Using Tails When Your World Doesn't Feel Safe Anymore

[usonian]

https://www.privacyguides.org/articles/2025/01/29/installing-and-using-tails/

Privacy Guides content is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International Public License, and the underlying source code used to format and display that content on www.privacyguides.org is licensed under the MIT License.

Lots of graphics to help at the site. I could include more but just go there!
There's also a guide: The Protesters' Guide to Smartphone Security
https://www.privacyguides.org/articles/2025/01/23/activists-guide-securing-your-smartphone/

And more .....
https://www.privacyguides.org/en/

There is a growing number of people who no longer feel safe in their own home or country. Whatever the reason, many people might not feel safe to browse certain topics online. With all the information getting collected for each internet search, it is difficult to access sometime vital information without leaving a trace. These digital footprints might not threaten your personal safety if you are living with a supportive family, and in a democratic and free country. However, there are situations where someone might be put in great danger simply for looking at a website.

While this guide will be applicable to many, I am writing this article with these groups in mind:

• Victims of domestic violence,
• Trans and queer individuals living in a hostile environment, and
• Democracy and human rights activists located in regions adverse to their cause.

This article will help people in such situations learn how to browse the internet and use a computer in a more protected and anonymous way, in order to stay safe from harm.

This is the rationale. Details follow in the article.

Tails is a portable operating system (a type of software like Windows and macOS) that is especially designed to minimize your digital footprints while using it.

The name is an acronym for "The Amnesic Incognito Live System". It is kept on a USB stick and resets itself entirely after each use (except if you enable its encrypted password-protected Persistent Storage). What is done on Tails does not leave any digital traces on the computer it is plugged into, hence "amnesic."

Additionally, Tails comes with pre-installed applications that will help increase your security and privacy online. When accessing the internet from Tails, your traffic will be automatically rerouted through the Tor network. This is a special network that makes it very difficult to identify your location or the websites you access, even from your Internet Service Provider (ISP).

However, unless you configure the Tor bridge option to hide this, your ISP will know you have been using Tor, although they will not know which websites in particular you have visited through Tor. It could have been anything. I personally use Tor when I have to visit Google Maps, just to protect my data from Google's advertising.

Why you might want to use Tails

There are many good and legitimate reasons for using Tails. Here are a few examples from the scenarios I am considering in this article:

A victim of domestic violence who needs a secure way to research and communicate with shelters or other supportive resources to plan a safe escape, without leaving traces of their activities on a device accessible to the perpetrator.

A trans or queer individual who lives with an unsupportive or hostile family and wishes to research trans or queer-related topics online, find communities, or access supportive resources without leaving any digital traces of their activities on a family device.

A democracy or human rights activist who organizes protests, communicate information online, or carry on any other activities that might have been declared unauthorized by an oppressive regime.

Any other situations where browsing the web or using a device anonymously might be necessary to protect someone's safety.

When to use Tails, and when not to use Tails

Tails protects some data very well, but it will not magically protect everything. Before using it, read carefully what it can help you with and what it cannot do.

When using Tails might help you

Browsing the web without leaving traces on your main computer.

Using a computer without leaving traces of your activities on your main computer.

Storing information and processing files in an encrypted way, away from your main computer.

Hiding which websites you visit from your ISP by using Tor, without leaving traces on your main computer.

What you should be careful about

Remember that unless you enable the Tor bridge, your ISP will know you have accessed the Tor network. Your government could request this information from your ISP. Be careful if this can put you in danger in your country. If you are not using Tails from a public Wi-Fi network, and if revealing to your ISP that you are using Tor could be dangerous to you, you should enable the Tor bridge option.

Tails cannot protect your anonymity if while using Tails you log into an account that you have already been identified with, or have used outside of Tails. While using Tails, do not log into anything that you have logged in outside of Tails.

If you communicate with others or create an account within Tails, be mindful not to share any personal details that could identify you while using Tails.

If you share any files, be careful to remove thoroughly any metadata that could identify you from the file.

If you share any pictures or videos, be extremely cautious with removing metadata and examining the picture or video to make sure no reflections or other details could inadvertently identify you.

Do not to reuse any usernames, pseudonyms, email addresses, phone numbers, profile pictures, passwords, or any other information that you have used outside of Tails.

Do not do anything that could identify you while using Tails. Assume that everything you do while using Tails could be linked together.

Be careful with using any mobile data network to connect to the internet. Information related to your mobile device could identify you.

A very powerful adversary, such as a government, could potentially reidentify some information despite you using Tails. Read more about Tails' limitations here: https://tails.net/doc/about/warnings/index.en.html

When you should not use Tails

If someone finding your Tails USB stick could put you in worse danger than not using it at all.

If you have not enabled the Tor bridge option, and your ISP or government finding out you have accessed Tor could put you in worse danger than not using it at all.

When the computer you are using Tails with might be compromised at the firmware or hardware level.

When there are cameras in your environment recording your activity on this computer.

If your computer cannot securely boot from an external USB stick.

[CrispyQ]

1. That Protesters' Guide to Smartphone Security is a great doc!

I learned a ton!

[usonian]

3. Thanks for the feedback. I promoted it to an OP.

[usonian]

4. There are technologies that can help, and it will probably be "small people" like you and me who move them along.

A RaspberryPi or an obsoleted home computer (I have a few) would make a fine home proxy to do a lot of heavy lifting. (stay tuned, more later.)