A recent newspaper editorial regarding online anonymity has spawned a great deal of comments. The article declared that in these times, people should be limited from being anonymous. The writer argued that there are too many anonymous comments polluting the internet. It was also suggested that newspapers should ban these anonymous comments entirely. This is because these anonymous comments have only added to the bulk of online trash, including false accusations and name-calling attacks.

One critic reacted by saying that this kind of argument is not only inaccurate but also dangerous. He said that online anonymity protects different groups of people. He admitted that anonymity maybe abused by some, especially those who are spreading “vitriolic bile” without limits. However, this is not enough reason to entirely ban online anonymity. As of now, many newspapers have established policies regarding this issue, while others have entirely banned such “privilege”.

The main reason given by those who banned it is for online civility. While this can be true, and as any newspaper should always strive for civility, there is more to being identified online than just the name. Those who favor anonymity say that identification presents a great risk. This risk most often hinders people from speaking their minds for fear of retribution. They also pointed out that history has a lot of stories to tell about anonymous writings that made great contributions to society.

Anonymous surfing is the ability to travel the Internet completely incognito; no one knows your identity. Another part of this is not being liable to tracking either. An anonymous proxy can change your IP address, which is what sites use to tell who and where you are. The proxy substitutes your IP for theirs, so it appears like they are trying to access the site, and not you.

Another useful service a proxy can provide is getting past firewalls. Oftentimes, schools and workplaces have blocking programs that block “fun” sites such as Myspace, Youtube, FaceBook, etc. The sites block these students or workers because the server that they surf the Internet from has placed bans on the URL of those specific sites. This is easily combatable! When you surf all of the other sites using a proxy, the computer server only sees that you went on the proxy site a bunch of times. This worker could go to the site on a proxy server, and surf all of the sites he or she wished, being completely uncensored. Remember that while you may be able to access the sites, your boss or teacher will still likely be able to see what you’ve been up to, so you can do it, but there is still a chance you will get caught.

Recently, a customer was having a problem posting ads. Even though she used our proxy, cleared her cookies and changed her ads, every post she did wound up ghosted. Of course the first question she asked was if the servers were changing her IP address. After verifying everything was working with Private Proxy, we went through the process of figuring out why her ads were being ghosted.

As an update to my recent post about China’s Great Firewall it seemed appropriate to discuss the methods for bypassing the Golden Shield Project. With the Olympics in full swing, and nearly halfway over, it is only a matter of time before China’s government re-bans the websites and Beijing is again part of China’s Internet censorship program. Chinese officials lifted their ban on certain websites after journalists were upset that many of the sites they needed to access were unavailable because of the GSP. Once the final medal is awarded it most likely won’t be much longer before China is back to banning as much content as possible, so it is important to know ways to bypass the Great Firewall and maintain Internet privacy.

The following methods may seem familiar, as they are used for anonymous surfing, but they do in fact work rather well for circumventing the GSP and gaining access to banned sites.

• Anonymous Proxy servers: Anonymous proxy servers based outside of China can be used to access blocked content. The sites are blocked only to Chinese citizens and therefore if you surf using a U.S.-based proxy server then you can gain access to restricted sites. The website will read the IP address and give you permission to view the site. At the same time, the server will hide your IP so that anyone snooping the connection will see a person from Tulsa, OK surfing the Internet. As an added bonus a good proxy server will also encrypt the data being transmitted so that anyone spying can not view the information.
• Foreign companies can apply for a local website hosted in China. While this method does not apply to an individual user attempting to access a banned site, it is a method to bypass the Great Firewall since the company’s content does not have to go through the Great Firewall (but the company does have to apply for a local ICP license)
• Using secure tunnels such as a Virtual Private Network (VPN). GSP can’t filter secure traffic that is being communicated and therefore secure tunnels provide a way for users to access content and create sites that would otherwise be banned.
• Onion routing networks, such as Tor, can be used since it requires a network of computers to encrypt and mask your information. This method is, in essence, very similar to an anonymous proxy server. The major drawback of Tor is that you do not know who set up the anonymous connection you are passing through. As noted in an earlier post, you really have no idea who set up the connection and therefore anyone can invade your privacy through this trusted network. If a group of grad students and professors can do it, why wouldn’t the Chinese government?
• FreeGate: a software utility created for Iranian and Chinese citizens to bypass any Internet censorship attempts by the government. The software finds open proxies, which are not blocked and can be accessed by any user, and penetrate firewalls. This useful tool is a bit controversial as it has been reported to be a Trojan virus.
• Reporters without Borders offers a “Handbook for Bloggers and Cyber-Dissidents” (PDF) which gives detailed information and tools for blogging and surfing anonymously. The handbook gives detailed instructions, including screenshots, for setting up a blog and remaining anonymous.

