What is the Best Web Browser for Privacy?
Personal data is valuable, so brands track users with cookies. Collected tidbits are bundled into profiles and sold to third-party marketers.
And those are the good guys.
Lurking in the shadows are black-hat operators perpetually in pursuit of profitable information. But instead of selling the stuff for marketing purposes, they drain bank accounts and max out credit cards.
Do you want companies collecting your data and selling it to the highest bidder? Do you want to land on a criminal’s web? Wouldn’t you prefer to be as anonymous as possible when plugged in? Then use a privacy-minded browser. Here are the best five (at the time of writing).
Best Web Browsers for Privacy: Brave
Conceived under the direction of Javascript mastermind Brendan Eich, Brave is an open-source browser that natively blocks ads and most tracking technologies, including cookies. Brave automatically disables questionable plugins, and its servers are blind to browsing data.
Brave is currently testing a reward-for-view ad program, which has raised concerns among the digital privacy cognoscenti. However, users who don’t want to participate can opt-out.
Best Web Browsers for Privacy: EPIC
From Hidden Reflex, Epic is a web browser known for its superb privacy controls and lousy usability.
A stealth powerhouse, Epic automatically removes URL tracking. Plus, it’s fitted with a handy one-click encryption tool. Epic sends do-not-track requests to every hit page and prevents them from doing so. The browser is so focused on privacy it doesn’t a) have an auto-suggest function, b) save passwords, nor c) store browsing history.
But the features that make it the stealth bomber of the web browser scene are also what makes it a pain to use as a casual, everyday browser.
Best Web Browsers for Privacy: Firefox
For the average person, Firefox is a reliable option. Many folks rank it as the most mainstream, privacy-friendly option on the market. Developed by the non-profit Mozilla Corporation, Firefox is open-source, and its parent company doesn’t profit from data hoarding and selling.
Firefox is user-friendly and comes with a ruck of easy-to-implement privacy add-ons like ublock origin, cookie auto delete, and decetrntraleyes. It also allows users to establish “containers,” which enhances personal curation settings, using the multi-account containers plugin. Firefox explains:
Back in June 2016, we started experimenting with “Containers” as a way to explore Contextual Identities on the web. Firefox Containers are a way for users to isolate their online identities and tasks from one another. In addition to the privacy benefits of containers, containers allow users to be logged into multiple accounts at once without requiring them to use multiple browsers or constantly sign in and out.
mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/new/
Best Web Browsers for Privacy: Safari
The privacy controls on Apple’s Safari web browser are superior to its android counterpart, Chrome. Safari boasts enhanced anti-fingerprinting protections that make it harder for advertisers to stalk you around the Web, and it disallows third parties from dropping data into your cache.
Apple is currently beta testing a feature that generates random email addresses that forward to real addresses. It’s for users that want to hide their actual emails from businesses or marketers.
https://support.apple.com/downloads
Best Web Browsers for Privacy: Tor
Tor earns top marks from the Technorati. An offshoot of the Tor Project, the browser passes data through three, obscuring relay levels. Additionally, it automatically clears cookies and browsing history upon logout.
Moreover, many banking sites block Tor, which is a non-starter for many everyday users.
What About Chrome?
As digital privacy researchers, people often ask us: What about Chrome?
Here’s the blunt truth: Google Chrome is a tracking bonanza. If you care, at all, about online privacy, Google Chrome is not the answer. Instead, use one — or a combination — of the five privacy browser options listed above. However, you may want to look at Chromium as an alternative.
Lastly, invest in a virtual private server to obfuscate your location. The extra protection can make all the difference and give you enhanced peace of mind.