Anonymous Web Surfing

I Always Feel Like Somebody's Watching Me

Your Internet Service Provider, along with the websites you visit, gather more information about you than the FBI or the CIA. Just about everything you do on the Internet is being watched by someone. All the big websites, major search engines and ISPs know what sites you like to browse, what pages catch your eyes, what subjects you like to search. And if you use web-based email, even the contents of your e-mails may be stored somewhere.

Let's suppose you Google an author, navigate to his latest book on Amazon and check it out. That simple process will give both Amazon and Google at least one important bit of information about you.
Part of the Internet's basic design is that each computer is identified by an IP address - a number designated to your computer when you are online. And whenever you visit a website, that IP number is revealed to the operators of the site. There's nothing evil about this... websites can't reply to your request to view a page unless they know where to send the data. (To learn more about what information is and is NOT revealed when you visit a website, see Does IP Address Reveal my Physical Location?)

And by using a browser cookie, both parties can identify when a user returns to their sites, and keep track of the things they see and do. (See Eat Your Cookies to learn more about cookies.) Google, Amazon and thousands of other websites use cookies to keep track of the searches you perform, what kind of books you like, the news stories you read, etc. But how much of a privacy risk is this?

It's important to remember that neither cookies nor your IP address can identify you by name or location, unless you willingly surrender that information when making a purchase or signing up for an online service. But a computer's IP address is kind of like a car's license plate. With the help of your ISP, your IP address traces back to you. And with a court order, your ISP and others may be required to hand over your web surfing history to the authorities. Think that sounds paranoid? Some major search engines have already given information on the users of pornographic and racist websites to national governments. If you're concerned about covering your tracks online, consider anonymous surfing.

How Does Anonymous Surfing Work?

Anonymous surfing is exactly what the terms suggests. You go online without revealing any of the personal or technical information on your computer. It's done by having a special computer -- called a proxy server -- screening you from the websites you are contacting. Your computer contacts only the proxy server, which contacts the website for you. The website, in turn, sees only your proxy server and not you. In addition to hiding your IP address, a proxy server will usually block cookies, pop-ups and other annoying web parasites.

With some systems you have to go to an anonymous service website and access your favorite website from there. With others, you download and install software which finds an anonymous server for you. There are numerous services and programs that facilitate anonymous surfing such as Guardster, SnoopBlocker and Mega Proxy, but Anonymizer is the pioneer and recognized leader of the pack.

Anonymous e-mail services use similar identity screening technology. They allow you to use their servers to send and receive e-mails or text messages without revealing your true identity. Check out Anonymizer Nyms or TheAnonymousEmail.com for examples of anonymous email services.

The drawback with these services is that you have to pay for your anonymity and that's a drag. They may also block the kind of cookies you DO want, such as those that let you read your local newspaper without re-registering every time. Proxy servers often can't handle the volume of traffic they get, slowing down your Internet experience, and sometimes make it difficult to make online purchases. It may all be too much trouble for the casual Internet user, but if you've ever been the victim of a stalker or a phishing expedition, this kind of anonymity may be necessary.

Is Privacy History?

There are other steps you can take to preserve your privacy, if not your complete anonymity on the web. Highspeed users should reboot the modem occasionally. Each time you do so, your computer is assigned a new IP address. You can delete cookies regularly, although you should be careful to avoid deleting those that may be beneficial. See Clearing Browser History for additional help with obscuring your web surfing history.

You can also hide some of your browsing by searching via European media sites, such as British newspapers that offer a web searching facility, or by using a European search engine like Yahoo.co.uk. These operate under European privacy laws that prohibit the kind of record keeping US search engines use. And if you really want to foil those nosy search engine guys, Firefox offers a download called trackmenot which bombards search engines with random and meaningless searches. This foils attempts to discern a pattern in your searches.

Here are additional recommended articles on the subject of online privacy and security:

• Is Privacy History?
• Identity Theft
• Best Anti-Virus and Anti-Spyware Software
• Do I Need a Firewall?

Got comments on anonymous surfing or internet privacy? Post your thoughts below...