In this new and updated guide, we’ll take a close look at the most secure browsers that also protect your privacy.
A secure browser that protects your privacy is a critical tool for staying safe online and keeping your data secure from third parties.
Unless properly configured, most browsers contain vast amounts of private information that can potentially be exploited – or simply collected – by various third parties:
- Browsing history: all the websites you visit
- Login credentials: usernames and passwords
- Cookies and trackers: these are placed on your browser by the sites you visit
- Autofill information: names, addresses, phone numbers, etc.
And even with a locked-down and hardened browser, there may still be exploits that reveal your data and potential identity. We discuss these issues (and solutions) in our guides on browser fingerprinting and WebRTC leaks.
In this browser security and privacy guide, we’re going to cover the following topics:
- Best secure browsers that respect your privacy
- Problems with other browsers
- Browser privacy compartmentalization
- Secure browser add-ons
- “Private browsing” mode is NOT very private (and why you need a VPN)
WARNING: When using “private” or “incognito” mode in your browser, your real IP address and location are still being revealed to every website, ad, and tracker that loads in your browser. The best way to achieve true privacy while hiding your real IP address and location is to also use a VPN service in conjunction with a good browser. Here are our top two recommendations from the best VPN list (with discounts):
- ExpressVPN: A verified and audited no-logs VPN with excellent speeds and security (three months free coupon here)
- NordVPN: A secure, audited VPN with advanced privacy features and a strict no-logs policy (68% discount here)
Now let’s examine the most secure browsers that you can combine with a VPN for maximum privacy.
Secure browsers that protect your privacy
In this section we will examine the best browsers based on two main factors:
- Security: How well does the browser protect you from hackers, vulnerabilities, and online exploits?
- Privacy: How much data is the browser itself collecting about you and who is this data being shared with? How does the browser protect your privacy?
Conflicting opinions! Just like with Tor, opinions about browser privacy and security can be wildly divergent and contentious.
This guide is not meant to sell everyone on one browser that beats all others. Rather, it is just a summary of information about different web browsers that do well with both privacy and security. Choose the best browser for you based on your own unique needs and threat model.
So here are the most secure and private browsers:
1. Firefox (modified and tweaked for privacy)
Firefox is a great all-around browser for privacy and security. It offers strong privacy protection features, many customization options, excellent security, and regular updates with an active development team. The newest version of Firefox is fast and light-weight with many privacy customization options.
Out of the box, Firefox is not the best for privacy, but it can be customized and hardened, as explained in my Firefox privacy modifications guide. Be sure to disable telemetry in Firefox, which is a feature that will collect “technical and interaction data” and also “install and run studies” within your browser.
Within the Privacy & Security settings area, there are many useful customization options for different levels of privacy: Standard, Strict, or Custom.
Another great benefit with Firefox is the ability to use numerous browser extensions that will enhance your privacy and security. We’ll go over some of these extensions further below.
Firefox highlights:
- Open source code that has been audited by a third party
- Active development with frequent updates
- Excellent privacy features and customization options
- Many browser extensions supported
- Telemetry and tracking needs to be manually disabled
- Other modifications necessary for more privacy and security
If you want to keep using older add-ons that are no longer supported by the latest Firefox release, you can go with the Firefox Extended Support Release (ESR). If you want a privacy-focused version of Firefox for Android, you could try Firefox focus.
For additional customization and privacy settings, check out our Firefox privacy guide.
https://www.mozilla.org/firefox
2. Iridium browser
Iridium is a secure browser that is based on Chromium, configured for more privacy. This might be a good option for anyone wanting a browser that supports Chrome extensions, while also having much more privacy than you’d get from Chrome.
Note: While Iridium supports Windows, Mac OS, and Linux, there is no option for mobile users on iOS and Android.
The following excerpt from Iridium’s official site provides a good overview of this secure browser:
Iridium Browser is based on the Chromium code base. All modifications enhance the privacy of the user and make sure that the latest and best secure technologies are used. Automatic transmission of partial queries, keywords and metrics to central services is prevented and only occurs with the approval of the user. In addition, all our builds are reproducible and modifications are auditable, setting the project ahead of other secure browser providers.
Iridium offers numerous security and privacy enhancements over Chrome, along with regular updates and releases. You can see how Iridium differs from Chromium here. All source code is available on GitHub.
https://iridiumbrowser.de
3. GNU IceCat browser
GNU IceCat is a fork of Firefox from the GNU free software project. IceCat is entirely “free software” as defined here and also includes various privacy add-ons and tweaks by default. Here are the privacy-protection features listed from the IceCat page:
- LibreJS
- HTTPS-Everywhere
- SpyBlock
- AboutIceCat
- Fingerprinting countermeasures
Learn more about IceCat on the official page below.
https://www.gnu.org/software/gnuzilla/
4. Tor browser
Next up we have the Tor browser. The Tor browser is a hardened version of Firefox that is configured to run on the Tor network. By default, the Tor Browser is a secure browser that protects you against browser fingerprinting, but it also has some disadvantages.
Because it uses the Tor network, which routes traffic over three different hops, download speeds with the Tor browser can be quite slow. The default version may also break some sites due to script blocking. Finally, there are also drawbacks with the Tor network itself, including malicious exit nodes, high latency, dependence on US government financing, and some consider it to be fundamentally compromised. (See the pros and cons of Tor here.)
Another option is to use the Tor browser with the Tor network disabled. In this sense, the Tor browser will work like the other browsers we’ve covered above. Additionally, you can simply run a VPN in the background. Like the Tor network, a VPN will also encrypt your traffic and hide your IP, but it will be much faster.
The instructions for using the Tor browser without the Tor network are in my browser fingerprinting guide. Be careful when adjusting the settings for the Tor browser, however, as this may compromise the browser’s built-in privacy and security features.
https://www.torproject.org/
5. Ungoogled Chromium browser
Ungoogled Chromium is an open source project to provide a Chromium browser, without the Google privacy issues:
ungoogled-chromium is Google Chromium, sans dependency on Google web services. It also features some tweaks to enhance privacy, control, and transparency (almost all of which require manual activation or enabling).
ungoogled-chromium retains the default Chromium experience as closely as possible. Unlike other Chromium forks that have their own visions of a web browser, ungoogled-chromium is essentially a drop-in replacement for Chromium.
Ungoogled Chromium receives regular Chromium security updates.
https://github.com/Eloston/ungoogled-chromium
6. Brave browser
Brave is a Chromium-based browser that is fast, secure, and privacy-focused by default. It has a built-in ad blocker and browser fingerprinting protection. The main developer behind Brave is Brandon Eich, who formerly worked for Mozilla. For out-of-the-box privacy and security, Brave is a decent option.
Like Iridium, Brave is based on open source Chromium, but configured for privacy. It does well with its default privacy settings and extra features. Here is a brief overview:
- Blocks ads and trackers by default
- Protects against browser fingerprinting
- Built-in script blocker
- Automatically upgrades to HTTPS (HTTPS Everywhere)
Brave now has ads – Despite offering “ad blocking” in the browser, Brave officially launched its own ad program in April 2019. The ads will be vetted by Brave and there’s a revenue-sharing model for users or certain websites to get a percentage of the revenue. Some have called this move hypocritical for a “privacy” browser to roll out an advertising program – but it’s also not too surprising.
Brave has also attracted some criticism because it layers over websites with its own ads, while also blocking the site’s ads from showing. This allows Brave to profit from other peoples’ work, while robbing the original creator of profits.
While Brave may have mixed reviews in the privacy community, it does offer basic, out-of-the-box privacy. This is especially useful to people who don’t want to tinker around with about:config settings. Just download it and you’re good to go.
You can read more about Brave’s privacy and security features here.
https://brave.com
7. Pale Moon browser
Pale Moon is another open-source fork of Firefox, which aims for efficiency and customization. In testing out Pale Moon, it does indeed offer great customization options, as well as support for older Firefox add-ons and its own lineup of add-ons. The design feels a bit dated, but it’s also not overly-cluttered and is lightweight and fast.
Pale Moon is currently available on Windows and Linux, with other operating systems in development. Unlike other Firefox forks, Pale Moon runs on its own browser engine, Goanna, which is a fork of Gecko (used by Firefox).
Opinions on Pale Moon can be rather mixed. The Pale Moon website has some interesting information; here are a few useful links I found:
https://www.palemoon.org
Issues with other browsers
While some browsers claim to be secure against vulnerabilities, they might not be the best choice from a privacy perspective.
1. Google Chrome
Google Chrome is by far the most popular browser. Unfortunately, it’s a data collection tool as well and not a good choice for anyone looking for privacy.
You can safely assume that everything you do through Google Chrome is collected, saved to your data profile, and used for targeted advertising.
2. Microsoft Internet Explorer/Edge
Edge is a Microsoft product.
Just like with Windows, it’s a good idea to avoid Microsoft products, including Internet Explorer, and their newer browser called Edge. Internet Explorer and Edge are also closed-source, so there’s no telling what’s going on behind the scenes, and they’re also not the best for privacy reasons.
3. Opera browser
Opera started off as a decent browser, developed in Norway. However, in 2016 it was sold to a Chinese consortium for $600 million – and a lot has changed. Opera’s privacy policy explains how your data is being collected and shared when you use Opera products. Here’s what I found:
Opera also offers a “free VPN”. As we covered in the Opera VPN review, it’s not really a VPN, it doesn’t offer full-system encryption, and your data is being collected when you use it. Do not use free VPNs, and consider an alternative browser. Not recommended.
4. Epic browser
Epic is a browser based on Chromium, created by “Hidden Reflex” which is based in India. Since 2014, Epic has been claiming they would open source the code, but it remains closed source today. What’s going on behind the scenes? How do they manage Chromium and remove invasive code? Who knows.
Just like with Opera VPN, Epic falsely claims to offer a “free VPN” through the browser, but this is not really true. The browser is merely routing traffic through a US proxy server. As we learned with Opera (and with many other “free proxy” services), proxies are often used for data collection (and they are often not secure). When reading the Epic privacy policy, we find that data from “video download and proxy services” is being collected.
One person who analyzed Epic found it to be connecting to Google on startup. This suggests that Epic is not, in fact, de-googled as it claims.
There are many better Chromium-based browsers to consider, such as Iridium, Ungoogled Chromium, or even Brave.
5. Safari browser
Safari is the default browser for Mac OS and iOS devices. Overall, Safari is not a horrible choice in terms of privacy and tracking protection – but it also cannot be recommended for a few reasons:
- Apple is a partner in the PRISM surveillance program
- Apple was caught “hoarding” Safari browsing history – even after it was deleted
- Apple was found to be collecting Safari history even when used in private mode
On a positive note, however, Apple does somewhat better with privacy than other large companies. The Safari browser blocks third-party cookies by default and also implements cross-site tracking protection.
6. Vivaldi browser
Vivaldi is a Chromium-based browser with source-code modifications that can be seen here. It is less popular than other browsers, with less active development than Firefox, for example.
Reading through their Privacy Policy, I did find some concerning information about data collection and the use of unique IDs:
When you install Vivaldi browser (“Vivaldi”), each installation profile is assigned a unique user ID that is stored on your computer. Vivaldi will send a message using HTTPS directly to our servers located in Iceland every 24 hours containing this ID, version, cpu architecture, screen resolution and time since last message. We anonymize the IP address of Vivaldi users by removing the last octet of the IP address from your Vivaldi client then we store the resolved approximate location after using a local geoip lookup. The purpose of this collection is to determine the total number of active users and their geographical distribution.
You can read more about Vivaldi here, although it’s not recommended for privacy reasons.
7. Waterfox
Waterfox is a fork of Firefox that was maintained by just one person for many years. In February 2020, news blew up on reddit that it had sold out to a pay-per-click ad company, System1. The news was also picked up by others, which resulted in Waterfox and System1 formerly announcing the acquisition (but only after the news broke on reddit).
The problem here is the apparent contradiction of an ad company (that relies on data collection) owning a privacy-focused browser. As I previously reported, System1 also acquired a stake in Startpage, the private search engine based in The Netherlands. In researching the company’s background, it appears that System1 is fundamentally in the business of data collection:
“In our business,” Blend adds, “if we can gather as much data as possible, give it off to our engineers and data scientists, and then manage the two effectively, the business can quickly scale.”
So can Waterfox still be trusted now that it’s owned by an ad-tech company that collects lots of data? I’m no longer recommending it.
Secure and private browsers on mobile devices
Many of the recommended browsers above also offer versions for mobile users on iOS and Android.
With that being said, here some good options:
- Firefox Focus – A privacy-focused version of Firefox for mobile users (iOS and Android).
- Bromite – This is a Chromium-based browser that is only available for Android 4.4 and above.
I also like using standard Firefox on mobile devices with customization and configurations for more privacy.
Browser privacy and compartmentalization
One problem that often comes with browser privacy and security is that people want to remain logged in to various accounts, while also browsing the web. But this is problematic. When you stay logged in to Gmail or Facebook, for example, their trackers can record your activity as you browse the web.
One potential solution to this problem is browser compartmentalization. This is when you use different web browsers for different online activities. For example:
- Browser #1 will only be used for accessing your online accounts that require a password. You can stay logged in with only this browser, and it won’t be used for general browsing.
- Browser #2 will only be used for web browsing, with various privacy configurations and no cookies or history being stored on the browser.
- Browser #3 could be completely locked down for maximum privacy and security.
You can also utilize different browsers, configured exactly the way you want, for various purposes, depending on your needs and threat model. The key is to keep the compartmentalization strict and not break the rules/uses for each browser.
Virtual machines – On the topic of compartmentalization, using virtual machines is also a good idea for both privacy and security. You can easily run Linux VMs through VirtualBox (FOSS) on your host computer.
Password managers – It should also be noted that storing your passwords in the browser may be risky depending on the browser you are using, especially since browsers may store passwords in cleartext. A better alternative would be to utilize a secure password manager. We have reviewed many popular options, including Bitwarden, Dashlane, LastPass, and more.
Browser add-ons for security and privacy
In addition to adjusting the settings within your browser, there are also a number of different add-ons or extensions you can install to improve your browser’s privacy and security.
Here are a few different options, but they may not all be supported by the browser you are using:
- uBlock Origin – This is one of the best browser-based ad blockers available that will also protect you against tracking.
- HTTPS Everywhere – An add-on from the folks at Electronic Frontier Foundation, this will force websites to use a secure HTTPS encrypted connection (when available).
- Privacy Badger – Privacy Badger is also from EFF that blocks spying ads and trackers.
- Cookie Autodelete – This will automatically delete cookies that are no longer needed from your browser.
- Decentraleyes – This protects you against tracking via content delivery networks.
- uMatrix – This gives you control over all the requests that may be tracking you as you visit different websites (extensive configuration necessary).
- NoScript – NoScript allows you to customize exactly which scripts run on the websites you visit. Like uMatrix, this is for advanced users and requires lots of customization.
Warning: Be cautious about using third-party add-ons and browser extensions. Do your research first, since add-ons could function as spyware and data collection tools for third parties. This is especially true with free VPN services or browser proxy add-ons, even if they are highly rated in the Google Play or Apple stores.
“Private browsing” mode is NOT private (why you need a VPN)
Many people falsely assume that using “private” or “incognito” mode in a browser actually provides some privacy. This is a false assumption.
Using “private” browsing mode only stops your browser from storing cookies, history, and passwords. But it doesn’t actually make you any more “private” to the outside world. Even when browsing in “private” or “incognito” mode, you are still exposed:
- Your internet provider can still see every site you visit. (And note that internet providers are now forced to log web browsing activity of their customers and provide this data to authorities on request.)
- Your real IP address and location remains exposed to all sites, ads, and trackers. This makes tracking and identification easy since your device has a unique IP address linked back to your identity through your internet service provider.
To easily solve these problems, we strongly recommend using a good VPN service. Using a VPN is simple. You just need to sign up for a VPN subscription, download the VPN app for your device, then connect to a VPN server and browse the web as normal. This offers many benefits:
- A VPN will securely encrypt your internet traffic, which prevents your ISP from seeing what you do online. (Your ISP will only see encrypted data, but not what you’re actually up to.)
- When you connect to a VPN server, the VPN server’s IP address and location will replace your real IP address and location. This allows you to appear to be anywhere in the world.
- A VPN will also allow you to access geo-restricted content, such as streaming Netflix with a VPN from anywhere in the world.
Two of the best VPNs on the market that have come out on top in our testing are:
- ExpressVPN: A fast, secure, and reliable VPN that has passed third-party audits (three months free coupon here).
- NordVPN: An affordable VPN that offers some of the fastest speeds with excellent privacy and security features (68% discount coupon here).
There are also some good cheap VPNs that offer excellent features and performance without breaking the bank.
Conclusion on secure browsers and privacy
A well-configured secure browser is crucial for protecting your data as you browse the web with privacy.
Finding the best secure browser all comes down to identifying the best fit for your unique needs. Since this is a personal decision with subjective criteria, I tend to avoid recommending only one option for all use cases.
In addition to using a secure browser that is configured to protect your privacy, you should also consider using a good ad blocker. Ads function as tracking to collect your browsing data and serve you targeted ads. If you aren’t blocking ads, your activities can be tracked by third-party advertising networks, with any site hosting ads.
In terms of privacy, you may also want to protect yourself against browser or device fingerprinting and WebRTC browser leaks, which can expose your identity even when using a good VPN service.
Other roundup guides on Restore Privacy:
Please suggest the best browser for privacy and security.
Would you be opening up your piece on How to Secure Your Home Network, to peoples comments? Really good time to offer this as everyone has to network more now than 9 months ago.
Yep, comments were not enabled on that piece by mistake, but they are now, thanks.
I know this is off topic, but has anyone else had problems accessing the Iridium Browser website recently?
Disregard. It seems to be back now.
Don’t know about 2 days ago, but it works now.
Don’t shoot the piano players they’re only playing the song, how it makes you feel is another thing. Braves look from the link has been updated. So it’s current info. and how that info. was found and what it means, is for you to weigh for yourselves.
See the UPDATE AUGUST 2020 info. as it goes all the way down to the next browser listed. [https://digdeeper.neocities.org/ghost/browsers.html#brave]
re J.M. Aug. 28th
Hey J.M. – Just because it’s best “out of the box” certainly doesn’t mean you can’t add any extension you want to. I use Brave exclusively for about 20 news channels from around the globe and have installed ALL the add-ons Sven recommends to have for Chromium based browsers… plus a couple more!!! I think, IMHO, add-ons make Brave more ‘robust’! Also please review: https://restoreprivacy.com/webrtc-leaks/ Cheers, George
@George,
Thank you. I didn’t think it would be an issue,but I was verifying my thoughts. I do have the webrtc installed as well. Thanks for the help.
re Tish V. Sept. 1st
Hey Tish,
1) Can’t comment on FF slowing down a work network. Out of all the companies/corporations I have worked for and with in the past, the IT folks tend to not want you using anything other than what they consider ‘official and approved’ by them. You may want to touch base with the governing overlords of your work network for a workaround on this issue if your heart is set on using FF. 😉
2) I agree that the Brave ad/rewards model is interesting. Very interesting actually. Though a very smart suggestion re Sven hooking up with Brave’s BAT system, I would dare say that that move may give the impression that he might favour Brave over others = the integrity of being an objective/neutral security & privacy focused site could be irreparably compromised. But then, what do I know of these transactional things!!! LOL {I still can’t get my head around the flimflamy BitCoin concept.}
3) The linked interview with Brandon Eich was super interesting! Thanks for that!
4) Re multiple browsers… Tish, you nailed it COMPLETELY!!! I currently use a total of 5 browsers; all having been assigned to very specific tasks and adjusted accordingly, based on Sven’s many brilliant tutorials, to accommodate various degrees of security & privacy. And I’ve tried out pretty much ALL the browsers available on a Mac. {Okay, okay, yes/yes/yes… I can just hear it now from all the “Windoze” devotees. “Macs are only good for (fill in the blank).” LMAO – I beg to differ.}
I’ll end on that note lest Peter accuse me of being unnecessarily long and requiring ‘pruning’! {Sorry… I just had to!!!}
Cheers, George
re RB’s Sept. 3rd
Right on RB and a big Internet High Five at yu’!!! 🙂
re Mandy Sept. 6th
Hi Mandy, What did you mean by: “After the last update from Firefox it altered the about:config settings…” Still works for me just dandy in FF 80.0.1! If you would kindly clarify this specific point. Cheers, George
Kiwibrowser and Bravebrowser have no option to disable webgl, didn’t test others though. It’s not very recommendable.
WebGL is a Web standard used to render 3D graphics and comes automatically with some browsers like Chrome, Firefox, and Safari. WebGL runs code directly on the video card, and keeping it enabled means websites could access your video card APIs. These APIs have not been designed with security in mind (because they were kept safe and unconnected) and flaws in them could be exploited by malicious attackers. This is less of an IP leak (though leaking your IP is one way a flaw could be exploited) and more of a – for now – security risk of unknown magnitude. To stay on the safe side we recommend you disable WebGL whenever you don’t need it.
It’s a little strange for a secure browser to leave this option out.
After the last update from Firefox it altered the about: config settings, just so you know.
@Mandy,
Did a little digging.
Here is how to disable WebGL on Chromium style browsers (Chrome, Brave, etc.):
1) Go to your settings for your web browser.
2) On the settings, click “additional settings”.
3) look to find (under Brave at least) the system settings.
4) look for “Use hardware acceleration when available”.
5) Turn it off and relaunch.
You have just disabled WebGL. Follow these steps to re-enable.
Thanks George from Canada for the rebuke part of Peter’s post on Aug 30th.
People shouldn’t try to shape others thoughts as not important and be more open to all the different ideas that make sense.
Like it was stated to me your not paying a thing for being here. Your not forced to read a thing. Nothing is forced upon you and you can leave at any time.
Where in the part of folks comments made here and how they express themselves is about free speech – right on man ! Everybody should live a giving life and let others live life as it is for them on their own paths !
Some of that unnecessarily long verbose style is about peoples facts and/or experiences on how things stack up to them and to what others should consider along in it all. Calling out all bad ideas or paths is okay but, please do not strike it out completely as unwritten. Who benefits then if the right and wrong can’t be differentiated from each other.
I would bet Sven doesn’t share all he knows or thinks as I would imagine, and some people care to see only the outside layers of privacy they’ve understood. Then some others dare to go deeper and try to see and understand more in the deeper unseen and unknown layers that are there still. We miss that if their voice in words are forbidden or stricken. Who wins really when the information is censored – not the little guy or gal.
Best to Sven, George and anyone else who comments regularly 🙂
The reality is you need multiple browsers these days.
I love Firefox, but it comes to a crawl when used on my work network. Anyone else experience anything like this?
So now I use Brave for most things and Iridium for pinned tabs (accounts I leave open).
I find Brave to be an excellent/secure/private browser. It’s fast, too.
Cons: it sucks up a bunch of memory just like Chrome. I will get the “Aw, Snap!” crash page when I have a bunch of tabs open. The tab isolation seems to work well as I don’t usually need to reboot the whole browser; just kill a few of the offending tabs and the browser will work smoothly again.
Regarding Brave Ads: remember, Brave Ads and Brave Rewards can all be turned OFF. But consider turning it on…
I think the model is interesting. I like that I can opt in or out, earn BAT crypto, and pay content creators that are providing value.
According to Brave, the ads are privacy-respecting and not delivered through an ad network. Educate yourself about it and make your own decision.
Sven, I’d be tipping you in BAT if you sign up to receive contributions from Brave users. Have you looked into that?
Also, when I heard this interview with Brandon Eich, I liked him and Brave even more. Sometimes it helps to hear it straight from the founder:
https://outlierventures.podbean.com/e/how-to-beat-surveillance-capitalism-brendan-eich-of-brave/
Summary:
“How to Beat Surveillance Capitalism, Brendan Eich of Brave – June 3, 2020
Brendan is Founder and CEO of Brave Browser. As the creator of JavaScript at Netscape in the 90’s he talks about how it’s success and ubiquity alongside cookies and behavioural tracking led to the business model of Surveillance Capitalism that has come to dominate The Web. We discuss how the industrialisation of the Ad Tech ecosystem, and its layers of intermediation, has not only led to erosion of user privacy but also a poor web experience and how Brave’s Basic Attention Token incentivises a better outcome for publishers, users and brands.”
Highly recommended listen.
Has anyone made the effort to examine the speeds of these browsers including the throughput of using them?
For instance, Firefox modified or otherwise will cause you to have a speed hit which I noticed right away. I have a 15-35% internet performance speed hit immediately.
If you don’t want your internet to slow down, the latest Chrome works well. It’sh lighter on resources than previous versions. I don’t recommend FF (not to be confused with Tor) even as a brand new installation if speeds are important. Incidentally, U-block Origin’s WebRTC block no longer works with Chrome but works on FF, which is odd. I tried the other Chromium-based browsers and have been left unsatisfied.
