In 2021, personal data of 15 million Americans were stolen. In movies, it typically looks something like this: serious men in suits take fingerprints and hair samples to obtain personal information about an individual. But in real life, victims often unwittingly hand over their data to perpetrators.
How does this happen? Here are the most common cases:
- Publishing and distributing a large amount of personal content on social networks;
- Close communication with friends who are gamers;
- Using traditional forms of currency for online transactions.
It is crucial to maintain a certain level of anonymity in most areas of life, including gaming. But is it possible to maintain privacy on the internet today? Let's find out.
Protecting Anonymous Data with Cryptocurrency
Privacy protection involves safeguarding personal information and not sharing it with third parties — including name, address, financial information, as well as gaming habits and player preferences.
Most gamers opt for services with crypto acquiring, meaning the ability to accept and process payments in cryptocurrency. This technology allows users to conduct transactions without disclosing financial or banking information. The gambling industry demonstrates that a system based on cryptocurrency ensures player anonymity.
Unfortunately, crypto assets are not considered a legal means of payment in the vast majority of countries. Consequently, regulatory acts in the field of gambling do not apply to "digital money." Legislation is directly tied to "fiat money," that is, to real, physical currencies like US dollars, British pounds, etc. Therefore, when making deposits, placing bets, and withdrawing cryptocurrencies in online casinos, no KYC (Know Your Customer – a customer identity verification process on financial platforms to reduce the risk of fraud and protect against corruption) requirements are applied to virtual money.
Advantages of Anonymity
The appeal of incognito status in online gaming communities is growing. This is unsurprising, as anonymity offers a number of significant advantages:
- Access to Geographically Restricted Games
Internet content with geographic restrictions can become accessible once you are anonymous. Targeted services cannot restrict user access if they initially don't know who you are. As a result, shifting to anonymity allows players to engage in games that they usually don't have access to.
- State Restrictions
Maintaining anonymity also allows players to circumvent state censorship restrictions. This applies to online casino games, which are not available in all parts of the world. Anonymous gambling using cryptocurrencies is not regulated in the same way as gambling with fiat currencies, so players from countries where gambling is prohibited can typically access these services without issues.
- Avoiding Judgment
Some gamers want to remain anonymous simply to avoid scrutiny from friends and family. This could be due to factors such as personal gaming skills, choice of games, or spending habits. Sometimes you just need some privacy to hone your skills without friends or relatives being able to judge or, in some cases, ridicule your progress. Anonymity allows you to enjoy the gaming experience privately, without fear of judgment.
- Protection from Online Harassment
The internet is full of unscrupulous individuals capable of insulting, mocking, and psychologically abusing complete strangers. For gamers, such online attacks are a constant threat. Maintaining anonymity is the simplest yet most effective way to avoid unpleasant situations.
Tips on How to Maximize your Anonymity as a Gamer
- Use a VPN: Most websites suggest using a Virtual Private Network (VPN) to hide your online presence. This tool encrypts your internet traffic and hides your IP address. When you use a VPN to access the internet for gaming, the software changes your location, making it difficult for anyone to track your online activity.
- Create a New Email Address and Gaming Account: One of the relatively simple ways to maintain anonymity in gaming is to create a new email address for gaming activities and use it exclusively for registering your gaming accounts. It is important not to link this email with your main or any other personal communication methods.
- Be Stingy with Information: Being private online is more than just following tips and paying for a VPN subscription. It's a mindset that you need to get accustomed to and consistently maintain. You should provide the minimum necessary information when registering on websites and avoid excessive interaction with other players.
- Use Privacy-Oriented Web Browsers and Operating Systems: Gamers can use web browsers like Brave and DuckDuckGo. Both are user-friendly and do not track user activities. Consider more robust programs such as Tails, Qubes OS, Pure OS, Whonix, or Linux Mint, which are also geared towards user anonymity.
- Do Not Connect Social Networks to Your Gaming Accounts: A common mistake among beginners is linking their social media accounts to their supposed anonymous gaming account. This contradicts the goal of being a gaming ghost, as it immediately reveals your identity.
Therefore, to achieve maximum anonymity, you will need to perform numerous technical manipulations. It might require making adjustments to your lifestyle, for instance, doing things differently than you are used to. Online privacy requires a certain level of intentionality and awareness on your part. So, before making changes to your gaming settings, weigh all the pros and cons.
