A real data privacy strategy that works

Despite how things may seem, we live in one of the most private eras for humankind. The earlier space constraints of communal living - workers working cheek-by-jowl, cohabiting in joint families, sharing communal kitchens or bathrooms, etc - have given way to the choice of privacy, at least for people who can afford actual space.

But there is much hubbub, of course, regarding the lack of privacy in a digitally connected world - big, bad companies picking and tucking in your data for their nefarious plans, or government snoops snooping on your digital trails and messages. Well, there's one tactic that takes care of this problem: lying.

As anyone encountering a telepath already knows, it becomes too much of an effort to hide one's thoughts from a mind-reader. The same applies to those you think may be infringing on your digital privacy whether on social media or with information that's supposed to stay between your bank, shops, paramours.

In all that mash of information 'out there', throw in false information regularly - that you love Party X when you really detest it; make purchases or searches on the internet that you never intended to; send contradictory messages to WhatsApp groups. And your real secrets - like actions you're not keen an all-seeing higher force will track - will remain intact.