One more thing. What’s up with people here replying to themselves? Many recent comments are unnecessarily long. I suggest some fall house cleaning and pruning of posts, please. Thanks
Yep, will do.
hi Mr. Taylor i need to install a private web brower on my laptop, when i delete that all the history and other item will be there and as long as i use that online those pics of movies views by me the that browser will not reflet on youtube or google etc.
Well Peter… this is a pretty open forum. That’s what I, personally, like about it. Super informative and folks have a chance to respond to articles on a vast array of privacy and security topics.
“The mission of Restore Privacy is to give you all the information and tools you need to restore your online privacy, secure your electronic devices, and stay safe online.” You may want to review: https://restoreprivacy.com/mission/ .
I think Sven and his colleagues are pretty damn good at what they do and what they are trying, and succeeding, to accomplish.
You may have missed this: “Google Chrome is by far the most popular browser. Unfortunately, it’s a data collection tool as well and not a good choice for anyone looking for privacy. You can safely assume that everything you do through Google Chrome is collected, saved to your data profile, and used for targeted advertising.” (The excerpt is located further up this page.)
So, Peter, that makes you somewhat out-of-sync with what the point of this page/website is.
One more thing. The comments folks make here and how they express themselves is about free speech. If inappropriate, I feel confident that Sven wouldn’t post them in the 1st place.
Oh… and one more thing: Your input, at least, wasn’t unnecessarily long and didn’t require ‘house cleaning’ and/or ‘pruning’. (Sheesh – the conceit.) Thanks
Peter,
Sometimes we reply to ourselves to correct errors in our original post.
@Sven,
I was looking for some white papers, and I ran across this:
https://nakedsecurity.sophos.com/2020/02/27/brave-beats-other-browsers-in-privacy-study/
In it is a research paper that analyzes several web browsers. Would love to hear your thoughts about what they say.
I should also mention, I think what you suggest to do to harden FF may mitigate some of this. Just wondering. Thanks.
Well that’s interesting. Out of the box, without modifications, I can see the argument for Brave being one of the best options. Firefox, out of the box, is not the best option, but as noted above, it can really be hardened and secured down.
@Sven,
Thanks. I was just curious. Would it be prudent then to add any extensions to Brave? If out of the box, it is best, would extensions weaken it?
Welcome to the news, I’ve mentioned it, Mike’s mentioned it and now you found it. No back on Aug 4th I sourced the actual pdf here. Then Mike tells of it and we understood each others path towards it some Aug 12-14th. It looks good on paper but in the real world to ones privacy – it could easily become compromised with an update.
Then to now, it’s the only piece of installed software (if one cares too), I know of that launches and runs it’s own Ad Network while blocking publisher’s ads. Then I guess we need to look at BAT. Which came into existence back in 2017, during the height of the ICO craze. In May of that year, the company behind Brave sold $35 million worth of BAT in less than a minute, becoming what CoinDesk calls “the original sold-out-in-seconds ICO.” Since then, though, while the token has been tradeable, it hasn’t been much more than a speculative asset.
As ICO projects come under increased regulatory scrutiny, projects like Brave are under pressure to demonstrate that their tokens have real-world utility and haven’t just been a way to make millions of dollars in seconds.
Hardly anything in the crypto world is cut-and-dried, however, and BAT is no exception. The browser won’t initially allow users to withdraw the funds they earn; they can only use it to pay publishers who accept it.
[https://www.technologyreview.com/2019/04/25/135601/this-browser-will-pay-you-in-cryptocurrency-to-look-at-ads/]
Bottom line seems like:
Before it can allow user withdrawals, Brave must establish a process for verifying a user’s identity. BUT WAIT I want to be unknown when I surf.
Does using a blockchain (value of coin is bound to fluctuate), to let users establish a new kind of financial relationship with publishers and advertisers that’s suppose to enforce the users privacy really work.
Then will this approach be compelling enough to stick around in one form or another.
@Sven,
I see that Firefox and Brave offer sync between mobile and computer. For privacy, I don’t see any issues but I want to double check.
(I guess anyone can answer if they know). Thanks.
In partial answer, I read this: https://github.com/brave/brave-browser/wiki/Brave-Sync-v2
I do wish to know if syncing is private and secure but I juat am not confident about what I am reading.
Anybody have a take on this as well? Thanks.
We need to understand if it’s a third-party accounts material or say in-house browser accounts related of the two browsers you have mentioned. Then if either one browser is used on both your personal mobile/desktop of that same browser in the user. Lets break it down only to ask more questions.
You want a answer for privacy? Look at what it is that gets synced and where it comes from. Probably it’s like emails, address books, passwords and etc along that line. Though it may be a browser specific account where you included most of that kind of material. Now, is it left in the clear texts form that these two browsers have used for this syncing of the material between your mobiles and computers you link with them. The CalDAV protocol comes to mind for calendar syncing I seen, but don’t understand it. Meaning if there’s encryption in that protocol. As the syncing process must go through any number of servers if multiple accounts are involved. So.
Was there any encryption done on the material at any accounts linked for the syncing that get used to synced through the foxfire/brave browsers.?
The privacy issue is about the servers involved, what the material class is and prior encrypted done before material synced. Personally this is a hub of sorts tying your life together. I don’t need it. I like my circles spread out.
There’s some on how one-drive does sync. Authentication protocols and the security and encryption besides the material flow.
[https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/onedrive/sync-process]
Thank you for all the info.
The only thing I am really syncing is my bookmarks.
From what I was reading, there is a mix of plaintext and encrypted parts. That is where I am lost.
They do offer a way to shut down what isn’t synced but…I am mixed on my thoughts.
I appreciate your views on this. It helps and you have given me a lot to think about.
I reread the link above. It seems to answer the encryption questions. I just don’t fully understand it though.
I think sync could be beneficial if your life runs that way, like a downtown NY cities metro street traffic you get stuck in. But. If you would get by already without sync, good. I wouldn’t start it up with especially the browsers end in it. Bookmarks can be incriminating just as well I guess too. It is a highlighting in an interest of yours.
Think this way if your privacy is the important factor. Your browser and all it’s installed extensions see everywhere you end up on the web. When you empower a browser to get you what you want from the web it’s knows, the extensions knows, and the search engine knows. The more power you give to a browser is the less in self privacy you have care about. If partners and associates were considered from the linking by way in any browser. You must see 3 head groups that head in this to their own down chains. The browser, the extension, the search engine.
Thanks. So I have been researching.
I used a site that Sven linked to in the Free Vpn review.
From there I did a url search.
I linked the github code from below and fed the code through. All came out clean except for a few unknown.
Not sure if I did it right though ;).
SecBrowser, Sphere, Puffin. Tenta should also be reviewed.
Hey Sven! A recent entry on this page caught my eye and interest. Contained a reference to the ‘Sphere’ browser. https://sphere.tenebris.cc/#home
Not a whole lot on the WWW about it, but it appears to be somewhat intriguing at first blush.
Is there any chance that you, or one of your colleagues… or one of your blogs many followers, could give an educated opinion as to efficacy/trustworthiness of it?
(I ran https://www.deviceinfo.me/ & https://browserleaks.com/
within various ‘identities’ and was impressed with the results… but keep in mind, as a techno-layman, I do impress easily! LOL)
Cheers, George 🙂
Hey George, we’ll check it out with the next update to this guide.
Dare I ask?!?! When do you anticipate an update?
Probably later in the year, but no exact timeline at this point.
Appreciate the one up for a look into it. I do believe someone else has mentioned it here in just the name Sphere, Sphere Browser. When I followed up a link by Restorer it lead to a discovery of the neocities sites. That have voiced a lot of interesting stuff. Don’t know how current the info is, but indeed it’s an interesting dive below the surface of products built for our privacy to be used on the web.
I don’t know if anyone read this, but it’s not looking good for Mozilla. Any insights as to how these layoffs will affect Firefox, Sven?
https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2020/08/firefox-maker-mozilla-lays-off-250-workers-says-covid-19-lowered-revenue/
Well a lot of businesses are hurting right now as some sectors of the economy struggle. As for Mozilla, I wouldn’t worry too much, they should get through it. And on a positive note, there is a growing demand for non-Google products and that demand will get fulfilled one way or another.
How exavtly does one use ungoogled chromium on andriod. I dont see any apks.
Also, anyone know of a block list which is available for subscribe ,and block most ads. Link pls url. I need 2 or 3. Easylist and easyprivacy to out three
I don’t know if that Ungoogled Chrome is possible. Didn’t see an APK.
I will say that you should be ok with Brave, or one of the browsers off F Droid. I prefer Brave.
@Sven,
The discussion of browsers got me thinking.
I know there are some discussions to the privacy of Dissenter, especially phoning home with Gab, but if they can turn that off or allow it to be turned off, or even anonymizes the info that is phoned, the browser would be good to do a full review on.
Thoughts?
Yes, we’ve thought about doing browser reviews, but have been busy with other stuff. We’ll keep it in mind though.
How does one get ungoogled chromium apk for andriod. Also ,do you know any url list that blocks the most ads in your opinion. Cause have to put it manually in browser.
Hmmm….. call me stupid, but isn’t “Secure Browsers That Protect Your Privacy” a pretty decent review page in itself? (With no less than 427 comments at this writing!)
The only suggestion I would have is to add some browsers to the lineup, with security or lack of it in mind. Having separate “reviews” of individual browsers would, IMHO, be a time-waster!
Cheers, George
P.S. My recent humble request for your insights into the “Sphere” browser, for example, would fit well on this page… though it may turn out to be a real zinger worthy of a separate page, but I kind of doubt it. 😉
Hey George, thanks for the feedback. We can look into it more with the next update.
In a way yes, it fits, but in a way no.
At least two write ups were done with FireFox as a complete study in of itself.
Since it has been done already, others should be done too.
I respect that it takes a lot of work, but it would add to the mission of the site.
In case someone is wondering or looking for this, the last version of IceCat that can be downloaded for Windows is v. 38. All versions after that are not available for Windows. Interestingly then on deviceinfo.me having such an ‘old’ version of IceCat seems to result in an older version of Windows being mentioned than it actually is.
The open-source browser Basilisk is easy to download for Windows. Managed to install noscript for it. Since I looked in the about:config of the current Firefox version, because I needed a new computer, seeing certain things there and not knowing enough how to make more changes than suggested on this website, I’ve been looking for alternatives to Firefox. I was comfortable with Firefox for several years, but as it is now I don’t want to use it much anymore. – This is just my experience, if others want to use Firefox hardened for privacy, of course they can!
Once again thanks to Restorer.
Brave users may want to know this, though it states. Note: This article is outdated. I will try to update it soon. This article was last edited on 2/13/2019. This article was created on 5/7/2018.
[https://spyware.neocities.org/articles/brave.html]
I take it this means you don’t like Brave? Having an adblocker and encryption built in to a browser is better for users since they can be more effective as opposed to ones where someone has to add them separately. Since Brave is Chrome-based, users can take advantage of Google’s services (like their Extensions), it’s settings are the same as Chrome proper and its other variants, and (best of all) Brave also does not “break” or disrupt website visits like a hardened Firefox could.
As to the spyware, that’s probably in reference to BAT and other cryptocurrencies which people can opt-out of, including the ads. Otherwise, the people behind Brave have to make money somehow. It is a solid browser and your Geocities source comes across as very uninformed if not kind of slanderous.
Mike the spyware that was mentioned at geocities had looked for connections to backend servers like in telemetry and analytics to rate it of a level found. Has the Brave browser really removed all of the spyware from the chromium codebase that it is based on, only then to replace a few of these with some of it’s own?
Brave will check for updates every time you run it, and you CANNOT turn it off (except through fiddling with DNS and such). Brave will also update what looks like the list of its “partners” every time you run it. Extensions are also updated often. Brave will connect to its home page, (https://brave.com), automatically on the first run of Brave, and that page contains Piwik’s analytics scripts.
Brave will make a connection to this site every time it is started up:
[GET https://ledger.mercury.basicattentiontoken.org/v1/grants%5D
It probably has something to do with their project of working with advertisers to provide more relevant targeted ads, which sounds pretty disgusting, but can be turned off – (“Notify me about token promotions”).
Lifting the veil – how to test browsers for spyware.
“Privacy supported is one of the chief criteria upon which users pick (or should, anyway) decide on a web browser. Often, a person’s opinion of a browser’s privacy is manufactured by assumptions, marketing talk, or its privacy policy (which can be hard to read and understand, omit information or outright lie).
Wouldn’t it be great if we had a way to prove whether a browser actually cares about your privacy.”
[https://digdeeper.neocities.org/ghost/liftingtheveil.html]
From – [https://digdeeper.neocities.org/]
According to this study, Brave is the most private browser. It beat out other browsers such as Safari, Edge, and even Firefox. Brave is the only web browser that did not use identifiers that allowed tracking of IP addresses over a period of time and it did not share details of web pages visited to back end servers.
https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2020/03/study-ranks-edges-default-privacy-settings-the-lowest-of-all-major-browsers/
[https://www.scss.tcd.ie/Doug.Leith/pubs/browser_privacy.pdf] Yes Mike, that article cites the same source I’ve posted on Aug 4th. That concluded, “For Brave with its default settings we did not find any use of identifiers allowing tracking of IP address over
time, and no sharing of the details of web pages visited with
backend servers.”
Noting, that Brave as the browser sits idle. It can be seen that Brave connects to safebrowsing.brave.com roughly every 30 minutes. Less frequently Brave connects to p3a.brave.com (sending coarse telemetry), updates.bravesoftware.com (checking for updates to Brave), laptop-updates.brave.com and go-updater.brave.com (checking for updates to extensions).
None of these connections are observed to contain persistent
identifiers. That’s looked on as being good? It’s a lot of connections from Brave when idle. It is also not good application etiquette for brave to just be using the internet without a way of controlling it.
Then you go beyond that – Brave browser launches an Ad Network while blocking publisher’s ads. [https://ppc.land/brave-browser-launches-an-ad-network-while-blocking-publishers-ads/]
Brave browser automatically block all ads from publishers using adservers, and now Brave is selling ads on top of those websites. The business model was first started by Adblock Plus, which is doing similar with Acceptable Ads, but without the revenue share to users.
How can there be any privacy or indeed not profiling an machine install of brave?
From the start it looked promising [https://brave.com/the-road-to-brave-one-dot-zero/] On 28 May 2015 CEO Brendan Eich (creator of JavaScript and former CEO of Mozilla Corporation) and CTO Brian Bondy founded Brave Software. Ex Mozilla heads.
Now years later they have to be seasoned at what they do.
This leads back to the fact, Brave will check for updates every time you run it, and you CANNOT turn it off (except through fiddling with DNS and such). If you visit About Brave that will still trigger manual update check which calls the background process and will continue to run until the browser process is closed. There are a few components that trigger update check every time you launch like adblock/ httpse/tracking protection/safebrowsing which are required to keep your shields settings up to date so these calls are required.
I see at any point your hostage to an update which can limit or take away in your privacy you once held prior to the update. Then with a baked in Ad Network it’s hard to consider any privacy for brave users. No I’m sure I won’t be using it. Thanks for your input.
I also recommend this browser which is perfect and excellent CryptoTab
click on the link [https://cryptotabbrowser.com/]
[link edited to remove crypto referral code -editor]
that looks and reads like garbage!
I clicked on your link and earned you some bit coins, that should not be allowed here on a site for privacy.
So it uses your computer resources to mine bit coins with out our permission I guess for installing it. I fail to see any privacy and security coming as a pop out at me landing at your link. though i didn’t stick around to read there for the darken overlay till i click on the one popup i saw.
Who the hell wants to run up to 150 extensions? Mine bitcoins by a drain to computer resources.
Firefox Focus and Bromite are very good choices for mobile browser picks. However, I would suggest adding two more:
1) DuckDuckGo’s privacy browser has similar functionalities to Firefox Focus (such as erasing browsing history, blocking ads and scripts), but it also provides users with bookmarks, and tabs in addition to Chrome (as opposed to Gecko) being the driver for the browser.
2) In addition to being built on Chromium source code, Brave’s mobile browser has ad blocking, encryption, fingerprint protection, and script blocking built in. A user can not only change the privacy settings, but can also go into chrome://flags and set Brave for “DNS over HTTPS” similar to what is available in Bromite’s settings. The “flags” function is available in most Chrome-based browsers.
Oh and one other thing. Like Firefox Focus and Bromite, Brave and DuckDuckGo’s privacy browser are both open source.
Can you do a teview about ghostery mobile browser and tenta browser, both andriod. If they really collect logs or does their free vpn collect logs(tenta). Also, do a review pls of aloha browser lite, withtheir vpn integrated. Also their vpn is very cheap too. Aloha browser as a whole.
Technically seen, all browsers are malware – like viruses.
Would anybody write its own browser, no tracking or private information collection would be possible.
Simple because nobody would implement any functions making it possible.
As esey as that.
It means all browser authors are criminals and should by punished bythe law.
Unfortunately most of the law makers are crimininals.
Would it not be so, the big companies would be not able to earn such undeserved profits.
A very nice example is the former giant AT&T who inthe old days employed more than one million souls.
Then the lawmakers changed the rules and the company disappeared (the today’s namesake is a zombie)
Concusion: you have to write your own browser, because everybody else is after you 🙁
No, this is not paranoia – this is the sweet taste of the Orwell’s “democracy” …
PS a browser should have the same funcionality as the old terminals did have (like the legendary DEC VT52 from 1975). Only a bit more graphics and faster interface. Such terminals didn’t have any funcionality (escape sequences) how to spy the users.
Have a nice day and enjoy your naked life in the shop window (Gestapo / KGB dream 🙂
Hi, Firstly, thank you Sven for an interesting site from a long time reader/ lurker 🙂
Would it be possible to give us your thoughts with regards to privacy/security on the SRWare Iron chromium based browser? I’ve seen a few mentions of this browser elsewhere that seem to get regular updates and I/we would like some valued feedback from the experts. TIA
I just read this thought-provoking article that points out using a browser an average user does not normally use (like Brave, Firefox, etc.) can make you stand out more than it can hide or protect you from third parties. If so, including a regular browser (like Chrome or Edge) in your compartmentalization strategy may be warranted.
https://www.tomsguide.com/news/browser-leaks-rsa20
Regarding browser compartmentalisation, Firefox has an extension called “Multi-Account Containers” that makes it so that the tabs don’t share cookies between them.
Hi Sven,
If I create separate browser profiles in Brave (or any browser, for that matter), does that have the same effect as browser compartmentalisation? Is any data shared between the profiles?
Sven,
Great info and lots of useful tips but some of your browser recommendations need to updated!
I tried out Pale Moon for a while and found it to be very outdated and crap…it is a security risk.
Plus is does not work well with uBlock Origin, etc, the updates are far and few.
Yes we’ll be updating this guide soon.
Hi Sven!
I know you gave Vivaldi a thumbs down due to a section of its privacy policy. However, I would suggest you might want to consider giving Vivaldi another look. I think it is deserving of at least an honorable mention.
After doing a little research, I found out Vivaldi collects general data to measure active users but not usage statistics and Vivaldi Technologies is up front about who funds them and why. It’s precisely that kind of transparency that leads me to conclude that the company is trustworthy, including their up front language in the beginning of their privacy policy which states (in part):
“We don’t track or profile you. We don’t do data collection. We don’t sell your data to third parties. We don’t get to see the sites you visit, what you type in the browser, or your downloads. This type of data is either stored locally on your machine, or encrypted.”
This, in many ways, in similar to Brave’s and I would suggest you reach out to Vivaldi Technologies to get clarification if you haven’t already done so. It looks like the company wants to make a user-focused browser with good privacy and security protections. I have been using Vivaldi and, so far, I am liking it. The customization reminds me of Firefox and, best of all, Vivaldi has access to Chrome’s extensions.
What is also notable is that Vivaldi Technologies was one of three companies (along with Brave & Opera) who announced last year that they would not go along with Google to nullify adblockers. All in all, it looks like the people behind Vivaldi want it to be both a customizable browser with good privacy and security protections. The below review is what piqued my interest in Vivaldi. Thanks!
[https://www.cloudwards.net/vivaldi-review/]
A tech that works with one of my sister’s took a look into Vivaldi browser because I mentioned I misspelled word or words and did the search and yep definitely misspelled word. And ever since then majority of my search request end with the”check your internet connection” or “site is unreasonable” etc, types of messages. And yes some search request are adult sites but mostly YouTube and information interest. So if they not”snooping” why my search request denied? After Tech checked it out some. He basically said uninstall it and stay with bromite browser, a lot safer and trustworthy. Also the misspelled word was “jailbreak”. And the tech and sister both work for a global security company that has One employer. US government. So I think our host here and the tech just might know a little bit about what they suggest. Cheers all. And keep up the Great work here.
Looking for alternative to Pale Moon….with small foot print and light on use a of RAM.
I downloaded Pale Moon about 6 months ago and cannot believe how much it sucks!
Any suggestion or ideas would greatly appreciated. Thanks
I’ve been using Pale Moon for years; doesn’t suck for me. Whadda you doin’ I’m not doin’?
I don’t know what a “small foot print” would look like, and I don’t check RAM usage because nothing bad is happening.
Yeah Palm Moon does suck, outdated fork. Best bet is to try a few of the other browsers list in the article above. vanp stop being a tool!
You mean Moonchild should stop paying me to say nice things about his browser? I need the money!
Pale Moon is a joke, old and outdated….but what else is there?
Pale Moon is an old version of Firefox. If you like it, then I suggest going with Firefox. If not, then I suggest Brave (which is based on Chromium). In my view, Brave and Firefox are the best browsers right now in terms of privacy and security. Both browsers are also updated regularly unlike many of the others on the above list. My only hang up with Firefox is that you have to customize or “harden” the browser. While it is a little work, once done, Firefox is very good. This as opposed to Brave, where you just download it and go. But you can make minor modifications to Brave’s existing settings. Regardless of your choice, good luck!
Epic Privacy Browser app has access to your:
1. Photos/Media/Files:
– modify or delete the contents of your USB storage
– read the contents of your USB storage
2. Location
– precise location (GPS and network-based)
– approximate location (network-based)
3. Camera
– take pictures and videos
4. Storage
– modify or delete the contents of your USB storage
– read the contents of your USB storage
5. Microphone
– record audio
6. Device & app history
– read your Web bookmarks and history
7.Contacts
– read your contacts
8. Wi-Fi connection information
– view Wi-Fi connections
9. Other
– download files without notification
– receive data from Internet
– control Near Field Communication
– view network connections
– pair with Bluetooth devices
– full network access
– reorder running apps
– write web bookmarks and history
– install shortcuts
– access Bluetooth settings
– change your audio settings
– control vibration
– prevent device from sleeping
– run at startup
Hello Sven,
Your website is full of really good information and a great ready. I have been using Pale Moon for a few years now because its not to cluttered and is lightweight and fast as per your website. But I have noticed that Pale Moon has gotten laggy, hangs, and slow on some websites. And on some websites the image will not show or open but when I open the same website in IE11 the image/pic open with no problem. I only use uBlock Origin (Win7). Is there a reason for this? Is there another browser that is lightweight/fast like Pale Moon that you can suggest?
Hi Jason,
I see the Permissions settings of uBlock Origin, which says: “This add-on can:
1. Read and modify privacy settings.
2. Access browser tabs.
3. STORE UNLIMITED AMOUNT OF CLIENT-SIDE DATA.
4. Access browser activity during navigation.
5. Access your data for all websites.”
I wonder .. does this addon really protect your privacy? I do not think so 😉
Take care,
Have a good day
Guys, wake up! They don’t care about your privacy. They are liars and robbers!
Number 1. InBrowser – Incognito Browsing (Android)
This app has access to:
– Photos/Media/Files: (modify or delete the contents of your USB storage.
– read the contents of your USB storage
– Storage: 1. modify or delete the contents of your USB storage. 2. read the contents of your USB storage
– Other: 1. full network access. 2. prevent device from sleeping. 3. view network connections
Number 2. DuckDuckGo Privacy Browser
This app has access to:
– Photos/Media/Files: 1. read the contents of your USB storage. 2. modify or delete the contents of your USB storage
– Storage: 1. read the contents of your USB storage. 2. modify or delete the contents of your USB storage.
– Other:
view network connections
full network access
run at startup
prevent device from sleeping
install shortcuts
Number 3. Brave Private Browser (The DISASTER 🙂
This app has access to:
– Wi-Fi connection information: view Wi-Fi connections.
– Photos/Media/Files: 1. read the contents of your USB storage. 2. modify or delete the contents of your USB storage.
– Camera: take pictures and videos.
– Device & app history: read your Web bookmarks and history.
