Digital Privacy Guides: Cameras, Trackers, Data Brokers and Scams

Start here

Digital privacy, sorted by the problem you have.

We research privacy tools and threats in plain English. We read the specs, privacy policies, official guidance and real user reports, then say what actually helps and what is just marketing. Find your problem below and start with the guide next to it.

Cameras and screens

Covers and filters are cheap, but the wrong one can crack a laptop screen or still let people read your screen from the side.

• Best laptop camera covers: which covers are thin enough to use on a MacBook
• Webcam cover thickness study: how 12 best-selling covers compare with Apple’s 0.1mm limit
• Best laptop privacy screens: how privacy filters work and how to pick the right size
• Best monitor privacy screens: 3M vs Kensington vs SightPro for desktop screens
• Best privacy screen protectors for phones: iPhone and Samsung picks, and the Face ID catch
• Privacy gadgets: five small tools that are worth having

Spying and tracking

If you think someone is watching or following you, start with the free checks before you buy anything.

• How to find hidden cameras: free checks for rentals and hotels, and whether detectors work
• How to find a tracker on your car: where trackers hide and how to rule out a false alarm
• How to tell if someone is tracking your phone: location sharing, stalkerware and AirTag alerts on iPhone and Android
• Best Faraday bags: which bags block signals and how to check yours
• Faraday bag for key fob: how to stop relay theft of keyless cars, pouch or box
• Wi-Fi doorbell jammers: why a wired PoE doorbell camera is harder to block

Your data and accounts

Data brokers sell names, addresses and phone numbers. Finance and dating apps often collect more than people expect.

• Remove yourself from data brokers: our full opt-out guide
• Whitepages opt-out: how to remove your listing in 5 steps
• Spokeo opt-out: how to remove your listing in 4 steps
• Radaris opt-out: the site was seized by court order, so here is what to do now
• Is Incogni worth it?: what a removal service does and what it can’t
• Incogni vs DeleteMe: coverage, independent test results and which one to pick
• DeleteMe review: is it legit, does it work, and refunds and cancelling
• What is Plaid verification?: why apps ask for it, and the codes and texts you get
• Is Plaid safe?: what it collects and who it shares it with
• Is Meta Muse safe?: what to know before you connect your bank
• Oura ring privacy: does Oura sell your data, and the settings to change
• Does Whoop sell your data?: what its policy shares, and the lawsuit over its app
• Oura Ring alternatives: smart rings with no monthly fee, and their privacy policies
• Whoop alternatives: screenless bands with no required membership, and their privacy policies
• Does Hinge have incognito mode?: what to use instead

Logins and passwords

• Passkey vs password vs security key: what each one is and when to use it
• Which security key do you need?: YubiKey vs Security Key C NFC

VPNs and Wi-Fi

• NordVPN vs ExpressVPN vs Surfshark: how the three compare
• Are free VPNs safe?: what five privacy policies really say
• Do you need a travel router?: hotel Wi-Fi security explained

Scams

• AI scams: six types to know and how to spot them
• AI romance scams: how to check a match with reverse image search

Kids and family

First phones, kids’ smartwatches, game settings and parental control apps all have their own hub.

• Kids’ online safety guides: phones, watches, Roblox, Fortnite, Minecraft and parental control apps
• Best parental control apps: free tools vs paid apps, and what each one can see
• Best phone for kids: Gabb vs Bark vs Pinwheel vs Troomi

How we research: we don’t lab-test products. We read specs, policies, official guidance, studies and verified user reports, and we link our sources in every guide. Read our editorial policy.