Earlier this month, a massive data breach exposed the precise location data of millions of users across popular apps including Candy Crush, Tinder, and MyFitnessPal. The breach was particularly alarming because some of the affected apps were VPNs and privacy tools — apps that people trusted to protect their data.
This incident exposed the use of real-time bidding (RTB), which involves “data brokers” auctioning off your browsing activity and personal information to the highest bidder — all to power the advertising industry. Your location, device details, content you viewed, and other private information are shared with auction winners in milliseconds, often without your knowledge. According to the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF), “while only one advertiser wins the auction, all participants receive the data,” including malicious parties posing as ad buyers.
And that’s just one of the latest hacks in the news. With today being Data Privacy Day and new data breaches happening left and right, there’s no better time to take control of your digital privacy. While it can sound daunting, protecting yourself is simpler than you might think. Let's look at ten essential tools that can help protect your privacy in 2025.
Data brokers and apps are constantly trying to track your every move online. Here are two simple ways to throw them off:
Disclaimer: The following tools are presented for educational purposes only. We are not endorsing, sponsoring, or receiving compensation from any of these privacy services. Always conduct your own research, read reviews, and verify the credibility of any privacy tool before use.
The foundation of your online privacy starts with your browser. While Chrome and Safari collect some user data by default, Brave stands out by blocking trackers, third-party cookies, and ads automatically, putting privacy first.
What makes Brave stand out is how the browser prioritizes online privacy without sacrificing performance:
For anyone frustrated with Google's data harvesting or skeptical of Apple's privacy marketing, Brave offers a serious alternative. It's built on the same Chromium platform as Chrome, so you get familiar speed and compatibility — just with privacy protection turned on from the start.
While most search engines store and build a profile of your every online move, DuckDuckGo takes a different route. Built around its privacy-first search engine, the platform offers tools that help you browse and search without becoming a data point for advertisers.
Key privacy features include:
The Gravy Analytics breach laid bare the dangers of unchecked app tracking, especially on Android devices. DuckDuckGo's tools act as a shield, blocking trackers before they can vacuum up your personal information.
Swiss-based Proton came to fame for ProtonMail, "encrypted email that's private by default". Since then, the company has expanded its offerings to include a VPN, cloud storage, password manager, calendar, and self-custody crypto wallet — all based around their belief that "Nobody should be able to exploit your data, period."
ProtonMail inbox. Source: ProtonMail
ProtonMail uses end-to-end and zero-access encryption, ensuring your messages stay between you and your intended recipient — and no one else.
Key privacy features include:
Unlike other email services run by companies that make money from selling your information to advertisers, ProtonMail works seamlessly with most email clients.
Venice AI private chat. Source: Venice AI
Generative AI apps like ChatGPT and Claude have become essential for everything from writing code to generating images. However, most of these tools store your conversation history, attach it to your identity, and their employees can review your conversations "to improve". Venice takes a different approach to generative AI apps, keeping your information right where it belongs—with you.
Key features include:
Especially for developers and teams working with sensitive information, Venice's privacy-focused approach solves a crucial problem. They also purport to use "leading open-source AI models".
OneTrust data dashboard. Source: OneTrust
As organizations handle more data and AI, responsible management becomes critical. OneTrust helps companies enforce compliance and optimize data strategies while protecting user privacy.
Key features include:
While primarily serving enterprises, you've likely encountered OneTrust's tools through cookie consent banners or privacy request forms on major websites. The platform helps organizations balance data innovation with privacy protection and regulatory compliance.
Signal iPhone app. Source: Signal
We all want our private conversations to stay private. Signal takes this seriously, using encryption for every message, call, and chat. Unlike messaging apps that track your interactions, Signal ensures your messages are seen only by you and your intended recipients.
Key features include:
Being open source means security experts can analyze and scrutinize the code for potential security vulnerabilities and to ensure they’re keeping their promise of protecting your privacy.
Privado AI platform UI. Source: Privado AI
Privado helps organizations identify and manage privacy risks in their software by automatically scanning code for personal data handling. Unlike manual privacy assessments that can take months, Privado provides real-time visibility into how applications collect and share data.
Key features include:
For development and privacy teams, Privado bridges the gap between software development and privacy compliance, helping prevent potential privacy mishaps and mistakes.
Manta Pacific bridge. Source: Manta Network
For Web3 developers looking for privacy-oriented networks to build on, Manta Network leverages zero-knowledge proofs (ZKPs) to enable privacy-preserving applications on the blockchain. Through its two main systems, developers can build applications that maintain confidentiality while preserving blockchain's transparency where needed.
Key features include:
Some popular projects in Manta's ecosystem include Dmail for decentralized communication, Manta Wallet for asset management, and ZeroLend for decentralized lending.
Privacy and security go hand in hand. While previous tools focused on controlling data collection, these next tools show how security can help strengthen privacy protection.
1Password password application. Source: 1Password
Managing unique passwords for every account isn't just about security — it's an important privacy strategy. Making use of 1Password’s random password generator helps ensure that a breach of one service doesn't expose your private data across all your accounts.
Key features include:
The platform works across devices and browsers, making it easy to generate, store, and use super-secure, encrypted passwords and other sensitive information, no matter where you are.
Dispatch’s Contract History view
In Web3, privacy breaches often begin with subtle changes in smart contract behavior. Dispatch can help you catch unexpected smart contract activity by monitoring these changes in real time, ensuring your transactions and interactions remain under your control.
Key features include:
What makes Dispatch powerful is its simplicity. Without writing complex queries, you can monitor your smart contracts and receive instant alerts through Discord, Telegram, email, or use webhooks to power your own dashboards and dApps. When critical changes occur — like unexpected permission updates or unusual contract activity — you'll know immediately.
Monitor your smart contracts and wallets for free with Dispatch → Start for free
Privacy requires a multi-layered approach. Each tool we've covered plays a specific role: browsers block tracking, messaging apps protect communications, and monitoring tools watch for threats. When used together, these tools protect your personal information and online activity. Recent breaches remind us that our personal information is increasingly vulnerable. But with the right tools and protections in place, we can take back control of our privacy.