A Step-by-Step Implementation Guide

Mark Spencer Williams · Rice Law, PLLC · Wilmington, North Carolina

www.RiceFamilyLaw.com · June 2026

Disclaimer: Use of the information in this article does not create an attorney-client relationship. If you are involved in litigation, some of the suggestions in this article may run afoul of the requirements to preserve data or a protective order which may exist in your case. Under any circumstance, you should consult with your attorney or a licensed North Carolina attorney for legal advice. This information is intended for general informational purposes only on North Carolina law and does not constitute legal advice. Laws vary by jurisdiction, and you should consult a licensed attorney for advice regarding your specific situation. This article contains affiliate links for some products. Clicking these links may share certain data with third-party networks. If you use these links to buy something, I may earn a commission. I only recommend products or services I believe will add value to my readers.

Privacy is not secrecy. It is control over exposure.

Who this is for. Professionals, business owners, executives, and anyone facing a high-asset separation or a litigation-sensitive situation — people for whom an ordinary digital footprint can become evidence. You do not need to be technical. Work top to bottom, or start with the five essentials below.

This guide turns principle into action. Every measure is a trade-off between convenience and protection, and you decide where the stakes justify the cost. One caution before you begin: if you are involved in or anticipate litigation, do not delete data or change settings without first speaking to your attorney, because the obligation to preserve evidence may override the steps below.

How the tiers work. ESSENTIAL — do these first. RECOMMENDED — strong protection, modest effort. ADVANCED — high-security or situational, with real trade-offs.

A note on the tools named below: I recommend only products I use or have vetted. Some links are affiliate links, as stated in the disclaimer; the recommendation stands either way.

Start Here: The Five Essentials

If you do nothing else, do these five things. They deliver the most protection for the least effort, and everything that follows builds on them.

1. Turn on device encryption on your phone and every computer (FileVault on Mac, BitLocker on Windows; automatic on iPhone with a passcode).
2. Use a password manager and give every account a long, unique password — never reused.
3. Turn off location history and limit which apps may access your location.
4. Move sensitive conversations to Signal, and turn on end-to-end encryption everywhere it is offered.
5. Begin removing your data from brokers — by hand or with a reputable removal service.

1. Device & Account Security

• ☐ ESSENTIAL Enable full-disk encryption on every computer. Encryption is the foundation; without it, the rest is far weaker.
• Mac: System Settings > Privacy & Security > FileVault > Turn On. Record your recovery key.
• Windows: Settings > Privacy & Security > Device Encryption (toggle On). On Pro/Enterprise, search “Manage BitLocker” and turn on BitLocker. Save your recovery key.
• For hidden volumes and advanced encryption, consider VeraCrypt: veracrypt.io.
• ☐ ESSENTIAL Confirm phone encryption is active. Automatic with a passcode on iPhone; verify in Settings on Android.
• ☐ ESSENTIAL Use long, unique passwords (16+ characters) and a password manager. Never reuse a password across accounts.
• ☐ ESSENTIAL Keep every operating system and app fully updated. Most exploits target known, already-patched flaws.
• ☐ RECOMMENDED Remove unused apps from phones and computers. Every app is a data collector and a potential entry point.
• ☐ RECOMMENDED Use a USB data blocker when charging in public. A “USB condom” lets power through but blocks data. Available here.
• ☐ ADVANCED Enable Apple Lockdown Mode if you accept reduced convenience for sharply increased security. Best suited to those facing elevated, targeted risk.

1. Open Settings > Privacy & Security.
2. Scroll to the bottom and tap Lockdown Mode.
3. Tap Turn On Lockdown Mode, then confirm. Your iPhone restarts automatically.

What changes: most message attachments and link previews are blocked; complex web technologies are restricted; FaceTime calls from people you have never called are blocked; Shared Albums are disabled; wired connections while locked are blocked (preventing cable-based data extraction); AirDrop and MMS are disabled.

• ☐ ADVANCED Consider relying on a passcode rather than biometric unlock (Face ID / fingerprint). The law here is split and fact-specific. Some courts have allowed police to compel use of your face or fingerprint to unlock a device, while compelled disclosure of a memorized passcode raises Fifth Amendment self-incrimination concerns that many courts have treated as protective. For clients worried about compelled access, a passcode is generally the safer choice.

One advanced Windows step (disabling Intel remote-management in firmware) lives in the Technical Appendix at the end, to keep this section friction-free.