– Location: 1. precise location (GPS and network-based). 2. approximate location (network-based).
– Storage: 1. read the contents of your USB storage. 2. modify or delete the contents of your USB storage.
– Microphone: record audio.
– And Other….
download files without notification.
receive data from Internet.
control Near Field Communication.
pair with Bluetooth devices.
view network connections.
prevent device from sleeping.
run at startup.
access Bluetooth settings.
change your audio settings.
install shortcuts.
control vibration.
full network access.
reorder running apps.
write web bookmarks and history.
I am unsure about InBrowser, but a lot of those permissions you are talking about can be shut off or are not automatically turned on when you download browsers like Brave or DuckDuckGo. It would be of concern if users didn’t have control of preventing apps from having access to a lot of that information you highlight but we do now.
posting this on brave private mode with tor, works, but feel blind not able to see or choose entry node,bridge,etc..
Dataleaks detected , torbrowser still best
protip: do not use DOH nor DOT dns over tor, never
whatever you use as privacy-layer, the browser seams weakest part and the adversaries are those who exploit the weakest part, eg. CDN`s: cloudflare , akamai, googcloud, etc… just watch out, because if you think, using a paid VPN will protect you best while surfing with javascript enabled to see videos and stuff, surprise… maybe not.
Sorry not really any browser is very safe – with their internals and other codes unknown- the services of tracking user data by habit keyboard activities on all their actions – being capitolized captured compressed and sent out to collector servers all over the nation. The thought of secure browsers is really nice by their concept – reality shows they forward all or more of the user information collected on the OS whilest simply doing. Little forensics work whilst off line then turn online and see what gets pop’d to Akami collectors – amazon and google is amazing per tracking IPs connecting to remote is revealing enough. food for thought – the idea here is they expect you to believe its safe when while its hog munching on your every keylogging stroke you make .. So do not believe anything is safe. And that is now going on into the inners of each and the many OS distros out there – no matter Mac Windoz and or Linux. The anything other riding ontop of these may also breech your personal use access and operations copy to what your doing with the everything. Food for thought
On Iridium, it says the last update was in 2019 for the Debian based system. Am I missing anything or is that the case. If so, wouldn’t that, in of itself, present major security flaws?
Windows and Mac OS versions are up to date as of June (now). The Debian version does indeed look outdated, although Iridium for openSUSE and Fedora is more up to date.
I did see those two were up to date. Unfortunately I am using Mint and I don’t think Fedora and Open SUSE works on those since Mint is a Debian. Maybe I am wrong.
On my brave, what fingerprinting extension do you suggest? I have put one on that is suggested by privacypro.com but couldn’t find much about it.
I ask because every update my WebRTC and cookies are reset.
Depending on extension suggeations, could Dissenter with those work as well? Thanks.
On the WebRTC issue, this may be worth using on Brave or Dissenter, as they are both based on Chromium, it should work:
https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/webrtc-leak-prevent/eiadekoaikejlgdbkbdfeijglgfdalml
@Sven,
Will do. That is not the one I found but I trust this site more than proprivacy.
I will switch it up. Thanks.
@Sven,
Forgot one last question. On the Fingerprinting, and cookies, I have set those to disable and not allow. The cookies keeps changing. I have Decentraleyes, UBlock Origin and now the one you just suggested.
Any other extensions for Brave (or Dissenter) to block cookies and fingerprinting?
You should be good to go, especially with uBlock Origin.
@Sven,
Here is the other that I could not remember to help with fingerprinting:
https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/canvas-blocker-fingerprin/nomnklagbgmgghhjidfhnoelnjfndfpd
Any good or is there better?
@Sven,
Sorry, last comment.
These are the extensions that I am using on Brave (and Dissenter). If there are any better, that is what I am looking for. I have tried to follow the developers and read what they have but unless I am missing anything, they look ok to me.
Decentraleyes, Privacy Badger, UblockOrigin, WebRTC leak prevention, and Canvass Blocker.
These should cover all of my basis unless I have overlap. Again, I have tried to read their white papers and everything else I can and could not see any negative. But I may have missed something. Thanks.
Looks good J.M.
@Sven,
Great! Thanks.
Hi Sven!
I get the impression people on this and other threads may practice browser compartmentalization, but I came across the below article that, basically, says that websites can fingerprint users even if they use more than one browser, which makes tracker avoidance much more difficult. Could you please address this? I would be curious to know your thoughts as I think it might warrant an article pointing out if using more than one browser is beneficial for people to maintain their privacy. Thanks!
https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2017/02/now-sites-can-fingerprint-you-online-even-when-you-use-multiple-browsers/
Yes, this is the issue of browser fingerprinting, but there are solutions for that as well, discussed in the browser fingerprinting guide.
Fingerprinting mentioned in the article relates to computer fingerprinting and super cookie. To avoid that, disable cookies, JavaScript and WebGL. Continue protecting the browser from fingerprinting as well using compartmentalization and necessary settings or extensions.
I have been using Pale Moon with uBlock Origin (Legacy) on my Window7 laptop and It does the best job of blocking ads. But it now my computer lags and clicking the drop down commands or just typing seems to be some what difficult. However when I temporarily uninstall uBlock Origin (Legacy) things seem to be normal again. I have tried AB Prime & Adblock Latitude they don’t block ads nearly as good but I do not have the typing/clicking issues as with uBlock Origin. I do not use any other add-ons and only use Microsoft Security Essentials, any ideas or suggestions?
You could try using a VPN ad blocker. This will block ads through your VPN via DNS requests. Another option is a network-wide ad blocker, like Pi-hole. Or check out AdGuard.
One thing that I find quite interesting about “vanilla” Firefox is that, despite the fact it does not include any proper adblocker, it does block most of the ads if you use the strict mode. In short, if you use the strict mode you don’t need an adblocker… In fact if you use vanilla firefox (using the strict mode) and go to a web that detects adblockers (ie Washington Post), this web will ask you to turn off the nonexistent adblocker.
Another thing, I have been using Brave browser on my mobile phone for a year, and, by default, it does not have any ads. There is an option (called brave rewards) that pays you for seing ads, but this option needs to be activated by the user. If you don’t activate this option the app won’t display any ads.
I would be interested to read your opinion of Avast Secure Browser , particularly its Android incarnation. I uninstalled the Windows desktop version because every time it got updated, it set itself to start automatically at login time, without asking. (There are a lot of complaints about this on their forum). However, the Android version seems to be much slicker, and comes with a browser only VPN, so I prefer it to my usual browser (Firefox) for activities such as online banking. Is this a good choice, or could I do better, short of using a full-function VPN?
Avast was recently caught collecting user data through their products, which was then being sold. I would avoid all Avast products, as discussed in our recent Avast VPN review.
Sven, you can remove Brave from your ‘trusted’ browsers: “Brave is now shrouded in scandal as some users accuse them of secretly redirecting users to their referral links when navigating to platforms like Binance, Coinbase, and others.” Source: [https://world-today-news.com/the-brave-browser-is-at-the-center-of-the-scandal-due-to-built-in-referral-links/] and [https://cryptoslate.com/brave-browser-faces-heat-from-users-amidst-referral-link-autofill-scandal/]
Brendan Eich has apologized for what happened and is making sure the redirect will be corrected.
https://www.theverge.com/2020/6/8/21283769/brave-browser-affiliate-links-crypto-privacy-ceo-apology
Thank you for helping us get up to speed somewhat on this ‘privacy’ ball of wax. WE are the product, more often than not. 😆
Installed Epic Privacy Browser last night to see if they cleaned up their act, re: pretending to be something they’re not, and according to Windows 10 Manager, yep you guessed it … Epic Browser has a Google Digital Signature !!
How right you are, sir. Deceitful at best.
I’m testing Brave after 8 months with Firefox.
Brave has a default option that hides the IP with Tor. Good thing right. And you have access to the same extension store as Chrome so you can get Decentraleyes, Privacy Badger.
When I typed Basilisk in the search field on this site nothing came up. So I did a web search (with SwissCows) for private and secure browsers. One article mentioned the freenet, stressing anonymity and freedom of speech, and I2P, which both looked like they could be “dangerous” places, though, because of possible contact with the darknet. I guess there are probably good reasons that you have not mentioned those two here. – Looked on the IceCat website, it doesn’t seem to be available for Windows desktop. Looked at the Pale Moon website, which does offer Lots of customization. Could it be used without creating an account for the Forum?
Yes, just download and install it for your OS.
Just been reading and Firefox has at least two marks against them which, for privacy, security and freedom of the web really doesn’t make sense:
1) Took money from George Soros who is NOT a friend to privacy and security.
2) Took cues from Google, Facebook and Apple on trying to silence free speech.
While the things mentioned to harden Firefox may be good, I have issue with what is under the hood.
I have to look at Iridium but for now Brave and Dissenter are toping my list.
I know that it is not necessarily fitting here but even F-Droid, the “bastion” of freedom, also went against their policy of neutrality and even will not allow FOSS apps on their platform.
If you wish to validate what I am saying do a search for F-Droid, Mozilla, Android, Facebook and Apple removing Gab.
Gab designed Dissenter and also designed work arounds but Brave still allows the plug in.
Hence Brave and Dissenter are my two choices. Once Dissenter gets more stable and more redily updated, I may switch completely over.
Just thought everyone should know. Maybe this was already known and I am late to the party.
I should add, I know Brave was upset about Dissenter, but that is how FOSS systems work. Brave should work with them.
My $.02
Connections made by Dissenter browser once opened https://spyware.neocities.org/articles/dissenter.html
Spoiler alert: the author of the link is against most browsers anyway.
Interesting. I wonder then, as based on another website (which was referenced somewhere on this site) if Brave, and by extension Dissenter, strip all identifiable info before doing its call to Google?
Yes it seems Brave strip identifiable information once online as mentioned in the said article comparing browsers connection. I don’t know but as a fork of Brave, I suspect Dissenter does not follow the same path (ie stripping identifiable info). It makes extra connections compared to Brave…
I was looking through the article but didn’t read that about Brave. Thanks for pointing that out.
As far as dissenter, I know it is not as refined right now and I would only use it to really help them along. But until they get to any deep level of security, Brave is my go too right now.
With the exception of Brave Ads and Brave Rewards, Brave is A-OK I guess. I think it might be better to install your preferred ad blocker or content blocker e.g. uBlock Origin, AdGuard, Privacy Badger, Decentraleyes, uMatrix etc. than use Brave Shields because we don’t know what’s covered by it.
Having both uBlock and Brave Shields is an overkill and a burden on computer resources.
Hmm…may try that.
On Android, I have a hard time downloading those extensions but on my computers, that would give the best of both worlds.
@ Restorer,
I have dug a little deeper into the Dissenter. It seems as though the major issue is with that Dissenter plug-in, GAB. That is where it seems to have its largest issues (for the author).
I wonder then, if by disabiling that extension, plus the other extensions I had mentioned above, if that would mitigate the issue? Going to try it out.
Doing a little digging, he promotes Tor Browser which has a lot of…interesting aspects.
I am not sure about the authors as anyone can edit the articles.
@J.M. one other thing. If your goal is to practice browser compartmentalization, unfortunately, the technique may no longer work or be needed as per my post linking to the ARS Technica article I posted above and Sven’s reply. If so, then your best bet would be to use Brave exclusively.
Despite your seeming reluctance to use Firefox due to alleged connections to George Soros, your using it would not benefit Mozilla in any way. The only time it would is if you paid for it or any service provided by the group. In my view, Brave and Firefox are the two best browsers in terms of privacy and security.
However, I think Brave has a slight advantage due to security and privacy features built in, as opposed to Firefox where a user has to add extensions and do other internal modifications to “harden” the browser. Since Brave is Chrome-based it allows users to take advantage of Google’s services (like their Extensions), it’s settings are the same as Chrome proper and its other variants, and Brave also does not “break” or disrupt website visits like a hardened Firefox could.
In any event, good luck, and happy surfing!
@Mike,
Sorry, I didn’t see this response. Thank you for the info. I have just moved back to brave and am really happy with it now with the extensions. Thanks again.
Though Dissenter is a fork of Brave and lets you comment on sites or articles, however, be aware that it could be a major privacy risk. I have come to understand that every address Dissenter users visit may be recorded in Gab’s servers because the browser supposedly checks to see which URL’s you visit since the Dissenter function enables people to comment on websites. If so, that can include recording your log in information too. I did not see anything in the browser’s terms of service addressing this so, until then, I would suggest avoid using Dissenter.
@Mike,
I had ran accross that idea as well. Until they get that straight, I would agree. However, I wonder if using Dissenter without logging into Gab would solve that?
I am unsure. Until Gab clarifies or takes care of this, I suggest avoiding Dissenter. It’s up to you, but that’s just my advice.
@Mike,
I tried disabling the gab and it wouldn’t. So, taking your advice. Thanks.
Hi Sven,
I recently reached out to one of the higher-ups at PrivacyTools.io and asked if they had considered endorsing Iridium. The gentleman I asked said his group did like Iridium but decided against endorsing it due to their concluding that Iridium is not updated very often which, unfortunately, results in security leaks being sporadically addressed.
I just tried using Iridium again and it did better on a Panopticlick test than during my first try. It is possible the first time I used Iridium may have had something to do with my computer. However, when choosing a new browser, the attention the hosting party or creator pays to updating and fixing problems should be taken into account. So far, Firefox and Brave have the best track record on updates and fixes out of the ones on this list.
I think the guide needs to be updated or revised, as it appears as of Firefox version 76 the browser attempts to make unrequested connections all over the place, at least when observed on the Mac platform. Using an application called Little Snitch, which monitors incoming and outgoing network connections, Firefox keeps reaching out to various IP addresses even when idle and not being actively used. This has brought me reservations about its continued use as a preferred web browser.
The ungoogled version of Chrome has other issues as well. Up until the latest May 2020 build it was scanning as containing at least one Windows-related viris warning on VirusTotal. Also, on its initial launch I’ve seen both Little Snitch and MacOS both warn that the program having been modified externally, not matching its checksum. This makes me equally uneasy to use this browser as well.
I haven’t tested either browser under Windows but I would be equally guarded about their use, regardless of system platform.
Hi Sven! I must say that the information on your website has helped me enhance my online privacy. Now, with the so-called “browser compartmentalization”, is it logical to use the same/default web browser (e.g. Firefox) for:
#1 Firefox in normal mode (with add-ons and privacy customisation) = General browsing
#2 Firefox in private mode (separate instance) = specifically for account logins
Will this make any sense?
(I don’t really want to use more than one browser for surfing the internet, although it may be recommended as a privacy concern).
Thanks!
Yep, you can use different profiles for this.
https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/profile-manager-create-remove-switch-firefox-profiles
Someone in this discussion board mentioned the browser Cliqz. Unfortunately, as of April 29th, the browser (which is a fork of Firefox) and Cliqz search engine are no longer supported by the company.
https://www.burda.com/en/news/cliqz-closes-areas-browser-and-search-technologies/
It is looking like the people behind Cliqz are focusing their efforts on Ghostery which the company bought three years ago. Though there aren’t that many privacy-focused Chrome-based desktop browsers, what happened to Cliqz and IceCat could also happen to Iridium.
Like any other product or service, browsers have to have something unique about them to justify a creator’s time and effort or the people behind them eventually conclude their efforts are no longer worth it. Brave may have already taken up market share that Iridium could have grabbed had it come out before Brendan Eich got his browser off the ground.
Hi Sven,
I tried the Iridium browser and it is very promising but is buggy. After downloading it, I tried to download extensions for it but they would not appear on my tool bar or my extension list despite Google saying they were downloaded. IceCat is good but I get the impression it is not supported very well. I had to really look around the web for the most recent version and the group that supports it doesn’t make it easy for people to do so.
Ungoogled Chromium is not at all secure and you might want to consider de-listing it. After I downloaded it, I subjected the browser to EFF”s Panopticlick’s test and it only earned one check out of the four or five categories the test covers. I even went to Ungoogled Chromium’s GitHub page for extensions or security updates and couldn’t find any.
The closest people can get to Ungoogled Chromium is either Iridium or Brave (which is excellent). All in all, I think it’s best for people to stick with mainstream browsers since the companies or people behind them have infrastructure to give them continuous support and updates.
How can we trust mainstream companies? The cost of privacy is too high for convenience. I have had a landlord refuse to let rent because they used a shady site that had my information and said that I possibly had a criminal record which is not true. I looked over the information and and I figured where it came from Chrome and gmail had sold my information. I read their privacy docs and it does say that they share your information with authorized third parties. I’m still in the hunt but for now, I think Firefox has some good tweaking to help fight back.
Firefox is excellent. However, it can be said that Mozilla is a mainstream company as they’ve been around quite a long time and have produced excellent products. Despite being non-profit in theory, they do have a for profit arm. Until and unless the organizations or people behind browsers, like IceCat or Iridium, have sufficient structures and financing to keep up with innovations, their efforts (while notable) will be short lived.
Aside from his experience, Brendan Eich obviously understood what I outline above which is why Brave is so successful. As an aside, I also tried out Pale Moon on Panopticlick and it was all “X”s. Worse tthan Iridium and Ungoogled Chromium.
One other thing I forgot to mention. I also subjected Iridium to Panopticlick and the results were it partially blocking tracking ads and invisible trackers while it did not stop ads in the acceptable ads “white list”, does not unblock 3rd parties who do not honor “Do Not Track” requests, and it does not protect users from fingerprinting. However, this isn’t to say Iridium should be written off.
I think Iridium is notable because it is relatively new and, in many ways, is still in development. If you decide decide to use Iridium, I strongly suggest installing UBlock Origin or Privacy Badger, Decentraleyes, CanvasBlocker, and Cookie AutoDelete extensions upon doing so. In my view, Iridium could go the way of Brave since it has a (albeit small) group of developers behind it and another organization (Open Source Business Alliance) supporting their efforts. For now, the browser isn’t there yet.
Thanks! It’s the most complete page I could read about that particular topic.
What do you think about Maxthon, also ?
I don’t know about Sven but what I have read about Maxthon makes my skin crawl. If you use the browser you might want to reconsider.
https://www.techrepublic.com/article/maxthon-browser-is-a-wolf-in-sheeps-clothing/
Thanks, Mike
How about kiwi browser for Android
1. Chromium based browser
2. Built in ad blocker
3. Built in night mode
4. Instal chrome extension
5. Privacy focused
Youre description or criteria matches Iridium. However, be aware it is fairly young and buggy so your milage may vary. Brave also seems to match what you describe and would be a solid choice.
Apologies, I missed the fact that you mentioned the Kiwi browser. I would suggest doing a deep-dive to see if it has good privacy protections. I tested Kiwi against Panopticlick and it did well . But I had some questions about the settings such as the ad blocker. Kiwi is solely a mobile browser, whereas the list is geared mainly to listing browsers for desktop use.
I have LeechBlock NG installed on it to block most websites, and from that I see that with every Bing search (the default search engine) in the browser, it first goes to kiwisearchservices.com. Not sure what the point of that is.
I’ve looked at the Iridium browser and I found it not much if at all with your system’s or PC’s resources on older devices. It still uses up a lot of RAM and many extensions aren’t compatible with it.
Sven suggested using a modified version of Firefox instead of an older version of the TorBrowser but from my fingerprinting tests, it made little difference on fingerprinting test sites like “device info”. That site revealed my video card and it’s type but most other areas were unseen. In contrast, an older version of TorBrowser hid everything. I don’t recommend a modified version of Firefox. Perhaps Sven can provide an update to the instructions on how to “hack” version 9+ of the TorBrowser if there’s some reasons why he suggests not using an older version.
I am using the Tor browser. Is there a way to disable Tor’s connection to use your own IP address or of using a VPN use that instead?
I wrote instructions for that here, but it seems with the latest Tor browser update, they have made it a lot more difficult to opt out of using the Tor network.
Hi Sven,
Thanks for the reply. Maybe you accidently posted the wrong link. The link above is for disabling WebRTC.
Would you also have any details on what they have done to make it more difficult to opt out using the Tor network? Perhaps using an older version of the browser and disabling auto update (if possible) is a workaround? However, it would be helfpul if we had a tutorial on how to disable the Tor network.
Oops, you are correct. I’ve updated the comment with the correct link to the browser fingerprinting guide. See the comments on the latest updates. No, I would not use an older version of Tor browser. Instead, just use modified Firefox.
Falkon (previously known as QupZilla) is a free and open source desktop browser with an AdBlock plug-in included.
[https://www.falkon.org/]
[https://phabricator.kde.org/source/falkon/]
In case I am concerned about security, – you say Iridium offers regular updates and releases, but their updates are not so frequent. Should I not prefer Brave since its updates are more frequent? Also you don’t mention Comodo Dragon and Avast Browser at all. – Why? (Though I noticed that for CD the system requirements say it’s good for windows 7 and 8 but it doesn’t say 10) Beside that, – one other minus for Vivaldi is it does not have a bookmarks export feature. This means it may be very inconvenient if you want to switch from it to another browser. One other thing, – TunnelBear have a browser free add on that VPNs just the browser itself, – how about that?
Free browser VPNs are not VPNs at all, but just proxies. Opera VPN (and others) offer these “browser VPNs” which collect data, so be careful with any “free VPN”.
I would not recommend anything from Avast, a company that has been in the news numerous times for abysmal privacy practices. Here’s the latest event from this year: “Avast Defends Data Harvesting, Plans to Get Users to Agree to It”
And on the topic of Avast browser extensions:
“In October 2019, researcher Wladimir Palant published a blog post warning that Avast browser extensions (and those from its subsidiary AVG) would log users’ IDs along with information on the websites they visited. This caused Google, Mozilla and Opera to remove these extensions until Avast implemented new privacy protections.”
@ Sven, Ran
Could be looked at as Browser based VPN’s and most free VPN’s are nothing but SSL-intercepting Proxy Appliances.
The lock icon on the web browser once meant that the connection between the user and the remote web server was authenticated, secured, encrypted . . . and not susceptible to any form of eavesdropping by any third party. Unfortunately, that is no longer always true.
Some time ago, NSA could actually intercept and break Secure-Socket Layer (SSL) protected Internet communications. As too, any anyone could with an [SSL interception proxy program or device] placed in the right logical position. Say, if your company can do this at your business firewall junction couldn’t the NSA do something like this at a tier-one ISP? At a major company’s Web hosting facility? I don’t see why not.
So getting back to why it’s a NO-NO on using VPN’s based on Proxy Appliances (OS installed, browser baked, browser extensions) are all capable and more so only for intercepting SSL connections of your passing data – viewable as clear texts to them then. Where as most of you using these would have assumed that you have a secure end-to-end connection – at this point. NOT SO…
Find a good informing VPN review (or captured in other topics) as it may/will be here and don’t look back to anything free based for a true VPN experience.
**Building on that – AdGuard the Ad Blocker OS installed program, in it’s STEALTH setting gives user these tools for their protection of browser.
Browser API:
Block WebRTC, WebRTC (Real Time Communications) is a technology that allows streaming of data directly between browsers and apps. It can let others know your real IP address even if you use a proxy or VPN.
Enabling this option can disrupt the work of certain browser applications, such as messengers, chats, cinemas, or games.
– – –
Block Push API:
Push API enables servers to send messages to web applications regardless of browser status. This means you may see notifications from various websites even if your browser is hidden to tray or not launched. Enable this option to block browser Push API completely.
– – –
Block Location API:
Enabling this option will prohibit the browser from sending GPS data that could be used to find your location and modify your search results or otherwise influence your web experience.
– – –
Block third-party Authorization header:
“Authorization” header value is cached by the browser, and then is sent alongside every request to that domain. It means that it can be used for tracking purposes just like cookies.
– – –
Disable cache for third-party requests:
When the browser addresses a page, the server assigns it an ETag, which the browser then uses to cache the contents. Upon subsequent requests it sends the ETag to the corresponding server, thus letting it learn the visitor’s identity. While the site files are cached, the ETag is sent every time your browser addresses this site. If the site has content embedded from another server (e.g., an image or iframe), that server will also be able to track your activities without your knowing it.
– – –
Strip tracking parameters from URLs:
If you enable this option, AdGuard will strip tracking parameters like utm_* and fb_ref from pages’ URLs.
Thanks good discussion topic ; 0
as u know all human are greedy for money so even those vpn u mention can sell information.isp by putting restriction on vpn can block u or read the data for sell,botom line no exist privacy
Sven I’d have to agree-
“I would think that Google Analytics and Google ad trackers utilize various browser fingerprinting, identification, and tracking techniques beyond what most of us could comprehend.”
But if we don’t start crawling to an understanding overall in the birds eye view – we’re kept as troglodytes unacquainted with the technological affairs of a modern Internet world seen as the backside of it’s business end.
