Data privacy 2026: How to stop companies and criminals stealing your personal data

Privacy Tips

Every time you buy something, open an account, search the internet, interact on social media, and use smart devices, public Wi-Fi, and AI, you leave a trail of personal information or “personal data” that is being collected, shared, used, and abused. Suddenly you’re getting spam calls, phishing emails, smishing texts, and data breach alerts, all while someone is booking flights to Ibiza with your credit card and taking out mortgages in your name!

In 2026, our digital footprints are vast and vulnerable, and online privacy is an urgent issue.

This guide covers everything you need to know about data privacy and data protection:

What is personal data?
What is a digital footprint?
What is online privacy and why does it matter?
Who is tracking you online and why?
What criminals can do with your personal data
What is a data breach?
AI and privacy
Children’s data privacy online
Data privacy laws in 2026: quick summary
How to stop companies tracking you (prioritized action list)
How to stop data brokers selling your information
What is a VPN and do you need one?
How to improve browser privacy and stop online tracking
How to create strong passwords and manage them safely
What is 2FA and should you use it?
Social media privacy settings: a platform-by-platform guide
How to protect yourself from identity theft and deepfakes
Best privacy tools 2026
How MySudo can help protect your online privacy in 2026

What is personal data?

Personal data is any piece of information that relates to you as an individual: anything that could be used to identify who you are, where you are, what you do, or what you’re like.

Some of it is obvious: your name, home address, date of birth, email address, phone number, and SSN, passport and driver license numbers. But a lot of it is less obvious than you’d expect. Your IP address can be personal data, depending on the circumstances and whether it can be linked to you. Your location history, browsing history, purchase history, the photos you appear in, your voice, face, fingerprints and x-rays, vehicle registration number or title number, your mother’s maiden name, and even the device you’re using to read this may also reveal information about you or help identify you.

The simplest way to think about it is if a piece of information could be used either on its own or combined with other information to identify, locate, or build a picture of you as a specific person, it’s personal data.

Personally identifiable information (PII) is a common US term for information that can identify an individual. It overlaps with the broader concept of personal data, but the terms are not exact equivalents in every legal or technical context. See the complete list of what is officially considered PII in the US.

What is a digital footprint?

Your digital footprint is the trail of data you leave behind every time you do something online. It’s sometimes called your digital exhaust because, just as engine exhaust is residue from using a car, digital exhaust is residue from using the internet. Your digital footprint contains all that personal data we just discussed.

Every website you visit, every search you run, every post you like, every app you open, every purchase you make, and every location you visit with your phone in your pocket adds another trace to that trail. Most of it happens without you actively doing anything: your devices are quietly logging and transmitting data in the background while you get on with your day.

The result can be a detailed, persistent record of who you are, what you do, and what you’re interested in. You may not be able to see all the data collected about you, and it can be difficult to correct or delete information once it has been shared, copied or incorporated into other records. Your ability to access or remove it depends on the service, the type of data, and the laws that apply.

What is online privacy and why does it matter?

You might say, “I have nothing to hide,” or “Privacy tools are only for criminals,” but online privacy (also called data privacy) is about your right to control your personal information and how it’s used.

Data privacy matters because it protects your fundamental right to privacy and:

It protects you from direct harm. Stolen personal data enables identity theft, financial fraud, blackmail, and scams. These crimes affect millions of people every year and can take years to recover from.
It limits who has power over you. The more data companies and governments hold about you, the more they may be able to infer about you or influence the options you see. Data can play a role in decisions about loans, insurance, job applications, and the content you’re shown. The extent to which personal data affects these decisions varies by organization, service, and applicable law, and you may not always know what information was used.
It protects your autonomy. When AI systems know your habits, fears, and desires, they may be able to predict aspects of your behavior. Targeted content, persuasive design, and personalized advertising can use data about your interests and behavior to influence what you see and the choices you make.
It preserves your freedom to think and act without being watched. People behave differently when they know they’re being observed. Mass surveillance, whether by corporations or governments, can have a chilling effect on free speech, political dissent, and personal expression, even among people who have done nothing wrong. Privacy isn’t about having something to hide. It’s about having the space to think, question, and exist without being monitored.
It protects the people around you. Your data doesn’t just reveal things about you; it reveals things about your family and friends and anyone else connected to you. Sharing your location, contacts or communications affects other people’s privacy too, whether they consented or not.
It becomes more important over time. Data collected today may remain stored for years, be repurposed, sold, leaked or disclosed under legal process. How long it is retained and how it can be used depends on the organization, its policies, and the laws that apply. The privacy decisions you make now can have lasting consequences.

