Beyond VPNs: How to Protect Your Identity Online in the Age of the Online Safety Act
When the Online Safety Act came into force on 25 July, something unexpected happened: VPNs went viral. Overnight, virtual private network apps climbed to the top of the UK download charts as internet users scrambled to protect their personal information or bypass new age-verification checks.
But while VPNs have become the poster child for online privacy, cybersecurity experts say they’re far from the only tool available—and not always the best. Protecting your digital identity today requires more than hiding your IP address. It means understanding how the modern web collects, stores, and monetises your data at every click.
The Illusion of “Private” Browsing
For many users, the first instinct is to open an “Incognito” or “Private” window and assume the problem is solved. Unfortunately, it’s not. Private browsing simply prevents your computer from saving your search history, cookies, and autofill data locally. It’s handy for keeping your Christmas gift shopping a secret from housemates, but it doesn’t hide your activity from your internet provider, employer, or the websites you visit.
Every search you make still travels through your ISP and is visible to advertisers, analytics platforms, and data brokers. If you want true anonymity, you’ll need to look beyond the browser’s marketing-friendly labels.
Escaping Big Tech’s Gaze
The digital giants—Google, Apple, Meta, and Microsoft—are the gatekeepers of the internet for most people. But their free services come at a cost: your data. Every search, click, and email helps refine a profile that’s used to sell targeted ads or predict your online behaviour.
Search engines are a prime example. Google processes billions of queries a day while quietly collecting information about your habits. For those uncomfortable with this level of surveillance, privacy-first alternatives like DuckDuckGo offer a compelling option. DuckDuckGo doesn’t track users or store search histories and even provides its own browser, designed to block hidden trackers and protect against profiling.
Email is another data minefield. Services such as Gmail and Outlook are convenient and well-integrated, but their business models depend on scanning data to serve ads. If that doesn’t sit well, Proton Mail provides a more secure alternative with end-to-end encryption and built-in anonymity. Its free plan includes 1GB of storage and access to Proton Drive, which extends encrypted protection to your files in the cloud.
Safer Spending
Online shopping has become a way of life, but each transaction leaves behind a trail of personal data. One of the easiest ways to reduce risk is to use an intermediary such as PayPal, which processes payments without exposing your card details to every merchant. Many banks now also offer virtual cards for single-use transactions, helping prevent your real card number from being stored—or stolen—by third parties.
These small layers of separation can make a big difference when it comes to defending against phishing scams or data breaches.
Apple vs Android: A Privacy Draw
When it comes to smartphones, Apple and Android loyalists are locked in an ongoing privacy debate. Apple’s tightly controlled ecosystem gives users more consistent security standards—its App Store approval process filters out many harmful apps—but it also comes with trade-offs in flexibility.
Android, by contrast, offers openness and customisation, but with it comes greater risk. Its more permissive app marketplace has historically allowed malicious software to slip through. The reality is that neither system is fully private: both companies collect enormous amounts of behavioural data in exchange for convenience and functionality.
The Social Media Dilemma
No area of the internet poses a greater identity risk than social media. The very platforms that connect us—Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, X, and LinkedIn—are built on the currency of personal data. Even when set to “private,” profiles generate vast digital footprints through location tags, facial recognition, and metadata embedded in photos.
Cybersecurity experts are blunt: the only truly safe social media strategy is abstinence. If that’s not realistic, minimising personal exposure helps. Use pseudonyms where possible, limit public posts, avoid sharing travel plans, and disable location services. Above all, remember the golden rule: if a product is free, you are the product.
Taking Control of Your Digital Footprint
While VPNs remain a useful part of the privacy toolkit—particularly for shielding your browsing activity on public Wi-Fi—they are not a silver bullet. The safest online strategy is one built from multiple layers: privacy-conscious browsers, encrypted email, secure payment methods, strong passwords, and a sceptical mindset about where your data goes.
Ultimately, digital privacy isn’t about paranoia. It’s about balance. The web will always demand trade-offs between convenience and control. But understanding the rules of engagement allows you to navigate it on your terms—keeping your identity, your data, and your peace of mind intact, VPN or not.
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