Yes AWL (a wonderful life), the Ad-Tech industry has over all of us unknowing victims as our personal devices through it’s meta-data are primed for capture from the web exposure to a device that exhausts tying data’s in our web use.
By our just using the web nakedly, we indeed allow that fuller in our personal privacy’s state of loss, as the web consists a driven class of chained mechanisms delivered to us, that we are made defenseless and soluble for assimilation and being packaged within each returning visit of absorption.
This users Personal data’s could be anything from location to cookies information, IP addresses, search query terms & histories, click-through history, online fingerprint databases, user agent string, device settings as ones country and language.
[https://restoreprivacy.com/privacy-tools/#comment-60265]
An overall VIEW if you’d assemble a review of the Ad-Tech industry I’d love to see, as where you would of broken it down to all the components as levels in personal attack being waged against us – and too as what’s outright known factually today.
Equations that don’t add up to benefit users, yet bear on the minus scale to that as personal privacy’s loss in an online pie cut of the advertising industry in that you’ll tie it all together like as your “Google Alternatives” topic.
– Years ago (maybe 6) I was quizzing of fingerprint information from the developer of Winpatrol, (he had in the program offered fingerprinting DB info), as what sites you would visited having used FP technology on their website as his program picked up on this. In our few email conversation he had mentioned Googles posting of an ability to track users across different sites and devices. That quickly Facebook had followed up with in it’s own incarnations ability of doing the exact same. Hours after their own two articles posting of it as to a companies abilities now towards users – they both pull it from the public’s view and it’s forever secret. So from Social Widgets to FingerPrints there’s a users whole unknown world to back-end tracking happening.
https://restoreprivacy.com/google-alternatives/
“After all, Google’s business model essentially revolves around data collection and advertisements, both of which infringe on your privacy. More data means better (targeted) ads and more revenue.”
[A complete list of alternatives for all Google products.]
You do a wonderful job Sven there on that article about peoples choices in a service/product over the ones that has been offered as a G based and ties back to the Google titan.
Though it doesn’t really tout the importunately gravity in the ways of Googles businesses practice to the people reading that passage of “Google analytics alternative”. That when, I’ve read as websites through their owners are yet another venue as a mining product for Google’s pertinacious doggedly free resolute to offering them ROI to their letting go of users data’s.
As these motility solicitations from Google have it all ending up of a congested demand that they get the user/visitor data overall – as a ransom of the captured goods to a placement ranking higher with the Titan.
Quote from the above link and passage:
“Many websites host Google Analytics because they run Google Adsense campaigns. Without Google Analytics, tracking performance of these campaigns would be difficult. Nonetheless, there are still better options for privacy.”
Exactly yes it’s what an Ad-Tech review topic on users privacy would do, from the websites back-end pulls and capture on a loss taking the tolls to users privacy. Guiding users of how to understand by seeing if a website uses an alternative to Google analytics or is with Googles heavily latent system on the backend as well at the website Company’s core side we’re to trust with our business data.
Google analytics used, I could see your telling people about any websites using it as that’s a continuing loss not just of their security and privacy practices, as harm not to being favored over the websites whom use alternative to Google products – just like regular web users…are encouraged.
Cause to assume it’s all hidden in the dark shadows makes anyone safeguards towards each owns privacy regarding their own using the internet a butt joke.
Some things are more apparent than others to these site’s visitors, like I’ll see a Cookie-Popup because I run cookie blocking software in multiple forms.
Not so apparent as one needs to dig in the sites own TOS and PP policies – that just of visiting and your continued use of a site, you fully accept or consent to their policies towards your personal privacy…from any aspect connected to the site. On these types of websites and can agitated off site with Googles hand in your privacy pie, as well in these user small data’s portions can be amalgamated and analyzed in ways that have revealed even more information about an web users individual life.
To reeling in by my insinuations here that on the back end (server-side, not client-side in your browser) will begin the recording your information and sending out as telemetry for it’s own profits.
Guide us then in factual worlds reality as how the chains have been constructed when we reach out to the web of a particular website, open an email that contain images that aren’t blocked by default. Wherein it’s all that foundries tracking of sites, clients, attachments calls on many servers to display it’s contents and this does carry over great personal loss to their own server tracking standards as to these initial websites visitors, email recipients, and app users.
Help us to understand what the Ad-Tech’s industry does as their multi-disciplinary fields they use in scientific methods, processes, algorithms and advanced eco-systems to extracting knowledge and insights from structured and unstructured meta-data’s exhausting.
Thank you
Related:
[https://restoreprivacy.com/privacy-tools/#comment-62131]
Hey sven
Is puffin browser safe. I like the browser because its fast. Do you recommend this browser to use
No, I don’t. I’d stick with browsers that are more mainstream that have more active development.
Just thought I’d drop in with an opinion after testing out a few browsers to fit my somewhat special needs.
On my ‘study-buddy’ (HP Envy, 13.5” Win10) everything seems to run smoothly. I haven’t experienced any browser troubles apart from anonymity issues of course.
My ‘stationary laptop’ (Lenovo IdeaPad constantly plugged into my tv ) is a different story. With only 4gb RAM and 2,3Ghz Pentium processor I’ve never been able to multitask properly. Dualtasking is the best I could’ve hoped for.
Until I tried the Iriduim browser. The low impact to my system is wonderful, the settings are easy to adjust, the UI is super and I still haven’t experienced it crashing!
It runs smoothly with Dashlane, NoScript and HTTPS everywhere. So to anyone with a legacy laptop, or a 2019 cost friendly one, like my Lenovo, I would certainly recommend the Iridium!
One thing though;
I don’t feel like I need a tracker blocker because of the security settings combined with custom NoScript settings. Is that just my illusion from not wanting the PrivacyBadger because it ruins the surfing speed and functionality, or am I right in my assumption that I don’t need it?
Hi Sven!
I like what you’ve done with this place.
Although I cannot claim to be any more certain (or should I say secure) about my browser choice after scrolling a couple of hours and reading comments.
The only thing I’m convinced of really, is to ease out of Win10 and enter the world of open source instead. I tried it some years ago, but I was too lazy to learn new operating systems all over again. (I’ve been using Microsoft ever since Ms Dos was the shit)
For social media (for me that means Twitter since I deleted my Fb and I never fell in the Insta or Snap traps) I’ll just keep using Edge 81. After reading comments and linked articles I think I’ll stick with Firefox in Win10 and try IceCat in Linux.
I’m picturing installing some sort of virtual machine/drive so I still keep operating through Win10 as I’m learning to operate Linux. My knowledge in open source are mostly limited to the principles of the philosophy. That’s why I’d very much like some recommendations on which Linux releases are good for a novice to install.
I do know about ‘www.lmgtfy.com’ and suchlike, but I noticed how you presented and deducted the browser suggestions. I felt you’re honest, have integrity and that your transparency in regards to your click income was refreshingly open sourced. I therefor thought you’d be a much more reliable and secure source of non-fake information than any hits on the search engines would be.
Thank you for liste.. ehr.. reading!
Any thoughts?
I think Linux Ubuntu is a great place to start because it is user-friendly and widely supported as one of the most popular Linux distributions out there.
As Sven said. There are several forks of Ubuntu. I use Mint.
A good place to see the Distros is a site called distrowatch.com.
Hi.
I use modified Firefox. But in some cases I have to use others. Some online activities are not possible with modified Firefox, for example online management with the Government (pay taxes, make requests,…). In my case, also with Firefox modified some websites are limited or not connect. But this is what there is…
Regards!
Google also likes to harass Firefox users with more reCAPTCHA tests to take in comparison to if you are using a Chromium-based browser, like Iridium.
Hi Sven I’ve wondered about that captcha after captcha x’s three more crap. Even when I know I had earlier one or two right and that’s on IE or Slimjet browsers.
1st could this be a fingerprint method (bi-use taken/compared) to ID the device?
2nd is there not another way websites owners could use or is it the site is tied to heavily by Google in it’s advertising technology, analytics, AdWords and Site Search Console?
Not many times I’ve seen the puzzle shape you need to drag into place to complete the captcha. It’s a first time get it right and can’t miss – this must be from someone other than Google.
3rd are Captcha’s harmful to users privacy, a lot of times I’m not logging in and just want to view a site. Some captcha’s popup when going to another page on the site as well. I could understand if I was logging in to a site to know I human.
Thoughts ?
Sonar, I’m not sure I’m following the questions about fingerprinting and site owners with Google ads.
Hey I meant the most I’ve seen are of Google Captcha’s and they are used to know if your a person – so they say. Then a pain if your just browsing already or having starting to on a site your hit with one.
Now imagine the website could be using Google analytics and other G stuff on or with the site and why there’s a captcha shown that’s G based.
If this had an iota interest of truth and if you’d just happen to be trying to login to a site. A site that has a commerce purpose and your real identity is know to your account there.
Would it be to far off thinking and relating in a Googles captcha there are images and reoccurring images in some squares. Could this as well even easily be fingering your browser – device or matching your fingerprint to what’s on file like to ID you then. Then if you were logging in – your IP, device and browser fingerprints ties to the person.
Ebay is the one using the puzzle captcha’s.
Just browsing where they popup I’ve seen lawnmower-lawntractor, news and usually special interest websites.
Tech, security, encryption, etc…
I would think that Google Analytics and Google ad trackers utilize various browser fingerprinting, identification, and tracking techniques techniques beyond what most of us could comprehend.
OK, I think I get the picture.
I’ve landed on Iridium and are using that as I type this. It’s real light weight with little impact and easy to setup.
No shit, about the reCAPTCHA.. it kinda seems like the more you anonymize the more sequential tests you need pass.
For my android, I fell in love with FfFocus. That thing’s just too cute and neat 🙂
Later I’ll see if I get into the whole Ubuntu universe. Thanks to anyone who replied!
For android, other than firefox and bromite, I recommend Privacy Browser made by Stoutner. Its a great browser for your privacy.
For mobile :
I still advise you to try and use Samsung Internet Browser, it has many features for privacy and total black theme and addon (AdGuard possible among 4-5 others adblockers).
Or
Try and use Firefox Preview instead of classic.
Firefox Preview has many features. It’s privacy focus too (restricted mode by default), and since last update, you can install uBlock Origin with it. Extra. You have the option to clean all your browsing history/cookies/cache when quitting FFPreview.
You recommend the Iridium browser. Please tell me how you can recommend the browser (on the Mac) does not remove installed extensions from the Chrome Web Store. Try it yourself! And already a year for sure. Is it not correct to recommend only what you personally tested and specifically note which platform we are talking about.
The browser itself is very good.
Howdy @ George
Per – reply made [https://restoreprivacy.com/browser/secure/#comment-74555] I appreciate those answers and I’ve just back tracked in reply’s enough to catch your reply to me – at this late stage, Sorry Sir…
To I couldn’t reply directly to yours as the site’s hiccup is back not allowing one to do so today – unless you switch over to a mobile version of the site.
If the question of ‘Nasty then, I hated seeing this and wondered if it’s field has advanced any?’ – is it what the last question your referring to of mine as – it was question about the links I had supplied to the session-replay-scripts.
Both canvas fingerprinting and session are suppose to be non-viewable of the visitor end in it all. I still can’t help but think of the session reply scripts are continuing to advance and/or spread giving sites more users info. and insights to the person – along with many third-party trackers employed on them.
I do block all third-party cookies by AdGuard means – maybe it’s time to update it…
I do agree if it was a canvas fingerprint thingy it’s to detectable by what you’ve explained as seeing it.
A thought comes to mind in your case of how to possibly catch it in action of an image taken – if it happens in almost milliseconds.
Find a video screen recording program (like ones used to capture installation steps), when a video screencapture is best used to explain adjacent and sequential steps for understand a walk through to someone doing something specific.
Start up this program running before hand, and then do whatever you do when you see it happen on your screen.
After you capture a short vid of it happening – play the vid to the point or very close of it time-frame and see if it’s showing.
Maybe a video editor program is need then if it’s to fast. Load it up in the editor and advance the video frame by frame – till when it’s seen – take a screenshot of it then.
I do agree not to allow yourself to be logged in to a web account you have anywhere while your surfing the web. Amazing in how many site want you to stay logged in all the time with them – [_/] by offering that box ‘checked’ already for you when you do happen to login.
Then I’ve notice some of the site I do have logins to and using the RoboForm password manager – that’s when on these sites not logged-in as the boxes are there for users name or email and password fields info. When I hit the RF toolbar as to quickly fill them out – it drops down a larger menu than usual to pick which credentials to use on the site with a choice in it.
This then brings up a lot of old google account credentials I still keep records of in my RoboForm vault. I can’t see any good it does for privacy by logging into a site you would used with a different sites info, or anything other than that sites established account info. of the credentials you’ve set up on it already.
I’ve SEEN some sites take to logging you in with google, yahoo, facebook and others offered as well in these login fields. Privacy nightmare it would be have to use another sites credentials – equals cross tracking of a user I’d suspect…
Again I’ve witnessed or get these whole screen flashes of white quickly seen sometimes and other times nothing is noticeable but, then some sites hang where my cursor (mouse pointer) freezes up and I can’t do a thing with the window I’m on at this time. If I’m remembering right I can have 5-6 webpages open reading things. Something of using two browser = 10-12 opened sites.
I’m wondering if I’ve gotten on a site that’s trying to use my PC resources for mining as in crypto-mining? I have to end up shutting my PC down and start over.
Thank you
Replying to Sven’s – APRIL 3, 2020
And a good option for parents with kids is SwissCows, which filters out adult content. [https://restoreprivacy.com/browser/secure/#comment-77286]
PS: Sven – same here as direct comment replies have the old hiccup again.
I like it – SwissCows a lot too, and I’m old enough to have lost interests in porn on the web and/or any results that another browser should bring up with them shown – is so troubling…for our youth.
One thing I don’t understand about SC is the first link of the search results page has the spot or placement of a “Advertise here for free as a sponsor” with a banner shown. [https://swisscows.ch/donation?culture=iv#sponsor]
Is this a good concept? From a users privacy standpoint on their privacy…
“”Since Swisscows normally does not advertise, as Google and other search engines do, we offer our sponsors a unique opportunity to publish a banner on Swisscows as a thank you gift for donations of 1,500 CHF or more during the donation period.”” What if a SPONSOR is an advertiser an it’s an ad?
WANT TO GET RID OF IT?
~ I’d suggest pasting all the links in different opened browser windows and hop between them all to see a better meaning – put of my words explaining this concept. Scroll down in some images to see more – these images are of the search result for the term corndogs. *They are all of one page I worked on to get it as I wanted it and it stays like this then after – as long as AdGuard is running.
AA – [https://postimg.cc/dDpZTsYM]
Everything in this image will be removed that has the orange lines scribbled on or it’s touching them. @The orange line has nothing to do with AdGuard – it’s just to show you what I’ll be removing. This is then true in both browsers (IE – Slimjet) that AdGuard is set to protect, and that I run SC on the browsers as their homepage.
*This is an AdGuard feature using the Assistant and it results as a set filter under a made users filter when it’s Assistant is used to block items or elements like these from the page and your view.
Whenever I should open SwissCows search again and have entered a search term. All I see is image CC (last one).
AA1 – [https://postimg.cc/kRrQV2B5]
Removed the Banner already – with my older still used AdGuard and it’s Assistant – version 6.2.437.2171 This shows the AdGuard Assistant opened up – it’s the large box to right side the page in the image. Next I will remove the texts about the sponsor.
BB – [https://postimg.cc/hXkzKHwL]
After removing the Text part of the page that was over the banner for the SwissCows sponsor support.
Also I placed an red Arrow pointing at the AdGuard Assistant icon that stays visible on a webpage.
CC – [https://postimg.cc/rRrvWZML]
Removed the Semantic Map (tile blocks) and Walla! a clean search results page seen now. Scroll down and see the red arrow is still pointing at the AG Assistant’s Icon. I can turn off the Assistant to hid the Icon as well – which is how I run it mostly as being turned off.
Removing the banner would only hurt Swisscows. It’s just a a tiny image ad by the sponsor.
You also could just turn off semantic map on the search page. No need to block using content blocker.
Nope Sir, I can’t agree with you ‘Restorer’ in how you see and perceive it by your explained logic –
‘As it’s only being essentially a (users choice in the matter)’ = by my instructions, affecting the SwissCows site and of my personal (or any so elected user) choice in viewing of SC. ***In that imaged recourse I’ve shown. I personally elect to (other users can to), in what I’m shown in the returned SC search results page – that this has been restricted in as only on and to my end users viewing. Not as every one using SwissCows search ; ) I didn’t send it off to AdGuard team staff to have it blocked for every user of AdGuard – if you understand this as that I could have…
AG only blocks the ‘server call’ then – that SwissCows uses to display it’s Banner – for me – when the search page returns back their search results.
Beings that it’s (SC-BANNER) is only affected by a (user filter) every time I open and use SwissCows. AdGuard’s ability offered as a (new user filter) for the SC site is not universal to anyone using SC, and by using the AdGuard Assistant to set that user filter – that it’s made for this purpose.
Is that a more clear logical explanation to understand for you then.
Maybe as the way you see it, and with using a newer and more current version of AdGuard it’s changed basically, (where it goes to apply for everyone now), from the way it was of which as my older version v6.2.437. 2171 allows – that I still personally prefer to use still to this day.
[No it’s not a cracked or hacked AG version – as I believe in support of AdGuard’s software, so much so, early in my discovery of AG I bought 4 dual use device Life Time licenses…in rubles that amounted to USD of 6-7 dollars each long ago.] As they were just expanding out the users base.
– So in any Ad, Banner, or Whatever’s – – as in this case it’s a sponsor’s homage for this banner to show to all users, (as hey looky here). It’s considered invasive from my point in and of a privacy stance as my using of the privacy SwissCows search.
Not forgetting – As it’s seemly to bases based undermining them (SC) regarding to applying of their #1 hype desire with being set on and in focused to the users privacy…
What will this affect in coming tomorrow days bring ? users of SC more banners they use to show of their support they get. They (SC) could link to a supporters page and really show off them all in that way instead. So everyone of them (sponsors) are listed and not rotated as shown of in our face so to speak for our simple purpose in using SwissCows Search.
Then about the semantic map tiles with SwissCows, that would have to place a sort of cookie (1st-party) on our device to be set to hold any memory, as I only keep 1st-party cookies for 15 minutes and switching it off it using the SC site never holds forever – it comes back.
Restorer Sir, I don’t want to be your enemy but as your friend cause we both bring different perspectives to the site in our trying to help Sven’s readers. Browsers and Search I’m weak in already and don’t try to offer much in this topic here, so excuse me for being head strong with something I do understand…
No matter the purpose or guise it’s calling out to a server somewhere to do it – that can lead to third-party tracker employed by this server serving up the banner.
Hi Sven,
Re my earlier post a couple of days ago, I mentioned that I was using SearX random instance. I have noticed that more and more instances are being blocked by Google (doesn’t like their scraping of results I guess) resulting in constant retries using different random instances. I have gone back to using MetaGer, which is also very fast, and a few test searches brought up the correct result at the top.. I used (to name a few) “man pf(4)”- Openbsd at the top of the list.. “aberavon” my birthplace in South Wales. Again no problem… “Patagonia”, the clothing company came first, followed by the correct geographic results. On the searches I have done in the last day or two, the engine seems to mostly use Bing and Scopia. Setting the ‘safe search’ filter to “moderate”, blocked some porn results that unforunately were “seeping” through, but this also disabled Scopia. A friendly “heads up” to any parents with children out there. The filter default is “any”. Losing Scopia has not significantly changed the quality of the search results.
Have a good weekend people, and stay safe
Richard
And a good option for parents with kids is SwissCows, which filters out adult content.
“The design feels a bit dated” / “Although it feels a bit dated”
Uh, Sven, how ’bout some examples? Thanks.
Design is a personal preference, and was just my observation. Download it and see for yourself:
https://www.palemoon.org/
only problem with vivaldi is that they are collecting some system information and not precise geo location of the user? so if you trust people who runs vivaldi there’s actually no privacy or security problems with that browser is that right?
Nice article, thanks. I am on win7pro and will stay. no updates for a couple years at least. I run Palemoon Portable and sandboxed off a flash drive. The browser has great extensions, is updated regularly and for a portable is plenty fast. i do weekly images and keep 3. I use Proton VPN and its been plenty fast and stable as can be. I have tightened Palemoon down as much as i can in about:config and also the outgoing firewall. both wife and i are set up the same on 2 desktops and have had zero problems of any kind for years. we both are active online but not in the social sites. also use bitdefender, macrium reflect, sandboxie, winpatrol with zero problems or infections. always like to read informative articles like this and some great tips from readers. i also dumped opera portable today..dont need it for the few times i use it. again, thanks for a good read. Clas
at clas,
on that winpatrol I used it some time back when it was 3 separate programs. It had been out for ages then even, I got a refund and just bought back the firewall part of it I think. I liked then (it’s firewall) the part of it’s fingerprint knowledge aspects of it had. That it even had a database kept of the sites that were using or not fingerprints at that time when I visited them. Then as well what it’s other users had shared in where as what their allowing and blocking in the installed OS programs as an ability to the purchaser in universal trends. Besides the dev was quite open to an email exchange.
As far in as much, A+ fast way without any of my own knowledge and time having to be given and learned by understanding things I retired it. Replaced with the Aomei backerupper for ransomware safeguarding purposes by backups, and the Shadow Defender as a quick n easy virtual environment defense to ill acting websites and installing softs for testing – like it never happened on the system at.
Hello,
what a joy, the first comment here is ‘for’ my/our loved friend since v.24 (maybe 7 or 8 year ago) and you _clas_ are so familiar with ‘him’ too, writing his name in one word, like I/we often do!
Above, Sven could have said much more good things about PALE MOON; for example, if you read privacyrelated tips for ‘about:config’ to make fatFox a little user(privacy/’security’)friendly, and you’re curious or just thinking it could be good to do it in P.M. too, very often it happened, there’s no such entry in a.:c. to modify, or the settings are done this way yet (default NOT user)!
Old AddOns work fine, and with 10 or 15 of them, startup on a small netbook takes max. 3 sec., a medium fast notebook 2 sec., and an amp with enough gHz needs less than 1 second for full screen. I love it since we found Pale Moon recommended by a young guy in a forum, for speeding up a little 2 x 1.65gHz IdeaPad.
As we started using Pale Moon for Linux, and asked the german EverythingBetterKnowersForum (haha – new creation!) all advices for installing P.M. were complicated or unfriendly, like FF.-Warriors always are, when it comes to ‘talk’ about BETTER alternatives!!
So I tried the simple method, downloaded the ‘bzipped Tarball’
(now with a new end ‘xz’: palemoon-28.8.3.linux-x86_64.tar.xz f.e.)
put the content into the same folder (anyone you want) and ‘created’ a ‘new starter’ on the desktop.
To lauch the friendly beast, simply go to the location where your unzipped Palemoon (this time it’s right in 1 word!) sleeps, and when finishing this, mostly you get asked, if you want to have it in your startmenue too – say yes, put it to your favorites, and start it from ther or with desktop doubleclick (arrgh – ugly word, sorrrie!). The idio…ääh..specialist didn’t know that ay, said it’s a lazy slow ugly browser, showed their ‘weak’ mind & sad ‘soul’ by saying foolish, old or simply not true things (f.e. not knowing, that it’s a very well done LOVED fork _since_ FF. version …? NOT an old version like FF. version …? – Our rising donations over the years are about 1.05€ per month, not much for a ‘tool’ that makes ‘you’ think2-4 times a week how glad you can be having found that, and much more important, ‘thinking’ to know the developer AND trusting him and his ‘guys’ blindly… (!!!)
Thank you Sven, I found your site while searching for _cfduid and clicking a link from ‘your’ friends (?) site (see it in your logs – history/cache here is empty, sorry), reading 1-2 hours and finding ‘about browsers’ with P.M.-friend CLAS on 1. position is a good sign (~;
* Greetings from Sailing City * (especially to Mr. ‘SIR’-sayer)
– yours GuessT –
P.S.: my language is not the Queens language too (zank got!)
I just reinstalled Brave but I already wonder if I made a mistake.
I set the privacy settings the way I want them, including the WebRTC against fingerprinting (there is also an extension available on Firefox that’s called Disconnect).
My question is, Brave seems to have Google contained within it already?
For example, when I wanted to change the theme, it led to the google shop. And of course, Google is on the list of search engines available. I changed the default to DDG, but still.
I’m concerned that Google is somehow part of the browser? I can of course delete it from the list, but so what? If it’s installed it simply means it won’t appear on the list, but it’s still there. Am I correct on this?
At Maggie,
This is in need of your leg work looking to Braves Terms of Use and Privacy Policy – where Googles involved. Then your contact of them (Brave’s) support or users forum to understanding of these specific questions.
