Here are some tips on how to make the life changes necessary to completely unplug from the grid and disappear from the digital world.
There are lots of reasons to unplug from the grid. And I'm not talking about the electrical grid. I mean the "grid" as in the whole digital world. Maybe you've had it up to here (picture my hand at my forehead) with all the digital flotsam that inundates you every day from work e-mail to social network nattering. Perhaps you need to go on the lam (and we're not going to judge your reasons why). Maybe you really need to get away from someone who makes you crazy or, quite seriously, from someone else's abuse.
The reasons are yours. However, we're here to tell you, it isn't going to be easy. Just by virtue of reading this story on PCMag.com, we can guess you're probably at a computer that has an IP address that can be tracked. And that's where the problems begin. Cell phones, credit card purchases, travel check-ins, and even just a drive through a toll booth are all ways that you can be traced. And it's not just by Big Brother, but individuals as well. Skiptracers and private eyes don't need much more than what they can access online to get to you if you continue to live digitally even after you left your old life behind.
So what do you do to truly disappear? I warn you in advance, it's not pretty. Picture every movie or TV show you've seen about witness protection programs and add-in the extra dash of paranoia that comes from not having U.S. marshalls on your side. Then get ready to live like you've never lived before. Whether you need to go on the run or you just want to settle down into a less digital life, here's how to get lost.
Digital Dos and Don'ts
Can you really get off the grid and still live digitally? Probably not. If you retain your digital life, you're going to leave breadcrumbs. The only way to stay completely anonymous is to turn it ALL off. That means no cell phones, no credit cards, no Web surfing. You can't even turn on a computer.
However, if you can't handle that, here are some options that can keep you online and, perhaps, off the radar.
1. Lose the Cell Phone
It might be your digital lifeline, but when you're trying to hide, your cell phone is a digital bull's eye. Those with the access can easily triangulate your position based on your cell signal. You don't even need to make a call, as phones are always talking to towers to get the best signal available. A built-in GPS only makes it easier.
If you can take out the battery, that'll be all she wrote. And you can always pop it back in for a true emergency. You can also leave the phone somewhere to misdirect tracers. The latter is best if you've got a phone with a battery you can't access (iPhones are not for fugitives).
You don't have to go without phone access completely. Buy some pre-paid phones on the cheap at a department store or gas station. Give one to your most trusted friend or loved one and keep the other. That way, only the two of you can talk or text. This could get more difficult, as Congress proposed a bill last year to ban selling anonymous pre-paid phones to fight terrorism. Right now, though, you can still get one without showing ID in most states.
In addition, get some portable, solar powered chargers for your gadgets, so you don't have to rely on the outlets. Powermonkey eXplorer has plugs for just about every kind of phone and they don't need much light to charge a device.
2. Make Purchases Using Gift Cards
It's a little cruel to include links in this article to products you can only buy online; but it's not impossible to make Web purchases while off the grid. Use your cash to purchase credit card gift cards, such as Visa or American Express. They're available just about anywhere. You can use them for purchases online and off and then chuck them after they're used up. (Try to rotate where you get deliveries.)
3. Forget Being Social
It's time to give up on Facebook and Twitter. Seriously. Just walk away. If you can't go cold turkey, create anonymous accounts from remote locations. Friend a few bots to keep your number of friends/followers high for your psychological fitness, since you, by definition, don't have any friends at this point. And for the love of all that's holy, don't friend or follow people you actually know.
via http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2376023,00.asp