Dropbox is one of the most popular cloud services. Dropbox has been on the scene since 2008 and has pioneered some of the ways we share files online. The problem with Dropbox, and any other cloud service, is that when you want to share files through it, you often have to give up your username to do it.
For those looking for anonymity online, this can be troublesome. Dropproxy is a free service that allows you to anonymize your username on Dropbox so that you can share without giving it up.
Use Dropproxy to Hide Dropbox Username
Dropproxy lets you hide your username from individual files or your entire account. However, we’ll only be showing you how to use the service to hide your username from individual files as you have to give Dropproxy your username for them to protect your entire account.
Log into Dropbox.
In order for Dropproxy to work, you must be using a Public folder.
Click on that Public folder.
Click “Copy public link” to the file you want to share anonymously.
A pop-up will appear allowing you to copy the file. Do so.
Head to Dropproxy.
Copy and paste the URL from above into the “Proxy a file” textbox.
Then, click “Proxy it!
It’ll take a few seconds for Dropproxy to set up the proxy service for the file.
When finished, you’ll be given a variety of options for the file you want to share.
You can directly link to it.
Or you can link to the file in HTML, BB code or share it on Facebook or Twitter.
Now, when users click on the link you provide them, your username is stripped from it so they cannot see who actually shared the file.
This gives you a bit of privacy when sharing links.
Dropproxy offers the ability to shield an entire account, but we feel that this is asking it to do too much. If you’re truly looking to protect your privacy, you shouldn’t need to give away your username to the service trying to do it for you.
Should You be Using the Cloud if You Want to Stay Hidden Online?
If you’re using the cloud, like Dropbox or other cloud services we’ve covered, to share files, folders and more online, you can only be as anonymous as what you’re sharing. We’ve become so open, so willing to share, that we forget at what price comes with it. While using a service like Dropproxy can help shield your identity, if you really want to share files online, cloud services are hardly ways to hide who you are while doing it.
