Browsers Built for Privacy

Google and Facebook are two of the wealthiest companies on earth, and yet they don’t sell much in the way of physical products. They make money by selling data to marketers about their users–you! These are just two names among many that collect and use your online activities like shopping and surfing habits to collect marketing data on you.

Browsers play a big part in this process, and the big 3, Chrome, Edge, and Firefox, are not built primarily to protect your privacy. There are a few browsers built with privacy in mind. If you are concerned about how much data companies collect about you online, you should consider using a browser dedicated to privacy.

How do websites track you?

Websites track you using cookies and fingerprinting.

• Cookies are essential for websites; they help you stay signed in and remember your preferences. The problem is that some websites make money by placing 3rd party cookies–marketing company tracking cookies–on your computer not to enhance your online experience but instead to make money by selling your personal data.
• Fingerprinting refers to a sophisticated system that spies on the configuration of your computer, your time zone and location, and other factors to create what amounts to a fingerprint of you as an internet user. Companies that use fingerprinting are trying to bypass the security measures put in place to prevent things like 3rd party cookies and track you without your permission.

Browsers built with privacy as job #1

Here are some of the most well-known browsers built to protect your privacy. They block 3rd party cookies and replace information about your specific computer with generic data that makes it indistinguishable from millions of other computers. These browsers have additional features, like ad blocking, but you may have to configure them to your use.

• Brave. Brave blocks 3rd party cookies and makes fingerprinting nearly impossible. Brave is fast and easy to use.
• Tor. Tor is the go-to for serious online anonymity. Tor uses a series of relay servers that hide your identity but you’ll pay a price in speed.
• Avast. Avast is another great choice. Avast offers a built-in AdBlock password manager and more. However, you’ll need to pay a subscription fee to access all of Avast’s features.
• Opera. Opera is great for blocking ads and trackers. Opera also offers a built-in VPN (a virtual private network) for even more online security but does not anonymize your computer’s fingerprint.