In an age of rampant data collection and identity theft, protecting your personal information has become more critical than ever when browsing the internet. Virtual private network (VPN) provider Surfshark offers a clever solution that allows users to mask their real identities with the click of a button.

Surfshark’s new Alternative ID feature generates fictional personal details like names, birthdays, addresses and emails that you can use when signing up for online services instead of exposing your real information. This extra layer of anonymity provides peace of mind that your sensitive data won’t fall into the wrong hands.

Great news! Alternative ID is now available on all Surfshark plans, not just Surfshark One and Surfshark One+. This service allows you to safeguard your personal information when registering on websites. If you’re a Starter bundle user, you can now take advantage of Alternative ID and have messages forwarded to your primary email address. If you start receiving too much spam, you can easily create a new alternative email for a fresh start. So, protect your personal information with Alternative ID today!

How to create Alternative ID

Getting started with Alternative ID is simple. Just open the Surfshark app on your device and navigate to the Alternative ID tool. From there, choose preferences like country, gender and age range for your fictional persona. Surfshark will randomly generate a name, physical address, birthday and alternative email address tailored to your selections. If you don’t love the first combination, regenerating will provide new details.

Once you have an identity you’re happy with, continue to link the new alternative email address to your existing personal email inbox. This allows Surfshark to forward any messages from the alt email to your real one so you can access login links, purchase confirmations and more while maintaining anonymity.

With your fresh alternative identity ready to go, now it’s time to take it for a spin. Use your fictional details when creating accounts, making purchases, filling out web forms or interacting in any scenario where you’d rather not hand over your real information.

Since the alternative email forwards messages to your primary inbox, you’ll still receive confirmations, shipping notices and other correspondence as expected. If spam becomes an annoyance, you can always delete the alt email and easily generate another to replace it.

Surfshark currently allows every user one alternative identity at a time. So get creative and try out different ages, genders and geographic locations catered to your various needs. The ability to customize makes sure you have the right anonymous persona for any situation.

Using a fictional identity is one way to cover your digital tracks, but combining Alternative ID with Surfshark’s premium VPN adds even more security while online. Encrypting your web traffic hides your IP address and physical location for full anonymity across all devices.

For ultimate peace of mind without the hassle of managing multiple subscriptions, upgrade to Surfshark One for the full suite of security and privacy tools in a single cost-effective bundle.