How to Stop Your Internet Service Provider from Spying on You

This guide will explain what internet service provider tracking is, why it’s a problem, and, most importantly, how to stop it. By the end of this article, you’ll have a better understanding of the issue and be equipped with practical solutions for protecting your online privacy.

Understanding Internet Service Provider Tracking

First, let’s take a closer look at what data internet service providers collect and how they use it. ISPs track various information, including the following.

• Browser history: Your internet service provider can see every website you visit and what pages you view on those sites.

• Search queries: They can also see what you’re searching for on search engines like Google and Bing.

• Location data: Your ISP can track your location through your IP address and other information.

• App usage: They can see which apps you use, how often you use them, and what data you send and receive through them.

It’s important to note that many internet service providers are within their rights to collect this data. In most countries, internet service providers can collect and use this data as long as they inform customers of their terms of service, which most of us click through without reading. It can be challenging to know what data is collected, as most companies keep this a trade secret.

The Impact of ISP Tracking

All this data collection by your internet service provider can have a significant impact on your online privacy and security. For one thing, it opens you up to security risks. If a hacker gets hold of your data, they could potentially use it to steal your identity or commit other types of fraud.

ISP tracking also makes it possible for companies to target you with personalized ads based on your browsing history and search queries. While this may seem harmless, it can be quite invasive and raises concerns about how long these companies keep data and who they share it with.

Additionally, when you know someone is watching, it can change your behavior and make you self-censor in ways you may not want to. It is an infringement of one’s privacy.

Solutions for Stopping ISP Tracking

Now that we’ve established the problem, let’s talk about solutions. Several ways to stop your internet service provider from spying on you include the following.

Use a VPN (Virtual Private Network)

This is probably the first thing you’ll hear about when it comes to online privacy—and for good reason.

A VPN creates a secure “tunnel” between your device and the internet. It hides your actual IP address and encrypts everything you send and receive. So your internet service provider can still see that you’re connected to a VPN, but they can’t see what you’re doing inside that tunnel—no idea what websites you’re visiting, what you’re downloading, or anything else.

Some solid VPNs people like:

• Mullvad (no email required, privacy-first)
• ProtonVPN (comes from the same folks behind ProtonMail and has a free version)
• Surfshark (affordable and has tons of features)
• ExpressVPN and NordVPN (very popular, fast, and reliable)

Pro tip: Don’t use free VPNs unless you really trust them. If you’re not paying for it, you might be the product.

Use the Tor Browser

If you’re looking to go extra private, the Tor Browser is a great option. It routes your internet traffic through a bunch of random servers (called “nodes”) all over the world, making it super hard to trace.

The best part? It’s totally free.

Just know this: Tor can be slower than normal browsing because of all that bouncing around. Also, some websites might block Tor traffic or ask you to solve a million CAPTCHAs.

Still, if you want to keep your internet service provider completely out of your business, Tor is one of the strongest tools out there.

Use HTTPS Everywhere

Your internet service provider can see the websites you visit, but if those sites use HTTPS (the secure version of HTTP), they can’t see what you’re doing on those pages.

Most websites already use HTTPS now, but some don’t.

The HTTPS Everywhere browser extension (by the Electronic Frontier Foundation) forces your browser to use the encrypted version of sites, if it’s available. That way, even if your ISP knows you’re visiting, say, example.com, they won’t see the exact pages you’re viewing or what you’re typing in.

Note: This extension is getting phased out because most browsers already auto-upgrade to HTTPS—but if you’re using an older browser or want to be extra careful, it can help.

Switch Up Your DNS

Every time you type in a website name (like “google.com”), your device asks a DNS server to translate that into an IP address. Usually, your ISP controls this part, which means they see every website you visit.

You can dodge that by switching to a privacy-focused DNS provider. Instead, try these

• Cloudflare DNS (1.1.1.1) – Fast and privacy-respecting.
• Google DNS (8.8.8.8) – Very reliable, though it’s Google.
• Quad9 (9.9.9.9) – Focuses on privacy and security.

Cloudflare even has a 1.1.1.1 app you can install on your phone to change your DNS automatically.

Install Privacy Extensions

Some browser extensions can seriously beef up your privacy. A few worth looking into:

• uBlock Origin – Blocks ads and trackers.
• Privacy Badger – Stops invisible trackers.
• NoScript – Only for advanced users, but lets you control what scripts run on sites.
• ClearURLs – Removes tracking junk from links.

These don’t hide everything from your internet service provider, but they keep you a bit safer from advertisers and creepy third parties.

Wrapping Up

In conclusion, tracking by your internet service provider is a serious issue that can impact your online privacy and security. By understanding what data internet service providers collect and how they use it, you can take steps to protect yourself.

Encrypting your internet connection, changing your DNS settings, using ad-blocking and anti-tracking tools, and considering alternative ISPs are all effective ways to stop your ISP from spying on you.