SurfShark, the popular VPN and cybersecurity company, is introducing a brand new feature that will allow users to create alternate personas online, complete with long-lasting email addresses and completely fake credentials.
Unlike burner emails, which typically self-destruct after a short time period and can’t be used for long periods of time, SurfShark’s new Alternative ID feature will allow you to maintain your online persona for as long as you want, complete with a new name and email address. You can also set preferences for your birthday, gender, and country of origin.
Alternative IDs are useful for a number of reasons. To start, you can prevent people from being able to obtain your real name or email address, letting you browse and chat with people safely.
It also minimizes your risk of spam in your real email address, since you can use your alternative persona for websites with suspicious privacy practices or an untrustworthy reputation.
It also is great for one-use-only websites, since you may not want every website you visit to have your full name and email address.
This new feature is available for all SurfShark users and can be set up right from the SurfShark website. After you’ve created your new persona, download the SurfShark browser extension for your browser of choice and you can start using it.
And for anyone who may be concerned, an alternate online ID is completely legal. In their FAQ section, SurfShark made sure to outline the following:
“Yes, you can create an alternative online identity to protect yourself as long as you’re not abusing others by tricking, imitating or causing them harm.”
It’s also important to remember that some websites (like banks or career-based websites) may still require you to use your real identity. The Alternative ID isn’t a replacement for a real identity in any legal way, just an online persona you can use to keep yourself safe without putting real information at risk.