🌐 Browser Privacy Settings: Stop Big Tech From Stalking You Online

Configure your browser to resist the $227 billion surveillance advertising industry

🕸️ Reality Check

Your browser is a surveillance device. This is educational content only, but browser privacy settings change frequently—usually for the worse. Browser companies make money from advertising, which means making money from watching you. Even "privacy-focused" browsers may cooperate with government surveillance programs. The house always wins, but you can make winning more expensive.

📊 The $227 Billion Web Surveillance Economy

Every website you visit, every search you make, and every link you click feeds a massive data collection machine worth over $227 billion annually. Google alone made $147 billion in 2021 from advertising—money made by watching, tracking, and profiling you across the web.

The average website contains 45 tracking scripts from companies you've never heard of. Your browser loads more surveillance code than actual content on most modern websites.

Source: IAB Digital Ad Revenue Report 2021

Why Browser Privacy Matters (More Than Your Vote)

Your browser is the primary interface between you and the internet, which means it's the primary surveillance collection point for governments and corporations. Without proper configuration, it leaks information about your activities, identity, and interests through:

  • Tracking cookies and web beacons that follow you across the entire web
  • Device fingerprinting that identifies you even without cookies
  • Telemetry data sent directly to browser companies and their government partners
  • DNS queries revealing every website you visit to your ISP
  • Referer headers showing detailed navigation patterns to websites
  • Location data and sensor access that tracks your physical movements

🏭 The Browser Surveillance Business Model

Free browsers aren't free—they're surveillance platforms. Here's how browser companies actually make money:

  • Google Chrome: Collects data for Google's $147B advertising empire
  • Microsoft Edge: Feeds data to Microsoft's AI and advertising systems
  • Safari: Less tracking but shares data with governments and integrates with Apple's ecosystem surveillance
  • Firefox: Accepts millions from Google for default search, compromising independence

Firefox Privacy Configuration

Firefox offers the best balance of privacy and usability when properly configured:

Essential Firefox Settings

Navigate to about:preferences#privacy and configure:

  • Enhanced Tracking Protection: Set to "Strict"
  • Send websites a "Do Not Track" signal: Always
  • Cookies and Site Data: Delete when Firefox is closed
  • Logins and Passwords: Disable "Ask to save logins"
  • History: Set to "Never remember history" or clear on exit
  • Address Bar: Disable all suggestions

Advanced Firefox Configuration (about:config)

Type about:config in the address bar and modify these settings:

  • privacy.resistFingerprinting → true
  • privacy.trackingprotection.enabled → true
  • dom.event.clipboardevents.enabled → false
  • geo.enabled → false
  • webgl.disabled → true
  • media.peerconnection.enabled → false
  • network.dns.disableIPv6 → true
  • network.http.referer.spoofSource → true

Chrome Privacy Configuration

While Chrome has inherent privacy limitations, you can improve its privacy:

Chrome Privacy Settings

Navigate to Settings → Privacy and security:

  • Safe Browsing: Set to "Standard protection"
  • Cookies: "Block third-party cookies"
  • Site Settings: Block Location, Camera, Microphone by default
  • Ads: Block sites with intrusive ads
  • Sync: Disable if concerned about Google account linking

Chrome Flags (chrome://flags)

Enable these experimental privacy features:

  • Strict-Origin-Isolation: Enabled
  • Secure DNS lookups: Enabled
  • Privacy Sandbox: Disabled
  • FLoC: Disabled

Brave Browser Configuration

Brave has privacy-focused defaults but benefits from additional configuration:

Brave Shield Settings

  • Trackers & ads blocking: Aggressive
  • Upgrade connections to HTTPS: Enabled
  • Block Scripts: Enabled (may break some sites)
  • Block Fingerprinting: Strict
  • Block Cookies: All cookies

Brave Advanced Settings

  • Disable Brave Rewards
  • Disable Brave News
  • Use Brave Search as default
  • Disable auto-complete in address bar
  • Enable "Close tabs on exit"

