Creator privacy checklist: a clean setup, step by step

A clean setup is the backbone of any creator privacy checklist: nothing public leads to anything private. It is mostly unglamorous administration: a new email address, a separate phone number, a workspace used for the work and nothing else, logins that nobody can guess, and a handful of settings switched off. Done once and carefully, it protects you for years. Done halfway, it protects you from almost nothing.

The principle: one door, one key

Imagine two houses that share a garden. If one front door is locked and the other is open, the garden does not matter, because anyone can walk through the open one. Privacy works the same way. Your public work and your private life need separate names, separate contact details and separate tools, so that a mistake in one cannot open the other.

The setup in seven steps

1. 1

   Choose the name

   A stage name that is not derived from your real name, your birth date, a pet or your town. Search for it first, on the platform and on the open web, to be sure it is unused and does not point to someone else.

2. 2

   Create a work email address

   A new address with a provider where you have never used your name. Do not link it to a personal recovery address or phone number. The details are in a separate email and phone for OnlyFans.

3. 3

   Get a work phone number

   A second SIM, an eSIM or a number from a calling service, used for the work and nowhere else. Some services refuse certain virtual numbers during verification, so test before you rely on one.

4. 4

   Build a work space

   A separate browser profile at the very least, ideally a separate user account on the computer or a dedicated device. No personal accounts signed in, no autofill from your personal life.

5. 5

   Lock the doors

   A password manager, a long unique passphrase for every account, and two step verification through an authenticator app or a security key rather than text messages. Protecting your accounts goes through each of them.

6. 6

   Switch off the leaks

   Location tags in the camera, notification previews, contact discovery, automatic cloud upload of work photos. What your photos reveal explains the file side.

7. 7

   Write it down, privately

   One short note, stored offline or in your password manager, that says which account uses which email and number, where the backups are and where the recovery codes live.

What to keep apart

Item	Personal life	Creator work
Name	Your legal name	A stage name used nowhere else
Email	Your usual address	A new address that nobody has saved
Phone	Your usual number	A separate number, or a separate SIM
Device or profile	Signed in to family and friends	Signed in to work accounts only
Photos and cloud	Shared albums and family backups	A private space that only you can open
Social accounts	Connected to your contacts	Not connected to your contacts

Money and paperwork

Payments arrive in a bank account, and that account carries your name. It is worth knowing how an incoming payment appears on a statement, and who can see the statement. Income from this work is generally subject to the same tax rules as other independent activity, and the rules depend on your country, so ask an accountant near you rather than guessing.

The mistakes we see most often

• A work email whose recovery address is a personal one, which quietly links the two.
• A new stage name with an old username, reused out of habit.
• Work photos that sync automatically to a shared family album.
• A phone number saved in someone’s address book, so that messaging apps show them the work profile.
• One strong password reused on three accounts, which makes it a weak password.

A review calendar

1. At setupThe seven steps above, then the private note.
2. Every monthA search for your stage name while logged out, and a look at connected accounts and devices.
3. Every three monthsPasswords, recovery options and the geoblocking list. Check your email address against a breach database such as Have I Been Pwned.
4. After any changeA new phone, a move, a new job or a new partner: review the whole setup.

Where we help

At SOMAS Management, this setup is part of the first weeks. It starts with a Google account kept for this work, which you create in your own name with your own phone number and recovery email, and it is built together with you, step by step, during the free onboarding training described in the first month. Your identity document is checked once, with the contract, and never needed again for this. For the bigger picture, read faceless content: what it is and how it works.

Questions and answers

Do I need a second phone?

Not necessarily. A separate number and a separate profile or user account on your current device cover most needs. A dedicated device is the cleanest option if you can afford it.

Do I need a VPN?

It is optional. A reputable VPN hides your network address from the sites you visit, which helps with some kinds of tracking. It does not make an account anonymous by itself, and it does not replace the steps above.

Can I use my usual email with a new name?

No. The address is the link between the two lives. Create a new one with a provider where you have not used your real name.

How long does a clean setup take?

A first pass takes an afternoon. The review calendar then keeps it to a few minutes a month.