RE: What browser do you use and Why?

[Tranquil Bondservant]

Firefox. I initially switched from Chrome to this because of privacy concerns but they're all as bad as each other. Now I just continue to use it because it's what I've been using for the better part of a decade.

 

[Dave G.]

Firefox and the add on Privacy Badger. I also have an ad blocker I forget the name of but I have that set at a moderate setting. Security Badger is blocking 6 intruders here at this site presently and the only ad I see are the communities own for counselors etc.. But no pop up ads.

 

[Lost4words]

I use 'Paws'...

 

[Pop D.]

Firefox. I initially switched from Chrome to this because of privacy concerns but they're all as bad as each other. Now I just continue to use it because it's what I've been using for the better part of a decade.

You might want to check out LibreWolf or Mullvad Browser if you'd like a good, more privacy focused version of Firefox. For Chome based browsers, Ungoogled Chromium might be worth a look, though I haven't used it much myself.

 

[Tranquil Bondservant]

You might want to check out LibreWolf or Mullvad Browser if you'd like a good, more privacy focused version of Firefox. For Chome based browsers, Ungoogled Chromium might be worth a look, though I haven't used it much myself.

At this point my privacy is lost (regardless of the browser) by using youtube, gmail, amazon and etc. Either everything is linked to me through a credit card or phone number and with the coming of AI it will be easier than ever to access and coalesce our individual/unique data. The age of internet anonymity died when the social media websites instead of fading into obscurity like was normal; somehow hung on and turned the internet from the wild west into a giant pool of data attached to real-world identities.

Given that our phones now literally listen to our speech through mentioned keywords and give us advertisements based on them, I don't think my choice of browser will impact the data given to the companies that matter. Because the companies worth avoiding giving data to are the ones that already have it regardless of our consent or not.

I appreciate the recommendations though. They would be handy and probably genuinely do something for people who don't use the aforementioned websites. God bless .

 

[Pop D.]

Yeah, a good browser is only part of keeping a reasonable level of privacy. You also need a trustworthy VPN, not to mention OS (no Android/iOS/Windows/etc.) and to avoid using accounts with most major companies like the ones you mentioned. Fortunately there are always alternative options, if you're willing. It's not easy, but also not as impossible as most people seem to think.

 

[JesseRaymondBassett]

Yeah, a good browser is only part of keeping a reasonable level of privacy. You also need a trustworthy VPN, not to mention OS (no Android/iOS/Windows/etc.) and to avoid using accounts with most major companies like the ones you mentioned. Fortunately there are always alternative options, if you're willing. It's not easy, but also not as impossible as most people seem to think.

I would agree with everything minus the no Android and the VPN part. You only need a VPN if you are not on your home ethernet network and as for the Android system, that rules out all my devices so I respect your point, but I can't entirely agree with it. Basic Internet security 101 is just being smart about what you do on the Internet and not doing stupid dumb things.

 

[Pop D.]

True, but I was talking about privacy, not security. A VPN is necessary if you want to keep your ISP from spying on you. But yeah, if you're deep in the Android (or Apple) ecosystem leaving it isn't easy.

 

[JesseRaymondBassett]

True, but I was talking about privacy, not security. A VPN is necessary if you want to keep your ISP from spying on you. But yeah, if you're deep in the Android (or Apple) ecosystem leaving it isn't easy.

I get that about the ISP spying on you. However I find that most websites do not work with a VPN being used as of late.

 

[Pop D.]

I get that about the ISP spying on you. However I find that most websites do not work with a VPN being used as of late.

I haven't really had any such trouble myself. Maybe it depends on which VPN it is.

 

[peaceful-forest]

My experience has been that the websites are configured to allow or disallow VPNs. Most websites I visit can be seen with the VPN on.

Now logging in to a website and doing online shopping may or may not be a different story with the VPN.

 

[ClaytonCF]

Safari as I use a Mac, It works really well fast.

 

[JesseRaymondBassett]

I am testing Vivaldi and I am very impressed!!

 

[linux.poet]

I end up using Chrome mostly out of habit, and because I've been using it for ten years, though I've slapped an adblocker, DisconnectMe, and Privacy Badger on top of it, and also Do Not Track and Do Not Save My Login and Make My Computer Look Like A Different Device Every Day to Every Website. Because if you don't have a privacy-conscious web browser, just slap a bunch of privacy software on top of it and that will solve all of your problems.

On the Linux machine I have hardened Firefox and Brave Browser installed, but I mostly still use Firefox over there, again, out of habit. While I appreciate the opportunity to earn BAT that Brave offers, when I'm using a browser I really want the least friction possible because I'm working and I want to work as fast as I can.

At this point my privacy is lost (regardless of the browser) by using youtube, gmail, amazon and etc. Either everything is linked to me through a credit card or phone number and with the coming of AI it will be easier than ever to access and coalesce our individual/unique data. The age of internet anonymity died when the social media websites instead of fading into obscurity like was normal; somehow hung on and turned the internet from the wild west into a giant pool of data attached to real-world identities.

The answer to this problem is crypto, I think. Blockchain transactions are final and wallet addresses are largely anonymous, just like cash transactions in real life. Part of the reason for this huge data pool is the need to secure fiat online transactions and keep them away from hackers, thus requiring more and more layers of personal data to secure the transaction and to ensure that I made it instead of a malicious actor.

Unfortunately crypto has been slow to catch on because it has security problems of its own kind, but at least those problems don't compromise the identities of the transactors, just lose value for the victims.

 

[Jimmy It]

Duck Duck Go

For the privacy

 

[nhaas11]

I stop adds at my firewall. Thanks to Pi-hole, I still use Chrome, tried Brave - not to excited. On first install of a new windows computer is install chrome, and delete all of the edge icons....