As an Internet user you face many dangers online ranging from cyber criminals trying to steal your identity to marketing companies and ISPs tracking and logging your IP address. As a lot of web surfers know, one of the best ways for protecting personal information and maintaining Internet privacy is to use a proxy server. While many useful proxy servers can be found on the Internet simply by searching “proxy” on Google, the age old question that many Internet users have difficulty answering is: What is better to use, anonymous surfing software or free web-based anonymous proxies?

Web-based:
These are quite easy to use and require nothing on your part besides an active Internet connection. These web anonymizers require you only to enter the URL of the site you wish to visit and give it a click. Your IP address is hidden and replaced with the IP address of the site’s server. This is a great example of proxy avoidance and will get you onto a blocked website, but only offers minimal, if any, data protection and encryption services. The main purpose of the web-based anonymous proxy is to get on a website such as MySpace, that would normally be blocked by an IT Department. Another downside is that this type of proxy can’t gain access to sites that use Secure Socket Layer or Secure Shell encryption, such as banking sites.

Software-based:
A software-based proxy will run with your current browser and allow you to surf freely without having to go back to a homepage to enter a new URL. After installation it should only require 1-click to run the program and surf anonymously. A good software proxy will cost you a few dollars a month (nothing to break the bank over), which is a downside compared to the free web proxies. There is usually a fee associated because you are getting what you pay for…software proxies offer anonymous surfing, but also encrypt the data being transmitted. This means that in addition to your IP address being masked, your data and the transmission between networks is also secure (which is not the case with a web proxy).

Ultimately, both methods of protecting your IP address and Internet privacy have their pros and cons. At the end of the day if you only need a quick fix to get onto a blocked website that requires no personal information (such as a log-in, e-mail, or password) then a web proxy will work for you. Using a software proxy whenever you surf, even if only for a few minutes, would be highly recommended. It is still easy to use and offers much more protection and freedom to surf without the worry of just how protected you are. The advanced protection alone makes software proxies your best bet.

Tampa, Florida (July 30, 2008) – PrivacyView Software, the developer of award-winning Internet and computer privacy software, announced today that the latest release of its anonymous proxy server, Private Proxy, supports Firefox version 3.0 under both Windows XP and Windows Vista.

This recent update allows Private Proxy users to use Mozilla Firefox version 3.0 under Windows Vista. Private Proxy previously supported Firefox on Windows XP. Now Vista users can surf anonymously with both Firefox and Internet Explorer.

Increasingly, people need safe and secure access to the Internet in order to protect both their privacy and freedom. Private Proxy allows users to choose an anonymous proxy server where their Internet browsing can not be monitored. For example, with the recent Viacom / YouTube lawsuit, any Private Proxy user would have been secure from potential tracking from Viacom. By using Private Proxy, the IP address is changed to an anonymous IP address and hence not associated with a specific user.

Private Proxy also encrypts the Internet communications between Firefox or Internet Explorer and the anonymous proxy enabling users to create a secure tunnel. With a secure tunnel, users are able to access sites that were previously blocked by bypassing filters typically used by restrictive governments and many corporations. Further, the users’ anonymity is protected because the destination websites will not be able to track the users to their company or location based on their IP address.

The software comes with a 7 day free trial allowing users to decide if they want to keep the service without having to spend any money. Along with the 7 day free trial, PrivacyView offers two options for its users: they can subscribe to a monthly service for $9.95 or choose a quarterly option for only $24.95.

About PrivacyView Software:
PrivacyView Software, LLC is a privately held company headquartered in Tampa, Florida. Founded in 2003, the company creates and markets privacy software for consumers. The company and its products have won numerous technology awards. For more information about PrivacyView, and its affiliate program, please visit www.privacyview.com.