The “nothing to hide” argument oversimplifies the issue. Privacy isn’t a guilty person’s shield; it’s a condition for living freely. Privacy is recognized as a fundamental right in major human rights frameworks around the world, and for good reason.

Who is tracking you online and why

Our digital world is so reliant on user data that there are even terms for it: surveillance capitalism and the data economy. Just about every entity you can think of has their fingers in the “personal data pie”, including:

Tech and social media companies like Google, Meta, Apple, Microsoft, Amazon, TikTok, X, Snapchat, LinkedIn and YouTube, which use data to personalize services, target advertising, and decide what content to show you
Data brokers like Acxiom, LexisNexis, Equifax, TransUnion, and other data providers, which compile and share profiles for purposes that may include marketing, risk assessment, and identity verification
Advertisers and ad networks like Google Ads, Meta Audience Network, and The Trade Desk, which target you with personalized ads based on your behavior, location and interests
Financial institutions like banks, credit card companies, insurers, and fintech apps, which use your information to assess risk, detect fraud and identify opportunities to sell you more products
Retailers and e-commerce sites, loyalty programs, and payment processors, which use data to predict your purchasing behavior, personalize offers, and optimize pricing
Healthcare providers, including hospitals, health apps, and wearables like Fitbit, Apple Health, and Garmin, which use data to deliver services and may share certain information with third parties where permitted by law, subject to applicable privacy rules, consent requirements and their own policies
Employers, which gather data through things like productivity monitoring software and HR platforms to track performance, manage liability, and make hiring and firing decisions
Governments and law enforcement, which gather data through direct surveillance and requests to tech companies to monitor activity and investigate crimes; the scope and legal basis for these activities vary by jurisdiction
Internet service providers (ISPs), which can collect information about your internet use and may be required to disclose certain data to authorities under applicable law. Rules governing whether and how ISPs can use or share browsing data vary by country and state.
Connected/smart device and car manufacturers, which collect behavioral data from inside your home and vehicle and may share some data or derived insights with third parties, depending on the product and its settings
AI companies like OpenAI, Anthropic, and Google DeepMind, which may use prompts, uploaded content, feedback and other data to provide or improve their services, depending on the product, account type, settings and applicable terms.

Let’s look closer at some of these:

Tech and social media companies

Tech companies like Alphabet (Google), Meta, Amazon, Apple and Microsoft provide many platforms and products at little or no direct cost, often supported by advertising, subscriptions or other business models. Have you heard the saying, “If you’re not paying for the product, you ARE the product?”.

Part of your digital footprint is also what’s known as your social graph and your interest graph. A social graph is a digital map of who you know (your relationships within a social network including your friends, family, coworkers, etc.), while an interest graph maps what you like (it connects you to other people based on shared interests, hobbies and topics, rather than personal relationships).

Tech companies use personal data to:

Sell ads to third-party advertisers that serve you targeted ads (those scarily coincidental ads that pop up within seconds of your search for a product)
Personalize the content you see, including news feeds and social media posts
Influence what information reaches you, including political content. The Cambridge Analytica case remains a prominent example of concerns about the use of personal data for political targeting.

Importantly, many users don’t know or understand how their data is being used. Most privacy policies are long, vague, and difficult to read, and user consent is complex. What’s more, many apps use dark patterns: design tricks that pressure users to share more information and buy more products than they want to.

Data brokers

Data brokers collect, combine, and sell or share information from a range of sources, including public records, commercial data, apps, and other datasets.

The value of data varies widely by the type of information, its accuracy, how recently it was collected, and how it can be used. A lot of your personal data online isn’t stuff you’d want to share around. While data brokers may describe some datasets as anonymized or de-identified, research has shown that information can sometimes be re-identified by combining it with other available data. The risk depends on the dataset and the methods used to protect it. Researchers have explored the limitations of anonymization and the risks of re-identification.

