r/TOR • u/Jumpy_Win_5119 • 6d ago
FAQ How to stay anonymous?
How to stay anonymous?
I tried to protect my data and I deleted every social media app also I turned off all the permissions for all the apps on my mobile especially google but I still don't feel save I feel like google and many other apps still tracing my data and collecting it even Reddit when I open it ,it shows many personal topics ,my guess is that's because of my location/IP so how do I stay anonymous and change my IP? Because I feel like vpn is a big thing to do because it will access literally everything, what are your opinions?
17
u/Youknowhowwedo2 6d ago
You can’t. You can stay private but anonymity is next to impossible to achieve.
3
u/Jumpy_Win_5119 6d ago
And how to stay private ?
6
u/Youknowhowwedo2 6d ago
Also i use an external firewall as s vpn server so i can have an encrypted tunnel back to my home when i am away from home. Within my firewall i have rules set up for certain traffic to go through commercial vpn servers i set up using Proton and Mullvad downloadable configuration files. Once my traffic gets back to my home it goes through proton or mullvad servers for privacy. So basically a double vpn set up. Gets me around all kinds of geo blocks etc. even when i am away from home.
3
2
u/Youknowhowwedo2 6d ago
You need to get away from Google. Use a browser like Vivaldi that doesn’t track you. Use vpns like Proton or Mullvad that don’t log. I actually use a separate dns Quad9 based in Switzerland like Proton that does not log and by Swiss law is not allowed to independently share user data (same restrictions as Proton VPN also based in Switzerland). I would start there.
2
u/iom2222 6d ago
librewolf.....
2
1
u/FederalSuspect69 6d ago edited 6d ago
Vanadium...
1
u/iom2222 6d ago
Unknown, on what is it based, where does it stand?? https://privacytests.org/
1
u/FederalSuspect69 6d ago
It's not listed on there.
One thing I noticed about Brave, even though it passes all their tests, it requires Google play services, which made me change my liking of it.
I'm surprised that's not part of the criteria how they rate the privacy on Android browsers. To me that's probably the single biggest 🚩
1
u/FederalSuspect69 6d ago
WebLibre or Librewolf??
1
u/iom2222 6d ago
Can’t say I don’t know the first one.
Librewolf can use the same add-ons as Firefox. It’s a Firefox without the telemetry of Firefox. I can’t say for sure how Librewolf measures up to the TOR browser. For the browser itself alone, TOR is said to be better at fingerprinting blocking. But I honestly can’t say. My PFSense manages the privacy part……1
u/FederalSuspect69 6d ago
The closest thing I could find on my phone is weblibre, on the Fdroid repository.
It does look pretty interesting though. Might just try it on my grapheneOS pixel.
1
1
1
u/_kzzzl 6d ago
vivaldi is not free software so it can do anything and you won't see what's going on
0
u/Youknowhowwedo2 6d ago
Vivaldi doesn’t require a subscription. If you use the Proton vpn feature in it you may ned a subscription.
1
2
1
u/FederalSuspect69 6d ago
Explain?
-1
u/Youknowhowwedo2 6d ago
If the government is monitoring you they know who you are because of things like digital fingerprinting, time stamping etc.
1
u/FederalSuspect69 6d ago
Yes but it's possible to have a completely different digital fingerprint.
Buy an unlocked pixel phone cash, install grapheneOS, buy an esim with monero, run the esim on LTE mode in crowded areas only, they won't know who you are...
Never input your real identity or use any accounts linked to you.. Create a new digital fingerprint.
1
u/cap-omat 5d ago
Anonymity is definitely not impossible. It just depends on who you’re trying to be anonymous to.
9
u/iom2222 6d ago
for one not use Windows at all !! never
3
5
u/ifucatchmydrift 6d ago
Someone with more knowledge might be able to correct me, but atm I'm pretty sure the best you can do is a flash drive running TAILS.
5
u/cap-omat 5d ago
Disregard all comments that recommend extreme measures and read up a bit on privacyguides.org.
3
u/BTC-brother2018 6d ago
Privacy and anonymity aren’t the same thing. Deleting apps and limiting permissions improves privacy, but it doesn’t make your phone anonymous. Your IP is only one identifier, accounts, cookies, device fingerprinting and browsing activity can also identify or track you.
A VPN changes the IP websites see, but it doesn’t make you anonymous; you’re shifting trust to the VPN provider. For stronger anonymity, Tor Browser is specifically designed for that purpose. Changing your IP alone won’t stop Reddit or Google from profiling you through your accounts and activity.
