There has been a lot said this past week about Google changing its privacy policy and I thought I would share with you thoughts that were taught to me ten years ago. If you go on the world wide web, there is no privacy.
None.
Anyone who wants to find you will be able to. Static Ips are assigned to a name and address, dynamic Ips are assigned to a range and usually a country. Many years ago a man was annoying a woman on a forum and he did not listen when moderators told him to stop. To teach him a lesson they traced him to his street within half an hour, then phoned him on his home phone and warned him they would post his address and details to everyone on the forum unless he behaved. This man was not going by his real name, nor did he have an e-mail address used for anything but the forum.
The point is not everyone is looking for you and if they do you only have one defence, to know how they work and know what they are looking for. That won’t stop them finding you but it will limit the damage.
Just remember if you have put your real name and address anywhere on the Internet you can be found, and even if you haven’t Government officials have. Census details, whois databases, voter registers…that’s you.