2. Browsing, Search & Communications

• ☐ ESSENTIAL Use Signal for sensitive messaging. It is widely regarded as the strongest mainstream option for private communication and is operated by a nonprofit.
• ☐ RECOMMENDED Turn on end-to-end encryption (E2EE) in every app that supports it.
• Signal / WhatsApp / iMessage: E2EE is on by default; keep the app updated and verify safety numbers for high-sensitivity contacts.
• Facebook Messenger: open a chat, tap the name, choose Secret Conversation.
• Google Messages (Android): Settings > RCS chats > turn on; look for the padlock icon.
• Microsoft Teams: Settings > Privacy > toggle End-to-end encrypted calls.
• Email / files: consider ProtonMail for encrypted email (Proton), or encrypt individual files with a key only you and the recipient hold.
• ☐ RECOMMENDED Use a reputable VPN to reduce ISP-level monitoring. A VPN does not protect you from the government; it protects against data theft by hackers or whoever controls your network. Options: Proton VPN and Mullvad.
• ☐ RECOMMENDED Set DuckDuckGo as your default search engine. Optionally pair it with the Tor Browser.
• Chrome: Settings > Search engine > Search engine used in the address bar > DuckDuckGo.
• Edge: Settings > Privacy, search, and services > Address bar and search > DuckDuckGo.
• Safari (Mac): Safari > Settings > Search > Search engine > DuckDuckGo.
• ☐ RECOMMENDED Treat consumer AI chatbots as not confidential. Do not assume AI queries are privileged: courts have raised concerns that they may not be protected by attorney-client or work-product privilege and could be used as evidence. Prefer privacy-preserving tools: Lumo (Proton) offers zero-access encryption and a “Ghost mode”; Duck.ai anonymizes requests and stores chats locally.
• ☐ RECOMMENDED Enable disappearing messages and turn off lock-screen previews.
• Signal: open a chat > tap the name > Disappearing Messages > choose a duration. WhatsApp: Settings > Privacy > Default message timer.
• Lock-screen previews — iPhone: Settings > Notifications > Show Previews > Never. Android (Google Messages): Settings > turn off automatic previews.
• ☐ ADVANCED Consider a SIM solution that rotates identifiers.Cape, for example, can change your phone’s IMSI every 24 hours. Your IMSI is a digital breadcrumb that can be used to identify, locate, and track you, often without your knowledge.

3. Data Storage & Backups

• ☐ ESSENTIAL On Apple devices, enable Advanced Data Protection for iCloud. This applies end-to-end encryption to most iCloud categories, so even a court order makes the data far harder for law enforcement or forensic tools (such as Cellebrite or Grayshift) to open.

Prerequisites: an Apple ID with two-factor authentication; a recovery contact or recovery key; and all devices updated and signed in to the same Apple ID (iOS 16.2 or later).

1. Open Settings and tap your name (Apple ID) at the top.
2. Tap iCloud, then Advanced Data Protection.
3. Tap Turn On Advanced Data Protection and read the information presented.
4. Set up a recovery method — a Recovery Contact or a 28-character Recovery Key — and save it securely. Without it, you can permanently lose access to your data.
5. Confirm to finish enabling.

• ☐ RECOMMENDED Prefer local, encrypted backups over cloud storage when practical.
• ☐ RECOMMENDED Avoid syncing your phone with vehicles (CarPlay, infotainment). Data you delete from your phone may still be retrievable from the car’s built-in storage, often unencrypted.
• ☐ RECOMMENDED Store photos and videos thoughtfully. Keeping images on an Apple device with Advanced Data Protection enabled is among the most secure options. Note that at an international border, refusing to unlock a device can result in denied entry. Proton Drive is an alternative, though in my experience it can be inconsistent; I do not consider Google a safe choice for this purpose.

4. Location, Tracking & Advertising

• ☐ ESSENTIAL Turn off Google Location History and limit app location access.

1. Go to myactivity.google.com, open Activity controls (or Manage activity > Location History).
2. Toggle Location History Off and confirm (Pause / Turn Off).

Turning history off stops future saving but does not erase what Google already holds. Even with account history off, apps can still access GPS, so restrict app-level permissions: Android — Settings > Location > App permissions; iPhone — Settings > Privacy & Security > Location Services. Set Google Maps, Search, and Chrome to Never.

• ☐ RECOMMENDED Delete the past location data Google already holds.

1. Return to myactivity.google.com.
2. Choose Delete > All time (or a custom range), select Location History, and confirm.