Governments

A 2026 analysis by privacy firm Proton found that Google, Meta, and Apple collectively handed over data from more than 3.5 million user accounts to US authorities over the past decade – a reported 770% increase since companies began disclosing these requests. In the first half of 2025 alone, over 282,000 American accounts were shared.

And when surveillance requests made under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) are included (requests that companies cannot legally refuse or even publicly detail) the total reportedly rises to nearly 7 million accounts. The number of requests and accounts affected varies across countries and companies. Companies may be legally required to provide certain information in response to valid demands, but the data they can disclose depends on what they hold, how it is protected, and the legal process involved. Keep in mind that information a platform can access may be subject to a lawful request, depending on the circumstances.

Retailers and e-commerce sites

Surveillance pricing (also called algorithmic or personalized pricing) uses your personal data, such as your precise location, browsing history, device type, shopping patterns, and even the way your cursor moves on screen, to determine the maximum price you personally are likely to pay, and then charges you exactly that. Two people buying the same product at the same moment can pay different prices, and neither will know it’s happening.

AI and machine learning have made this possible at a scale that simply wasn’t technically feasible before. The regulatory response has been swift by legislative standards: New York’s Algorithmic Pricing Disclosure Act was the first to require companies to disclose when they use your personal data to set prices. California and other jurisdictions have also introduced disclosure and transparency requirements around algorithmic pricing.

What criminals can do with your personal data

We’ve seen what companies are doing with your data, but bad actors exploit stolen data in a host of other damaging ways, including:

Identity theft: Using your stolen information to impersonate you for financial gain or to commit crimes
Financial fraud: Accessing your bank accounts, credit card information, or other financial accounts to make unauthorized transactions
Phishing: Sending fraudulent emails or messages pretending to be from legitimate organizations to trick you into revealing more information or clicking on malicious links
Social engineering: Manipulating you into divulging confidential information, often by posing as someone you trust or using your stolen information to build credibility
Account takeover: Gaining unauthorized access to your online accounts (email, social media, etc.) using your stolen usernames and passwords
Tax fraud: Using stolen personal information to file fraudulent tax returns and claim refunds
Medical identity theft: Using your stolen information to get medical services and prescriptions, or to fraudulently file insurance claims
Employment fraud: Using your stolen information to illegally gain employment or benefits
Blackmail or extortion: Threatening to expose your sensitive information unless you pay a ransom
Creating fake identities: Using your stolen information to create new identities for fraudulent purposes.

Bad actors often get your information through a data breach.

What is a data breach?

A data breach is where highly sensitive, confidential or protected information is accessed or disclosed without permission.

US data breaches reached a record high in 2025 with 3,322 reported incidents, representing a 5% increase over the previous year and a 79% increase in just five years.

In the first half of 2026, the Identity Theft Resource Center reported 1,803 data compromises and more than 471 million victim notices.

One widely reported 2025 exposure involved a compilation of roughly 16 billion credential records, reportedly assembled from infostealer malware logs and previously exposed datasets.

PayPal recently confirmed a breach tied to its Working Capital loan application, with access running from July 2025 until December 2025 and breach letters reaching users in February 2026.

A significant ongoing concern is supply chain breaches, which almost doubled in 2025, from 660 affected entities in 2024 to 1,251 in 2025, accounting for 30% of all breaches involving at least one third party.

AI and privacy

Data breaches are one way your information can fall into the wrong hands, but AI has created an entirely different category of privacy risk that operates through the platforms you use every day.

Modern AI systems don’t just store your information; they analyze it, make inferences from it, and use those inferences to inform outputs and decisions. Through behavioral tracking, sensor data, and pattern recognition, AI can sometimes infer sensitive details you’ve never explicitly shared, such as your health conditions, financial situation, or political views, from data points that seem unrelated. What happens to information you provide to an AI service depends on the provider, product, account type, privacy settings, and applicable terms. Deleting a chat or account does not necessarily mean every copy or derived record is immediately removed from all systems; retention and deletion practices vary.