Your coming back here then sharing that knowledge. ST busy enough with everything else but would offer I’d say insight to your discovery maybe enough to highlight that in the article.
Brave runs on Chromium engine which is the engine Google Chrome runs on. Google provides Chromium as an open source program which anyone can build and use. Other versions of Chromium include Iridium, Ungoogled Chromium and Vivaldi.
Since Chrome is the major version of Chromium, Brave uses themes and extensions from Chrome Web Store as a convenience for those used to Chrome.
Google is there on the list of search engines because it’s the most popular engine. Brave recommends Qwant or DDG.
Does Brave call home or ping Google? Most probably not or minimal given its privacy standpoint.
Good answer.
According to this research, Brave is the most private browser—besting out Safari, Firefox, Chrome, Edge and Yandex—because it is the only web browser that did not use identifiers that allowed tracking of the IP address over time and did not share details of web pages visited to backend servers.
https://www.ghacks.net/2020/02/25/study-finds-brave-to-be-the-most-private-browser/
Interesting link.
I have three thoughts and I am using brave.
1) I am wondering how the back tests line up with Bromite and bromite on Android.
2) In the article it speaks of “out of the box” conditions. On Restore Privacy, I wonder how FF abd Brave compares when the adjustments are made.
3) The recent update has added a few things on Brave. I would be interested on an indepth look at each of the settings to help people like me who is not fully savvy with techical jargon.
These are my three thoughts but I do like Brave.
Sorry, #2 was an incomplete thought.
I wonder, if using the principles found here on Restore Privacy and how to harden FF, how would Brave compare.
The adjustments Sven points out are pretty good but again, that is only after making the adjustments.
@maggie ,
Still with you and reading lots, I’ve run Slimjet for a time only because I don’t know Browsers real well, IE is my main default but it’s less disable on some website – as not as responceive that SJ cures and it offered canvas fingerprinting protection. https://www.slimjet.com/en/forum/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=617&p=2879&hilit=fingerprinting#p2879
Post by oftentired » Sat Dec 19, 2015 11:47 am
– I think, essentially, your request has already been implemented in the Security section of Settings.
– “Slimjet includes an option “Disable reading from HTML5 canvas” in the security section of the settings page. If you turn on this option, javascript wouldn’t be able to export any pixels from the canvas and the server wouldn’t be able to get any unique fingerprint information.
-After disabling HTML5 canvas users who experience problems with every day use websites that you are confident intend you no harm, such as a gaming website, should use the “Exceptions” feature to enable canvas on the problem website.”
https://www.slimjet.com/en/webhelp/prevent-canvas-fingerprinting.htm
I did find a comparison to Brave from the Slant community. First SJ wasn’t any better as I see there – it has less as many con’s just the same Brave has some more.”
https://www.slant.co/versus/15304/16094/~slimjet_vs_brave
These were the Con’s listed:
CON – Hypocritical/deceptive stance on privacy and advertisement:
Brave is advertised as a browser that respects your privacy and blocks ads while still supporting content creators. However, at the same time the company is making deals with Facebook, Twitter and others to whitelist their trackers and ads.
CON – Same security-holes as Chrome:
On the desktop: Brave uses the same browser engine as Chrome, meaning it has the same security-holes as Chrome. Chrome is a big target for hackers (being the most popular browser in the world), and a webpage that will hack Chrome may also hack Brave.
– However, Brave has security features that Chrome doesn’t (such as a built-in adblocker). Those features will stop many hacking attempts.
CON – Dumbed down in the latest versions:
In previous versions, Brave felt more like Firefox. Now it’s been dumbed down, it feels more like Chrome/Chromium. For example: There’s no menu-
CON – Uses Google as its default search engine:
Quite ironic for the “privacy” browser.
CON – Power hungry, uses much more battery power than other browsers:
Per default Brave enables hardware acceleration which results in a much higher energy (battery) consumption than the most other web browsers.
CON – Still dependent on Google:
Since it’s based on Chrome.
CON – No reader view:
Can be accessed with an extension though.
CON – Download package is very large considering it as a browser
Brave take on a lot of rolls besides just browsing so it is understandably a larger file.
CON The iPhone version has some odd behavior
When I reopen Brave, it often returns me to the “search results” page, rather than the webpage I had previous browsed to from the search results page. Might just be my configuration.
CON – Sync issues:
Unable to sync extensions, no cloud sync (only device sync).
CON Bookmark button located on the left side of the URL bar and can’t be moved.
https://www.slant.co/versus/15304/16094/~slimjet_vs_brave
May be this can help answer your concern of ” I already wonder if I made a mistake.”
Thanks
Hey Sven… a question,
With Iridium and Brave, I have recently noticed a flash of something across the screen while I surf. Lasts for a split second, is erratic = non rhythmical and appears as a combination of overlapping and elongated triangles across the web page on a slight upward angle from left to right, about mid screen, and is pure white. (Best I can do to describe.) I’m on a Mac PowerBook running OS 10.13.6.
Any ideas as to WTF that is??? Cheers, George . P.S. Nothing like that happens when I surf the same sites on FF or Safari.
Hey George, sorry, but I have no idea on that. I’ve never noticed anything like that before.
Well… turns out that this is not only Iridium and Brave based, but very site specific. I have 12 global news sites that I read/view daily. There are only 2 US news sites and 1 Canadian news site where this weird stuff happens. No funky-triangle-flashy-stuff happens on ANY other/s.
So my solution: I’ll view the sites on FireFox… and screw Iridium and Brave! LOL [My low-tech solution for this oddity! ;-)]
at George,
Could it be a canvas fingerprinting in sorts that’s witnessed or some device to device on the network used to probe for any kind of linking up – smart TV or another Mac product?
Screenshots are being possible if so please post to an off-site in a link given here?
And then are you logged in to any account or trying to while this as witnessed?
Nasty then, I hated seeing this and wondered if it’s field has advanced any?
[https://www.welivesecurity.com/2018/04/20/whats-deal-session-replay-scripts/]
and
[https://www.ghacks.net/2017/11/24/how-to-protect-yourself-from-session-replay-tracking/]
Hi sonar… I’ll answer your questions in sequence:
Canvas fingerprinting? Could very well be, and if it be true, these websites do a very poor job in hiding it. (I have no other Mac device on this network.)
Can’t do a screenshot out of the gate as the flashing happens fast, lasts a split second and is unpredictable.
I never surf while logged into anything.
Sorry, I don’t understand your last question.
Session Replay tracking and data-slurping ?!?! Holy crap… what will they come up with next? (Just a rhetorical question as “they” will always come up with something else to suck every micron of data out of us in order to make $$$.)
Cheers, George
I am using Dissenter on my Linux.
As a fork of Brave, they do share some parts but they also have some divergence. I will give this a shot for a while and see what I think. The nice thing about it is the comment section.
It is not censured or filtered as you would find on Facebook, Twitter or anything else like that which really is a shot at the big tech. It is nice to have.
Secure and open source. So far, so good.
Today I deleted the browser and went to Brave.
The system would not update and for the first time, adding attachments to an email, my desktop froze. I had to reatart twice. Deleting Dissenter and going to a stable browser, I was able to email my stuff.
I like it, but Dissenter has a little way to go to be stable from what I see.
What would be the best privacy browser for iOS? Safari is the only one that has add-ons/content blockers.
To me DuckDuckGo Browser would be the most complete. It offers one click delete option like Firefox Focus and it upgrades websites to HTTPS like Brave does. It has the bonus of showing the website grade before and after the upgrade too.
So far, all iOS browsers must run on WebKit, meaning iOS version of Firefox, Chrome, Edge, DuckDuckGo, Cliqz, Brave, Opera and others use the same engine as Safari.
However, only Safari is able to use content blockers that you install from App Store. Other browsers that have adblockers use built-in AdBlock Plus extension usually. Content blockers do not read the websties you access–they just program Safari what to block–whereas extension reads what websites you access and filters appropriately. This is why content blockers cannot keep tally of how much ads and trackers theyve blocked unlike extensions. Technically, content blocker is faster and more efficient than extension but on iOS, you probably wont notice that unlike on desktop.
On its own, Safari is not private enough because we cannot block only third party cookies unless content blocker is used. Safari does not automatically use HTTPS unless you go to settings > experimental featuers, or install HTTPS Everywhere or HTTPS Now content blocker.
In addition to those you mention ie DuckDuckGo and Brave, try SnowHaze as well. It has a lot of privacy features. Or you could also try HTML-only, unstyled content browser which strips out CSS, image and JavaScript like InstaBrowser, Unstyle and no.js.
UPDATE March 2020:
Latest version of WebKit/Safari now fully blocks third party cookies. It cannot be turn off in settings like other browsers.
Dear All,
In UK shops they ask, ‘Can I help you sir?’ and I say, ‘No thanks, I’m just browsing’…
Well, here I am ‘just browsing’ — for new browser! (and search engine). Like many, I started out (aeons ago) with I.E., then read about its many faults, so switched to Mozilla. Then I switched to Opera, until it got eaten up by far-eastern ‘sharks’ (with its phony VPN etc), so switched to Vivaldi for some years, but thanks to ‘St. Sven’ (!) I now learn that this too is ‘a bit dodgy’, so I’m now looking for a new browser…
NB: elsewhere I mentioned how (v. unusually for me) two Trojans popped up when I was trying out ‘Epic’, so that’s been quickly ditched. After reading all the reviews here (thanks lots Sven!) maybe I’ll try Swisscows next, because I don’t need access to ‘pr0n’ — and I like ethical, non-USA outlets! It’s also seemingly not too ‘technical’ for me to operate…
As to search engines, well, as a writer I have to search / research a real lot; I have used StartPage for years, but after they too have now sold out, [Grrrr!] I’ll have to find something equally efficient, but without any covert data theft! I don’t trust (US-based) D.D.Go, and never found their search results as good as S.P. — so my ‘search-for-a-search-engine’ will continue.
Search is such a crucial tool for me, that I’d happily pay a little bit each year, if it meant I could find what I need: Google-free, non-spying, no harvesting and selling off our data etc, and could be trusted to just do a decent, ethical job. ~ I hope I’m not asking too much!
Footnote to ‘Mr Sagacious Sven’:
Some of us don’t do Bitcoins, so is there a link to throw you a few £££s, in some other way? Like many ‘creatives’ I’m rather impecunious, but would like to say ‘thanks’ for all yr advice (the tip about using VPN.ac was great — have happily used it for a few years now!)
I’m not sure if this has already been mentioned hereabouts, but re: Waterfox…
— a snippet on its Forum states:
“Waterfox has joined System1 — Waterfox now has funding and a development team, so Waterfox can finally start to grow!”
Umm… System1″ = the same lot which have recently bought (and undermined the privacy) of StartPage?!
…and re: Palemoon, they say on their site that they use DuckDuckGo as their search base, so personally I would not want to use them, — solely for that reason.
Why don’t you pick the browser you want, pick the search engine you want, create a bookmark for that search engine, and end it there? No law says we have to be so lazy we have to use the browser’s preferred search engine or the search box in the browser. Or, change the search engine used in that search box. Maximum ease and convenience–is that it? Or is this some ‘moral’ issue–you won’t use a particular browser because it defaults to a search engine you have objections to?
Huh? DDG is bad now? I did not know that. Since when, and why?
It’s funny, I started to use StartPage instead of DDG for better results (I use both, really), and now I read that StartPage was bought by “System1?”
I will look up what System1 is (using whatever suspect search engine I have available, WTF??) but I wonder, does anyone know if there is a ewsleter or something where one can sign up for updates to these kinds of security info about search engines, browsers, etc.? I had no idea that any of these tools have suddenly become less secure.
Thanks.
I covered this here:
Startpage Acquired by System1, Privacy One Group – Still Safe?
Also, System1 now owns a stake in Waterfox, so I will be updating this guide very soon with more info…
Sven,
While using the latest versions of Firefox, I have found that when I check my fingerprint, it brings up the wrong platform (Windows NT 10), which I have never used. When I use older versions of Firefox or other browsers, this does not happen. Does this suggest malware?
No, this is to give you a browser fingerprint like all the other Windows 10 users.
Sven,
Now the fingerprint is showing the correct platform using the current version of Firefox. Did Firefox recently change this feature?
FYI Mozilla is fully compromised, has been funded by George Soros for a few years. Also it started the “Mozilla information Trust Initiative”. Which means it is actively helping censor the internet. So Stop using Mozilla products!
George Soros funding Mozilla: [http://www.thesleuthjournal.com/mozilla-george-soross-efforts-fake-news/]
MITI: [https://blog.mozilla.org/blog/2017/08/08/mozilla-information-trust-initiative-building-movement-fight-misinformation-online/]
whats your opinion about new edge chromium browser?
it seem respect privacy. block tracker and have option to clear browsing data on exit.
For What you need use Brave Browser ?
Users are abused
Up to 50% of the average user’s mobile data is for ads and trackers, costing as much as $23 a month.
Ads use about 5 seconds of mobile load time on average.
Ads decrease phone battery life by as much as 21%.
Privacy is violated when large media sites host up to 70 trackers.
Malware (malvertisements, ransom-ware) is up 132% in one year.
Publishers are hurting
Google and Facebook take 73% of all ad dollars and 99% of all growth.
Revenue is recently down 66%.
Bots inflicted $7.2 billion in fraud last year.
Over 600 million phones and desktops run ad-blocking.
Publishers cannot seamlessly monetize value added services.
Advertisers are losing
Advertisers lack good information on what they are paying for.
Marketers are often fooled by bogus websites and bots that commit fraud.
Targeting is poor, making users more likely to ignore ads.
Please add https://www.bromite.org
Yep, will do with the next update (soon).
Hi Sven: I discovered your website some time ago but have just recently taken a serious look at it.
I notice that you have various pages with recommended browsers and search engines, vetted for their privacy and security features. The search engines and browsers recommended are not exactly the same on each page. I wonder if you could post some comment about this and give us some guidelines as to why a browser or search engine was added or removed, and how we can decide which page is the more current one.
Secondly, I have been trying out a number of browsers, and unfortunately, have saved bookmarks on each of them, all of which I would like to unify into one master bookmark file which I could organize and access from any browser. ( I do intend to use Firefox and one or two other safe and private browsers) but at the moment still have a random collection of bookmarks on various browsers, and for that matter, a number of computers. I have searched for bookmark ‘consolidators’ and see too many of them, and too many different lists of recommendations, to be able to make a clear choice without a lot of experimentation. My question now is (even though I know your site is specialized on privacy and security)- do you have any recommendations as to to a simple, free, elegant, safe, intuitively usable, and whatever other useful criteria I am neglecting, program that will solve my problem?
Thank you for any help!
Jay
Hi Jay, sorry, I don’t have any recommendations on bookmark tools.
As for guides, yes, things change fast. I do my best to keep the “Privacy and Security Essentials” guides at the top of my homepage updates with the latest information.
Try Linkman. You need to install it, but it’s great and you are not bound to any browser.
at Sam / Jay,
I like that RoboForm password manger allows this function with bookmarks too. ALL behind a password protected vault area with your installing the program. Your able to print out logins credentials but, I think not your bookmarks. Though everything is behind your installed programs master password to start the program and inter the localized vault. Ability to make sub-folders for (shopping-tech-auto-stream sites – ex as) when you have many related types of login password numbers to sites in a same category for logins and bookmarks both beyond the default ‘home’ general areas.
I still use a version before v8 and it has the tool-bar for your browser. Maybe this is what you’ve asked for and then it keeps separate (if you will) identities of the your personas for different sites or for any new sites you’d have credentials needed made. A few other general areas for safenotes and credit cards info ect… I don’t do the everywhere online cloud sync account just a local storage vault install, and then with a self made backup to a pen drive that universally again needs the RF users master password entered to view.
Help ? you as it has for me, see give a try.
Looks like it might be time to re-assess Waterfox as a privacy option:
https://www.ghacks.net/2020/02/14/waterfox-web-browser-sold-to-system1/
Seems that it has been sold by its original developer (who seemingly will still be the lead developer) to the same business that ultimately owns StartPage these days. Said original developer has stated that he never saw Waterfox as a privacy-focused browser himself, however, just that other people used it that way.
> original developer has stated that he never saw Waterfox as a privacy-focused browser
Please: where – exactly – were those words?
Elsewhere: at least one misleading statement – an untrue quote – was regurgitated by an influential researcher who was clearly biased.
Waterfox aside, the same researcher also stated that a recent interview with the CEO of Startpage.com made no mention of the sale or post sale (i.e. System1). This researcher’s statement was simply untrue.
If a review of Waterfox Classic and Waterfox Current is to be respected here – at Restore Privacy – it must be based on facts; on true quotes.
Thank you
Waterfox has been sold to System1, that also bought StartPage: https://www.ghacks.net/2020/02/14/waterfox-web-browser-sold-to-system1/
Yep, I just saw people discussing that on reddit. I’ll be updating this guide soon with that information.
Related reading:
Startpage Acquired by System1, Privacy One Group – Still Safe?
HI –
I’ve been using Epic for several months and really like it. It’s lightweight, fast, and rarely crashes.
The garbage browsers, like Opera and MS Edge always crash all my browsers and freeze my computer. I use Firefox and I like it — but it often freezes and crashes.
I contacted Alok who runs Epic, and he said that Sven, who writes this article is inaccurate about Epic and how privacy browsers work. Sven could you contact him and some other privacy browsers, to have a more compete and perhaps fully factually checked article.
I also see Duck Duck Go is missing. But I hear that Duck Duck go also does have some privacy issues as well.
Did you look below at the comment on January 2, 2020?
There is an exchange there. As a good place to start.
Very good list! Though my preference is Firefox, one other browser that I think is notable is the Avast Secure Browser. It is Chrome-based, replaced Avast’s SafeZone browser, and, despite the fact that the browser isn’t open source, it’s pretty good. Please consider reviewing it at some point as it would be interesting to read what you have to say about it.
https://www.avast.com/secure-browser#!
I would not recommend using anything from Avast. They have been caught at least twice over the past few years selling user data that they collected through various products and apps.
From a recent article:
“Avast is harvesting users’ browser histories on the pretext that the data has been ‘de-identified,’ thus protecting your privacy. But the data, which is being sold to third parties, can be linked back to people’s real identities, exposing every click and search they’ve made.”
Thank you as I missed that article. What is your view or opinion about DuckDuckGo’s mobile browser? Will you have a separate section of this site dedicated to reviewing mobile browsers?
Hey Mike, I have not tested DDG’s browsers. I have thought about browser reviews, so yes, that’s probably something we will add in the near future (later this year). Thanks for the suggestion.
You’re welcome. There are also very interesting things going on with Mozilla’s FIrefox mobile browsers that deserve watching. Both are expected to be replaced sometime this year with a new one called Fenix (aka Preview) that is faster than Chrome and has the privacy protections of Mozilla’s Firefox Focus browser (which is also very good). In addition to DDG and Tor’s Onion browsers, iOS has another promising privacy browser called Snow Haze.
And we lost fingerprinting in about:config
How about a new browser called “Cliqz”. How does it stand in competition? Please through some light on it. It’s a European browser, so to some extent, I hope we can trust the cliqz browser. What do you say?
Yep, I’ll check it out for the next update to this guide.
“Cliqz” is German gov. telemetry machine…
Any proof for that?
Are you sure?
For me is Cliqz safer than Firefox.
got here by typing “which browsers are safe” the only search result I found was actually in google search via google chrome. I was here once a couple days ago, and found it difficult to find this site again. I was using Chrome on my other PC but it crashed, had to be reinstalled. I am using Brave now on this Dell(low end 4 GB ram PC) and it runs adequate for such a low end machine. but have considered Firefox and I am in the “market” for a new browser since I keep getting malware on sites that are legit but faked by masquaded copies. redirects to Howard Stern “penis” site when typing http://www.google.com is obviously a sign I need to fire my old browser and get a new one! I found your information on Firefox useful as for configuring the settings. but after those recommended about:config settings I was wondering which add ons are actually redundant? I now have Privacy Badger, https: everywhere and ublock origin. I find it strange Firefox is asking me to create an account for higher functionng. I cannot install “Ice Cat’ Brave seems okay except some sites run scripts(and they seem shady) random pop ups on certain websites, like “Windows 10 tools” “upgrade and demanding my email and real name to remove it. and you must enable the blocking of it manually every time you restart the browser. Very disconcerting. IceDragon-a suggested browser I got from another site, runs a command line when it installs I see 3 black screens(command prompt) coming on the screen and flashing off before I can see what they are. what is it installing??? I agree Vivaldi is not that secure! it seems to act funny on sites.
Sounds like you need to disinfect the virus and malware on your computer first.
If by safe you mean private, then use Firefox, Brave, Vivaldi, Iridium, Ungoogled Chromium, Waterfox, Pale Moon or Ice Cat. Need to try each to see which works the most efficient based on your needs and your computer’s specs.
If by safe you mean secure, then most popular browsers are secure such as Chrome, Edge and Firefox. Try Edge as its more efficient than Chrome and Firefox.
Two of the posts below make me wonder if Google is getting hit in the pockets more than they are letting on. So they are in damage control.
Why else come on a site that pushes for migration FROM Google and argue for a surrender TO Google?
Hello ,
I recommend Brave browser because it runs very fast compared to the others, I also did a speed test of loading pages and was good champion, a big plus blocking the annoying ads that we still hit these days, he blocks any kind of advertisement .
In addition to that he does not store the data in an online database, everything is stored locally in your laptop / pc so it’s very very safe.
I was pleasantly surprised.
I agree with Brave. There are still some lingering questions in my mind but those are more curiosities vs anything else.
Anyone who trusts this article may avoid privacy-related problems which is obviously a minor issue concerning there is no clear proof of such claims, but cannot avoid security issue, because listed browsers often don’t follow security standards. Just use Chrome, Edge, Safari. Other options may keep you safe, but it could also make your system vulnerable. Untested browsers are not a good choice.
Open source options based on Chromium are perfectly fine. And nothing is wrong with Firefox.
You do not have to sacrifice privacy for security. You can have both.
I have to agree with Developer_NoName. I am a software engineer, and my browser of choice is Google Chrome. OMG! Chrome collects data so it can serve me relevant ads, which I block using AdBlock.
The reality is that Chrome is the most secure browser available. If I have to choose between someone collecting data to attempt to sell me something I might want to buy versus risk malware being downloaded to my system which could do all kinds of evil things (like locking everything on my computer until I pay Bitcoin as a ransom), I’ll opt for the ads every single time.
By the way, as a first time poster on this site, it asked me for my email address, which I found to be rather ironic given the concerns about privacy on this site. Not to worry, I had my choice of multiple alternative email addresses I could use to shield my privacy.
I enjoy the site. It has some very interesting and useful content.
Of course anyone can use any name or email address for a WordPress comment form (this is how WordPress comment forms work). And this is a privacy-focused website where most people use pseudonyms and fake/throwaway email addresses. This is also displayed at the bottom of the comments, “You can use any name and email address for the comment form (real or fake).”
As to your argument, you are creating a false dichotomy by suggesting that you can either have privacy or security. This is wrong. There are secure browsers with regular updates based on open-source Chromium. See Ungoogled Chromium or Iridium, since you seem to be a big fan of Chrome. Firefox is also great. Your “risk malware” argument by not using Chrome does not hold water.
You seem to have successfully convinced yourself that it is a good idea to use Chrome, and thereby hand over everything you do online to Google, their ad partners, and their global surveillance partners, including the NSA. You may want to think that over some more.
I completely agree with Sven Taylor in relation to the 2nd and 3rd section of his last answer.
The argument that malware could be downloaded to my system because of using a “worse” browser is only an excuse for not wanting to know the internet in all his facets. Like many people say, ‘the weakest part of the security is mostly the user itself’.
If you don’t use the internet or your computer, you won’t get any malware!
I can say that because I have seen almost everything what you can see on the internet for more than 20 years, also some things I don’t want to see. And I know many aspects of malware behavior long before there were applications available like intelligent virus scanners, firewalls, secure browsers or IDS/IPS.
For your information I still use Windows 7 SP1 and the last version of Cyberfox 52.9 because in my opinion I can still work fine with it. And I don’t have any updates installed on my system except a Windows language package and .NetFx 4.6, or I should say I configured my system, so I won’t get any. And I don’t use any virus scanner or firewall application.
So as long as I don’t visit any sites that I don’t really know or trust, I won’t get any malware.
Any thoughts on how the new Edge browser is with privacy?
2. Microsoft Internet Explorer/Edge
Edge is a Microsoft product.
Just like with Windows, it’s a good idea to avoid Microsoft products, including Internet Explorer, and their newer browser called Edge. Internet Explorer and Edge are also closed-source, so there’s no telling what’s going on behind the scenes, and they’re also not the best for privacy reasons.
I just wanted to make sure we were on the same page. I’m asking about the newest MS Edge based on Chomium released this month.
