Having a digital life doesn't necessarily mean giving up your privacy. If the revelation that Verizon (and perhaps other telecoms) is handing over customer call records to the federal government has you scrambling for your tinfoil hat (don't try this at home; it doesn't work), there are much more effective ways to make sure those government spies have no idea who you are calling and to keep snoops out of your personal files.

How Do I Keep My Calls and Texts Private?

It's called a prepaid phone, also known as a burner.

First, walk into a store that sells prepaid SIM cards. I bought an Ultra Mobile SIM for just $35 last week and paid in cash.

Second, pick up an unlocked phone—there are tons of them on Amazon and eBay. I bought a basic GSM phone without a plan for $25 at Costco earlier this year. You'll want to ditch the phone every so often because the phone itself can be traced, so the simpler and cheaper the device, the better.

The call records will still exist, but all they show is that someone from this phone number using that particular device made a phone call to this other number from this location and talked for x number of minutes. There is nothing that links that call record to you.

What About VoIP?

Can you make anonymous calls via VoIP? Well, it depends. For instance, Skype is VoIP telephony that uses a proprietary peer-to-peer protocol, which makes calls hard to trace. However, there have been reports suggesting Microsoft may allow law enforcement some access to call metadata. If your primary concern is making sure calls can't be traced to you, create a throwaway email address and use it only for making Skype calls.

Other Solutions for Untraceable Calls and Text Messages

Here are a few of our favorite apps and services that will at least keep your calls and texts a little more private.

Ready SIM

The simplest, and maybe best way, to keep your calls private is to use a disposable phone number. Ready SIM is a cheap, scalable, self-activating way to quickly get a new number for your phone. The company is required to keep phone records, but if you buy with cash those records aren't tied to anything except your disposable SIM card.

RedPhone Beta

RedPhone Beta aims to be a near-total replacement for the Android call app. Instead of using your provider's cellular service, it routes all your calls to other RedPhone users over its VoIP network with end-to-end encryption. This open-source project is a little shaky in the features and usability department, but is getting better with each update.

TextSecure

The sister app to RedPhone, TextSecure sends encrypted messages to other TextSecure users. Not only that, it will encrypt all your existing texts locally so they'll be unreadable even if your device is directly attacked. Like RedPhone, it can only send encrypted texts to other TextSecure users, but texts you receive from non-users will be placed in encrypted storage on your device.

Google Voice

Google Voice's primary function is to give you a single number that can be connected to multiple phones, computers, and other devices. However, it hides your actual phone number because only your Google Voice number will appear on recipient's phone records. You can keep your outgoing calls off phone records too, by having Google Voice connect you to the person you're calling. You call people and receive calls directly from the Gmail interface. If you are on a VPN service while logged into Gmail, then it becomes harder to trace that email account to you (but yowzah, talk about latency!).

Burner

Similar to Google Voice, Burner lets you manage a clutch of disposable phone numbers. Whoever you call or text from the Burner app will see your disposable number, not your actual phone number. The calls and texts still travel over your carrier's system, but it's some measure of protection.

SilentCircle

SilentCircle, like RedPhone, allows users to make encrypted calls to one another. However, it takes its system one step further by putting you in complete control of your encryption keys. Even if the NSA ordered the company to hand over information on you, it has nothing that could be used to intercept your calls. SilentCircle can also provide some measure of encrypted protection when you call people who don't use the service.

TrustCall

For those who prefer hardware-based encryption system, TrustCall uses unique MicroSD cards to identify phones to each other. You can also set up your own relay servers with TrustCall, basically putting you in charge of how your calls are handled. Though intended for business, TrustCall can work for individuals as well—provided you’re willing to pay for the unique chips and put in the effort required to make it all work.

What About Everything Else?

What About Everything Else?

Most people are worried about the NSA looking into their phone records, but your Web activity is just as tracable. Not to to mention all your files, which anyone could peek into while your back is turned. Here's some of our favorite products to lock down everything else in your digital life.

Norton Hotspot Privacy

In a nutshell, VPN services assign you a secure IP address so that your online activities can't be traced back to you or your ISP. The current Editors' Choice for VPN services, Norton Hotspot Privacy, thoughtfully includes a native iOS app. While iOS and Android have built-in VPN clients, Norton takes some of the guesswork out of it. Finding the right client for your computer or your mobile device is really about your own preference and what you're willing to pay. Fortunately, we have quite a few VPN reviews. Also, don't forget that network traffic flows through the cheapest path, not necessarily the shortest path geographically. Since you don't have control over where the call is being routed, there may be latency issues or it may pass through US servers, anyway.



GoldKey Lite Token with Built-In Flash

There's lots of ways to secure files on your computer to keep snoopers stumped. Storing files in encrypted disk image files or using security software that came with your computer is all well and good, but it lacks panache. GoldKey uses a swanky golden USB token to give you mobile encrypted file storage, secure your computer, and provide access to an encrypted partition. Security never looked so good.

IronKey Personal S200

Less flashy than the GoldKey, IronKey is another secure flash drive that nigh-indestructible. Add to that a dash of military-grade encryption, onboard secure browser, and a password manager and you've got an all-in-one security solution.



Transporter

If you're in the habit of sharing files over Dropbox, remember that your data isn't necessarily secure. Transporter is a stylish networked storage device with some cloud functionality, keeping you in charge of your data. You can also link Transporters together, giving you a level of redundancy and easy sharing. It's got some quirks, but if you want your own DIY Dropbox, this will get you started.

Keep It Simple

If you're that concerned about being able to make anonymous calls, stick with the simplest route and get a prepaid phone that you're willing to throw out every so often and replace with yet another cheap disposable phone.

For encrypted texts, calls, and files, you're probably going to need a little something extra. Fortunately, the marketplace is diverse enough to support free and paid options to fit most any budget.

Whatever you choose, make sure it fits your life. Don't spend a lot of money on tools you don't need, and don't build a security regimen so convoluted that even you can't do it on a day-to-day basis. Think through the risks, and keep it simple.

Further Reading

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