See our step-by-step AI privacy guides.

A newer category called agentic AI is expanding AI privacy concerns. Unlike a chatbot you interact with directly, agentic AI can carry out tasks across multiple systems, such as a browser, calendar, or messaging app, depending on the permissions you grant it. Some agents process data in the cloud, while others may use a mix of local and remote processing. The privacy implications depend on the system’s design, the services it connects to, and the information it can access.

Experts are also raising questions about what meaningful consent looks like when an AI continuously acts on your behalf across multiple systems, including the risk of “consent fatigue” similar to automatically dismissing cookie banners. In October 2026, the UK’s Information Commissioner’s Office continued its work on the data protection implications of agentic AI, including how organizations should manage risks when AI systems act with a degree of autonomy. The ICO has also flagged security risks specific to agentic systems, including the possibility of bad actors manipulating an agent’s reasoning or corrupting the data it relies on.

The consequences of AI’s existing privacy failures are already well known. Some AI hiring tools have been found to discriminate against women and minorities in some contexts. Facial recognition company Clearview AI scraped billions of images without consent and sold access to law enforcement. Meta agreed to pay $1.4 billion to the state of Texas in 2024 to settle allegations it collected biometric data using facial recognition without user consent.

Regulation is developing. The EU’s GDPR, the EU AI Act, California’s CCPA, and Illinois’ BIPA address different aspects of data protection and AI-related risk, but their scope and protections differ, and enforcement varies. For users, it’s important not to assume that an AI system is private by default. Check what information a service collects, whether your conversations or uploads may be used to improve models, how long data is retained, and which privacy controls are available. See our guides to AI privacy.

Children’s data privacy online

Children’s data privacy online is increasingly complex because many apps and platforms are built to collect, analyze and monetize user data, often in ways that children and parents don’t fully understand. Laws like the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) require covered companies to obtain parental consent before collecting certain personal information from children under 13, but the law’s requirements depend on the service and the circumstances, and compliance and enforcement remain ongoing challenges.

Recent lawsuits highlight the scale of the issue: in 2024–2025, the US government and multiple parents sued TikTok for allegedly collecting children’s personal data without consent and failing to delete it when requested, while a 2025 settlement required Disney to pay $10 million over allegations relating to the collection and use of children’s data via YouTube. Other cases, including lawsuits involving Roblox and school software providers after data breaches, show risks extend beyond social media to gaming and education platforms.

Some things parents can do are:

Use parental controls and privacy settings on devices and apps.
Limit what personal information children share.
Regularly review app permissions.
Prioritize platforms with strong default protections.
Keep talking with children about how their data is used and the risks of oversharing.

Data privacy laws in 2026: quick summary

More than two-thirds of countries now have data privacy laws in place, covering most of the world’s population, though protections and enforcement vary widely. No single global standard exists. The European Union has a comprehensive framework under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), while the United States continues to rely on a patchwork of state-level laws rather than a unified federal framework.

The global gold standard: GDPR

The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is widely regarded as one of the world’s most influential data privacy laws. It gives individuals rights that can include accessing, correcting, and, in certain circumstances, deleting their personal data, as well as rights relating to some forms of automated decision-making.

The GDPR can apply to organizations outside the EU when they process personal data in circumstances covered by the regulation, including offering goods or services to people in the EU or monitoring their behavior there. It does not automatically apply to every organization that handles data about an EU resident, and the right to deletion is subject to exceptions. New EU laws, including the Digital Services Act and the AI Act, add further rules for certain online platforms and AI systems.

United States: no single federal privacy law

The United States does not have a comprehensive national data privacy law. Instead, around 20 states have comprehensive consumer privacy laws in force or adopted, although some laws have future effective dates. This creates a complex and changing legal landscape.

These laws generally give covered consumers rights to access, delete, correct, or opt out of certain uses of their personal data, but requirements differ by state. The laws also have different definitions, exemptions, thresholds, and enforcement mechanisms, so not every law applies to every business or consumer. Rules concerning sensitive data, targeted advertising, profiling, and AI are continuing to evolve.

Other major global privacy laws

Several countries have established significant privacy frameworks, such as:

These laws offer varying levels of protection and enforcement, reflecting different legal systems and policy priorities.