Essential Privacy Extensions

uBlock Origin

★★★★★

Purpose: Blocks ads, trackers, and malware

Configuration: Enable all filter lists, use hard mode for advanced users

Threat: Essential for blocking surveillance scripts

Privacy Badger

★★★★☆

Purpose: Learns and blocks trackers automatically

Configuration: Works automatically, allows selective blocking

Threat: Good complement to uBlock Origin

ClearURLs

★★★★☆

Purpose: Removes tracking parameters from URLs

Configuration: Enable all rules, works automatically

Threat: Prevents URL-based tracking

Decentraleyes

★★★★☆

Purpose: Serves local CDN resources to prevent tracking

Configuration: Works automatically

Threat: Reduces reliance on external CDNs

NoScript

★★★★★

Purpose: Blocks JavaScript execution per-site

Configuration: Requires manual allow-listing

Threat: Maximum protection but breaks many sites

Canvas Blocker

★★★★☆

Purpose: Prevents canvas fingerprinting

Configuration: Use fake or block mode

Threat: Blocks advanced fingerprinting techniques

Browser Fingerprinting Protection

💡 Understanding Fingerprinting

Browser fingerprinting creates unique identifiers from your browser's characteristics: screen resolution, installed fonts, plugins, timezone, language, and more. Even without cookies, you can be tracked across sites.

Anti-Fingerprinting Measures

  • Use common screen resolutions: 1920x1080, 1366x768
  • Disable WebGL: Prevents GPU fingerprinting
  • Use standard fonts: Avoid unique font installations
  • Disable plugins: Flash, Java, and other plugins reveal system info
  • Spoof user agent: Use common browser/OS combinations
  • Use Tor Browser: Designed to make all users look identical

DNS and Connection Privacy

DNS Configuration

Configure secure DNS to prevent ISP surveillance:

  • Firefox: Enable DNS-over-HTTPS in settings
  • Chrome: Use secure DNS provider (Cloudflare, Quad9)
  • System-wide: Configure router or OS DNS settings

Connection Security

  • Force HTTPS: Use HTTPS Everywhere extension
  • Certificate transparency: Enable CT monitoring
  • Disable WebRTC: Prevents IP address leaks
  • Use VPN: Encrypt all browser traffic

Threat-Specific Configurations

👁️

Government Surveillance

Use Tor Browser, disable JavaScript, regularly clear all data, use VPN outside jurisdiction, avoid persistent logins.

🏢

Corporate Tracking

Block third-party cookies, use tracker blockers, disable social media widgets, compartmentalize accounts.

🔍

Behavioral Analysis

Use multiple browsers, vary browsing patterns, disable telemetry, use different search engines.

🎯

Targeted Attacks

Use virtualized browsers, disable plugins, validate certificates, use air-gapped systems for sensitive work.

Mobile Browser Privacy

iOS Safari

  • Enable "Prevent Cross-Site Tracking"
  • Disable "Privacy Preserving Ad Measurement"
  • Use "Hide IP Address" from trackers
  • Disable location services for Safari

Android Chrome/Firefox

  • Install Firefox Focus for ephemeral browsing
  • Use DuckDuckGo Privacy Browser
  • Enable "Do Not Track" requests
  • Disable location access

Testing Your Privacy Configuration

Privacy Testing Tools

  • Panopticlick: Test browser fingerprinting
  • Cover Your Tracks: EFF's privacy testing tool
  • BrowserLeaks: Comprehensive privacy leak testing
  • DNS Leak Test: Check for DNS leaks
  • WebRTC Leak Test: Test for IP address leaks

Quick Start Guide

Immediate Actions (10 minutes)

  1. Install uBlock Origin extension
  2. Enable strict tracking protection
  3. Change default search engine
  4. Disable location services
  5. Clear all cookies and data

This Week

  1. Configure advanced privacy settings
  2. Install additional privacy extensions
  3. Test your configuration with privacy tools
  4. Set up separate browsers for different activities
  5. Configure secure DNS

Next Steps

Browser privacy is part of a comprehensive privacy strategy:

Configure DNS Privacy Audit App Permissions Back to Guides