Tired of receiving spam calls and emails from companies you’re almost certain you never shared your data with? The problem comes down to just how easily accessible our personal info is online, especially since so many of us now use the internet to buy everything from groceries to furniture.
But given the convenience of online shopping, the solution to avoiding data breaches isn’t to avoid buying anything on the internet ever again. Instead, focus on how you can protect your personal data with these four easy tips:
Check Out As A Guest
First, avoid creating an account on websites you’re buying from, as this will require you to enter more information, including things like your birthday and your gender. Some sites will also sign you up to receive their marketing messages when you create an account, which you’ll have to go out of your own way to opt out of.
The alternative method is to choose the “checkout as guest” option whenever you see it, so you’re only entering the minimal information that’s required for your order to be shipped.
And speaking of this information…
Use An Email Address Dedicated to Online Shopping
Something you’ll usually have to provide, even when you’re checking out as a guest, is an email address. If you don’t want your personal email to get clogged with sales and marketing updates, and you want to protect it from a possible data leak, don’t use it for online shopping.
Instead, create a new email account that you can use specifically for shopping websites. It’s free to create new email accounts, making it an easy way to protect your privacy and stay anonymous when you’re shopping online.
But what if a phone number is required?
Buy A Temporary Number For SMS Verifications
Let’s say an online store wants you to enter your phone number to verify your identity when you’re making a purchase. They might ask to send an SMS code to your phone, which you’ll need to enter before the sale goes through.
If sharing your own phone number is a step too far, consider buying a temporary number for this purpose. Sites like SMSPool offer non-VoIP numbers, meaning they’re tied to a real SIM just as your own number is. Once you’ve bought the number, you just enter it in the field, receive the SMS code online, and enter it to complete your number.
Temporary numbers are extremely cheap, often less than $1, so they’re well worth using to avoid having to share your own private number online.
Ship To Your Local Collection Point
Finally, when it comes to entering your home address to ship your order, think about alternative options that can help you keep this data off the internet.
Many websites now offer shipping to local collection points, so you can enter this address or select from a list of options rather than using your own. That way, you’re not having to reveal where you live to people who shouldn’t have access to this information.