I’d heard about it on the news, and I’d seen it in TV shows and movies, but I never thought that it could happen to me. I really never believed that one day the government would show up at my door, seize my computer, and take me away in handcuffs, all because of something I said online.
You’ve probably heard stories like this before, where someone quotes a movie or makes a joke about hurting or killing someone else and before they know it they are whisked away to face trial. I know I had, but you just never really think it can happen to you. See, the thing is, we all kind of feel like we’re anonymous when we’re online because it’s kind of like if I can’t see you, you can’t see me. But the truth is, you are not anonymous at all. Every computer has what’s called an IP address that identifies you by both your ISP (Internet Service Provider) and your location. That means that figuring out who you are instantaneously is pretty easy.
But it gets even worse. Your ISP performs what’s called data retention. You might have heard of this in the news recently when it was announced that the government is building a massive complex to store a ridiculous amount of computer and cell phone data. Right now, they just have to ask for a warrant (which are nearly always given out) and your ISP tells them every website you’ve visited, everyone you’ve emailed with, and all of your billing information. All it takes is for the wrong person to see the wrong post, and you’re tracking down in an instant.
The thing is, I thought I was protected because I was using my web browser’s incognito mode, which doesn’t record in your web history and doesn’t keep any cookies when you close it down. Cookies are those little data packets that websites use to track your activity for advertising purposes. So, I just assumed that everything was deleted when I closed down the browser. But what’s recorded on your computer, and what’s recorded on your ISP’s data logs are two very different things!
Look, you don’t have to take my word for this. You’ve heard it everywhere. These days it’s best to find some way to spend your time online as anonymously as possible, and the best way to do that it to use a Virtual Private Network that makes your IP look like it’s somewhere else. Find the safest service vpn you can, and be careful out there.
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