How to Hide Internet Activities

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Your abuser may have ways of tracking your activities on your home computer.  There are steps you can take to make it more difficult for someone to track your activities.  If your abuser knows his or her way around a computer, it might be better for you to use a computer at a public library, a school, an internet cafe, or at the home of a trusted friend.

There are a few ways that someone could easily find out what web sites you have visited.  Computers have what is called a cache file.  The cache automatically saves web pages and graphics.  Anyone who looks at the cache file on your computer can see what information you have viewed recently on the internet. Also, most web browsers like Internet Explorer and Netscape keep a list of the most recent web sites and links that you have visited in a History file.  You can look at your own history by clicking on the "History" button on your toolbar.

It is possible to clear the cache and history files so that your computer doesn't keep a list of the sites you have visited.  But should be very cautious about doing this.  If your abuser is comfortable with computers, and sees that you have cleared all the cache and history files on your computer (including the web sites they have visited), they could become suspicious or angry.  If that is a possibility, it would be better for you to use a computer they cannot have access to - for example, at a library, a friend's house, or at work.

Internet History & Cache files

The cache and history files on your computer show what web sites you have recently visited.  You can empty your cache and clear your history files after each time you have used your computer.

Another option is to delete only specific web sites from your cache and history files.  Your browser will have instructions about how to delete specific files from your cache and history.

For Internet Explorer browsers

To clear cache files:
- Click on Tools on the toolbar at the top of the screen
- Select Internet Options
- On the General page, under Temporary Internet Files, click on Delete Files.  If asked, check the box to delete all offline content

To clear history files:
- Click on Tools on the toolbar at the top of the screen
- Select Internet Options
- On the General page, under Temporary Internet Files, click on Settings
- Click on View Files.  Manually highlight all the files shown, then his Delete.  Close that window.
- On the General page, under the History section, click on Clear History.

For Netscape browsers

To clear cache files:
- Click on Edit on the toolbar at the top of the screen
- Select Preferences
- Click Advanced
- Click Cache
- Click the Clear Memory Cache button
- Click the Clear Disk Cache button
- Click OK

To clear history files:
- From the Edit menu at the top of the screen, click on Preferences
- A small screen will pop up
- From the History section, click Clear Location Bar History
- Click OK

Cookies
Small bits of information (known as "cookies") are stored on your computer when you visit some web sites.  If your computer has cookies, your abuser might be able to identify web sites you have visited. 

For Internet Explorer browsers
- Go to the Tools menu and select Internet Options
- Click on the Security tab, then click on the Custom Level button
- Scroll down the list.  Under the Cookie category, click on either Disable (to not have cookies at all) or Prompt (to be asked each time whether you want to have a cookie on your computer)

For Netscape browsers
- From the Edit pull-down menu, select Preferences
- Click on the Advanced section from the list of areas on the left of the small pop-up window
- Select Disable cookies if you do not want any coolies on your computer, or if you would like to be prompted to accept cookies or not, select Warn me before storing a cookie
- Click OK

Thanks to Shelternet.ca for this information