Children’s online privacy laws

Children’s data privacy is a growing focus, but regulation remains uneven. In the US, the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) requires covered online services to obtain verifiable parental consent before collecting, using, or disclosing certain personal information from children under 13, unless an exception applies.

New state laws targeting social media, addictive design features, and AI-driven risks are emerging, although some provisions face legal challenges and their status can change.

How to stop companies tracking you (prioritized action list)

If you want to reduce how much companies can track you online, the key is to limit the data you share, break the links between your data, and take control of your devices and accounts.

If you want the biggest privacy gains quickly, start with the highest-impact, lowest-effort steps first:

High impact, low effort (do these first)

These give you the biggest reduction in tracking for minimal time:

Turn off ad personalization on your devices and accounts.
Switch to a privacy-focused search engine that limits tracking and profiling of your queries.
Avoid social logins (“Sign in with Google/Facebook”) when you want to keep accounts separate. Using email instead may reduce some links between services, but the email provider and the service you sign up for may still collect information.
Limit app permissions (location, contacts, microphone, photos).
Think before you share personal information in forms, apps, and posts.

Medium effort, high impact (worth doing next)

These take a bit more setup but can significantly reduce tracking over time:

Lock down your browser with stronger privacy settings and tracking protection.
Add tracker blockers to reduce ads and unwanted tracking scripts.
Clear cookies and browsing data regularly to remove some stored tracking information. This won’t necessarily reset every tracking profile or prevent fingerprinting.
Be cautious on public Wi-Fi or use a VPN for added protection. A VPN encrypts traffic between your device and the VPN server, but it does not make you anonymous or protect you from every threat.

Higher effort, maximum privacy (power move)

Use separate identities for different activities (shopping, socials, sign-ups, travel, job hunting, etc.).

MySudo can help manage this in one place. MySudo is built around digital identities called Sudos, which are real, functioning alternative identities with their own email address, phone number, private browser, handle, and virtual card. Instead of giving retailers, apps, free trials, contractors, marketplace buyers, and other third parties your personal details, you give them your Sudo details. They get a way to contact or transact with you; you keep your personal identity private. Check out Sudos for yourself.

But remember, you don’t need to do everything on this list. Even a few changes will noticeably reduce how much companies can track you, and each extra layer can make it harder to build a complete profile of you.

How to stop data brokers selling your information

To reduce or stop data brokers from collecting and selling your personal information, the goal is to limit what data is available about you and actively remove what’s already been collected across major broker databases:

Opt out of major data broker sites: Identify large data brokers (such as people-search and marketing databases) and submit formal opt-out or deletion requests where available. This often needs to be done individually per company.
Use automated removal services (if preferred): Services that manage opt-outs across multiple brokers can save time, although they usually require some level of personal data to operate on your behalf.
Search for yourself online regularly: Look up your name, email, phone number and address to see which sites are exposing your information, then request removal directly.
Remove your data from people-search sites: Sites that aggregate public records (covering your addresses, phone numbers, relatives etc.) are a major source of broker data and usually offer opt-out forms.
Reduce data sharing at the source: Avoid giving unnecessary personal details when signing up for services, entering competitions, or filling out online forms. Use Sudos for those things.
Use separate contact details: Use different emails and phone numbers for sign-ups so your personal identity is harder to aggregate. Again, MySudo can help you set up multiple digital identities for different purposes.
Opt out of marketing permissions: Where possible, uncheck marketing consent boxes and unsubscribe from mailing lists that may feed into data broker ecosystems.
Remove your information from old accounts: Delete unused accounts and update old profiles that may still be publicly indexed or shared.
Use privacy settings on social media: Lock down visibility of personal details like birthday, location, workplace, and contact info, which brokers often scrape or purchase indirectly. Or use a Sudo for your socials.
Consider a PO box or address masking service: This may reduce the exposure of your home address in public records and marketing databases, depending on the service and the records involved.
Repeat removals periodically: Data brokers can re-collect information over time, so opt-outs often need to be refreshed every few months.

What is a VPN and do you need one?