Yeah keep this out of any installation. It’s just Microsoft and it will do the same as Google but worser. As always with Microsoft.
I’d say Google is worse than Microsoft. Edge does call home and send telemetry data, you need to do some research on how to turn it off.
Performance wise so far, Edge is much better than Chrome, better than Firefox, and on par with Brave. If your work requires OneDrive, Office 365 and other Microsoft services then go ahead use it because Edge integrates well with those.
And what about Samsung Internet Browser (bêta) on android?
I use it since two years and it’s pretty awesome in terms of functionalities and ad blocking.
But I’m thinking of switching to Firefox Focus (on android, I’m already on FF on Desktop)
Agreed it is pretty good. It uses content blocking like iOS Safari so you can use it with AdGuard and block more ads, trackers, widgets, annoyances etc than Brave, Cliqz and Adblock Browser.
The only downside for me is it cannot install custom search engine, does not have reader mode, does not clear secret tabs after deleting browser history and it separates bookmarks for normal and secret tabs.
*Sorry, Samsung browser has a reader mode
Indeed it’s great right!?
Since 1 day I’m trying Firefox Preview on android. It seems to be the new/next/future of Firefox (because based on GeckoView that is far faster), it has strict tracking privacy mode by default, dark mode (but not dark pages rendering yet like Samsung does), you can select multiple different search engines, clean history cookie on exit.. Looks good too (navbar at bottom). But no extensions yet.
I let go of Firefox beta for it. But I keep Samsung Browser beta for the evening/night (auto dark websites).
How well do Firefox’s Profiles work in compartmentalizing my browsing?
Another tip for android users: try Smart Cookie Web browser, found on XDA Labs. This is a fork of chromium based Lightning browser. Highly customizable and privacy enhanced.
Can someone rank what is consider the top 4 browser regarding privacy.
I know Tor is number one,is Firefox second or Brave. I am getting confused with so many choices.
Thank you
Depends what operating sistem you use. For me, Firefox in general, privacy enhanced + extensions), Tor, Cliqz (fork of FF, but smoother, and faster), Iridium (Chromium). Android/ios: Firefox Focus or Snowhaze.
Is “Yandex” Secure ? Especially for Torrenting ?
A browser built by a search engine will probably collect data. Yandex browser is based on Chromium, and if you’re going to use a Chromium browser, I think there are some better options, such as Ungoogled Chromium and Iridium.
For torrenting, you’ll definitely want to be using a VPN for torrenting to hide your IP address from copyright trolls.
Few minutes ago after reading your your article, i downloaded 32bit Iridium from official site, installed in my windows 7, but it showed me only blank white page..
i repaired it with control panel, but same blank white page, and in the end i uninstalled it…
i do not know why Iridium show me only white blank page..
now, i am installing Ungoogled Chromium..
sorry, i am unable to edit my comment/reply…
is brave really secure, please check, i am not an expert, so i need your guidence
https://github.com/brave/brave-browser/issues/512
https://github.com/brave/brave-browser/issues/514
https://github.com/brave/brave-browser/issues/663
Im unable to install Iridium and ungoogled chromium on my mac as well. So instead, I got brave, vivaldi dan epic privacy.
I read it somewhere that yandex is a good place to search for pirated contents brcause russian search engine has no regards for american copyright laws. Just parroting what i read.
I am revisiting Cliqz as was suggested by @Bronco.
So far it is really good as I have seen. I didn’t care for the fact that the preset search engines cannot be changed, but I downloaded the Swisscows search bar and tied it to Cliqz.
Set everything as secure as I can and so far so good.
Yes, Cliqz is really impressive browser, especially desktop version. You can do pretty much anything what you can do in FF (including ad-ons) , as it is based on Mozilla code. Also, speed, security and privacy vise, Clicqz beats anything else I have tried on desktop. So, Cliqz + FF are more than enough on desktop for me.
@Bronco
I will have to check out the desktop. I am using hardened FF for both my laptop and Desktop, Linux on one and Windows on the other.
So far, on my Android, I am liking it. I played with it for about three hours last night. I think the only thing that I am not super big on is the fact that I cannot change the built in browser outside of the preset ones they include (Google, Startpage, Duck Duck Go, and a few others that have been mentioned as cautionary to avoid). So I have the preset set for Cliqz and then downloaded SwissCows search. I hit the SC and it gets me what I need. There is a workaround.
Thanks again for the heads up. The display is very sharp and beautiful and so far it is good. No issues as discribed with FF and Brave.
I have been running Brave for a few days. Every click to a link or site gives me an error of “interrupted service”.
This was on my phone. Trying something new.
I am revisiting Cliqz as was suggested by @Bronco.
So far it is really good as I have seen. I didn’t care for the fact that the preset search engines cannot be changed, but I downloaded the Swisscows search bar and tied it to Cliqz.
Set everything as secure as I can and so far so good.
Cliqz blocks ads but like Brave and Adblock Browser (by Eyeo GmbH), it doesnt block social widgets. I prefer Adblock Browser over these two because it allows installing/adding multiple search engines to the browser and has a reader mode.
The only weakness for this broswer is that it automatically resets/turns off adblocking every once it a while.
Good to know. Thank you.
Hi Sven, wondering at which point you will start to recommend changing javascript.enabled to false in the about:config.
It seems that there’s so much that leaks and many sites simply don’t require JS but unfortunately so many at the same time do… it seems half the sites I use require JS and half don’t. It’s not much of a hassle for me I usually keep JS disabled until I run into a situation when I need to enable it and I just toggle that. What are your thoughts on JS as a major privacy violation- a source of browser leaks, and how much of a waste do you believe it is to do something as trivial as keep JS off but toggling it on when you need to for your own convenience.
Is the privacy risk justifiable or is this just the definition of insanity?
Thnaks,
..
I think for most users disabling that is not a good idea because it will break too many websites. For those who want more control over scripts, there’s always NoScript.
Thanks for the amazing suggestion again Sven. I am going to recommend NoScript and use it as mandatory addon. I had to also enable pressidium.com just to write this comment in terms of scripts on your site. This is a really amazing protection. Definitely not for every-day people but for those willing to be nagged abit more I’d say NoScript is a 100% improvement.
Thanks,
..
I’m the founder of the Epic Privacy Browser team and it’s a shame to have the product that I’ve led not just without a salary, but have used my own savings to keep operating is smeared here with what are all basically false claims. Epic was the very first privacy-focused Chromium-based browser. It’s strange that quite similar browsers are praised and recommended, when they’re basically clones of Epic, generally with less not more privacy. That said, it’s great other browsers like Brave are emphasizing privacy.
In terms of the ‘reasons not to use Epic’…every single one of them is baseless or written in a way to simply smear our efforts. Epic does ping Google, but that is so that Google’s Widevine plugin works. There’s no browsing information or anything relayed and other Google services and pinging have all been blocked in Epic. Epic’s encrypted proxy is not tracked at all — the fact that other proxies or VPNs may track and sell data doesn’t mean that all of them do. We don’t. We’ve always made our source code auditable even though we don’t develop Epic through an open source model — we’ve had many devs volunteer to help but none of them ever made a contribution despite us having invested a lot of time to help them get started in Chromium and with our code.
We have always been 100% transparent about how Epic works unlike for instance other services that this website recommends such as DuckDuckGo which refuses to tell anyone for example what user information it shares to get search ads. We do not collect any browsing information about video downloads or proxy usage, but it does go through our servers hence we mention it in our terms and conditions and some data such as bandwidth used and number of requests are tallied. That doesn’t mean we’re tracking anyone as is wrongly written here.
Hello Alok. Thank you for explaining WHY you do some of these things, but I’d like to point out that nothing in the Epic section is incorrect:
– Epic pings Google.
– Epic claims to offer a “free VPN” that is not actually a “VPN” but rather just a browser proxy. (I did not claim Epic is tracking people.)
– Epic has claimed to open source the code for years, but has never done so.
Anyway, I’ll take your feedback into consideration with the next update to this guide.
wow, you literally just slayed a major dev on their “we’re perfect because we tried, and who cares if we didn’t maintain our standards, we made money” bs, while they conveniently leave out clear evidence of the contrary. Regardless if it was or wasn’t malicous in nature here, too many powerful think “i’ve got the title, I’m the founder of xyz. I made money. Standards, and heck even definitions in the dictionary don’t apply to me”. Yeah, no. All his money doesn’t protect the privacy of average end-users. He and his team ultimately failed at their initiative..assuming it wasn’t just to make money. Thanks for holding him responsible.
We’ve always provided files and help generally to much larger browsers who wrote us for help as well as made our code auditable.
We offer an encrypted proxy which we describe as a VPN for the browser just because people are more familiar with “VPN”s now as a tool to mask their IP address vs. an encrypted proxy but both are identical the only difference being a VPN is generally at the OS level vs. just for the browser.
Thank you both, Alok and Sven, for doing what you do. I found out about the Epic browser before bumping into RestorePrivacy. I wanted to find a Chromium-based browser that stripped the data-collecting features and that it was easy to use. Other than a fully-fledged privacy-hardened Quantum Firefox, most Chromium-based alternatives did not provide a sense of that security I was looking for. The only thing that kept me from using Epic regularly was the fact it wasn’t open-sourced and there are not many published reviews with a first-hand look at the production of this amazing project. I trust Alok when he speaks for the Epic Browser project that he and his team are 100% transparent and I would hope more privacy critics like Sven collaborate together to have better fact-checking and give Internet citizens a peace of mind.
Happy New Year!
Hi Sven,
I liked reading about your knowledge, thank you for it. Yes, i use all the standard wrong Browsers, it’s part of work for me to use them. But, i personally try to use my wits and information like you supplied to push back privacy & security encroachments, whether they be corporate, criminal, or governmental data-mining or intrusions.
My Q is this, how well do Firefox’s Profiles work in compartmentalizing my browsing? I can run two profiles at once, would like to run more at once, but i don’t know how to, afaik Chrome & Opera don’t do anything like Profiles… do they?
Firefox’s Profiles, and the pre-WebExtensions add-ons like Tab Groups, keep me in the past running a FF 5.2.9 ESR build, but i’ll look at the newer Waterfox builds now, and for my personal Opera/Chrome replacements i’ll look at Iridium, thank you for the suggestions.
Last note, I don’t know what’s too hard about using NoScript &| ABP together, anyone i’ve seen post a comment to you here seems savvy enough to run either properly, but i’ll try your easier suggestions because it won’t be bad for me to learn your perspective on things.
My thanks in advance, Cheers!
Pale Moon’s rumor control thread has been updated: https://forum.palemoon.org/viewtopic.php?f=65&t=22399
@Bronco,
I downloaded both. Kiwi set off some crazy alerts telling me I need Google Play to work. And it was not just one alert and silence. I had to delete it to get it to stop, LOL!
Cliqz was and is interesting. On my testing with my classyshark3xodus I did a run on it after I hardened it. I found two trackers.
The first is AWS Kinesis (40com.amazonaws.mobile) which also comes across as Amazon Analytics.
The second is AWS Kinesis (26come.amazonaws.metrics).
Maybe I do not have something set right, but that is what I found in my testing. I also was wondering if I had to use the search they provide or if I can change it. I really like SwissCows for my searching and would like to stay with them if I can.
So I am not sure. Maybe I did not harden it like I should but just thought I would share my thoughts. Thanks.
@Bronco,
No problem. Glad to help. I am hoping that Exodus app is actually good. I used it but as far as the behind the scenes stuff…I am still learning.
I am limited, I should say, to the apps that I can use on my phone. I have, and I do not remember how I did it, been able to get to the core functions of the apps. From there I was able to disable not only all of the google apps that I have, but I have also disabled GSM services. Google play is not active nor is 99% of any google stuff. I am running strictly FOSS apps.
I do have a few exceptions and those come either as APK straight from the developer (Protonmail and ProtonVPN apps) or they come from APKPure (Firefox, Brave, Lookout). The rest come straight from F-droid.
From what I have found, and YMMV, Brave is actually faster than the Hardened Firefox on my system itself and it is Android. I had almost gotten a Windows phone but I am glad I didn’t. In regards to how others have used Brave and their thoughts, I need to keep digging. I try to read all the comments and absolutely read the reviews. However, I think if we could get a full review, such as Firefox or some of the other services, we can get a great picture of what is going on. That may help to centralize all the comments about Brave. Maybe in the future :). I do agree. On my work PC and laptop, I use hardened FireFox. Although on my Desktop, I have moved to a Linux. I absolutely love that system and wish I could get my main software to work off Linux. As of right now, they only offer for windows (hence I keep my laptop in my office as well).
I have not tried Cliqz. I may need to see if I can get that. I know someone said to use Ghostery as a web browser, but after hearing who owns them, I will pass. I will also check out Kiwi. But I do not want to download too much off APKPure if I can help it as I do not know what to think of them just yet. Thanks for the suggestions.
Thanks, J.M., I didn’t know there’s another Exodus app. Brave browser is not an option for me anymore, it’s resource-hungry and very hard to uninstall completely (Windows version). There are other problems with Brave, discussed also somewhere on this website, from other users. As for android, I still use hardened Firefox occasionally, as it is my main browser on all devices for years.
Have you tried Cliqz? Both Windows and Android versions are superb in my tests. Speed is excellent, no trackers at all. Made in Germany, though they have some connections with Mozilla, the browser is also based on that code. My chromium option is Kiwi. Also no trackers, supports extensions and dark mode, works just fine.
So, for me, on different devices I use sporadically Firefox for important stuff. For general browsing, Cliqz and Kiwi are the best options for me, considering all factors.
Bronco made an interesting statement which prompted this.
I am using ClassyShark3xodus (off F—droid) to test for trackers.
My tests are simple:
Hardened Firefox
Brave
Fennec Fdroid firefox
Firefox Focus
Foss Browser
Privacy browser
To be fair, I hardened each of these the best I knew how. Which for some was not a lot possible. I also followed many of the guides here.
This is what I got:
Harden Firefox- 3 trackers (Adjust-41com.adjust.sdk; LeanPlum-262com.leanplum; Mozilla Telemetry-36org.mozilla.gecko.telemetry).
Brave-0 trackers
Fennec – 1 Tracker (Mozilla Telemetry-35org.mozilla.gecko.telemetry)
Firefox Focus- 2 trackers ( Adjust and Telemetry)
Foss Browser-0 trackers
Privacy Browser-0 trackers
Each of these came either from F- Droid or APKPure.
Foss Browser is elemenated as it is github now owned by Microsoft.
Fennec fox and Privacy browser are gone as I do not have full control that I fel I should have. The options are limited. And Fennec has a tracker.
That leaves Focus, Brave and Hardened Firefox. Seeing as Brave has no trackers, I am leaning toward them.
So, what am I missing? Or am I on something? Thanks.
as far as i understand exodus(ClassyShark3xodus maybe the same) has a database of scanned apps. the app checks i you have the same app installed(the inform is on what they have in teir database ,not your device)
so could be posible the firefox report was made whitout opting out of the mozilla tracking options.
im not sure
just asking
I don’t know for sure. When I download and am given an option to install I am able to run the Exodus beforehand.
I am not sure if it is a database but that is a good question. I need to dig a little.
https://forum.xda-developers.com/android/software-hacking/dexdump-xodus-trackers-apk-static-t3833391
This is the developers site and info.
@Bronco
There is another one off FDroid. ClassyShark3Exodus. Checks for trackers as well and not limited to Google Play.
I saw the three trackers for Firefox.
Here’s highly recommended app for android users: Exodus Privacy. This F-droid app can help you to know which trackers and permissions are embedded in apps installed on your device.
Now here’s one interesting curiosity: Firefox for android (with privacy setup recommended here as well as on a few other websites) has 3 trackers! For exp, telemetry is still active, though switched off in my settings. Bitwarden has 2 trackers as well. Nice to reveal that Cliqz has no trackers and just a few permissions; Chromium based Kiwi browser and Tutanota are free of trackers, too.
The Exodus app can only detect apps installed from the Google Play store.
Sven, it would be nice to discuss this on a separate topic. I think it’s interesting and potentially important.
Info from 9th Dec. 2019 from the Iridium Browser Facebook page below. I still prefer Firefox (modified) though as the updates don´t come with a delay. The mobile versions sound interesting though. Yes. I know. Security and mobiles: good joke.
“Hi All,
we will be releasing new builds based on Chromium 78.0.3904.87 for Windows and SUSE this week.
Releases for other Platforms such as macOS, Debian based systems, Fedora and RHEL will follow in due course.
The other good news is, we got a new setup and will be releasing new builds more frequent again!
Furthermore we are also working on mobile versions for Android and iOS which should be available in 2020.”
Very good to see, thanks for the update.
Sven,
Is an iPad with Firefox a better choice than a Chromebook for privacy, or do you run into the same problems?
Well it all depends on your adversary and what data you are trying to hide from who. But Apple is generally considered to be more privacy-friendly than Google, so yes.
Sven,
Is there a way to make a Chromebook privacy secure? For example, can you put ungoogled Chromium on it? Are there any other ways?
A Chromebook is secure, but it’s not good from a privacy standpoint, with Chrome OS collecting lots of data and linking this to your Google data profile. No, there’s not much you can do about it, other than running a different OS or switching to something else.
https://itsfoss.com/install-linux-chromebook/
—
Best option IMO. Same goes with Microsoft Surface Pro etc. If you need to run Windows 10 or 7 you can always run it in a Sandbox (VM) within a Linux OS or try to use those applications out of Wine.
—
Thanks,
..
I am not the best at this privacy thing but here is my immediate findings.
If doing all the adjustments on Firefox as Sven says on this site, it may help make it better. My issue is whether or not the adjustments make yourself more private. But they also admit they have servers everywhere as well.
With Brave, I was reading their PP and ran accross this:
“Brave websites are hosted on infrastructure we operate, and on infrastructure operated on our behalf by Amazon, Heroku (a Salesforce company), and Fastly.”
Maybe I am reading too much into it but anything dealing with Amazon, and, if I remember, Salesforce, is not a good thing.
https://www.theverge.com/2018/7/28/17622792/plugin-use-the-internet-without-the-amazon-cloud
—
Old article but still good. Amazon hosts so many sites that it is near impossible to avoid. Yes- it is another company comprised of an NSA arm that Snowden had mentioned.
—
But there’s nothing to read-into it’s business as usual and the only way to avoid using a site dealing with Amazon at this point is to unplug your ethernet from your device, remove Mobile data from your cellphone plan, and swear to never use the internet again.
—
Thanks,
..
@Sven,
Thanks for the help.
@Sven,
The reply button wasn’t working so I will have to respond here. Thanks. What do you use on Android?
I generally don’t use Android, but I do have an old Android phone I haven’t turned on in a while. I also have an old iPhone from many years ago, but it’s rarely ever used. I plan on trying out the PinePhone (Linux phone) sometime next year.
Watch this video by Robert Braxman. https://invidio.us/watch?v=17BeZSXi50k
—
Unless you get a Librem 5 (https://puri.sm/products/librem-5/)
or PinePhone (https://www.pine64.org/pinephone/)
or the Volla phone (https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/volla/volla-phone-freedom-through-simplicity-and-security)
—
you are vulnerable.
—
You do not want to use Android unless you are comfortable knowing that everything your eyes have seen, a set of four others have also looked and stored whatever it was you wrote or watched or loaded.
Unfortunately even those 3 phones I linked are not full-proof but they are much safer than anything Android. The hierarchy goes as follows (my personal opinion, a random dude on the net).
#1 (unrealistically). burner phone. Constantly tossing your phone out and using a different one w/ a different number / SIM card. Prepaid, etc. Lots of the prepaid phones are also “dumb” phones which is good though everything seems to be going touch screen with a dash of mobile data etc.
#1 (realistically). BlackBerry OS (the old phones made prior to 2013)
#2. Non-Google, Non-Microsoft, Non-Apple, Non-Asian phone (Librem 5, PinePhone, Volla, these are manufactured in Asia for some parts but software side is not). Lots of other phone’s too many to list that are simple phone’s (dummy phone’s).
#3. BlackBerry 10 (phones made between 2013-2016) operating on QNX
#4. Windows Phone (discontinued after ~2015).
#5. Windows 10 Mobile (discontinued around ~2017)
#6. Asian phones (huawei, etc). Probably your worst option if you actually reside in China but if you reside in the Western world it’s likely a safer bet to purchase these phones from Asia than use an Android or iPhone
#7. iPhone’s with oldest models being more privacy friendly and newest more invasive
…
#9,999,999,999. Android phones, again oldest, being more privacy friendly and newest one’s probably in bed with the NSA)
—
I’m young and dumb so this list might be dumb lol.
Thanks,
..
@Sven
With the DoH with firefox, do you lean more toward Brave or another browser first?
If not, how do you disable the DoH on the Android browser?
Hi J.M. I don’t use Firefox on Android, so I’m not sure.
Hey all,
Have been reading a lot and ran across the DNS over HTTPS change that Firefox has done.
I have the settings made by @Sven and it works fine.
However with the DoH I am wondering if there is a better browser. Would brave fit that bill or ? Thank you.
Hi, guys.
Has anyone tried Cliqz private browser? Based on Firefox and supported for main platforms, it doesn’t work bad at all. It looks like they are Mozilla-supported German brand. I’m trying it as I read about them.
Can we please get a review of the Snowhaze browser?
https://snowhaze.com
I’m particularly interested in the browser, not necessarily the VPN.
Until today, Opera was my favorite browser. But I was disappointed to find that it’s now owned by a Chinese company! From what I’ve heard, this can open the door to spying by the biggest privacy invader ever known to mankind–China’s Communist government.
Which raises the question: Which browsers are least susceptible to Chinese eavesdropping and spyware?
Hello Sven I do agree with this article except for edge. Micrsoft edge has some of the best security and microsoft is working on making the browser more private
Hi Sven, what about Dissenter Browser? It is a fork of Brave browser and without implementation of BAT.
I was wondering what are your thoughts on Duck Duck Go browser for privacy
I’m not a big fan of DuckDuckGo, a US company that logs all search requests and is run on Amazon servers in the US. I haven’t looked at their browser yet.
You can also add https://teqatlas.com/products-and-services/tenta-browser. Emerald Cactus Ventures LLC is designed Tenta -next generation browser that is designed from the ground up for unparalleled privacy and security with built-in encryption.
Hi Inna,
I’d looked at tenta over a year ago – it’s only offered for Android.
I did try it, loaded up the (free basic offering), and found out about the Pro version pricing of $7/monthly or $5/ month billed annually.
https://tenta.com/
*Tenta’s homepage doesn’t link to the Pro version’s price – why?
–
Claimed as to offering a – “Built-In VPN” – Unblock the internet with free unlimited VPN protection.
{what confusion that statements can cause on different levels}
– Free version – only works within the browser (over proxies), rather than encrypting all the traffic on your operating system.
– Pro version unlocks a device-wide VPN subscription.
{It’s only in the Pro’s version of the Tenta Browser where you’d get the built-in true VPN – not proxies – and that uses the Open VPN protocol. This should at least give you user credentials (name/password) and a choice in VPN server locations – does it ? / I didn’t pay to find out.}
Note: This means all data on your device is protected even if you don’t have Tenta Browser open.
https://tenta.com/device-wide-vpn
–
This real VPN feature as the others (like Per App VPN, Encrypted Media Vault) are interesting – but it’s only for the android platform being offered here.
For the money, I’d not see it viable as a (TRUE) VPN offering !
1st. Your your use is locked into one device on one platform for the subscription period.
2nd. Vague are the Tenta’s VPN details – server interstructure, user account – actually everything a normal VPN client covers/service offers…
3rd. Any part of it open-source ? Offered on G Play = real privacy…
– – Seems especially high for a one device and platform offering for a niche specialty VPN browser.
* I mean when you can buy into a regular top rated VPN service for a year, and it then to cover more devices and platforms for that one subscriptions price.
** Over and beyond what is understood today of this Pro Tenta specialty VPN browser subscriptions price.
Why limit yourself ? – for about the same money a dedicated VPN clients/service subscription will work on all your devices as it’s always a True VPN when installed.
Hi Sven for setting out to out those who believe its fine to misuse or trade info on individuals. Especially perturbing when one doesn’t have a right to have the info expended on request. Thanks also to all contributors for the useful discussion.
Sven, have you heard of Cốc Cốc, a freeware web browser focused on the Vietnamese market? Any intel?
Thanks in advance,
Dimmly
Hi Sven, MANY THANKS for setting out to out those…
🙂
Dimmly
This article is not correct. Chrome secure? Vivaldi? Ha – do your homework . Of all the ones listed palemoon and ungoogled chrome are the only ones that don’t collect your info.
Greetings! It sounds like you don’t understand the difference between security and privacy. Do your homework.