To ensure your Internet Privacy, there are two things to watch, your IP address and your local Internet traces. In this post, we will focus on hiding your IP address.

First, why be concerned about hiding your IP address? Why do people search on Hide My IP or Hide My IP Address? It’s simple, your IP address is associated with the server you use to connect to the Internet.

For example, I live in Tampa and connect to the Internet with my Road Runner account. When I check my IP address, it shows that I am in Tampa and use Road Runner as my Internet Service Provider (ISP). That in itself is not a problem. However, there are two possible reasons to be concerned. First, some sites block access based on an IP address. You might have been banned from a favorite website, or posted over the daily allowable limit on a given website. The IP address is one of the ways that you can be tracked or blocked. However, as I tell all our customers of our anonymous proxy, Private Proxy, to change IP addresses is often not enough. You also have to make sure you don’t have a cookie stored on your PC that also identifies you. Assuming the cookie issue is solved, hide IP software or services can get you past a blocked website.

If you surf from work, you might need a hide IP address service so that you can not be tracked back to your company. When you surf from work, chances are that you are connecting through your company’s Internet server. This server’s IP address will identify the company. If you are researching a competitor you probably would not want your IP address to show up on the competitor’s website log. Worse yet, if you are surfing for personal reasons at work, you really might not want anyone to be able to track back to your employer.

In both instances, whether surfing from home or work, the server you connect through has a log showing your web surfing. With an IP address that points back to the server, you can be tracked back directly to your home or our desk. Here’s how: The IP address shows the web server. The web server knows who you are. In the case of an employer, all they have to do is look at the log. In the case of an ISP, all it takes is a subpoena or a helpful ISP employee. In either case, with the right questions, you can be traced.

So why do I hide my IP address? It’s mostly principle. When I hide my IP address I know I’ve made it more difficult for someone to trace me. I find it very disturbing that some web sites and most search engines use IP addresses to build profiles. Why make it easy for them? Hence, I hide my IP.

Tampa, Florida (April 21, 2008) – PrivacyView Software, LLC the developer of award-winning Internet and computer privacy software, announced today that the latest release of its anonymous proxy server, Private Proxy, automatically connects to private domains.

This recent update allows Private Proxy users to avoid being blocked by outside parties, such as restrictive governments found in Asia or the Middle East. Private Proxy automatically connects to private domain names that are not blocked enabling secure anonymous surfing on the Internet.

Many restrictive governments have banned websites that their citizens wish to visit such as news websites from the NY Times and CNN, reference sites like Wikipedia and popular social media sites such as MySpace and Facebook. With the increase in censorship, people need safe and secure access to the Internet in order to protect their privacy and freedom. Private Proxy allows users to choose an anonymous proxy server where their Internet browsing can not be monitored or blocked. Learn more about censorship issues.

The software comes with a 7 day free trial allowing users to decide if they want to keep the service without having to spend any money. Along with the 7 day free trial, PrivacyView offers two options for its users: they can subscribe to a monthly service for $9.95 or choose a quarterly option for only $24.95.

About PrivacyView Software:

PrivacyView Software, LLC is a privately held company headquartered in Tampa, Florida. Founded in 2003, the company creates and markets privacy software for consumers. The company and its products have won numerous technology awards. For more information about PrivacyView, its awards and its affiliate program, please visit http://www.privacyview.com/.

News from PrivacyView Software

PrivacyView Software’s award winning creations are established to help protect users’ Internet privacy and security. PrivateProxy was developed to mask a user’s IP address so search engines, marketing companies, and ISPs can not track your Internet activity. PrivateProxy will mask your IP address through one of their servers so that your “Internet identity” will remain anonymous. Servers will record the IP address from PrivateProxy so you are free to surf anonymously. PrivateProxy allows the user to choose one of their numerous domain names to surf the web, and maintains your anonymity with randomly rotating IP addresses.

PrivateProxy not only acts as an anonymous proxy server, but it is also a bypass proxy. The 128-bit encryption allows the flow of data while keeping your information protected, and eliminating ISPs or network administrators from monitoring the user’s surfing. Records are only kept for 5 days and are then deleted to prevent hackers and spammers from accessing the information.

PrivacyView Software also offers a detailed support section with FAQs and Privacy Resources for both products and general Internet security and computer privacy questions.