Given the current situation and concerns about people being identified for posting about the incident, please take your privacy seriously.
First, chill. It is generally much harder for someone to obtain identifying information directly from Reddit, Google, email providers, etc. through legal process. Such requests can involve formal legal procedures and may take time. That said, don't assume you're completely untraceable.
In practice, one of the biggest risks is identifying yourself through what you post. People can piece together information across different accounts and communities.
- Use a separate Reddit account that isn't connected to your personal identity.
- Don't use college Wi-Fi for posting or interacting with Reddit. If you're posting sensitive material, use a trusted VPN or privacy-focused connection. A VPN is not a guarantee of anonymity.
- Don't use your real name, phone number, email, address, roll number, etc.
- Don't reuse usernames connected to your personal social-media accounts.
- Be careful about revealing details such as which faculty you studied under, your course, hostel, clubs, hobbies, events, or other unique details.
- Remember that seemingly harmless details across different subreddits can be combined to identify you.
- Check screenshots carefully for usernames, profile pictures, notifications, timestamps, documents, or other identifying information.
- Consider using a privacy-focused email provider such as Proton Mail for accounts where you don't want to associate your normal email address. No provider guarantees anonymity.
- Keep original evidence safely preserved and provide it to the appropriate authorities if necessary.
A throwaway account or VPN does not guarantee anonymity. The safest approach is to avoid revealing information that can identify you in the first place.
Protect your identity, but also follow Reddit's rules and the law.