Internet privacy is not a thing.
That really needs to sink in for everybody here, because many of us came up pre-internet and have varying degrees of understanding about privacy, security, anonymity, and the nature of this magnificent and terrifying tool.
Hear me when I say that if a part of you ever touches the internet and someone is dedicated and/or funded well enough, they. Can. Find. It.
The good news is, you can make your information a "hard target" so that your average person runs out of time/resources to track you down. Here are some quick tips:
1. Never, ever cross-pollinate your alias material with your majority material. Example: Don't use the same photo on TMF, Fetlife, Facebook, and LinkedIn. Even if you put new filters on it. Even if you flip or crop it.
2. Create a new email address and a Voice Over Internet Protocol phone number (like a free Google Voice number). Use those two things - and only those two things - to register and create all of your alias accounts. Never, ever, ever use the same email and phone number for both alias and majority information. Never call or email from your majority accounts to your alias accounts.
3. Databases are only as secure as the servers and security protocols they use. In 2017, MyFreeCams left a backdoor open that leaked the real names, addresses, and phone numbers of every cam model on the site. In 2014, the Office of Personnel Management was hacked and leaked untold numbers of personnel files from government employees. Moral to the story: do not engage in online behavior that would be catastrophic if exposed, and do not rely on Friends Only settings or "super sturdy encryption" to protect your nudes and tickle-sexting.
If anyone wants a more nuanced discussion on this, you are welcome to DM me.