<p> </p><p><span style="color: #000000;">It’s Time to Switch to a Privacy Browser</span></p><p> </p><p><span style="color: #000000;">Ad trackers are out of control. Use a browser that reins them in.</span></p><p><span style="color: #000000;">WIRED</span></p><p> </p><p><span style="color: #000000;"> David Nield</span></p><p> </p><p><span style="color: #000000;">Read when you’ve got time to spare.</span></p><p> </p><p><span style="color: #000000;">Want to Listen to this article? Sign in</span></p><p><span style="color: #000000;">WIRED</span></p><p><span style="color: #000000;">More from WIRED</span></p><p> </p><p><span style="color: #000000;"> How to Be More Anonymous Online</span></p><p><span style="color: #000000;"> The Quiet Way Advertisers Are Tracking Your Browsing</span></p><p><span style="color: #000000;"> How to Make Sure You’re Not Accidentally Sharing Your Location</span></p><p> </p><p><span style="color: #000000;">surveillance camera pointed at browser window</span></p><p> </p><p><span style="color: #000000;">Casey Chin</span></p><p> </p><p><span style="color: #000000;">Google's admission that, yes, it does track you while you're in Chrome's Incognito mode, is part of a long line of unsettling revelations about just how keenly Big Tech keeps an eye on our movements every time we connect to the internet. Billions of data records will now be deleted as part of a settlement to a class action lawsuit brought against Google.</span></p><p> </p><p><span style="color: #000000;">As we've written before, Incognito mode and the equivalent modes offered by other browsers aren't as secure as you might think, particularly if you start signing into accounts like Google or Facebook. Your activities and searches as a logged-in user on large platforms can still be recorded, primarily to create advertising that's more accurately targeted toward your demographic.</span></p><p> </p><p><span style="color: #000000;">Google, for its part, says it’s transparent about what data it’s storing and why—and in recent years it has made it easier for users to see and delete the information held about them. To really lock down your privacy and security, though, it’s best to switch to a browser not made by a company that earns billions of dollars selling ads.</span></p><p> </p><p><span style="color: #000000;">And there are alternatives: Below we recommend several browsers built with user privacy and security as a priority. Even better, in many cases they can import data such as bookmarks and passwords from your current browser—Google Chrome, for example.</span></p><p><span style="color: #000000;">DuckDuckGo (Android, iOS, Windows, macOS)</span></p><p> </p><p><span style="color: #000000;">The DuckDuckGo browser blocks trackers at their source. (DuckDuckGo via David Nield)</span></p><p> </p><p><span style="color: #000000;">You might know DuckDuckGo as the anti-Google search engine, but the parent company has branched out to make its own browsers too. They keep you well protected online and at the same time give you plenty of information about the tracking technologies being proactively blocked.</span></p><p> </p><p><span style="color: #000000;">DuckDuckGo starts by enforcing encrypted HTTPS connections when websites offer them, and gives each page you visit a grade based on how aggressively it's trying to mine your data. It'll even scan and rank site privacy policies for you.</span></p><p> </p><p><span style="color: #000000;">When it comes to browsing data, this can be cleared automatically at the end of each session or after a certain period of time. Pop-ups and ads are snuffed out, and of course the DuckDuckGo search engine is built in, free of the Google trappings.</span></p><p> </p><p><span style="color: #000000;">You also get extras like throwaway email aliases you can use in place of your real email address to protect your privacy, and everything about the browser and its features is simple to use: You don't really need to do anything except install them, so you're getting maximum protection with minimal effort.</span></p><p><span style="color: #000000;">Ghostery (Android, iOS, Windows, macOS)</span></p><p> </p><p><span style="color: #000000;">Ghostery comes with a range of tools to protect your privacy. (Ghostery via David Nield)</span></p><p> </p><p><span style="color: #000000;">Install Ghostery on your mobile device or your computer, and straight away it gets to work blocking adverts and tracking cookies that will attempt to keep tabs on what you're up to on the web. There are no complicated setup screens or configurations to manage.</span></p><p> </p><p><span style="color: #000000;">Like DuckDuckGo, Ghostery tells you exactly which trackers and ads it's blocking and how many monitoring tools each website has installed. If you do come across certain sites that are well behaved, you can mark them as trusted with a tap.</span></p><p> </p><p><span style="color: #000000;">Or, if you find a site that's packed full of tracking systems, you can block every single bit of cookie technology on it (for commenting systems, media players, and so on), even if the site ends up breaking. A simple, private search engine is built in to replace Google too.</span></p><p> </p><p><span style="color: #000000;">Ghostery's tools are a little more in-depth and advanced than the ones offered by DuckDuckGo, so you might consider it if you want to take extra control over which trackers are blocked on which sites—but it's simple enough for anyone to use.