digital privacy

separate accounts

• Use a separate email for kink sites and apps, not your work or everyday one.
• Use a scene name that isn't your real name, nickname or gamer tag.
• Don't reuse usernames across kink and vanilla sites. A quick search can link them.
• Don't link kink profiles to your phone contacts, Instagram or Facebook.
• Use a password manager and turn on two-factor sign-in.

photos

• Crop out or cover your face, tattoos, birthmarks, jewellery and anything recognisable in the background (art, windows, your car).
• Remove location data. Photos can store where they were taken. Most phones can turn this off in camera settings, or strip it when sharing.
• Assume anything you send can be screenshotted, even on apps with disappearing photos.
• Reverse image search your own photos now and then to see where they've ended up.

apps & sites

• Check privacy settings on FetLife, Recon and dating apps: who can see your photos, groups, and the events you've joined.
• Turn off exact distance on location apps, especially when travelling. In some countries police use apps to find gay men.
• Be wary of fast moves to "chat somewhere else" and requests for face pictures from new profiles; it's a common route to sextortion.

your devices

• Lock your phone with a PIN and hide notification previews on the lock screen.
• Use a private browser window for kink sites on shared devices. See browsing privately.
• Keep private photos in a locked or hidden folder, and check what syncs to shared cloud accounts or family tablets.

photos at events

• Always ask before photographing anyone at a bar, party, fair or play space, and before posting a photo with someone else in it.
• Check the background. A great selfie can still out the people behind you.
• Follow event rules. Many play spaces ban phones entirely, or tape over cameras at the door.
• Street fairs are public, and press and strangers do take photos. If you can't afford to be seen, wear a hood or mask, or skip the busiest areas.

work & outing

In many places, your kink isn't protected by discrimination law the way sexual orientation can be. If a colleague finds your profile, you don't have to explain or confirm anything. Keep a record of what was said, and talk to a union or an employment lawyer if your job is threatened. NCSF helps kinksters facing discrimination. See also your rights.