Sven hello
Can you please comment on Mozilla partnering with CloudFlare and making a mandatory DNS-over-HTTPS for all customers in America.
Would this essentially diminish Firefox as private in your eyes?
Very important question.
Please respond.
Yeah, that’s really stupid from a privacy standpoint. A centralized DNS can see and log everything. With Cloudflare being a large tech company based in the US, that’s a bad idea. It looks like you can modify this in Firefox, or use a fork of Firefox (Waterfox). More reading:
Centralised DoH is bad for privacy, in 2019 and beyond
What is your suggestion to the guinea pigs in America?
This has me very worried. I am new to privatizing my life (I think end-to-end email encryption and a lot of what you mention in this site is very wonkish “too sophisticated” for the average person, Tor, etc.)
But I’ve made some good steps BECAUSE of this site! I especially have helped family and friends configure Firefox with your suggested about: config settings and the Decentraleyes add-on. These browser adjustments to me and everyone I explained is very common sense and so is VPN (though it’s harder to convince other people).
I am also reading conflicting information. Some U.K. lawmakers who are weary if this change happens in the U.K. say that this will make child abuse harder to track and will be actually too strong for privacy (everyone will use the same address). Mozilla assured them DoH won’t be used or rolled out as mandatory.
https://www.theregister.co.uk/2019/09/24/mozilla_backtracks_doh_for_uk_users/
So I’m not even sure if DoH is that bad or if it’s good? I did read that article you linked as well. It seems there are some trade-offs.
If you were American (I don’t know if you are), what would your suggestion be? I’m not sure I am ready to trust Cloudflare and it doesn’t look like Firefox will give us a choice.
As with everything, just keep learning and taking small steps to achieve the best privacy and security setup for your unique needs. It’s not an “all or nothing” situation, so it sounds like you’re doing a great job.
Regarding Firefox and DoH, I also do not trust Cloudflare (large US company collecting everyone’s DNS requests) and would simply not use it. If you are using a good VPN, all DNS requests should be encrypted and handled by the VPN’s DNS servers, so this won’t be an issue. Since March 2017, all American ISPs can collect your internet browsing and pass it on to third parties. This is now perfectly legal, and most people don’t even know about it!
The PRISM program also explains how internet providers are collecting data and providing it to surveillance agencies, such as the NSA. Therefore everyone in the United States should be using a good VPN, unless of course you want to simply give all your internet history over to your internet provider (and everyone they share data with).
Using a third-party DNS provider does not provide you with online anonymity as your IP address remains exposed to everyone online.
Uh, now that I’ve looked more into the Brave Reddit links for more information, I’m seeing some comments that say it’s impossible to completely remove the tracking/phoning-home to Google from a Chromium-based browser. Is this true? I have doubts simply because it shouldn’t be *impossible* unless there’s a proprietary piece somewhere inside it that isn’t open source, and even then. But if it’s true, it should definitely be possible to verify it.
While there’s a question, I thought that anybody reading this article should know about it.
I mean, I’m no expert, but the research done and provided on the links I have put below do test things like phoning home for all the browsers, I think they even state how they have tested it and how you can yourself. Could be useful if you are interested in looking.
The way I see it, areas of technology concerning privacy and security house too many ‘ifs’ and ‘buts’, so I don’t think you can ever fully be 100% sure about anything. Keep the KISS principle in mind, make the simple changes that can be made, like choosing over Iridium over Chrome, and you are already doing better.
I think after alot of basic research, understanding and testing, I think I am going to agree with Armchair’s comment below and settle down with the Iridium Browser, with a small amount of privacy/security addons from Sven’s list. I have tested and looked into many issues and opinions of many induviduals regarding browsers, and I think the most pure (and easy to use) choice is Iridum, yet I do like IceCat, but I am on Windows.
–
I am curious about two things relating to the Iridium Browser and how they might affect the overall privacy and security it offers:
– The time between updates (Latest being 20th July 2019)
– The integrated connection to the Chrome Web Store. (Ungoogled Chromiums way of installing addons seems too in-depth for my use, but is avoiding the Web Store that important?)
–
I don’t suppose the Infamous HardSell would have anything to comment? I have also taken into account the following information sources, with a pinch of salt, they might be handy to some.
–
[https://spyware.neocities.org/articles/browsers.html]
[https://digdeeper.neocities.org/ghost/browsers.html]
Hi OTT,
Sorry for not responding sooner – truth, I skim over sometimes and miss stuff. But an article of Sven’s that interests me – I’ll read it word for word multiple times (when time permits), and try to stay up with what else I find off site. Sven updates his articles often as the info here changes too as it becomes known to Sven.
.
No expert here either – and browsers are not my strong subject.
But a browsers (or any software) TOS’s and PP’s, the country it’s headquartered in, and the company itself – along with strong supportive user reviews and it containing as much open source code as possible. Would be my foundations bottom line on a system I’d run.
.
I see it this way, the web connects to me and I connect to it.
From my foundation up I have a good firewall there (Sphinx Win10FC), that permits or doesn’t permit that contact of the web either way of the direction.
[EX: a bottle neck’s inspection I thus enforce]
.
Then when online surfing through my browser(s) no matter of which one used. AdGurad for Windows is installed there doing all kinds of privacy stuff. “New Browser” and no setting to tick in AG – just assign it’s .exe file in AG settings – it will work on that browser too.
– Anyway’s I see just blocking ads, BLOCKS alot of stuff given up by your machine/device to the web. Then and with AdGuard’s advanced setting set of it’s Stealth Mode you can hit privacy’s path better.
A VPN in that connection and it’s 3-prong protection.
Hope it helps you or someone. : )
For those asking about the Comodo browsers: I often use Dragon. I recently had troubles that caused me to have to update Dragon, then eventually regress to an older version, time-sensitive enough I was a little loose about what I would put up with. But I still had trepidation with a new clause I noticed in the license agreement, that I would have remembered previously:
“EXPRESS PERMISSIONS:
BY INSTALLING AND USING THE PRODUCT(S), YOU ARE GIVING EXPRESS PERMISSION FOR THE FOLLOWING DATA AND INFORMATION COLLECTION.
Information which is collected for performance and functionality includes product installation and install status, install options, product configuration, product uninstallation, product update(s) and update status; operating system information such as type, language, platform and service pack; GUI language(s) used in Comodo products; product launch; and user consent to data collection.
Comodo Dragon Browser produces log files of information about certificate revocation checks which are transmitted to Comodo for analysis. No correlation of personally identifiable information is made or included in the log files.
Additionally, based on user choices and consent at installation, in order to improve the performance, compatibility, and functionality of our products, Comodo may also collect other information such as: installed product name and version(s); information on any default browsers or browsers installed as well as extensions, add-ons, or plug-ins; activity, use, shutdowns, re-start events, and crash reports.”
Indeed, there is nothing like this in the license agreement for version 45.0.
There is also a class-action waiver that wasn’t part of the agreement when I first installed Dragon.
Ice Dragon is a little bit worse; right near the beginning, it has
“THIS AGREEMENT CONTAINS A BINDING ARBITRATION PROVISION THAT REQUIRES THE RESOLUTION OF DISPUTES ON AN INDIVIDUAL BASIS, LIMITS YOUR ABILITY TO SEEK RELIEF IN A COURT OF LAW, AND WAIVES YOUR RIGHT TO PARTICIPATE IN CLASS ACTIONS, CLASS ARBITRATIONS, OR A JURY TRIAL FOR CERTAIN DISPUTES.”
And in regards to the privacy, it has essentially the same language except for adding these things (emphasis/asterisks mine):
“GUI language(s) used in Comodo products; product launch; and default browsers, *time of browsing activity with Comodo browsers*, and user consent to data collection.”
“Comodo may also collect other information such as: installed product name and version(s); information on any browsers installed *and default search/home page*, as well as extensions, add-ons, or plug-ins; activity, use, shutdowns, re-start events, and crash reports.”
It is possible that these had been in the privacy policy long ago, but again I am pretty sure I would have remembered that.
This is the sum total of my looking into things, and maybe at one point Comodo had been trustworthy, but this I find very ominous indeed. A shame too, because I liked their firewall….
Also boy howdy does this ever underscore how important it is to *always* read license agreements, even when updating. Something similar happened with AVG all of a sudden selling customer info when they hadn’t been before, and collecting data they hadn’t before.
Right now I’ve decided I’ll probably use Iridium. Having the choice of a portable version, I find reassuring even though I’ll probably just use the installer; it means the program probably won’t rely on insinuating itself into your computer (not like with the disturbing revelations in the comments on Brave below). And they seem to be pretty open about what they’re doing and why they make the choices they make, putting up front that there may be reasons you might elect for a different browser. I tend to trust those who seem to be trying to foster critical thinking more than those trying to “make the sale” if you will.
And by the way thank you very much, Sven, for providing this helpful website and answering questions as best you can.
Howdy Armchair Privologist,
Enjoyed the findings you’ve shared above.
I think people start trusting a co. and then surrender their common protection logic over to them thereafter.
Trust has to be earned over again and again, just like the payment made yearly to use the software/service.
–
Extensions developed for browsers can change owners/polices faster than any browsers too. It’s more to this browser privacy issue – agree.
.
I see your mention of loss – “because I liked their firewall”, Comodo’s firewall may of been good for you but, do have a look at
https://www.sphinx-soft.com/Vista/index.html
Sphinx Win10FC = firewall that blocks everything by default, uses its own rules, it doesn’t set any in the Windows firewall, you can switch the WINDOWS Built-in Firewall ON or OFF at your option due to the completeness of Sphinx Win10FC product independence – free version has limits as can not manage system applications (located in c:\windows\*) .
Note: originally called Windows Vista Firewall Control it updates to the name of current OS to sound current.
Best review I’ve seen – I copied in my comment – Hard Sell JANUARY 1, 2019
https://restoreprivacy.com/privacy-tools/#comments
Greetings
Thanks for the tip, Hard Sell. Like, hugely: I really was feeling bereft. I’ll check it out.
I’m using Sphinx Win10FC and with installed AdGuard as just two, they have me jubilant that those bases are covered and very well I might add.
– Be interesting if your interests were enough to run their permissions and data collection (each) through your inspection and report.
I like the comments about avoiding Microsoft products. I have always felt that Microsoft was nothing more than a giant virus.
Giant virus? I have been using Microsoft for like… my whole life and I NEVER received any kind of virus whatsoever. Not even a single malware.
As for privacy, I trust Microsoft more than Google. Google is no more for me, trying my best to completely left their ecosystem be it on computer or on mobile.
Hello Sven,
A very usefull article but I don’t agree with your opinion about Vivaldi and as a user, I can’t resist it to reply. I do understand your conserns about the unique-ID but the data anonymized and necessary to build a good browser and today they announced that the unique-ID will be removed and replaced by a better system like you can read on the article below. In my opinion, Vivaldi is a unique browser that can be customized in a way that is not possible in other browser and the company behind Vivaldi is privacy-friendly and they do have an active dev team (maybe not as large as Firefox, but Firefox has more money to spend because it is larger). In my opinion, it is to fast said that Vivaldi is not recommended pure based on that paragraph in their privacy policy.
https://vivaldi.com/nl/blog/how-we-count-our-users/
Hi Vincent, thanks for the info.
Hola Sven,
Great article – I’ve been (perhaps naively) using Vivaldi + DDG for a long time and am currently testing out Waterfox + Startpage as a replacement. I’ve also been using Ghostery for a long time, though I didn’t see it on the Browser add-ons for security and privacy list…am I equally as naive about that as a good tracker blocker?
There have been some issues with Ghostery, their business model is the collection and sale of data:
https://www.wired.com/2016/03/heres-how-that-adblocker-youre-using-makes-money/
I tried Vivaldi, and immediately was hacked by a url, that injected itself into two different browsers, frustrating me. I had to uninstall it, but, I still have the same problem with the url, from Vivaldi.
Don’t install it!!!
Are u sure it’s Vivaldi’s fault? Do u have an antivirus program installed and firewall activated?
“India” is a nice mask for those who want to stay hidden. Epic Browser and “Hidden reflex” have no face and they are not transparent. Sometimes they are from India and other times from the USA. But their administrator says: “Our search engine is powered by Yandex so there are some Russian results now and then even for English search queries.” .. Strange. :))
Source: Epicbrowser Forum: [http://forum.epicbrowser.com/viewtopic.php?id=1936]
Brave (Privacy) Browser app has access to your devices:
1. Wi-Fi connection information (view Wi-Fi connections)
2. Photos/Media/Files
3.read the contents of your USB storage
4. modify or delete the contents of your USB storage
5. Camera (take pictures and videos)
6. Contacts (read your contacts)
7. Device & app history (read your Web bookmarks and history)
8. Microphone
9. Record audio
10. Location
– precise location (GPS and network-based)
– approximate location (network-based)
11. Storage
read the contents of your USB storage
modify or delete the contents of your USB storage
and other ))))
download files without notification
receive data from Internet
access Bluetooth settings
reorder running apps
view network connections
pair with Bluetooth devices
run at startup
prevent device from sleeping
control Near Field Communication
control vibration
change your audio settings
install shortcuts
full network access
write web bookmarks and history
Hi Sven, hi guys,
I was looking for a secure browser and I came across Epic Privacy Browser. But, I can’t find anything about the creators of this browser. After I got strange Russian results in Epic search, I searched the Epic Browser forum for an explanation and I found this:
QUESTION: “Epic search likes to give me results from mostly Russian sites, which are useless to me. How can I exclude such results or reset the search engine to work properly?”
EPIC BROWSER ADMINISTRATOR’S REPLY: “There may be a few Russian results but it should mostly be in English. Our search engine is powered by Yandex so there are some Russian results now and then even for English search queries.”
Yandex: Яндекс a Russian multinational corporation specializing in Internet-related products and services.
So? It is just a hidden Russian system? Hidden hunting for the Putin and Kremlin enemies? )))))
Yandex is a Russian search engine, I guess like Google is to the US. From what I’ve seen, though, the development team of Epic is based in India.
Sven,
Do you recommend VPN browser extensions with any of these browers so as to increase privacy and security? For example, Firefox has a CyberGhost VPN browser extension that supposedly does not restrict bandwidth usage and requires no sign up. It looks relatively good, but I read your review of the regular CyberGhost VPN and am reluctant to try it without checking with you. Because I’m using a shared computer, I am not able to install the full VPN client.
Thank you for your thoughtful reviews.
Hello, keep in mind that these browser extensions are only acting as a proxy for your browser, rather than a VPN which encrypts all traffic on your operating system. You do also want to be careful with which browser extensions you use and get them from a reputable source. I’d personally opt for VPN.ac, which offers secure proxy browser extensions for Firefox, Chrome, and Opera browsers.
Hey Sven, If I understand you correctly: VPN.ac can be used as a full-bore VPN on ones computer, but also has the option that you can selectively use their browser extension as a proxy? Bit confused over that aspect. (Is there a link on your site that sheds more light on this detail?)
Secondly, does ExpressVPN offer the same setup re secure proxy browser extensions for Firefox/Chrome/Opera/et al?
Cheers, George
Hey George, with VPN.ac that is correct. They offer two products:
– Browser extensions that encrypt traffic between your browser and one of their proxy servers; and
– VPN apps that run on your operating system, encrypting all traffic on your operating system
With ExpressVPN, their browser extension is just “extending” the VPN app so it can be controlled through the browser extension. That is different from what VPN.ac is doing with their independent secure proxy extension.
What about using ExpressVPN browser extension?
The functionality is different from Opera (and others) in that ExpressVPN’s browser extension allows you to control the desktop VPN client from your browser. It also has some other features, such as HTTPS Everywhere, and it has passed a security audit by Cure53. So not a bad idea if you think it would be useful for your setup.
GOOD! How can I define a Ramdisk for a Firefox secure browser?
Maybe worth a look: https://www.bromite.org
safecentral is the best
Hi,
I don’t agree with some of the Browsers you recommend for security reasons, e.g.:
2. Irdium Browser: last updated on 15th April, based on Chromium 73.
4. Ungoogled Chromium: is on latest Chromium version but it took them two days (Chromium 75.0.3770.100 was released on 18th June, eloston updated on 20th June) which is just at the edge of being too long imo.
I don’t know about the Firefox Forks and the other browsers but here is what I recommend:
Firefox (with tweaks)
or
Brave
Since Brave is the only actively maintained Chromium fork with speedy updates (a few hours) and better privacy protection.
Hi Jan, good points. Yes, I agree with you that modified Firefox is best.
When you navigate through the web, you go through websites that have many hidden components, especially in the widgets like to ‘comment’ and ‘share’ buttons. They make seamless inquiries and identify your browser fingerprints, which they use to link your behavior on visited websites.
This article I recently found discusses sheds more light on the matter:
https://medium.com/@kameleo/browser-fingerprints-why-does-that-one-ad-follow-you-even-when-youre-in-incognito-mode-d5594277baae
Hi SIR.. What are your thoughts on these browsers nDalang, Antiditect, & Multilogin
https://ndalang.inflowtraffic.com/
https://antidetect.org
https://multilogin.com/
Please test these..
What’s your opinion on Dissent Browser ?
Brave minus the ads.. Would love to see a writeup
I haven’t really checked it out yet.
how about the cent browser and comodo dragon / ice dragon browser?
BRAVE – change my experience and give me some proof evidence this project is not kind of scam… The following is not only my experience, from what I found in their support forum many other users ran in similar problems resulting in privacy and security concerns. And none of their mods were ever able to give clean and trustworthy explanation:
1. Portable version is not available, because the app installation needs to get its teeth so deep in your system it will take you a day to do a clean up and get rid of it completely while uninstalling. Bloated registry with more then a hundred!!! entries binding with apps and processes you would not believe. Check your drive for “brave” filename string and you will faint…
2. Creating hardware profiles (graphics 3D accelerator) without letting you know.
3. They admitted insane numbers of home calls (check their forums what data they do collect, they are not proud to list it all on their homepage), but not only Brave, but calling old food Google too (it’s chromium based).
4. Fans of your 3D accelerator will turn your silent laptop into a heating turbine beast immediately after launching Brave – even with one empty tab. Turning HW acceleration OFF in the setting is the only option how to survive with this browser on laptop – but WHY does Brave need such a high computing performance from your 3D accelerator when there is not a reason for that? Clean start.. no tabs… MANY users asked in their forum – till today no one gave an answer to that – smells a bit fishy, huh? What’s running there in the background? Is the source available? Nope….
Wow, good points…
Check out the following link, just to show I did not make this issue up by myself, this thread is just a couple of days old proving that issue is still there, for years! You can be paranoid or not, but these days when there are malware miners everywhere behaving the same why, one became suspicious quite quickly, not talking about making the browser a real pain to use….
https://www.reddit.com/r/brave_browser/comments/c1fyal/absurd_cpu_and_gpu_performance/
Hi Sven Taylor,
I just wanted to know is tenta for android a good secure browser. And for Windows is slimjet browser really good. Also I would like to know if the inbuilt vpn on slimjet is free.
No, I do not recommend any “browser VPNs”. There is no such thing as a “browser VPN” since your traffic is only going through a proxy, so it’s a proxy, not a VPN, and it should not be marketed to people as a VPN, which is misleading at best. Slimjet also appears outdated.
More suspicious issues with Brave: having deleted my old fake FB profile years ago, somehow it appeared (with profile name) when I just typed F letter in the Brave address bar, incredible! I don’t know how that could be possible. What I do know is that Brave is past privacy browser for me…
I installed iridiumbrowser-2019.04.73.0-x64.msi a week or so ago and I’d suggest disabling the NIC on first run, it has terrible default settings.
–
JN
Hi Sven,
Thank you for the helpful guide! I registered with Posteo, but I was thinking about the following scenario.
Let’s say Posteo stops; there would be no way to access my mail anymore. If I would use a different provider that allows support for a domain, I could register my domain with another web provider and keep using it. What is your view on this?
Thank you!
Hi Derja, true, but Posteo has been around for a while. Yes, with your own domain, you could use the email with any provider that supports custom domains.
I’ve been doing this for years; nothing wrong with it. I have an email account at one place, bought a domain at another place, linked the two on the two providers’ websites, and so have a virtual email address I can take to another email provider that provides the same service, if I choose. Course, if your email provider disappears overnight you’ll lose all your emails. Don’t know if this is a realistic possibility.
Hi Sven
What is the most secure and PRIVATE browser based on CHROMIUM for Windows 10 and Android?
Note that i accept to use two different browsers one for each OS, i just want the MOST secure and PRIVATE browser based on CHROMIUM for each OS.
thank you for your replay about Aloha browser.
I like Iridium.
?!?! Sven… why exactly do you like it? Please do elaborate! Cheers, George
It works well, kept up to date, no approved ad programs (such as with Brave), no issues.
what is the most secure and PRIVATE browser based on CHROMIUM for Windows 10 and Android?
Note that i accept to use two different browsers one for each OS, i just want the MOST secure and PRIVATE browser based on CHROMIUM for each OS.
thank you for your replay about Aloha browser.
Hi Sven
Please test Aloha browser,Aloha browser lite and Aloha VPN.
and please test Bromite browser.
i intend to use Bromite for android and ungoogled chromium for windows 10 is there’s a better option based on chromium?
i need the most secure and private Browser based on chromium for windows 10 and android so what do you recommend?
please reply….
Hello, no, I would definitely not recommend this. It’s an unknown browser, unknown developer, closed source, and offers a “free unlimited VPN”. All of these issues are red flags. The VPN part is a lie (it’s just a proxy), and that could be used for data collection, such as with Opera’s “free VPN”.
Aloha Browser is a web browser developed by Aloha Mobile Ltd, based in Limassol, Cyprus. This browser has the ability to unblock any site through its built-in VPN service, which is unlimited free and can be activated with a single click.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aloha_(web_browser)
Aloha Browser is a fast, free, full-featured web browser that provides maximum privacy and security.Nov 11, 2018
Aloha Browser – private fast browser with free VPN for Android – Free …
https://download.cnet.com › Aloha-Browser-private-fast-browser-with-free-…
and a bit on Bromite
https://github.com/bromite/bromite
Bromite is Chromium plus some patches for ad blocking and enhanced privacy.
Bromite is only available for Android v4.4 and above.
plus this
https://www.reddit.com/r/Android/comments/b47z9o/bromite_is_an_opensource_degoogled_chromiumbased/
Bromite is an open-source, de-googled Chromium-based browser with adblocking, speed, privacy and security enhancements, AMP-page removal, DNS-over-HTTPS, anti-fingerprinting mitigations, background playback, bookmark export and more, with minimal UI changes
Have you tried/ tested the SRware Iron browser? (blink/chromium based)
By their claims, the browser seems like another choice to the list
was last updated end of May 2019
https://www.srware.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=18&t=57499
No, not yet.
The guy who runs this project has never released a full source code for Iron and there were several privacy based problems in the past as his project was originally intend to make many from affiliate links through his default bloated browser homepage (it’s still there till today). But to me it looks like his dream is over and he just keep the project going for unknown reason. The support is quite bad and who knows whats behind it…
What would be the best browser for older ipad that cannot update to higher ios versions. For instance mine only updates to ios 9.3.5. Which means it now refuses to install Firefox from the appstore.
Hi John, sorry I’m not sure on that one. Wow, another way for Apple to force people to buy new products.
I used to use Google’s Chrome browser, and like it tremendously. Now I use the new MS Edge browser based on Chromium. I am using the canary version which updates nightly, and am enjoying it tremendously. This will be worth a review when it goes gold.
Instead of Random User Agent, you could use Chameleon (FF only). It’s a web ext port of the addon Random Agent Spoofer, and has much more spoofing capabilities than Random User Agent. In particular it can spoof timezone and language according to the vpn/proxy IP used.
https://github.com/sereneblue/chameleon
https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/chameleon-ext/
Whats your view about duckduckgo ?
Hi Rick, I think there are better options. I recently covered this topic in the new and updated private search engine guide.
How about reviewing this issue on Brave?
https://mastodon.at/@switchingsocial/101941233246966746
If you could, Sven, I to would like to hear your opinion on this post and discussion too..
I personally thought, and still do think, that the Brave Browser is my personal favorite to use, but reading some points within this post give me uncertainty to whether I should aim to avoid it instead given their reasons.
Could you give us your insight? Possibly even – If the time – Make an updated/separate review on the Brave Browser?
Brave’s business model is to block most ads by default, but it also has it’s own ad program (Brave rewards), which I agree may not be the best. Still, for those wanting Chrome/Chromium, it’s not a bad option.
Thanks for the reply Sven 🙂
I think the main issues were to do with the owners/CEO of Brave.
“One of Brave’s owners is Peter Thiel’s Founders Fund. Thiel is also the head of Palantir (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palantir_Technologies) and on the board of Facebook.”