• ☐ RECOMMENDED Turn off ad personalization. Go to adssettings.google.com, sign in, and toggle Ad Personalization Off.
• ☐ RECOMMENDED Share location deliberately. Apple’s Find My is a good option within the Apple ecosystem; to share with someone off the Apple platform, Paralino is the best option I have found.
• ☐ RECOMMENDED Be aware that smartwatches and IoT devices collect location and health data continuously.

5. Travel & Physical-World Privacy

• ☐ ESSENTIAL Assume no expectation of privacy in public. Roads, sidewalks, and anything visible from a public vantage point are fair game.
• ☐ ESSENTIAL Do not use illegal plate-obfuscation products. Reflective covers, holographic or photo-blocking covers, nanofilm coatings, and IR-reflective items are likely unlawful in North Carolina. Under N.C. Gen. Stat. § 20-63(g), covering a plate so that its required characters are illegible is an infraction (penalized under § 14-3.1). Do not try to defeat cameras this way — the lawful response to automated surveillance is awareness, not a separate offense.
• ☐ RECOMMENDED Know where the cameras are. Check whether your plate has been captured at haveibeenflocked.com, and map nearby readers at deflock.org.
• ☐ ADVANCED Use a Faraday bag when you want full signal isolation. It blocks cellular, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and GPS entirely. Available here.

6. Data Brokers & Public Records

• ☐ ESSENTIAL Begin opt-out requests with data brokers. Work through the broker opt-out list maintained on GitHub by hand — it is laborious — or use a paid removal service such as DeleteMe, Onerep, Incogni, or Aura. Google also offers a personal-information removal tool, though it is less comprehensive. Treat removal as ongoing maintenance, since data is regenerated continually.
• ☐ RECOMMENDED Search people-finder sites to see what is exposed. For example, BeenVerified, Spokeo, or Radaris.

7. Interactions with Law Enforcement

These are the highest-stakes items in this guide. Read them before you need them — every one is essential.

• ☐ ESSENTIAL Stay calm and polite. Remember that officers are permitted to lie to you.
• ☐ ESSENTIAL If you are driving, provide your license and registration. Otherwise, do not volunteer information.
• ☐ ESSENTIAL Decline to answer questions. Say clearly: “I am exercising my right to remain silent. I want a lawyer.”
• ☐ ESSENTIAL Do not consent to any search or seizure. Make your non-consent clear and verbal.
• ☐ ESSENTIAL Ask whether you are being detained. “Am I being detained?” If the answer is no, you are free to leave.
• ☐ ESSENTIAL If firearms are in the vehicle, keep your hands on the wheel and say so calmly. Mention any concealed-carry permit you hold.
• ☐ ESSENTIAL Know your rights on identification. U.S. citizens are not required to carry ID when not driving; if ICE demands identification, you may state, “I am a U.S. citizen.” Naturalized citizens may wish to carry a passport. North Carolina is not a stop-and-identify state, but if an officer believes you committed an offense you could be arrested for obstruction for refusing to identify yourself — so producing ID is usually the prudent course.
• ☐ ADVANCED Understand cell-site simulators. Tools like “Stingray,” “KingFish,” and “Hailstorm” mimic legitimate cell towers and can capture data passing through them, especially metadata and unencrypted traffic. A Faraday bag stops transmission. Do not power the device off — a locked device is generally harder to access than one that has just been restarted.

8. Core Mindset

• ☐ ESSENTIAL Assume data is always being collected.
• ☐ ESSENTIAL Reduce unnecessary data creation, not just data sharing. What is never generated cannot be compelled.
• ☐ ESSENTIAL Trade convenience consciously for privacy when the stakes justify it — and only then.

Privacy is not secrecy. It is control over exposure.

No single step on this list makes you invisible, and none is meant to. Together, they move you from exposed by default to protected by choice. If your situation is high-stakes — a separation, a business dispute, an investigation — these protections are most valuable when paired with counsel who can apply them to your facts. We are available to do exactly that.

The legal background. For the doctrine and case law behind these steps, read our white paper, Privacy and Surveillance in North Carolina.

Technical Appendix (Advanced)

This step is powerful but more technical than the rest of the guide. It is optional for most readers. If you are not comfortable working in your computer’s firmware settings, ask a trusted IT professional rather than proceeding alone — a mistake here can prevent the machine from starting.

• ☐ ADVANCED On Windows, disable unnecessary remote-management features in the BIOS/UEFI. Intel Active Management Technology (Intel AMT) can permit remote access to a computer beneath the operating system. To disable it: restart and enter the firmware menu (often F2, F12, Del, or Esc during startup); open Security, Advanced, or Chipset settings; locate Intel Active Management Technology or MEBx; set it to Disabled; then save and exit.