The Internet is a great resource for finding information that can help you make decisions about your personal situation. However, it’s important to realize that the record of your Internet activities does not disappear when you close your browser. If you are concerned that the person abusing you may check up on your Internet activities, there are a few steps you can take to help you cover your tracks, including deleting cookies and clearing your browser history (your cache).
If the person who is abusing you is good on a computer, it may not be safe for you to be visiting sites for abused women. Hide your Internet activities and visit websites from a safer place – the public library, school, an Internet cafe, or your workplace.
Cookies are a way for websites to track their visitors and their actions. Sometimes this means that the site will “remember” you when you visit again. For example, it may display your first name, which you entered on a previous visit. This is done by storing small bits of information on your computer. It is important to delete cookies when covering your tracks on the Internet. Methods for deleting cookies vary depending on the type of computer you are using. To learn how to delete yours, read the instructions that follow in this section that match your computer system and browser.
If you are using Internet Explorer:
From the TOOLS menu at the top of the screen, click “Internet Options”
Click the “General” tab in the small pop-up screen that appears.
From the Temporary Internet Files section, click the button “Delete Files”
From the History Section, click the button “Clear History”
Click “OK”
If you are using Netscape:
From the EDIT menu at the top of the screen, click “Preferences”
A small screen will pop up. From the History section, click “Clear History”
Click “OK”
If you are using AOL:
Click the “MY AOL” icon on the toolbar
Select “Preferences”
Click the “WWW” button
From the pop-up menu, click the “Delete Files” in the Temporary Internet Files Section
In the History section of the same pop-up menu, click “Clear History”
For more detailed instructions to help you hide your Internet activities, visit www.shelternet.ca/en/women/internet-safety/