“If Brave were sincere about privacy being their main aim, why did they sell themselves to Thiel?
Thiel makes vast sums of money from intruding on privacy, not just selling ads but selling personal data itself.”
Are people just overreacting with this, or are these real reasons to avoid Brave? I guess I thought I found the perfect browser in Brave and I’ve been made to question that now. ^^
Well, when choosing any privacy tool, it all comes down to trust, and that is a personal and subjective decision.
What do you think of Avast Secure Browser? Just curious
I have not looked at it, but Avast has been called out many times for questionable privacy issues and data collection policies.
It’s standard, not good, and not bad either. Some websites doesn’t load perfectly in Avast Safety browser, so I’m rarely using it.
But I trust their “Bank mode”, only Avast Browser has this feature, I’m using it for online banking and credit card transaction, and I feel more secure.
For daily use, I prefer Brave browser.
Keep your eye on the Gab Dissenter browser – soon to be released.
A fork of the Brave browser w/o privacy concerns or the BAT token.
Guys you should check out UR browser, the French alternative!
Linux users running Gnome/GTK3+ environments also have the option of running Gnome Web Browser (formerly called Epiphany); https://wiki.gnome.org/Apps/Web/PrivacyPolicy
Includes EasyList, EasyPrivacy and Fanboy-annoyance as default blocking lists, but you can add more (for example uBlock Origin default lists) by editing a simple config file.
Sven, I wonder if it’s possible to create a VPN capable of intercepting/blocking every known privacy compromising query a web browser is capable of making. I know we have companies like Perfect Privacy running their own ad-blocking and virus scanning (or Pi-Hole in a Docker container if you’re deploying your own tunnel), but I’m talking about something more robust – something that, in addition to the usual ad/tracker-blocking, is capable of serving as a replacement for almost every about:config edit or plug-in install a privacy conscious Firefox user would make, for example;
1. Block WebRTC and Canvas
2. Replace browser fingerprint with a generic profile
3. Usual DecentralEyes, Privacy Badger, HTTPS Everywhere and UblockOrigin functionality
4. MiTM attack blocking
5. Optional embedded media player (Youtube, SoundCloud, etc) blocking
Basically anything other than cookie deletion and DOM related stuff, which has to be done on the user’s side. Do you think it’s possible?
Hi Matti, that’s an interesting idea. The main problem I see is that there’s no one-size-fits all and everyone seems to like their browser configured a different way. Same goes for script blockers, ad blockers, etc., which are usually configured based on the sites the person needs to access or whitelist.
Four of the five spyware features that make you call Chrome a “botnet” exist identically in Firefox too (not the fifth one with the Google account). This should be clarified in your article.
Hi Jerry, good points, but those are not my claims, but rather an image I found about Google Chrome. However, after researching the issue more, I have removed the image as it is not entirely accurate.
What about Basilisk (from Pale Moon’s developer)?
And where is the Yandex Browser with Protect system, built-in DNScrypt, etc?
https://yandex.com/support/browser/security/protection.html
What about Epic?
Hello Aixroot,
@Mary Peterson SEPTEMBER 24, 2018 had a similar question about the EPIC browser, (scroll to bottom of comments here, then up).
You will find the replies of Sven, Richard and George on Epic.
Feel free to give a response there or here if you have something of value to add about Epic.
( : Greetings
Dear All,
Re Epic: > BEWARE! <
After recently reading quite a few reviews, plus lots of info on their own site, I thought I'd check out Epic. Finally I decided to give it a try; BUT!! — I'd only just begun setting it up / checking it out when suddenly my trusty Kaspersky [KISS] flagged up that I'd now got two new *trojans* on my PC
I avoid all ‘fishy’ sites and do lots of research on my PC, but I can’t remember the last time such a thing happened! Later on, reading other peoples’ thoughts on Epic, told me that I’m not the first to experience this odd phenomenon. It’s a shame, as I was feeling quite warmly towards this outfit prior to this event. Of course, I instantly deleted the whole thing, did a complete KISS scan, (plus RogueKiller) and will never go near it again.
YMMV, — but for me it’s really not something to trust…
Hi Sven,
thanks for your site, is a light in the darkness. I would ask you about firefox and lockbox. Is lockbox a good option in order to keep yours password safe?, is as good as other password manager like keepass or lesspass?
Best regards,
Jack
Hi Jack, I need to look into Lockbox more, perhaps a good option for mobile users.
Spellcheck in Firefox seems to be a privacy concern.
about:config
There are four values you need to change or modify:
[b] extensions.spellcheck.inline.max-misspellings [/b] integer to 0
[b] layout.spellcheckDefault [/b] integer to 0
[b] services sync.prefs sync.layout spellcheckDefault [/b] modify boolean to false.
[b] services.sync.prefs.sync.spellchecker.dictionary [/b] modify boolean to false.
Hi Mary,
Looks interesting and when Sven’s the time may respond.
May even add this to the Firefox privacy guide as note worthy.
https://restoreprivacy.com/firefox-privacy/
Thanks : )
I noticed that the two last values could not be searched by entering the text, but are located by scrolling to “services sync.prefs” and of course, clicking the line of text to alter.
What about iron browser?
Hi Sven,
Looked into Firefox focus and found this:
Firefox Focus is a privacy-focused browser from Mozilla, available for the Apple iPhone, iPad, iPod touch mobile devices and Android smartphones and tablets. It is also known as Firefox Klar in German-speaking context in order to avoid the ambiguity with the German news magazine FOCUS. On Android, it uses Blink engine, unlike Firefox for Android, which uses the same Gecko engine as its desktop version.
sources:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Firefox_Focus
https://blog.mozilla.org/blog/2016/11/17/introducing-firefox-focus-a-free-fast-and-easy-to-use-private-browser-for-ios/
https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/what-firefox-focus-android
https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/focus
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blink_(browser_engine)
https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Glossary/Blink
Blink is part of open source chromium.
I dont see as many configuration options though as normal firefox.
Not sure if this browser can be hardened or if its just a marketing gimmick to further collect userdata. “browse like no-ones watching” makes me skeptical. For now, ill stick with regular firefox until I hear an update from you concerning it.
Thank you for making this wonderful website.
Thanks for posting your findings!
Hi Sven,
Thank you for this article !
To correct the previous comment on Firefox Focus: since version 7 (oct 2018) this browser uses Gecko like the other Mozilla Products, and not a Google engine anymore.
It is stated in the very Wikipedia link above and also here : https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/whats-new-firefox-focus-android-version-7
Thank you again for your hard work.
Thank you Sven Tayler, I really appreciated this article, and thank you again to your hard work of collect all this data about different browsers.
I liked the different Add-ons segment too much.
Thank you again …
Great great article! Thank you! Although I’m using UR browser BETA which seems pretty sweet! (www.ur-browser.com – not to be confonded with UC!) These guys have packed a lot of stuff in it when it comes to privacy, even a full VPN client. It would be awesome if you’d review it, I’d very much like your opinion! Thanks, George
Hi George, there are three issues I see with this:
– Very small, unheard of browser, which raises questions.
– Claims to offer a browser VPN, which is simply not true. They may offer a proxy, but it’s not a VPN.
– What’s the business model? How are they making money? Is your traffic being collected and sold when you use the “free VPN” in their browser?
Things to consider. I’d consider other alternatives.
Sven, perhaps you were a bit hasty?
It is possible to integrate a vpn client into browser source and/or a browser extension.
..which is what the UR Browser team claims to have done on their website via ‘features’ and blog.
In turn that does place their hybrid product into two existing “restore privacy” categories: secure browser & free vpn
Naturally one might question ‘why free?’ and conclude it’s like most free things from strangers, has trade-offs.
..and of course it/they could be evil, or not.
IMO the best thing people can do is to learn that reading (or just trying) the boring and complicated legal stuff can often help make basic conclusions and empower themselves.
JN
You can test the browsers’ security & privacy settings on Device Info also:
https://www.deviceinfo.me
Another reason not to use the Vivaldi browser: The manipulate some URLs you enter. For example if you visit booking.com they redirect you to their affiliate link of booking.com to make sure they get a provision.
Do you know anything about the Beaker Browser?
https://beakerbrowser.com
Hmmmm… a new kid on the block!
Not sure this is a privacy oriented app in truth… guess time will tell.
Look forward to Sven’s input when time allows.
What about Chromium for Linux? I don’t see it neither among the “avoidenda” nor among the “suggested”. Should I consider it “avoidendum” as Chrome ?
I’d instead opt for ungoogled chromium.
It would be interesting to have some information on other browsers which make claims about their privacy credentials, like Epic, JonDoFox and Comodo’s IceDragon (based on Firefox) and Dragon (based on Chromium).
Some third party apps also claim to change your browsers’ fingerprints at times. Do they work? If they do, does that make browser compartmentalisation redundant? I.e. products like Abelssoft’s AntiBrowserSpy, or any similar products from companies like Ashampoo.
These are two additional websites that I would suggest to use in order to test how secure and how private is the used browser.
https://browseraudit.com/
https://detectmybrowser.com/
Particularly the first one, it indicated me only 1 critical issue in Brave and 5 in Firefox. However, it did not tell me how to fix those issues.
Interesting, thanks Vector.
Interesting test (browseraudit) suite, thanks for sharing it Vector. Reminds me of HTML, CSS, etc website validation tests I used to use. On the surface it appears to be more of a compliance test with a sprinkle of some privacy/security related no-brainers like xss, flash, etc.
– fwiw, here is result from my slightly modified instance of epic with it’s proxy on:
https://browseraudit.com/results/21785/3f7c1780394a278f4b36a87bdca0e93ee45b6a5d
JN
others to try for fingerprint checks..
https://www.bromite.org/detect
https://panopticlick.eff.org/
sadly bromite fails effs tests so i go back to tor!
https://browseraudit.com/
I tried this using Torch browser and the only failures were of the non-critical variety and some said it could be my connection was too slow or my browser is too slow.
https://detectmybrowser.com/
This is what they say I am using: You’re using Chrome version 69 on Windows
I saw this and wondered:
If most of your circles are red then you’re using an ancient browser which doesn’t support modern web technologies.
That means you should upgrade. Decent browser options are: Firefox, Safari, Chrome and Opera.
Not necessarily true. I see several red circles and yet I am using the latest version of Torch and no other site says this after they test my browser.
Two video format they list (webm and h264) take you to a site to download Java.
Don’t have ALL these plugins you browser is ancient according to them:
Browser Plugins
Java, Flash Player, Shockwave, Quick Time, Silverlight, VLC, Windows Media Player, DevalVR
Shockwave reached End of Life April 9, 2019
Windows Media Player is on my machine so no idea why they say it isn’t
Quick Time: Important: QuickTime 7 for Windows is no longer supported by Apple. New versions of Windows since 2009 have included support for the key media formats, such as H.264 and AAC, that QuickTime 7 enabled. All current Windows web browsers support video without the need for browser plug-ins. If you no longer need QuickTime 7 on your PC, follow the instructions for uninstalling QuickTime 7 for Windows.
VLC: I have VLC Media Player on my computer
DevalPR: As of 2015 the development is continued as VideoPanoramas Player. Looks like no more Plugin.
Under CSS3 Capabilities these are said not to work
Multiple backgrounds
CSS Reflections
Under HTML5 Forms this is said not to work
HTML5 Input Attributes
Hello Vector,
Please come over to ‘Privacy Tools’ and offer in how you, or what you use as installed programs or the browser extensions used – for other peoples knowledge. I offered mine there as, how I try to guard my privacy.
https://restoreprivacy.com/privacy-tools/
– Friendly FYI’s
Vector, ever herd of the TRACE browser extension?
Using either Chrome or Firefox browsers or (variants) of each, you may want to have a look at the browser extension ‘TRACE’.
Claims to leave almost no traces in your online Browsing.
https://absolutedouble.co.uk/trace/
–
AdGuard – installed program offers many lists you can add to filter the web of how you want too.
@ It’s free Ad blocking browser extension:
-AdGuard blocks all ads including video ads, interstitial ads and floating ads, pop-ups, banners, advertisements, and text ads. Element blocking feature allows blocking of ANY unwanted element on the page.
-Privacy protection and safe browsing, AdGuard protects your personal data by blocking common third-party tracking systems, spyware, and adware. In addition, it warns you about malicious and phishing websites once you try visiting them.
-Handling Anti-Adblock scripts, AdGuard can handle Anti-AdBlock scripts. You won’t have to turn off the AdBlocker anymore to be able to visit the websites that are using such scripts.
–
Disconnect? / really did you even know, though the address is [https://disconnect.me/] – and would you ever think the link to that is a Delaware, US based corporation with headquarters in San Francisco, California. You can reach us by mail at:
548 Market Street, #45514, San Francisco, CA 94104.
[https://disconnect.me/about]
Browser extensions – https://disconnect.me/help#subdesktop-browser-extensions
For many that affect of it’s location and then of their TOS / PP aptitude may be a key roll in considering their privacy model.
Thanks : )
Hello Hard Sell,
I use all the above mentioned add-ons: uBlock Origin, HTTPS Everywhere, Privacy Badger, Decentraleyes, Cookie Autodelete, uMatrix/NoScript (Brave/Firefox), and Random User Agent.
Additionally, I use NoCoin, Privacy Settings, Ghostery/Disconnect, and Privacy Possum.
I would test Trace and hope it would work efficiently.
Hi Vector, if I’m understanding the right meaning of your “mentioned add-ons: uBlock Origin, HTTPS Everywhere, Privacy Badger, Decentraleyes, Cookie Autodelete, uMatrix/NoScript (Brave/Firefox), and Random User Agent” – those mentioned deal with your choice to use all of these browser addons together – right ?
Doesn’t that add a lot of overhead or baggage to your browser(s) ?
– Then if I understand rightly so, that’s one way to identify someone with using browser fingerprinting technics – ex: (the extensions used by a browser, system, IP = the person.)
–
Browser addons (extensions) that block scripts and website tracking functions and/or for fingerprinting and the likes of image canvas data access to protect you.
– In reality, there is no combination of extensions, their settings – changes to a browser with addons, which would provide the same level in protection and your privacy as an all-in-one instance to your system from an installed application – Sir, would that be a mostly true assessment ?
There’s no such one I know of but, Adguard installed to my system as most part takes care of it for me without a slew of addons needed in my browser. It’s Stealth Mode has good points to consider. I then know to when it makes contact to it’s home base – unlike browser addons phoning home which I know of no way to know about.
https://kb.adguard.com/en/windows/features/stealth-mode
–
After all, using Incognito Mode – Browser addons – VPN, your browsing history is easily accessible (via your DNS cache) upon a browser window being closed.
Then since, the browser addons (extensions) would see the websites you’ve visited, as these extension services promote themselves on filtering security which inevitably means they are gathering data – your data.
–
Besides who knows (least me), how they update when new threats evolve. Then with a slew of so many to keep track of in their TOS and Privacy Policies changing, or being sold behind public channels to someone (which has happened) to not respect their users privacy anymore.
– Logic leads to a blueprint in one’s thoughts, and then a hands on aptitude leads to the hardwired applications of the users experiences. Both are needed or complements the other in the long run of ones life.
Thanks for your feed back – Sir : )
I use the following:
Adblock for Youtube™
Adblock Plus – free ad blocker (many sites say the next 2 compliment each other)
AdBlock — best ad blocker
Bloomberg
Google Docs Offline
Extension Icon
GoSearchGo (currently not enabled)
JustBlock Security (not enabled right now as I am seeing if it is causing an issue)
LastPass: Free Password Manager
New tab page by start.me
Pinterest Save Button
Pop up blocker for Chrome™ – Poper Blocker
Privacy Badger
Privacy Possum
Stylebot
Trace – Online Tracking Protection
TunnelBear VPN (not using the VPN right now)
Video Adblocker for Youtube™ Extension
WebRTC Leak Prevent
WebRTC Network Limiter
How do you like the trackers-blocking extension Disconnect?
https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/disconnect/
It was updated two years ago but I guess the trackers lists are maintained regularly.
Not sure, I have not used/tested it.
I think that you have mentioned the most important extensions – I use all of them. So, Disconnect is a kind of a supplement to those add-ons you listed.
I do use also No-Coin which just makes me relaxed that some of the pages I temporary allow with NoScript are not going to mine.
https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/no-coin/
Also, I use Privacy Settings which is a bit short-cut toward a more privacy settings without the need to do it one by one.
https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/privacy-settings/
Once again, Mozilla has been caught up in another privacy scandal: https://venturebeat.com/2018/12/31/mozilla-ad-on-firefoxs-new-tab-page-was-just-another-experiment/
They have completely lost my trust, they take money from Google, and it seems there’s a new scandal every month, requiring more “tweaks” to fix. Time to abandon Firefox.
Recommendation is Librefox:
https://github.com/intika/Librefox
I’m still looking for the “ideal” privacy browser. I tried all that Sven mentioned above. Only TorBrowser hides [most] of your browser and PC information like screen size. Unfortunately, it’s not perfect but it seems to be the best I have found.
Dear Sven Taylor,
Recently I started using Iridium Browser, it is based on the Chromium, tweaked for privacy. Have a look at it here :: https://iridiumbrowser.de/
I’ve just started trying out Brave and since it’s Chromium based it has “Site Isolation”. Now, does site isolation serve the same purpose as browser compartmentalization?
Hi Roger, no they are two separate concepts. https://www.chromium.org/Home/chromium-security/site-isolation
After settling this initial confusion, and with some additional research, I see the difference now. Thank you for your response.
Thank you for the article.
1. In support of your Chromium-based browser comments:
The Tor Project has always declined to base their privacy enhanced browser on Chromium despite requests and its attractions, due to what they consider unfixable privacy issues.
2. You write re Tor browser “The default version of the browser also breaks most websites, since it uses NoScript.”
You are correct that NoScript runs by default in Tor browser. However the default TB configuration (which is the least private/secure in order to minimize website breakage) does NOT block scripts despite NoScript running. NoScript still has some functionality and benefit without activating the script blocking that it is named for. Even TB’s middle level selection of privacy/security only activates script blocking for non-httpS websites.
3. Waterfox:
You apparently read the same article on Waterfox that I did but I was less impressed with the developer’s new-found “morality” of privacy. He frankly states that he created Waterfox to be a speed demon.
Seems that a very savvy big-time internet businessman who was out of a job hooked up with this talented dev to figure out how to grow Waterfox into a big enterprise. Could the zig zag into privacy and privacy PR statements be at his behest? Looking at Waterfox’s Privacy Policy, there is a familiar pattern where grandiose statements elsewhere are undercut in the fine print.
When you state: “Password managers – It should also be noted that storing your passwords in the browser may be risky depending on the browser you are using. ” … which browser has the best/most secure password manager built in? Additionally, which stand-alone password manager would you recommend for macOS?
I need to look into this more – and I will with my upcoming password manager guide. But since you brought up Mac OS, Safari is an interesting exception, because unlike other browsers, passwords are stored encrypted in the keychain app, rather than in the browser itself. In Safari you’ll see that your passwords are also password protected and encrypted if you want to access/modify them. So to answer your question, Safari browser on Mac OS may not be a bad option, but a separate password manager app, such as Keepass, would be better.
Really look forward to your review of password managers! Interesting that passwords are stored encrypted in the key-chain app. (News to me.) But I’m taking a walk on the wild side regarding macOS apps! LOL Turned off the System Integrity Protection, or SIP for short, and deleted Safari altogether. Along with the other silly apps I never use. My goal is to strip the OS down to bare bones. Make it a tool that serves me, as opposed to me being of service to it. (Did turn it on again after the purge… used AppCleaner to execute the deletions.) Want to get it as close to a UNIX OS as humanly possible… ’cause I’m not smart enough to install and operate any Linux OS. (Too geek for me; made my eyes water!)
Anyway… if I may restate Sven: Which browser has the best/most secure password manager built in, in your opinion? FF/WF/Brave? Please advise! Cheers Sven!!!
No clear answer to your question yet, this is a big topic I’ll address in the password managers guide. You could also use a third-party password manager extension within Brave or Firefox/Waterfox.
Wasn’t Keypass put together by ‘The security god’ — Mr Bruce Schneier? I’d certainly trust him and his skill / sagacity over many others, (even though KP isn’t all that pretty!) 😉
Then again, LastPass might look nice, and operate slickly, but years ago I cancelled my subscription with them when they got bought up by some big outfit that I didn’t trust; and didn’t they get hacked a few times?
For anyone interested, personally I think KeypassXC seems like the newest and best option…
Great site, very informative. Thanks for all you do. Are you familiar with Slimjet [https://www.slimjet.com/]. If so, how secure is it?
It looks like a smaller, Chromium-based browser. I’d go with something more mainstream and with more active development, for security reasons.
Hi Sven, Heck I’m no expert and want a browser to work as intended on install without a lot of fussing in the settings. Needing and relying on external plugins in part or whole for the user protections.
I don’t even have to sign in to it, just do a quick simple review of the settings set, and make any adjustments I deem worthy.
SlimJet appears to have active ongoing development as other mainstream browsers.
[https://www.slimjet.com/en/whatisnew.php]
Dare to compare (section) [https://www.slimjet.com/]
Multiple layers of protection-Secure & Stable
Automatic protection against phishing and malware, advanced privacy control options, robust sandboxed multi-process architecture.
Rebuilt from the open-source Chromium project, Slimjet doesn’t send any usage data back to Google like Chrome. On top of that, Slimjet is armed with the most advanced anti-tracking technology to thwart various attempts to invade on your privacy (e.g., track your identity or profile your behavior) by the intrusive businesses.
A full featured browser your way.
Sven please do an in depth review of Slimjet sometime, tks.
Sven,
I have a Macbook and ever since Safari newest release came out last month I was unable to add uBlock Origin + other options back…Apple came out with their own restrictions. I will give new browsers a try. Which is the best browser to watch Youtube videos on??
Hi Jodi, I prefer Firefox or Waterfox, which will both work fine for Youtube.
Hello,
Do you have any opinion on Vivaldi? I see a lot of people mention that but from have not found a lot of reliable information on their privacy.
I don’t believe it is open source.
Thanks Sven Taylor. What about best browser for android for privacy ? Can you Please write a article on it.
Check Vivaldi. EX-“real” Opera.
I have both Firefox and a browser called Vivaldi so far I love them both although I have used Firefox far more than Vivaldi
I would add to Brave browser the new Private Tab with Tor, which increase privacy to a new level for most of us non technical web surfers. It gives real privacy vs other methods.
What is your opinion on Brave Browser BETA? It just been released, and it seems Brave encourages users to use that version.
Also, would you suggest using the Brave Browser on Android?
I’ve never tested Brave on Android, so I can’t say for sure. The Brave BETA version should only be used for testing, until the full version is released, as they said in their announcement.
Is there any reason for Epic Privacy Browser not being here? From what i’ve heard it’s pretty good for anonymity
I don’t know much about Epic browser, other than that it is based on Chromium and is offered by a company called “Hidden Reflex” that’s based in India.
It’s average at best. It’s not even close to the other Browsers here.
Hey Mary,
Kind of funny seeing Sven’s comment about Epic… I bet the man, in 15 minutes flat, could know more about that browser than any of us would. Just not of interest to him, I assume.
Richard’s feedback is probably accurate, though somewhat bland and dismissive. I don’t blame him either as he does have a valid point re the browsers listed above.
That said, I’ve use Epic to good results with their proxy setting. I live in Canada and sometimes use their USA default setting to view things that are not otherwise available up here. (Guess you could call it a real “poor man’s VPN” without the other huge advantages of a paid for VPN service. I could be wrong though in my analogy.)
The only problem I see – and please keep in mind I’m just a simple guy who uses the Internet as a regular consumer = not even close to Geek material – is that it’s a ‘closed shop’ browser = who the Hell knows what it really does and doesn’t do re privacy and/or anonimity! You can search Epic, but I think what the 2 gentlemen are stressing is that it simply isn’t as good as the other browsers listed above that are constantly contributed to by many Super/Uber Geeks and get regular updates.
You may want to also review how many web browsers have come and gone over the years… the quantity is staggering! For example see: [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_web_browsers]
Hope this comes across as a more ’rounded’ response to your query Mary. You did have a valid question. Cheers! 🙂
What about gologinapp? can you recommend it?
I pay the UK consumer magazine “Which” via monthly via a direct debit (don’t like to make payments through the internet, or enter any personal info). Their fundamental principle is also to remain steadfastly independent from vested interests and they are also advert and commercial sponsorship free. They finance themselves through membership subscriptions.
Don’t know if its feasible, but if some kind of affiliation to them was possible without
compromising principles and they felt it was useful and trustworthy, then I would be willing to contribute a small percentage of my membership payment to your endeavour. Maybe other members would.
Just wondering. It probably wont fly. Trying to think ways of supporting groups like yours.
No reply needed.