The internet has boomed in the past 20 years, like a phenomenon never seen before. Just two decades ago, it was nearly impossible to find someone unless you looked really hard. Now, all you need is to simply search in the right corner of the internet. And this does not even include the deep or dark web. That’s a concern anyone should be thinking about these days. You never know who is watching your every move or keeping an eye on your private information for the right time to strike. There are some solutions you could resort to protect your anonymity, and who knows, you can even benefit from them. Let’s take a look.
Tips for Staying Anonymous Online and Saving Money in 2019
Staying Anonymous Online and Saving Money in 2019
Keeping your browsing activities private all the time is something you should always look for. The ways to do so vary. However, not all of them are as effective. This guide will help you learn how to browse the internet anonymously and benefit from lower prices in the process. Keep scrolling.
Stay Anonymous and Save Some Cash – A Quick Intro
Infosec or Information security has become a major concern for corporations and individuals alike. We have major landmark laws and cases like the EU GDPR laws. These laws impact how companies do data collection. In the US, there are similar laws, but technology always keeps evolving. And so, the struggle to stay anonymous is a challenge indeed.
Now, most of us would not really mind having cookies on our devices if we don’t have to login every time on Facebook. However, there are other reasons why you may not always want to surf the internet on the plain old browser.
VPN technologies and the less effective incognito mode on all major browsers have really changed what we can do with browsers. Most companies use some form of tracking like cookies to keep tabs on what you do online. If you know how to turn this tracking off, then you can save some money.
In this article, we are going to discuss how you can use VPNs and incognito mode to prevent online tracking. We will also discuss how you can save money through this. But before we get to that, let us look at how companies track your online activity.
How Do Big Business Companies Track You Online
Modern-day internet facilities leave very little space for maintaining anonymity. You can be tracked through most of the key things that uniquely identify your device. Things like IP addresses, Login details, DNS queries, cookies, and account login.
Now, there are ways to counter or deactivate all of these. However, it takes a few tricks and technical knowledge to get it done. If you don’t want to get into that, then just stick with using a VPN. Otherwise, you can use the incognito mode on your browser.
The initial idea behind using either of these technologies is to prevent anyone from following your activity. Both VPN and incognito browsing allows you to prevent browsing tracking. VPNs especially paid VPNs, are ideal for nearly completely anonymous browsing. However, incognito browsing can also help you prevent monitoring. It is not as good a VPN but is give you a thin veil of privacy.
If you are going to use either of these, you should know what they do and how to use them. So, let us first look at each of these individually.
VPN vs. Incognito: Which One Is Better?
Virtual Private Networks have become very popular over the past few years. Now, you can choose between many options based on your user preferences and other vital factors. With VPN, you basically route your connection from a remote server of your own choosing.
If you have a free VPN, then this remote server location is mostly automatic. So, it is better to pick a paid VPN over a free one. Also, with paid VPN, you get other benefits like no-log policies and legal assurances of anonymity. This makes them the ideal option for the privacy-conscious internet user. I repeat, stay away from free VPNs. These providers offer their services for free, but with a huge catch.
You never know where their true allegiance lies. They sell your data to sister companies in exchange for revenue. How else do you think they pay for their very expensive servers around the world?
“You become their main source of income.”
Incognito mode has been added to most current-gen browsers now. It first arrived on the scene with Google Chrome, and most people did not know how to use it. But now, incognito mode is being touted as a solution for keeping your privacy closer to your chest.
This is in light of the recent Google tracking news floating around the internet. To be clear, incognito mode does give you some basic coverage when active. You will not be tracked conventionally, you will not retain cookies from the sites you visit, and you will not keep a browsing history. However, this does not prevent your device from being tracked through other channels.
How to Use VPN and Incognito Mode to Save Money
Now that you know the basics of VPN and Incognito mode let’s talk about saving money. Most online business is based on some reading of your localized device.
So, prices can change if you simply choose a non-local server. This trick can help you buy things much more easily. You can buy stuff on Amazon, book train, air or show tickets and many other things. Here are three tips to help you get better purchase prices online suing VPN and incognito mode:
- Bypass Paywalls
Paywalls are basically measures through which companies divide up product pricing in different regions. For example, if you live in New York, you may find prices higher than in New Jersey or Maryland. An easy way to fix this is to use incognito mode and VPN together.
This will help you remove all existing cookies and also choose a remote server location. The prices will be adjusted based on the remote server you choose. So, you will have to pay less for the same product.
In other words, you get billed based on your IP address. Let me give you a small example of this. If you’re a UFC fan, you probably know that UFC Fight Pass offers PPV purchase all over the world. However, based on the location, the price varies. When I connected to a VPN server in Canada, the price was as such:
If you connect to a VPN server in Russia, you’ll notice that the price becomes so much lower than the Canadian one. It will be at руб 999, which is equivalent to $15.
And that’s how you use a VPN to save money. Not to mention flight tickets, hotels, and even car rentals.
- Get Rid of Dynamic Pricing
Dynamic pricing is a big factor for many people with extensive browsing and shopping history. If sellers know what you like to buy, they will use your profile to pitch products in limited quantity at higher prices.
This means you end up paying more. But this can be avoided by simply using incognito mode and VPN together. Just follow the process we mentioned above and find out what the standard prices on products are.
- Prevent Impulse Shopping
If you have any online shopping notifications on your devices, then this can lead to impulse shopping. Using a VPN and incognito can keep you from getting these notifications and save you the money you’d spend.
Conclusion
VPN and incognito mode are useful tools to keep yourself anonymous online and also save money. While a VPN may cost you a bit, incognito is free. Combine them both and you can save decent money. Use the above tips to get the best prices and also ensure your private information stays discreet. Hit me up in the comments below if you have more questions on your mind.
