Digital Privacy

This Library Guide contains

• tools and practices to protect your digital privacy and create less data exhaust
• a book list so you can learn more through reading deep dives on digital surveillance and privacy
• a look at how libraries aim to protect user data, and the ways in which they can fall short

This Guide can help you understand:

Incidental Data Creation

Everything you do on the internet creates data exhaust. The length of time you spend on a webpage is tracked. Pictures you take and post online contain information about where and when that photo was taken through location metadata

Informing yourself is empowering yourself

Once you start paying attention to the data crumbs you leave around, it can start to feel overwhelming. Reading about surveillance capitalism and data privacy measures can be overwhelming. Balance out the information gathering with developing a practice to combat data tracking across the web.

How to choose what tools you use

Some tools such as web browsers are more or less privacy conscious. There are tools you can add to your web browsers to make them more secure, anything from ad blockers to VPNs to changing your default browser can make an impact.

Have suggestions for this guide?

Digital Privacy is an ever changing practice with tools become obsolete as other tools and tactics are developed. If you know of other tools that should be added to this guide, or if you know of additional resources that could provide better context, reach out to the librarian noted on the left side and let them know!