Not losing control of your data and protecting your digital privacy are struggles for anyone venturing online. Most people have a limit to how much they feel comfortable sharing. Deciding how much data to share or how much of your digital identity to disclose comes down to personal choice. This article provides simple tactics to help you retain more control of your personal data and protect your privacy online.

Are you using all the apps on your phone?

An app installed on your phone can gather lots of data, which an app developer can use or sell to a third party. Review every app on your phone and consider deleting those you’ve not accessed in the previous month. If you still need to use the app’s service, do so via your device’s internet browser, which does not allow third parties to access to as much data as an app.
 
And before installing a new app, take the time to review the app’s privacy policies. Depending on your device, the app store will provide an overview of the app and its approach to privacy. For example, the Apple App Store provides a link to the developer’s privacy policy, the data used to track you, the data linked to you, the data used to personalize the product, and the type of data the app gathers from your device. And keep in mind that it’s not just your data at stake. Some apps use your phone’s contact data for commercial purposes.

Manage your digital footprint

Your digital footprint comprises the data you choose to share, such as posts on social media, and the purchases you make online. Your digital footprint also includes the data gathered behind the scenes as you move around the digital world, including the sites you visit, where you click, and how long you stay on a web page.
 
Minimizing the size of your digital footprint requires reducing access to your data and the ability to monitor your online activity. To start, limit how much data you share via social media. “Anything you share online is accessible to anyone, so don’t share any personal information, like your address and phone number,” says Lauren Hess, vice president of Treasury Sales with Wintrust. "Even personal details as small as your elementary school or your dog’s name could be all a hacker needs to answer a few security questions and access your account.”
 
And when asked to log into a third-party site using a social media account such as Facebook or LinkedIn, consider rejecting the request. If someone compromises your social media account, they can use that access to log into every account you’ve granted access to. Logging in with Facebook or other social media platforms also provides that company with additional data on your habits and preferences it can then monetize.
 
While generally less invasive than an app, your browser can gather data and track your activity online. Periodically delete cookies from your device and change your browser’s privacy settings to block tracking of your activity. Additionally, consider installing an ad blocker, which will stop intrusive ads from appearing via your browser, prevent the insertion of viruses, and help the sites you visit load faster.

Use a virtual private network

Without the appropriate technology to shield your activity, an internet service provider (ISP) can record and retain the websites you visit. Depending on the laws governing its conduct, an ISP can then sell your browsing history to third parties.
 
A virtual private network (VPN) encrypts the data passing through your ISP servers, meaning it appears scrambled and cannot be read or monetized. However, a VPN provider may reserve the right to log your internet activity and sell it. Before signing up for a service, make sure the VPN provider does not retain your browsing records or sell them on the open market.
 
Keep in mind that a VPN may result in a measurable slowdown in your internet connection, and some websites that limit content to certain geographies may require you to disable the VPN before using their site. You can expect to pay around $10 per month for a VPN.
 
While the internet has transformed how society functions, it has created new challenges for individuals in managing personal data and protecting their privacy. If you’d like to exert greater control over your data and protect your digital privacy, revisit the apps you use, the information you share, and how you connect to the internet.

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