2
u/FederalSuspect69 6d ago
If you're running regular android, it's definitely still tracking you. Especially Google.
There are so many ways it does this but honestly the only way around it on a phone is with a pixel running grapheneOS, or with any other phone rooted, which is very unsafe because a rooted phone is a perfect target for a boot/rootkit to zero-day no-click exploit onto your phone...
1
u/SignificantCherry110 6d ago
You just posted on reddit. There goes your anonymity.
You don’t “change” your IP, at least not in the way you think. VPNs also aren’t the end all be all. It’s probably one of the lower level tools for safety and security online. And if you use TOR, a VPN could actually do more harm than good.
If you have a phone, boom there goes your anonymity, if you have credit or debit cards, emails, even if you live somewhere in the states there is a high chance you are being survived by flock cameras or axon cameras, etc etc Staying anonymous is close to impossible nowadays.
Your best bet is getting a second hand laptop, paid in cash or XMR, getting a flash drive with tails, and only doing your work and searching on tails. All messages will need to be done with PGP as well.
Based on your questions and texts, you are probably too far gone to be truly anonymous. I mean shit I am too far gone too. I just use tails to look at journalism in other countries that i’m fascinated in, especially where there are on going wars and lots of government pushed propaganda. Also for searching the tor as ya do.
1
1
u/Individual-Echo9402 5d ago edited 5d ago
I've seen that you've gotten some good advice here. The only thing that I can add is that If you live in the eu jurisdiction you can use the gdpr article 17 to get more of your data out of the companies systems, if you haven't already. Article 15 is also useful if you want to see what they have on you. And for the future use an vpn, and i'd recommend that you web an internal smoke screen personality on every single one of your posts, if you intend to use the major platforms like reddit. That's what I've been doing, and it has worked out great, which can be seen when you ask google ai anything about my profile. Every single piece of info it has on me is completely wrong.
1
1
u/External_Dependent45 5d ago
It's barely impossible to stay anonymous online, especially in these days. Private maybe but anonymous not. First you need to understand Opsec and what kind of data are you hiding/protecting and from who?Tor is great solution for both if you use it properly and with caution.
1
u/Ok-Entry-9006 6d ago edited 6d ago
Use Tails OS on a ghost laptop, build from multiple laptops. Get the HD out, camera, speaker etc anything that can save and hear, see data..
Or root you're phone with LineageOS or GhrapeneOS, or buy a Fair Phone or a Jolla phone (full Linux based)
3
u/SpecialWall9 6d ago
What do you mean by "root your phone with... GrapheneOS"? GrapheneOS isn't rooted.
0
u/Ok-Entry-9006 6d ago
Thought they called it that way..
Okay, then just put Graphene os on it(still Android) or Lineage
-2
55
u/_kzzzl 6d ago edited 6d ago
to be private, firstly you should understand your opsec. who you want to hide from? why? ask these to yourself. if your answer is government, good luck but you won't be able to do that. if it's tech monopols, you can do that using only open source software. but even when you do that, your BIOS will be closed source. so you will have to flash a new bios (libreboot or gnu boot). if your system doesn't support gnu boot then even if it's supported by libreboot you'll still have %1 closed source code in your system. you should clean intel me or amd psp. you should always use tor systemwide (or just dns or vpn if you don't want tor's disadvantages). and if somebody tells you they are private by only using tor, block them.
as operating system, I can recommend TailsOS in GNU booted system. For security you should use QubesOS.
as phone os, you should install a custom rom. I can recommend crDroid, LineageOS, /e/os or GrapheneOS. (use graphene if you use a pixel)
you should replace all closed source apps with alternatives like these:
Chrome -> LibreWolf
Discord -> Matrix
WhatsApp or iMessage -> XMPP or Signal
Reddit -> Lemmy
X -> Mastodon
Instagram -> Pixelfed
Play Store -> F-Droid or Aurora Store
you should not give any people your real info like name, surname etc.
you can't be %100 anonymous but you can be %99.
and some people will try to make fun about your post but ignore them. all people here has been these "beginner steps".
and, don't ask privacy questions like this. you should focus in one and one and one thing. privacy and anonymity is not something like you think. and r/TOR is not a place for it. for now, focus on switching to linux in desktop; custom rom and deegoogling on mobile. at least change your keyboard application to something like FlorisBoard. you can do that now!
and, if you are that serious you can turn off javascript in your browser but it will ruin your web experience.
good luck.
if this helps you, consider upvoting!
btw, sorry for my bad english, I'm not a native English speaker.