A VPN encrypts your internet connection and hides your IP address, keeping your online activity safe from your internet provider and public Wi-Fi networks. It can also help you access region-restricted content. But a VPN won’t make you completely anonymous: websites you log into can still track you, and you must trust your VPN provider with your connection data.

Think about using a VPN if you regularly use public Wi-Fi, work remotely with sensitive information, or want an extra layer of privacy while browsing.

How to improve browser privacy and stop online tracking

Your online privacy depends largely on your browser settings. Incognito mode only stops your browser from saving your history and cookies on your device. It does not hide your activity from your internet provider, your network administrator, or the websites you visit.

Some browsers block many ads and third-party trackers by default and limit how much data websites can collect. This helps, but no browser can make you completely invisible.

Websites can also use browser fingerprinting. This means they identify you from details like your device, screen size, fonts, language, and time zone. Even without cookies, these details can be used to track your browser across sites.

To improve your privacy, turn on stronger tracking protection, block third-party cookies, and use trusted tools that block ads and trackers. Clearing cookies often and keeping work and personal browsing separate also help.

If you log into accounts like Google or social media, those services can still track your activity, no matter your browser settings.

Using a privacy-focused search engine can also help. It won’t make you anonymous, but it reduces how much data is collected and linked to your searches over time.

MySudo builds a separate private browser into each Sudo digital identity, so tracking in one profile can’t be linked to the others. But remember, it still doesn’t hide your IP address. You need a VPN for that.

How to create strong passwords and manage them safely

Reusing passwords puts multiple accounts at risk if one is exposed in a data breach. A password manager makes it easier to stay secure by generating strong, unique passwords, storing them in an encrypted vault, and filling them in when you log in. You only need to remember one strong master password.

Make your master password a passphrase: four or more random words that are easy to remember but hard to guess. Avoid personal details or predictable phrases.

Follow these tips to protect your accounts:

Use a unique password for every account, even low-risk ones.
Avoid easily guessed passwords based on names, birthdays, or other personal details.
Check whether your email address appears in known data breaches using reputable breach-checking tools.
Secure your email account first. Anyone who gains access may be able to reset passwords for your other accounts.

Think of your email as the master key to your online life. Protecting it well helps protect everything connected to it. Learn how to make your email more secure with MySudo.

What is 2FA and should you use it?

Two-factor authentication (2FA) adds an extra step when you log into an account, requiring a second form of verification in addition to your password. This usually means a code generated on your phone, a push notification, or a physical security key. Even if someone steals your password, they still can’t access your account without this second factor unless they can also compromise or bypass the second factor or an account recovery method.

SMS-based codes are generally more vulnerable to attacks such as SIM swapping than authenticator apps or security keys. Authenticator apps generate time-based codes directly on your device, while hardware security keys offer strong protection against phishing. Passkeys are another option: they use cryptographic credentials and are designed to resist phishing on compatible services and devices.

You should use 2FA on all important accounts, especially email, banking, and any service connected to your identity or financial information. Where available, choose a passkey or security key for stronger phishing resistance; otherwise, an authenticator app is generally preferable to SMS when practical.

Social media privacy settings: a platform-by-platform guide

Most social platforms are designed to encourage sharing and visibility by default. But adjusting a few key settings can significantly reduce how much data you expose:

Facebook – Review privacy settings and set posts to Friends or a limited audience. Limit how people can find you using your email or phone number, and review which third-party apps have access to your account. You can also limit how activity from other websites is used.
Instagram – Switch your account to private if you don’t want public visibility. Review ad and data settings, check which external apps are connected, and control who can message, tag, or mention you.
TikTok – Consider setting your account to private, limiting who can interact with your content, and reviewing ad personalization settings. Check location access in your device settings and use in-app tools to access or delete your data.
LinkedIn – Adjust visibility settings to control what others can see about your profile and activity. Review how your data may be used for product improvement or AI features, where available.
X (formerly Twitter) – Enable protected posts (private account) if needed. Turn off discoverability via email or phone number, and review connected apps and third-party access.

Many platforms offer privacy checkup tools that walk you through important settings. They’re a quick way to cover the basics, but it’s still worth going into the full settings menu to review more detailed privacy controls.

