Internet is part of our life’s today. We are searching for solutions in our problems, news, jobs, jokes and lot of other stuff.
All the Web Browsers offer almost the same features for the security and privacy. But how can understand which are give us better privacy while use the Internet.
Everyone wants to ensure that nobody wants to see your activity and your data like passwords that maybe save in your browser to be safe.
Some browsers can give you the privacy and security that wants but with lot of configuration but others can be done without need to proceed with any step.
Th recommendation approach is at least to check the settings of the Web browser after install.
I don’t want to compare or give the best browsers today. I would like to help you identify which browser can be more secure and keep your privacy better than other or without need to be expert in order to configure.
What makes a secure Browser ?
Lot of known Web Browser that we think that is secure it’s not so secure as you think. In this article we focus more in privacy and this is that i will explain more.
Most secure browser and privacy focus Web Browser has the following options:
- Giving you control of what permissions you want to allow or not
- Warning you about sites and downloads that it’s not secure
- Warning you when a website try to install an add-on without your permission
- Disable 3rd party cookies and trackers by default or give you the option to do it
- Include Ad Blocker and give you the option to enable it or not.
- Enable most of the above by default
Compare different Browsers
Let’s take a closer look in the following browsers.
Note that i don’t want to rank base on the security or privacy. I will explain which features has , how can configure and you can decide which is best for you.
- Chrome
- Brave
- Firefox
- Microsoft Edge
Chrome
Chrome is the most popular browser today with more than 3 billion active users worldwide base on Techradar in Google Chrome browser now has more than 3 billion users .
It’s one of the most secure browser.
But you must keep in mind that security and privacy it’s something different.
You can find lot of plugins that can help you to improve security or privacy but by default it’s not keep your privacy as should.
Maybe it’s the most popular browser but it’s the least private focus Web browser.
Another article from Forbes Why You Should Delete Google Chrome After New Tracking Admission give us an explanation of what is going on with tracking activities in Chrome.
Let’s take a look what Chrome has to give us.
After Chrome installation without change anything let’s see what it can offer as Basic protection of privacy
From the top right side click in …. and Settings
Then click in Privacy and Security
Click on Cookies and other Sites Data.
By default is select the Block third-party cookies in Incognito. That means that your cookies are enable and every Website can track your activities.
As all we know third party cookies are used for online advertisement purposes. Websites can send your activity in third parties advertisement companies to personalize your ads.
Go back and click in Security.
Standard Security is the selection by default
- Detects and warns about dangerous events when happened
- Check URL’s for unusual activities like to install add-on without permission, steal passwords and more that can harmful.
- Warns you if your passwords has exposed in data breach
Here Chrome give you the control to change the Level of Protection in more or less secure.
Go back and click in Site and Settings
We can found the common options that all Web Browsers has in the Permissions.
Sites should ask you for the Location, Camera , Microphones and Notifications.
You have the control to change it base on what you want.
Now go back and click on Privacy Sandbox. As you can see it’s on by default.
Here you can find a new technology of Chrome with the name Floc. What is Floc? It’s a new technology that will replace 3rd party cookie and will help advertisers for target advertising.
This technology is enable by default but unfortunately we don’t have hear any good for this technology.
So in this options must give more attention how do you want to configure it.
Let’s do a recap
- Third party cookies are blocked only in Incognito
- Standard Security is the option by default but you can change it
- Control of what Sites can use of Location, Microphones, Notifications , Camera
- Floc technology is on by default with the control to change it
Brave
Brave is an open source free browser developed base on the Chromium Web Browser.
It more privacy focus Web Browser from Chrome
If you have use this browser you will have seen that the ads are blocked by default in the Websites. It’s amazing and to be honest i like it.
Base on the Brave Website has passed 35 million active users daily.
Let’s take a look and explore all the features.
From the top in the right side find out lines. Click on it and select Settings
Select Privacy and Security.
First of all you will see that autocomplete searches and URL are disable. Maybe for some it’s not functional but this block to send some cookies in the default search engine that use.
WebIRTC IP handling policy exist as option in Brave and you can configure as you want.
For those that they don’t know what is WebIRTC i wrote an article How to test VPN applications for VPN leaks which explain it.
Click on Cookies and other site data.
The third part cookies are blocked by default. Also you have the option to change it or use some other options like to Clear cookies and site dat when you close the Web Browser
Go back and click on Security
By default is enable the Standard Protection with the availability to change to No Protection which not recommended
The Standard Protection can protect you from dangerous websites , download or extension that can harm your security and privacy.
Let’s see the Site and Shields Settings
Here we can find the common options by default in Permissions that has all Web Browsers. Sites must ask to give permissions for your Location, Web Camera, Microphones and more options that maybe a Site can request.
You can click in Advance Permissions to change the settings base on your requests
If you scroll down in Content the Popups and redirects are blocked by default
From the left side menu click on Shields.
This option Block the ads and trackers from all the Websites. It’s enable by default with the option to change it if you wish.
So in websites that will visit will not see any ad and you will see performance improvement in all web sites
Upgrade connection to HTTPS is enable by default with the option to change it.