</span></p><p><span style="color: #000000;">Tor Browser (Android, Windows, macOS)</span></p><p> </p><p><span style="color: #000000;">Tor connects you to the Tor network, to keep your online activities more private. (Tor via David Nield)</span></p><p> </p><p><span style="color: #000000;">Tor Browser markets itself as a browsing option "without tracking, surveillance, or censorship." It is worth a look if you want the ultimate in anonymized, tracker-free browsing—unless you're on iOS, where it isn't available (Tor recommends the Onion Browser instead).</span></p><p> </p><p><span style="color: #000000;">The browser is part of a bigger project to keep internet browsing anonymous: Use Tor and you use the Tor Project network, a complex, encrypted relay system managed by the Tor community, making it much harder for anyone else to follow your activities online.</span></p><p> </p><p><span style="color: #000000;">As well as this additional layer of anonymity, Tor Browser is super-strict on the background scripts and tracking tech that sites can run. It also blocks fingerprinting, a method where advertisers attempt to recognize the unique characteristics of your device.</span></p><p> </p><p><span style="color: #000000;">At the end of each browsing session, everything gets wiped, including cookies left behind by sites and the browsing history inside the Tor Browser app itself. In other words, private browsing that leaves no trace is the default—and indeed the only option.</span></p><p><span style="color: #000000;">Brave (Android, iOS, Windows, macOS)</span></p><p> </p><p><span style="color: #000000;">Brave gives you a clean, speedy browsing experience. (Brave via David Nield)</span></p><p> </p><p><span style="color: #000000;">Brave comes with all the tracking protection features you would expect: Ads are completely blocked, there are tight restrictions on the data that sites can gather through cookies and tracking scripts, and you're always kept informed about what's happening.</span></p><p> </p><p><span style="color: #000000;">The browser comes with an optional built-in VPN, though it costs extra ($10 a month). You can also, if you want, use Brave to access the Tor network we mentioned with the Tor browser and take advantage of its anonymizing relay service that hides your location and browsing data.</span></p><p> </p><p><span style="color: #000000;">There's no doubt about the effectiveness of Brave's tracker-blocking technologies, and getting around the web in Brave is quick and snappy. It's a comprehensive package and one that strikes a well-judged balance between simplicity and power for the majority of users.</span></p><p> </p><p><span style="color: #000000;">Brave has regularly pioneered features related to innovative web technologies, including cryptocurrencies, NFTs, and (most recently) artificial intelligence; there's actually a new AI assistant built into it. In other words, it's not exclusively focused on security and privacy.</span></p><p><span style="color: #000000;">Firefox (Android, iOS, Windows, macOS)</span></p><p> </p><p><span style="color: #000000;">Firefox is part of a suite of privacy products from Mozilla. (Firefox via David Nield)</span></p><p> </p><p><span style="color: #000000;">Firefox has long been at the forefront of online privacy—blocking tracking cookies across sites by default, for example—and it continues to be one of the best options for making sure you're giving away as little data as possible as you make your way across the web.</span></p><p> </p><p><span style="color: #000000;">Firefox also gives you a ton of information on each website you visit regarding the trackers and cookies that pages have attempted to leave, and which ones Firefox has blocked. Permissions for access to your location and microphone can be easily managed as well.</span></p><p> </p><p><span style="color: #000000;">Aside from looking after the interests of its users, Firefox also scores highly for user customization. You can change the look and behavior of the browser in a variety of ways, and there are useful integrations like the built-in Pocket utility that saves web stories on your device so you can read them later.</span></p><p> </p><p><span style="color: #000000;">Firefox developer Mozilla offers plenty of extras, including a free data-breach monitor that tells you when your usernames and passwords may have been exposed somewhere online, a free email alias system to keep your actual email address protected, and a VPN that costs $10 per month. It all adds up to a comprehensive package for keeping you safe online.</span></p><p><span style="color: #000000;">Safari (iOS, macOS)</span></p><p> </p><p><span style="color: #000000;">Safari has been blocking tracking cookies for some time. (Safari via David Nield)</span></p><p> </p><p><span style="color: #000000;">Apple continues to add privacy tech to Safari with each release on iOS and macOS—like requiring user authentication (such as a Face ID scan) when returning to a browsing session—though it's obviously not a browsing option if you're on Android or Windows.</span></p><p> </p><p><span style="color: #000000;">Safari has long been blocking third-party tracking cookies that try to connect the dots on your web activity across multiple sites. It also blocks device fingerprinting techniques that try to identify your devices, and it reports back on the trackers it has disabled.</span></p><p> </p><p><span style="color: #000000;">The browser can now also warn you when you try to use a password that's too weak on a new website or service, and it will make a suggestion of a stronger password if needed. Recent browser updates added support for logging in with passkeys too.</span></p><p> </p><p><span style="color: #000000;">Safari operates against the backdrop of Apple's commitment to collect as little information about you as possible and to keep most of that information locked away locally on your device rather than on Apple's servers. </span></p><p> </p>
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