There is no doubt that the top browsers are tracking your movement on the internet and using your user profile data for their benefit. No matter which browser you are on, Chrome, Safari, Edge, or any other, you are always being tracked. That is how your mobile, laptop, or computer is flooded with eerily accurate advertisements. You are lured into clicking those advertisements, which earns dollar bills for the companies. The more you look at those ads, the more interesting and related things you’ll get to see. It is like a click-bait.



But every problem has its unique solution. With half of the world being online, people have learned the importance of their online privacy. This prompted the browsers to offer a more secure service. Companies like Google and Apple made an effort to make the privacy of their users a top priority. Apple took the first initiative and improved its preferences in Safari. Google relies on the revenue earned from users’ data but, somehow, it is now following the same path as it is in the process of creating a “privacy sandbox.” Until the browsers improvise their privacy policies, you can take control of some of the settings. Here is what you need to do on your browser:’

Safari

As we mentioned earlier that Safari had built its walls higher by switching on the ‘Intelligent Tracking Prevention’ tool to keep its users safe from privacy stealers. This tool debuted in 2017, but it’s still not perfect for full privacy control. Creators addressed the problem and announced the arrival of the latest macOS Big Sur later this year. This tool will be able to alert you about the ad trackers and will provide you with monthly reports of the known trackers that were following you while you were busy browsing.

To ensure safe browsing on Safari, follow these steps.

Open the Safari browser and select Preferences.
Go to Privacy and check to mark the box for Prevent Cross-Site Tracking.
You can manually delete the cookies from the websites.
Click on Manage Website Data to check the trackers and cookies sticking to your browser.
Hit the Remove button for every individual tracker. And, click on the Remove All button to get rid of them all at once.
Some cookies help keep you logged in while you browse and to improve your experience on the sites. If you wish, you can remove some first-party and third-party cookies by checking on the box for Block All Cookies. After the launch of macOS Big Sur and iOS 14, you won’t have to make these settings manually.

Google Chrome

Google offers the least privacy to its users, yet it manages to hold everyone’s attention as it brings flexibility and open-source underpinnings. This enables independent developers to deliver some privacy-focused extensions to track the trackers. All the extensions are available in the Chrome Web Store. On that page, click on Extensions from the left-hand panel. Then search for the extension you want on your browser and select the Add to Chrome option. You’ll be informed about the permissions of that extension on a new dialog. Click on Add Extension to use it on your browser.

We would recommend you to look for extensions like HTTPS Everywhere, Cookie Autodelete, Privacy Badger, and uBlock Origin. You can also manage and remove the extension as per your preference by clicking on the three-dot More menu on your Chrome browser. Go to More Tools and select Extensions. You can, now, see all the details. From the same menu, you can go to Settings for blocking third-party cookies.

Microsoft Edge

Edge browser simplifies the privacy and tracker blocking options with the help of its Tracker Prevention screen. To enhance the Settings, open the Edge browser and follow these steps:

Click on the three-dot menu option at the top-right corner of the screen.
Go to Settings.
From the new window, select Privacy and Services.
This will offer you three options, i.e., Basic, Balanced, and Strict. You will find that Edge uses Balanced settings by default that works on blocking trackers from the websites that you have never visited. But it, somehow, manages to save the sites from loading issues even if they use tight security. Basic settings also block some trackers, but it is used primarily on crypto mining and fingerprints. Using the Strict security setting may interfere with the behavior of some sites while blocking most of the trackers on the way.


Mozilla Firefox

Firefox also lags in offering good privacy to its users, but it’s better than Google and Edge. Firefox allows you to tweak settings from the toolbar.

Click on the three-lined Menu option from the Toolbar.
Click on Preferences and go to Privacy & Security.
It will offer you three options: Standard, Strict, and Custom. Firefox uses the Standard setting by default, for blocking trackers, crypto miners, and third-party tracking cookies. The Strict setting goes a step ahead and blocks the fingerprints and trackers present in the windows. Custom setting allows you to customize the blocking procedure as per your preferences. Choose your setting and then click on Reload All Tabs to apply it.


Please note that these settings on the browsers won’t ensure complete protection from the trackers, but something is better than nothing. Some part of your privacy is always in control of the browsers.

I’m Anny. I’m a social media manager living in USA. I am a fan of technology, design, and music. I’m also interested in fitness and movies. You can attend my event with a click on the button above.

Source: How to Increase Your Privacy on Browsers?