Guide - Deep dive on passwords
Related Tools
- Password Generator - Create strong, unique passwords
- Text Encryption - Encrypt sensitive messages
- IP Info - See what your IP address reveals