We live in very strange times. On the one hand, we’re being watched pretty constantly (there are FBI aircraft that circle over some major cities, for example, gathering data). At the same time, we don’t really care too much that we’re being constantly watched. I feel like I should note as well that when I say we’re being watched, I don’t necessarily mean by the United States government. We are also being watched by corporations; big data is a great way to target your marketing and advertising. And it’s in that world of big data that I think it might be worth talking about protecting your privacy.

Based on what I know—and I’m not necessarily the world’s biggest expert when it comes to this—it is basically impossible to protect your privacy altogether. If you are a productive, functioning member of society, you are going to have some data out there (sorry, Ron Swanson). But there are a few things you can do, outside of asking an exterior contracting company to make your house, um, spy-satellite proof?

Watch How Many of Those Rewards Programs You Sign Up For

You know those free rewards programs that offer you a discount on something? They’re great and they save you money. But there’s no such thing as a free lunch. Many of those companies that offer free rewards programs actually mine your data—they track what you buy, the quantities you buy in, how old you are, how often you shop, and so on. And then they sell that data (not necessarily associated with your name) to companies that use that data for advertising purposes (or, frankly, other purposes).

Watch How You Comment on the Internet

The same is true, more or less, of internet comments sections. There are some commentary plug-ins that will collect your data in a similar way. They’ll use cookies to watch what websites you’re going to, how often you buy online, and how much you’re willing to spend on the internet. In other words, they keep track of a lot. And then they find ways to use that information and data. This is not unlike Amazon, which watches your browsing behavior in order to better predict what you might buy online (and then kindly suggest you buy that exact object).

Be Careful When You Opt In

Whenever you sign up for a newsletter or activate a new app on your iPad, it’s likely that you have to read a user terms-of-service agreement. Look, we all know that nobody reads those things. But it’s important to at least recognize that, by agreeing to that “contract,” you are essentially putting yourself in a position that makes it difficult to protect your data and your privacy. It’s true, not every app is going to sell your data. But many of them do. That’s just the nature of the internet these days. The consolation here is that, most often, your name is not associated with this data. By the same token, it’s still your data.

Luckily, if you have to opt in to certain data mining apps and programs, there’s usually an option to opt out… assuming you can find it.

Weighing the Benefits

To a certain degree, the loss of privacy is the price we pay for good living in the world we have. The trick is knowing when you are putting your data out there so that you can evaluate it on a case-by-case basis. Sometimes, agreeing to those data-mining rewards programs are worth it to you. Sometimes it isn’t; in either case, you should be in a position to make that determination yourself. I have a lot to learn about privacy myself—it’s an ongoing battle. But at least I know it’s a battle that is actually happening. That’s step one. What’s step two?