This guide is for people in the United States, especially those at high risk because of who they are, where they are, or what they’re doing. Most of this guide will be about personal data, the information about you that may be online, whether you know it or not. It includes how to think about your risk level, the types of data that you willingly share and that can be taken from you, and best practices on how to protect your data in everyday and in high-risk situations.
It can’t go without saying that individual people shouldn’t have to be responsible for protecting themselves and their personal information. But right now, there isn’t an effective federal data privacy law in the US, and only nine states have good data privacy protections on the books. Given this gap in protection, this guide is here to help ensure you can best protect yourself, your personal devices, and your data in digital spaces.
This guide is a collection of resources created by dozens of civil rights and technology experts. It is curated by The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights. We’d especially like to thank our friends at the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), Asian Americans Advancing Justice | AAJC, the Brennan Center for Justice, the Center for American Progress (CAP), the Center for Democracy and Technology (CDT), the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF), the Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC), Muslim Advocates, and UnidosUS for their contributions.
This guide will answer:
What is digital security and why does it matter so much right now?
What puts you at risk?
What types of data do you share? How risky is it to share?
Where is your data taken from?
How can you protect your data?
How do you stay safe in high-risk situations?
What can you do if you need more help?
What is digital security and why does it matter so much right now?
People are being targeted for who they are, where they’re from, and what they say.
Your personal data and online presence can be used to target you and your community. Bad actors can use your data to:
- Track and surveil your activities
- Identify you in photos and videos
- Access your communications and contacts
- Target you based on your beliefs or identity
- Put your friends and family in danger
Being safe online means understanding who has access to your data, how it’s being used, and taking steps to keep yourself and anyone you text, call, email, and message with safe. Protection is community care, and marginalized communities face the greatest risks.
The federal government is already surveilling us online. ICE is using location data to track people’s phones, and the State Department is screening students’ social media accounts.
What puts you at risk?
You can better understand your risk and protect yourself by making a few simple considerations.
- Consider your lived experience. Some people face more risk because of how they’re perceived—their background, identity, language, or appearance.
- Consider your circumstances. Your risk can increase based on where you live, your immigration or legal situation, your disability status, and your health needs. Conditions that may make interactions with law enforcement more difficult, like limited mobility, vision, or hearing challenges, can increase risk. Even temporary circumstances can matter, like housing stability or caregiving responsibilities.
- Consider your public visibility. If you’re outspoken, organizing, doing public-facing work, or have a history that draws attention, your personal data may be more valuable to bad actors.
If any of this feels familiar, you may want more digital protection—for yourself and the people you communicate with.
Data security risk and know-your-rights resources:
Access Now
ACLU
National Immigration Law Center
Protecting Immigrant Families
The Electronic Privacy Information Center
What types of data do you share? How risky is it to share?
Your data is like liquid gold–it’s incredibly valuable to those who want to exploit it. But some data is more risky than others:
Be careful sharing high-risk data:
- Exact location
- Social Security Number
- Biometrics (face/voice)
- Government ID
- Private photos
Share your medium-risk data thoughtfully:
- Address
- Race, ethnicity, religion
- Workplace
- Date of birth
- Relationship status
Low-risk data is generally safer to share:
- First name
- Phone number
- Personal email
- General location
Where is your data taken from?
Most data is taken from three places.
Devices that take and track your data include:
- Phones, laptops, tablets, and gaming devices
- “Smart” devices like smart watches, smart TVs, and smart speakers
- Cameras, doorbells, and security systems
- Internet, cable, and phone companies
Recommendation: Make a list of the devices in your home. Check each device’s privacy settings and turn off any data sharing you can.
Apps often collect more data than websites:
- Social media apps
- Messaging apps
- Health apps
- Mapping, rideshare, and delivery apps
- Banking, budgeting, and stock-trading apps
- Dating apps
- Shopping apps
Recommendation: Delete apps you don’t use, and limit data sharing permissions for what you keep. For added protection, use a secure web browser instead of the app.
