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):
- NordVPN: A fast, secure, audited VPN with advanced privacy features and a strict no-logs policy, based in Panama [68% discount coupon]
- Surfshark VPN: A no-logs VPN service with a large lineup of privacy and security features, based in the British Virgin Islands [81% discount coupon]
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, and we show you exactly how in our 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 can enhance your privacy and security. We’ll go over some of these extensions further below.
Firefox highlights:
- Open source code that has been independently audited
- 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. Brave browser
Brave is one of the best secure browsers with simple, out-of-the-box privacy. It 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.
To summarize this browser, Brave is based on open-source Chromium, but configured for more 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 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 participants to get a percentage of the ad revenue. While there have been critics of these ads, it also helps to secure revenue for the project to continue active development and improvements.
One of the reasons we like Brave is because it offers simple, out-of-the-box privacy by default. This makes it ideal for those who do not have the time, patience, or know-how for browser customizations and tinkering with extensions. It can also be used with Chrome extensions, making it an ideal alternative for Chrome. Just download it and you’re good to go.
You can read more about Brave’s privacy and security features here.
https://brave.com
3. 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. There are also many websites that block IP addresses originating from the Tor network. (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.
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/
4. 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
5. Bromite (Android only)
Bromite is a Chromium-based browser for Android only (no desktop support). It comes with some great features by default, including ad blocking and various privacy enhancements. Here are some highlights of this browser from the official Bromite website:
- The main goal is to provide a no-clutter browsing experience without privacy-invasive features and with the addition of a fast ad-blocking engine.
- Minimal UI changes are applied to help curbing the idea of “browser as an advertisement platform”.
- All patches are published under GNU/GPL v3 to enable other open source projects’ usage.
- Bromite is only available for Android Lollipop (v5.0, API level 21) and above.
Another cool feature I like with Bromite is that you can use custom ad block filters — learn more here. Bromite is under active development and remains a great browser for Android users.
https://www.bromite.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 claims to offer a free VPN through the browser. However, as we covered in the Opera VPN review, it’s not really a VPN and does not offer full system-wide encryption. Additionally, your data is being collected when you use Opera browser and its “free VPN” feature.
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 called System1. The news was also picked up by others, which resulted in Waterfox and System1 formerly announcing the acquisition (but only after the the news broke).
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.
8. GNU IceCat
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
Slow updates – The big issue with GNU IceCat is that updates are very slow, and in some cases, years behind. This can expose IceCat users to security vulnerabilities, which is why we are no longer recommending it.
9. Iridium
Like Brave, Iridium is a secure browser that is based on Chromium and configured for more privacy by default. The following excerpt from Iridium’s website 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.
Unfortunately, like IceCat above, updates to Iridium are few and far between.
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).
- Brave – Brave is a great all-around browser for both desktop and mobile operating systems.
- Bromite – This Chromium-based browser is 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).
- Cookie Autodelete – This will automatically delete cookies that are no longer needed from your browser.
- 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.
Below is a brief overview of the two VPNs that have come out on top in testing for the respective VPN review. Click the VPN name to read our full review, or check out the discount coupon:
- NordVPN: A fast, secure, audited VPN with advanced privacy features and a strict no-logs policy, based in Panama [68% discount coupon]
- Surfshark VPN: A no-logs VPN service with a large lineup of privacy and security features, based in the British Virgin Islands [81% discount coupon]
Short on money? 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:
- Secure Email Services
- Private Search Engines
- Password Managers
- Ad Blockers
- Best VPN Services
- Best Cloud Storage
- Best Secure Messaging Services
This guide was last updated on February 23, 2021.
Speaking of Firefox, I ran across this: https://invidious.tube/watch?v=JWs_j9bhAic
I think he raises some very valid points. The main points that he hits are:
Google’s deal with FF
Their tracking practices
The permissiveness given to them but not Brave.
Thoughts?
Yep, that reminds me of this recent article:
Perhaps Mozilla Should Unfck Itself Before “Unfcking The Internet”
@Sven,
Interesting. My thought and questions on a few things:
1) A lot of people say that cromium, regardless what browser, answers to Google. Is this true? I have found so much going both ways. I thought the code can be adapted and changed.
2) FF uses Gecko. I tried and it is clunky and slow. But everyone I am reading is saying it is the only browser that is not Cromium based, therefore shouldn’t die. But I would think that being buggy, slow, and combersum are just three marks that it should either improve or die. Are there other browser bases? What is used for WWW alternatives such as FreeNet?
3) the article you pointed out is good. As of right now I don’t see a climb out for FF especially considering they get over 70% of their funding from Google.
4) Shouldn’t the issues he brings up, especially with the company not following their own manifesto, be a MAJOR red flag?
5) I mentioned that they were always buggy to me, but I was really bothered when they took cues to delete Gab’s extension. On top off the issues raised here, does this change your opinion? Because three video author is on to something. We might be able to grow brave faster because People want to download and go. To say that after downloading there are major things to change, people want ease our use. I would like your opinion. Maybe I am missing something.
6)If FF doesn’t pull out out this, which would be your second browser choice?
Thanks for your time on this and other questions. I appreciate it.
Well yes, these are big red flags for Firefox, and I’m not sure how this will all play out, and I’m not going to make predictions, so I guess we’ll just have to wait and see.
I also like Iridium browser, Ungoogled Chromium, and Brave, all of which are Chromium browsers.
@Sven,
Agree. I can’t say how it will, but it will be interesting.
I do like Brave as well. Wish Iridium was up to date for Linux.
Does a Chrome base browser phone to Google? If so then every browser is, in essence, a Google browser? I didn’t understand that part.
Sorry about the name. Hit the at sign on accident.
No, not necessarily. See Ungoogled Chromium for example.
@Sven,
Thanks. I tried to find research but came up empty.
“But everyone I am reading is saying it is the only browser that is not Cromium based, therefore shouldn’t die. . . . Are there other browser bases?”
Non-Chromium: Waterfox Classic and Current (https://www.waterfox.net/, https://www.waterfox.net/download/); Pale Moon (https://www.palemoon.org/); Basilisk (https://www.basilisk-browser.org/); (upcoming) Borealis Navigator (https://forum.palemoon.org/viewtopic.php?f=67&t=22241).
I’m not saying any of these would meet your needs, but they’re not Chromium.
2) Support the development of non-Blink (Chrome) engines such as WebKit (Safari), Gecko (Firefox), Goana (Pale Moon) and others. Prevent monopoly.
Thank you all for the suggestions.
I was looking to see what Iridium was based on.
As of the options, I am glad they exist. However, webkit is my least favorite on that list. For now a hardened Brave is working cross platforms and I don’t use the BAT system.
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
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.
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.
@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 ;).
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!
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.
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?
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.
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.