Even with stricter settings, platforms still collect data about your activity while you’re logged in.

Across all platforms, it’s a good idea to review connected apps every few months and remove anything you no longer use. Privacy settings also change over time, so it’s worth re-checking them periodically rather than setting and forgetting.

How to protect yourself from identity theft and deepfakes

Artificial intelligence (AI) is making identity fraud more convincing and easier to scale. Scammers can mimic voices, generate realistic videos, and create fake documents that pass basic automated checks.

A credit freeze can help prevent new-account fraud. If you’re concerned about identity theft, freeze your credit reports with all three major US credit bureaus: Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion. It’s free, but you must request a freeze from each bureau separately. A freeze won’t protect existing accounts, so monitor them for suspicious activity, check your credit reports for free at AnnualCreditReport.com, and enable transaction alerts on your financial accounts.

To spot deepfake scams, pause and verify. Scammers often use urgency to pressure you into sending money or sharing sensitive information. If you receive a suspicious call, voice message, or video, contact the person through a separate, trusted channel. A family safe word or verification question can add another layer of protection but isn’t foolproof if someone else discovers the answer.

Limit what scammers can learn about you. Publicly available voice clips, videos, and personal details can help make impersonation scams more convincing. Reduce unnecessary personal information online wherever possible.

If you suspect fraud, act quickly. Report identity theft at IdentityTheft.gov, contact your bank, secure affected accounts, and consider a credit freeze if you haven’t already. The sooner you respond, the better your chances of limiting the damage.

2-minute identity theft protection checklist

If you only have a couple of minutes, these are the highest impact steps to reduce your risk right now:

Freeze your credit with Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion to help prevent new credit accounts being opened in your name.
Turn on two-factor authentication (2FA) for your email, banking, and primary accounts.
Set up transaction alerts on all financial accounts so you’re notified of unusual activity.
Check your credit report at AnnualCreditReport.com for unfamiliar accounts or inquiries.
Lock down your email account with a strong, unique password, multi-factor authentication, and secure recovery options. It’s often the gateway to your other online accounts.
Remove unused apps and accounts that still have access to your data.
Limit what’s public on your social media profiles, especially contact details and personal identifiers.
Create a simple “safe word” with family to verify urgent requests and help avoid deepfake scams.

These steps won’t make you invisible, but they can reduce the chances of identity theft and help you catch problems early.

Best privacy tools 2026

Here are some tools that can help strengthen your privacy across key areas:

Private browsers: Privacy-focused browsers with built-in tracking protection and cookie blocking
Private search tools: Search engines that minimize tracking and profiling of your queries
VPNs: Services that encrypt your internet traffic between your device and the VPN server
Password managers: Tools that generate and store unique passwords for every account
Two-factor authentication (2FA): Apps and hardware keys that add a login step beyond your password
Passkeys: Phishing-resistant sign-in credentials supported by many newer devices and services
Secure messaging: End-to-end encrypted messaging apps for private conversations
Private email services: Email providers focused on reducing tracking and data collection
Browser privacy extensions: Tools that block ads, trackers, and unwanted cookies
Data broker removal services: Tools that help request removal of your personal data from people-search and marketing databases
Breach monitoring services: Services that alert you if your email or passwords appear in known data breaches
Temporary or masked email tools: Disposable email addresses for sign-ups and one-off services
Device privacy controls: Built-in settings on your phone or computer to limit ad tracking, location sharing, and app permissions
Encrypted cloud storage: Services that encrypt files to help limit unauthorized access; the level of protection depends on how encryption and account recovery are implemented.

How MySudo can help protect your online privacy in 2026

If you want better online privacy without getting overwhelmed, MySudo covers a lot of what’s on this list.

MySudo helps you create and manage separate digital identities called Sudos in one place, so you can control what information you share when you sign up to and access services.

Each Sudo can have its own phone number, email, browser, and virtual card to use instead of your personal ones. What’s more, MySudo lets you have up to 9 phone numbers on one device, MySudo email is better than masked email, and you can use MySudo phone numbers to call internationally for free.

Explore MySudo

Explore the full MySudo Suite of privacy tools

Take back control of your privacy

Protect your identity, online activity, and accounts.