Websites can collect your data, monitor how you use their website, and track your clicks through cookies and trackers. Cookies are little bits of code that websites can put on your device when you visit their website. Trackers are systems used by advertisers to track your visits to different websites
Recommendation: Reject cookies whenever you can and add an ad blocker and a tracker blocker to your web browser.
Personal data resources:
Safety Detectives
The Electronic Frontier Foundation
- Protecting Yourself on Social Networks
- How to: Manage Your Digital Footprint
- Choosing the VPN That’s Right for You
The Electronic Privacy Information Center
The Mozilla Foundation
How can you protect my data?
You can follow these four simple steps to protect your data:
- Ensure your devices and accounts are protected. Make sure your phone, computer, and any devices that connect to the internet are password-protected. Use a password manager so every account has a strong, unique password. Turn on multi-factor authentication where you can.
- Stay on alert for scams. Most data is stolen through pressure and tricks, not technology. Be skeptical of unexpected calls, texts, or emails. Never click on a link you weren’t expecting. If you get an urgent call from somewhere important, hang up, and call the official phone number. Never share login codes or passwords.
- Be intentional about where your data goes. Limit how much personal data you give out and use encrypted apps to communicate, especially about sensitive topics.
- Use fully encrypted messaging platforms . “Safe” options include:
-
- iPhones: Blue texts (iMessage) and green texts that say “RCS” at the top
- Androids: Text conversations with the lock icon
- Signal
Data protection resources:
The Center for Democracy
The Electronic Frontier Foundation
- Security Starter Pack
- How to Encrypt Your ComputerCreating Strong PasswordsChoosing a Password Manager
- How Strong Encryption Can Help Avoid Online Surveillance (video, 3 minutes)
- Enabling Two-factor AuthenticationHow to Avoid Phishing Attacks Communicating With OthersGuides for Signal and WhatsApp
WIRED Magazine
How do you stay safe in high-risk situations?
Some situations make your data more vulnerable. Learn when—and how—to stay protected.
- Interacting with law enforcement. If you’re expecting to interact with law enforcement, make sure you have a password to unlock your phone instead of FaceID or a fingerprint. It is lawful to record officers in public, but stay safe and don’t interfere.
- Going to a protest. Expect surveillance and police interaction. Use encrypted messaging apps like Signal or WhatsApp. Disable Face ID/fingerprint unlock, back up your phone, and avoid posting identifiable photos. Consider a burner phone for high-risk situations.
- Crossing the border. Officers can search your devices without a warrant. Sign out of all your accounts, require a passcode, disable Face ID/fingerprint unlock, and opt out of facial recognition where possible.
- Seeking abortion care. In restrictive states, health data could be used against you. Use encrypted messaging, avoid period or fertility tracking apps, and consider a burner phone for communications. Be prepared to interact with law enforcement.
High-risk situations resources:
ACLU
- Being Stopped by Police
- “Can they Search my Phone?”
- Protesters’ Rights
- Can Border Agents Search Your Electronic Devices? It’s Complicated.
- 100 Mile Border Zone
- Law Enforcement at the Airport
- Religious Freedom at the Airport
ACLU of DC
Georgetown University
Just Futures Law
Southern Border Communities Coalition
The Center for Democracy and Technology
The Center for Reproductive Rights
- Abortion Laws by State (map)
The Electronic Frontier Fund
- Digital Security Tips for Protesters
- Attending a Protest
- Protecting Your Privacy if Your Phone is Taken Away
- Communicating With Others
- Street-Level Surveillance
The Electronic Privacy Information Center
WIRED Magazine
WITNESS
- Recording Immigration Enforcement Officers (Note: Depending on what state you’re in, you may have to tell anyone else in the video that you’re recording. Check this list to see what the rules are in your state.)
How to Back up Your Phone
- iPhones: How to Back Up Your iPhone
- Android phones: How to Back Up Your Android Phone
What if you need more help?
Contact the Digital Security Helpline run by Access Now: they work with individuals and organizations around the world to keep them safe online. If you’re at risk, they can help you improve your digital security practices to keep out of harm’s way. If you’re already under attack, they can provide rapid-response emergency assistance.