Data Privacy Day 2021: 3 digital security tools to stay safe online

Safeguarding digital privacy against online surveillance has never been more critical for today’s journalists and activists. With more people opting for remote work, developing solid digital hygiene practices is essential for your digital and physical security. 

Secure communication is something all journalists and activists must strive for, whether browsing online for research purposes or joining a video call for a team meeting. The need to bypass internet censorship or avoid digital surveillance is also necessary with VPNs. But with a myriad of free tools out there, it’s often difficult to know the best and most secure ones to use. 

To celebrate Digital Privacy Day 2021, we’ve picked three digital privacy tools to keep you safe and secure online. Here are three to download now:

1. JitsiMeet - If you don’t want to pay for a Zoom account or are concerned about your privacy when using Google Meet, you may want to try Jitsi Meet for your next video conference call. Jitsi Meet is a free, open-source application used for secure audio and video conferencing. Screen sharing is available, and new members can be invited via a generated link. The interface is accessible via a web browser or with a mobile app. The Jitsi Meet server software can be downloaded and installed on Windows, Mac OS and Linux-based computers.
 

2. BeePass VPN - BeePass VPN is a free, simple and secure VPN. Designed with your privacy in mind, it will help you bypass internet censorship and improve your privacy online. With BeePass VPN, the handshake-less Shadowsocks protocol will encrypt connections between user devices and the proxy servers to allow greater privacy and blocking-resistance. Its decentralised, serverless model also enables users to set up their own private servers or easily request one from BeeBots via Telegram or email.

To live up to its human-centered, privacy-first principles, BeePass VPN’s free service does not compromise on users’ rights. The app does not collect data on the sites visited, browsing history, online activities, or users’ IP addresses from their internet service providers. BeePass VPN is available to download on Google Play Store, via email or Telegram. Read how to install the app here in English or Farsi.   

3. DuckDuckGo - If you don’t want your search results information going to Google or want unfiltered information not based on your history, DuckDuckGo is the best search engine. DuckDuckGo uses Google’s search results, so you can expect the same quality of results, but doesn’t track you or your search history. Read the instructions on how to set DuckDuckGo as your default search engine.

Want to learn more about digital security? Sign up for our free bite-sized courses by Security First on Advocacy Assembly.