Cookie Blocking for cross site is enable by default
Fingerprint blocking is enable by default
Fingerprint is when a company (advertisement company in this scenario) create a unique profile of you base on your computer that you use, Web browser , fonts , the screen size , software, add-ons and even preferences.
Companies that try to create your profile can be tracked for months.
Let’s write down all the features in a list
- Autocomplete Searches and URL are blocked
- WeBIRTC Policy
- 3rd party cookies are blocked by default
- Standard Protection is enable by default
- Common Permissions for your Location, Web Camera ,Microphone …
- Popups and redirect are blocked by default
- Ads and tracker for all websites are blocked
- Upgrade connection to HTTPS it’s enable
- Cross sites cookies are blocked
- Fingerprint it’s blocked
Firefox
One of the older browser in the market. It’s an open source developed by Mozilla. Firefox previous years dip in popularity so prompts to reinvert by itself.
It’s has strong privacy features and more in security with lot of extensions but it’s not in the top list of the most privacy focus Web browsers.
Base on the Firefox Page Statistics has pass the 200 million active users today.
Let’s take a look and explore all the features.
Enhance Tracking Protection
It’s the technology that use the Firefox to block the trackers to see your activity in the Web. By default is enable but you can change it or customize it as you want
Cookies and Site Data
Most of the Web Browsers has the option to clear all your cookies and site data or be more specific of where you want to delete and keep it.
Logins and Passwords
Firefox it ask you if you want to save your credentials for a website and also alerts you in case that any of your password has exposed in a data breach
Permissions
Under Permissions nothing unusual compare it with other Web Browsers. Sites must ask you to het permissions for your Location Web Camera, Microphones and other ….
Popups are blocked by default and firefox warns you when a web site try to install an addon in your Web Browser without your permission.
Something interesting is in Firefox Data Collection and Use it’s not enable anything by default but give the option to enable it if you want it.
Security
Has enable by default to Block unwanted downloads and dangerous content which is the built-in Phishing and Malware Protection of the Firefox
HTTPS-Only Mode
Today most of the Websites are use https connection which is encrypted. Firefox you give the option to enable the HTTPS only mode which force the Website to use https only connection.
By default it’s not enable but you can enable it by yourself.
Let’s do a recap
- Enhance Tracking Protection by Firefox which block
- Social Media Trackers
- Cross site cookies in normal and Private Window
- Tracking Content
- Cryptominers
- Fingerprinters
- Alerts you if your password exposed in data breach
- Popups and redirects are blocked by default
- Dangerous web sites , unwanted downloads and add-ons are blocked
- Common Permissions for your Location, Web Camera ,Microphone …
Microsoft Edge
A well known Web Browser which design by Microsoft and it’s the replacement of the Internet Explorer. It’s not an open source and is part of Windows 10 OS.
Microsoft Edge today has 600 million active users.
It’s better than Internet Explorer but i believe needs lot of improvements in privacy and security.
Let’s take a look and explore what can give us in Privacy and Security.
Tracking prevention
It’s a technology that use the Edge to block trackers to collect your activity of the Web Browsing. By default is in Balanced.
That offer to block known harmful trackers but ads is enable and will be less personalize.
You have the option to change it in Strict or Basic.
Privacy
Here we can see that Microsoft has enable by default to get diagnostic data in Microsoft Servers from you. But we don’t know what info included in the data and the most important is that you can’t disable it.
You can’t say that this is privacy focus option.
Security
In the security we can see a common features that all Web Browsers give in the end user. Microsoft Smartscreen is a technology that use it to block malicious site and unsafe downloads
Services
If you see in the bottom that last option is Address bar and Searches. If you click on it you have the option to go with Bing InPrivate Search which is something similar with the Chrome Incognito.
But if you try it you will realize that this has to do only with the privacy in the device that use the Bing and not in the Internet.
Also you must configure some settings to hardening your privacy with the InPrivate Search
Cookies and data stored
From the left side menu click in Cookies and site permissions is different menu of the Privacy and Security.
Click on Manage and delete cookies and site data.
As you can see here the Third part cookies are enable by default.
Go back and in Site Permissions you will find the common option that every Web browser has.
Site must ask for permission for your Location , Microphone and Camera and other staff …
I can’t say that the Microsoft Edge is privacy focus browser because lot of features aren’t enable by default regarding the privacy that should do.
Let’s do a recap
- Tracking Prevention without block advertisers or trackers. Only harmful trackers.
- 3rd party cookies not block by default but you have the option to change it
- In the security has the basic settings as every Browser
- InPrivate Search without really Private features
- Enable to send Diagnostic Data in Microsoft Servers without option to change it
- Permissions include the common options as every Web Browser for the Location , Microphone , Camera and more.
Conclusion
How to control your data is your job and not business to earn money for advertisements. Digital privacy it’s very important today and must be more strict of the products that we are using and which are the features give us to control our data.
With this way more and more big companies will create more privacy focus products without give the opportunity in advertisers to earn money from our data.
Try to learn and keep you digital privacy safe.
