If you’re looking to hide your real IP address on the Internet, there are several ways this can be done from your Mac — which option you’ll want to use depends on your needs and preference in terms of price, speed and type of use. Read on to find out!
Free Web Proxy
The first option is to use a free Web Proxy. This is an free and easy way to access a particular website without revealing your real IP address. A quick Google search for “free proxy” will reveal numerous proxies — alternatively give one of these a try. The drawbacks to using a free proxy include very slow speeds, websites often not rendering correctly, having to trust an unknown organisation with your data and only being able to route individual websites through the proxy — not all of your Mac’s Internet traffic. This will not be a good option if you need fast speeds, want to stream video or need a very secure connection.
TOR
Your second option is TOR (download free from their website here). TOR comes with a browser package which allows you to access both surface websites and .onion sites anonymously. Using TOR is a great option if your primary requirement is security, however similar drawbacks remain in terms of speed, so if you want to stream video this will not work for you. Some sites with user-generated content also restrict activity from TOR’s exit nodes, so you won’t be able to post content while using TOR. If you would like to learn more about TOR and how it works check out this article.
Desktop VPN
The most comprehensive option for hiding your identity online is to use a desktop VPN. This will encrypt all of the incoming and outgoing traffic on your Mac, not just an individual webpage or browser. A VPN will also be faster than a free proxy or TOR, although it will still be significantly slower than not using any kind of proxy at all.
There is an endless number of paid VPN services out there which will work with your Mac (and you can check out a comprehensive list here). however here are three of the best in the industry:
ExpressVPN
Pros:
+ TOP download speed
+ Torrenting allowed
+ Netflix working
+ Very Secure
+ 1500 serversCons:
– High cost
– Not very transparent company
NordVPN
Pros:
+ Secure (strong encryption)
+ Great features
+ Works with Netflix
+ Torrenting allowed
+ Kill SwitchCons:
– Company not transparent enough
– High-cost month-to-month plan
ZenMate
Pros:
+ Great usability
+ TOP 10 Download Speed
+ Torrenting allowed
+ 30-day money back guaranteeCons:
– Not working on Netflix
– AES 128 encryption (not 256)
– Questionable logging policy
– Customer support could be better
While using some kind of proxy to hide your real IP address and conceal your identity is without a doubt the best way to protect your privacy on the Internet, the sacrifice in speed and convenience is significant. They are certainly worthwhile if you need to access blocked websites, live under an oppressive regime or are handling sensitive information. However if you are simply concerned with companies like Google and Facebook tracking you online and collecting personal data, there are more moderate ways in which you can protect your privacy which do not have the same drawbacks.
- Download the Brave web browser. Brave is a privacy focused browser which by default blocks ads, blocks trackers and always loads the more secure HTTPS version of a site whenever possible.
- If you would like to continue using your current web browser, install an ad-blocker and/or script/tracker blocker plugin so to prevent trackers collecting information about you while you browse.