Video Chatting Might Lead You to Identity Theft and Scams

One might think that the internet was designed for the consumer to remain anonymous and share their ideas without any censorship. But it isn’t the case anymore, especially since the abrupt commercialization of the technology and the rise of social media, which has paved the way for big corporations and regimes to take note of user data and activity, like never before.

Corporations like Google, Amazon, Microsoft, and Facebook have fallen under the radar for their habit of collecting user data to manipulate the market and influence the users by serving up targeted ads. Other than that, most governments in the world have a habit of tracking your every move online.

Moreover, cybercriminals are more active than ever to steal your passwords or payment information, so there is always a threat of a cyberattack on your data. Hackers can also gain access to all of your conversations(audio and video) by decrypting your account passwords.

So, the questions arise that is there a way to keep online activities such as video chat private? And if yes, then how can we take control of the privacy of our doings(chatting, surfing) online.

Luckily, there are a few techniques to keep your video chat secure on services like Omegle and Chatroulette, and we will discuss some to them in this editorial.

Methods to stay Private on Video Chat

During practices like video chats or file sharing, your data could be incredibly intimate and precious. So, keeping your online activities private and away from the grasps of meddling individuals should be your number one priority. In this section, I will share some convenient ways to perform such an endeavor.

 1. Getting a VPN

A VPN is the only technology in the world that protects your privacy by encrypting your internet connections. The encryption relates to the function that the app of your intended VPN provider prevents entities such as the government, tech companies, and criminals from tracking your IP and location. Moreover, it connects you to different servers to allow you to access content that is not allowed in your region.

It allows you to stay anonymous on live chatting by scanning every last bit of data and cleaning the internet traffic from any viruses, malware, spyware, and adware.

Furthermore, if you can not access any chat service, then with the help of IP address manipulation and bypassing geo-blocking, you can easily access such services and chat with utter freedom.

Chat services, much like Omegle or Chatroulette, are known to keep a log of your internet chats. A VPN keeps your identity hidden, enabling you to chat with anyone freely.

Other than providing the much-needed anonymity, a VPN can do much more. It helps you to get yourself unbanned from various platforms on the internet by simply changing your IP address.

So, If you ever get banned and don’t know get unbanned from Omegle, then the best way to get around it is to use a Virtual Private Network

However, there is a small price to pay for using a VPN as it could reduce the speed of the internet slightly. So, it is safe to say that VPN is the number solution to keep your private video conversations
from getting leaked or hacked.

2. Enable Firewall

Connecting your computer system directly with a modem is not a good idea as it gives hackers the chance to continually attack your router with IP addresses in an attempt to get onto your network. If you want to prevent such things from happening then, consider modifying your home network with the built-in firewall of the modem, which is known as Network address Translation (NAT). It stops direct attacks by assigning a different IP address to every device connected with the internet connection. Such IP addresses are only visible on the home network connection that will allow you to surf the internet and video chat privately.

Furthermore, if you do not want to involve yourself in such technicalities, then you can always use the built-in feature “Windows Firewall” on your personal computer.

3. End to End Encryption

With growing data leaks and ransomware attacks, one should take extra precautionary measures to keep their data secure. The end-to-end encryption function is making quite a name for itself in keeping your conversations, whether audio, video or text-based encrypted and
away from the claws of hackers.

End-to-end encryption after verifying the identities of both parties ensure that no one other than you and the other individual can collect your data or listen to anything you are saying during the chat. It also prevents the makers of the app, your ISP, or any other entity with ill intentions to gain access to your video chat information. 

Besides, it would be helpful if you configure your phone or computer and keep it password-protected as such type of encryption can not stop someone from picking up your device and accessing your data. If you are still worried about the level of privacy of your video chat activity, then it is wise to delete your conversations immediately after conveying the message to the other user, which will make it more robust for anyone to gain access to your information.

Tor Browser

Some ways may help you stay private on your online chatting practices; one is them involves using the “Tor Browser.” It resists any low-level attacks while keeping your identity entirely off the grid.

Through its Tor network, the browser navigates the online traffic by passing it through several relays before allowing you to access the intended site or chat service. If you want to keep a low profile while chatting, then the Tor browser stops the chat site from knowing your IP address or the location from where you are browsing. With Tor’s encrypted network, even your ISP won’t be able to monitor your activities.

Conclusion

Video chatting not only has shortened distances to communicate with loved ones, but it has also allowed us to interact with random individuals from different regions for the sake of fun. But there is always a downside to such activities as your data, and other things become vulnerable to outside interference and threat if you do not take the necessary precaution.

Luckily by reading this article, now you can rest at ease, knowing that there are more than enough ways to stay private on video chats and keeping all your information safe.