The Internet is one of the most powerful tools that we have at our disposal. Whether it is for research purposes, social interaction, or even the age honored art of shopping, the Internet has become such an indispensable part of our lives that many of us are unable to function without it for any length of time. Witness the growth in portable devices such as smartphones and tablets with WiFi capability and it is apparent that our Internet addiction is a very real part of our being. And although the Internet confers innumerable benefits, as is the case with almost every invention, it also has its downside.
The loss of privacy associated with surfing the Web is a worrying trend and one that will not be disappearing any time soon; on the contrary. The loss of privacy in every facet of our lives is a troubling development as it is one of the first steps in the loss of our freedom and democracy. And when you have powerful interests such as the search engines – the gatekeepers to the Internet, working hand in hand with the government it is a recipe for a major loss of privacy and subsequently freedom.
The major search engines want to track your online movements so that they can tailor a personalized surfing experience for you, making search more relevant and therefore providing a better, customized online experience. That sounds great as far as it goes. Pardon my cynicism, but I presume their ability to maximize their advertising revenue by compiling data about your surf patterns has nothing to do with their monitoring activities.
The government, on the other hand, isn’t interested in earning money from monitoring your surf patterns; it is more interested in knowing EVERYTHING about you for its own nefarious purposes. Under the guise of “The War Against Terror,” anything can be justified.
There is a solution though – surfing via a proxy server. The proxy server hides your IP address when surfing, thereby enabling you to remain anonymous when surfing the Web. Your IP address is your unique signature that allows your online movements to be monitored. When surfing with a proxy server, the address revealed is that of the proxy server and not yours, consequently you can surf anonymously. Although there are free proxy services, it is you can also get premium proxy. The cost is very reasonable for the service and the peace of mind you will receive.
