Video chatting popularity increases the risk of identity theft and scams

The rise of video chatting in the last decade brings more risks to consumers

Identity theft and security issues on the rise due to video chatting appsThe danger of video chatting and possible damage that users rarely think about can be crucial for your privacy and security of the PC. Since the beginning of the current decade, technology has taken over pretty much every trait of our lives, from how we occupy our leisure time to what we eat, tech influences everything. Video chatting became a thing with the creation of Skype, but it gained commercial significance when online services like Chatroulette and Omegle introduced random video chatting into the mix.[1]

The prospect of chatting with accidentally chosen individuals was fun at first, but it quickly started to become a matter of privacy and security for the parties involved.[2] The fear expanded when news broke out that your online data and activities aren't safe unless you take the necessary precautions to handle them.[3] Stay with us as we will discuss the burning question that is it safe to do video chats? And if not, then what should be you do to manage such an issue?

Is it safe?

In this day and age, the notion of scrutinizing your child’s internet activities has become challenging and nearly impossible. Services like Omegle allow you to chat with random strangers at any time without any background check. It means that your children might be talking to strangers on the internet without any supervision. More than that, you do not need to register to access Omegle in any sort or form.

Furthermore, Omegle’s privacy policy mentions that it keeps logs of your information and activities for 120 days, including your chatting duration, your IP address, and the tag that is randomly assigned to you by the service. With the public state of your information, uninvited snoopers like cybercriminals and the government can track all of it down without any effort.

While the providers defend their policy by stating that they keep such an open platform to detect and prevent scammers and criminals from doing anything illegal, the answer is pretty much clear that such type of video chats are not safe.[4] But we can manage our way to much better security and privacy by following some essential tips and precautions though taking full use of random chat services like Omegle or more somber platforms like Skype or Whatsapp.

Tips for safe video chatting

Most adults know the dangers of being utterly unshielded in the world of the internet. We all know that online chatting is a young man’s game, and only children possess the stamina to spend endless hours chatting. Besides, it is ultimately the responsibility of the adult to teach and discuss the implications of careless use of the internet, nevertheless, random chatting. Here we have compiled some important tips to ensure safety while you chat online.

Use a VPN (Recommended)

It doesn’t matter whether you are conversing with strangers online, doing online shopping, or even playing video games. It would help if you always kept your online identity and information private. Using a VPN is the simplest and authentic way of protecting your information online.

When Omegle keeps a log of your IP address, then you can quickly get around such a policy by masking your VPN or connecting it to a different server entirely. The video chat provider will only be able to get a hold of the dummy IP address while making you completely anonymous.

However, if you ever get caught doing such an activity, the service will immediately ban you, and if you have no clue of how to get unbanned from Omegle, then a VPN will come in handy. It will give you an IP address and server location different from the blacklisted one to allow you to video chat once again.

One of the other vital aspects of using a VPN is that it will always keep you safe from cyber-attacks from hackers, and even more, it will prevent government agencies from spying on your video chats and other activities.

Protect your Identity

One of the more straightforward ways to be safe online is to keep your identity hidden, trust no one, and always maintain your guard. You are required to be extra vigilant while doing anything online, and never give any info during your chat session that can be used to identify or detect your location. The information that can get you tracked typically involves your First or Last name, your city/state, and lastly, your place of work or education.[5]

Keeping an active firewall is also very crucial, which prevents unauthorized access to your network or computer from a private computer network. You can dictate the authority by allowing only your favorite apps, sites, and IPs from entering into the connection, which you can use directly by configuring the router, or you can always use Windows Firewall from the PC.

The bottom Line

There is always a positive and negative point to everything in the world, and the same goes for the internet. While the internet is the greatest invention by humanity, it certainly has its cons. The world of the internet is a treasure chest for people with ill intentions, which gives them the chance to manipulate user data, steal it, and sell it to anyone. It is entirely up to us on how we handle such a menace to keep our online practices private and secure.

Furthermore, we now know how to do video chatting safely and the means to keep everything private. It is also mandatory for you to be extra careful in spreading your info to anyone online, which may harm you in any shape or form.

About the author
Gabriel E. Hall
Gabriel E. Hall - Passionate web researcher

Gabriel E. Hall is a passionate malware researcher who has been working for 2-spyware for almost a decade.

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