There are no Internet Browsers that cannot be tracked, or are there? (•ิ_•ิ) What do you use that works. Maybe yes or maybe no? What do you know ? What’s secure?
I guess using Tails, or maybe even Tor browser would be your best bet (just make sure you disable JavaScript etc).
I don’t think any browser will stop all trackers and points of contact, and websites…oh boy
Could someone make a browser that just sends random but realistic user agent data for each request? And maybe even slightly change the window size and other traceable elements occasionally?
No browser is perfect but your best bets are Brave or Tor.
I personally use Brave because you can edit what data you are comfortable sharing and it is built from Chrome but is a completely different browser so has all the familiarity of the UI but is about as secure as a browser can be.
If privacy is a concern I’d recommend using Brave with a VPN.
tl;dr privacy isn’t about the tool but about the user so there is no one size fits all answer.
There are browsers that try to limit tracking (here is looking at you Tor and Librewolf), there are also browser addons (looking at you Noscript, Privacy Badger, and uBlock). But like any security or privacy measures it is up to the user and there will always be trade offs (disabling javascript breaks a lot of websites). I am going only going to give a couple examples based on Tor and Librefox because anything more detailed or comprehensive and this post would be to long (it’s gonna be longish anyway).
Tor browser means that you technically don’t need to also pay for a VPN to remain private because every site you visit records you IP address and stores it for at least a time. Tor also blocks certain tracking scripts. Tor also automatically deletes cookies and browsing history every time you close it (you can set all browsers to do this). But Tor is slow and you will have a lot of captchas. Tor is also always a couple versions of Firefox behind which means it is also more susceptible to malware or security issues. If you log into something using an account linked to you then the IP you are currently using is now also linked to you (though this is less of an issue with tor by design). If you open an email or download a picture with a tracking pixel then you ruined your privacy that way also.
Librewolf is set up to preserve privacy as soon as you download, install, and launch it, but any of the user actions I mentioned above will violate your privacy the same way. The other thing is with Librewolf you will need a VPN (paid and no logs policy) to hide your IP during any tasks. Librewolf will naturally browse the web faster (depending on your VPN) becuase it isn’t routing the traffic through the Tor Network.
Privacy and security ( u/guyinthechair2 nailed it, they are not the same thing, but u/OlevTime also had a great point, they can sometimes be two sides of the same coin) are not achieved by downloading a tool. It is about the user and how that single user uses the tools they choose. It is also about what each individual user will sacrifice for the privacy. The EFF has a great interactive guide here . Every persons threat model is different. u/0xConfused_ had a great idea with taking a look at the r/privacy subreddit, I am a member over there also and there are some great conversations usually happening.
I could go on and on about privacy, anonymity, and security but I think this post is long enough. I hoped this helped or at least leads you to do some research on your own.
Cheers
Edit: Fixed the link to EFF Surveillance Self Defense.
If you visit a website, that website will see that you’ve made a connection. If you use Google to search for the website, Google will see what you searched for.
LibreWolf is pretty good as a browser, but for privacy you can’t just use a browser and expect that to be all.
VPN, Privacy-Respecting browser, Don’t maximize the window, don’t use a search engine.
There isn’t just a magic browser that will stop trackers.
Lots of good info in other replies here, but if you’re curious about how you look to trackers, check out EFF’s tool CoverYourTracks. Even the privacy-conscious preventative measures contribute toward your unique “fingerprint” online, allowing you to be singled out based (more or less) on what is being blocked, and what is not.
I personaly use DuckDuckGo, it blocks all trackers, and it has more security options, But you can’t directly dowload it on your PC, so i recommend using Tor Browser which is the most secure option and has duckduckgo in it.
If your looking for privacy, there is no perfect solution, but there are good starts.
Use brave browser with brave search engine. Brave blocks trackers, cookies, ads, and more. It also is capable of generating a unique browser thumbprint each use, meaning your not teachable long term. Brave also only “phones home” once per a session. This is to send optional usage data, and check for updates. Brave also blocks most services out of the box, such as location and notifications. This system only provides privacy from automated tracking, and website cookies - if your enter your real name everywhere, it loses its edge. One caveat to just the browser, is that they will still know your location based on IP.
If you want to elevate your browsing privacy:
- Do all your browsing on an amnesiac OS like TAILS or Whonix.
- Use fake information everywhere
3.Use a privacy VPN - preferably one you host
on a VPS, paid for with privacy.com credit cards. Using a VPN for privacy is useless if you have non private habits, as it inherently only blocks sniffing of you info, and your the IP your connecting from - to be private on a VPN you still need to use fake info. - Use privacy services for email, storage, etc,. I like Protonmail. Or you can’t host a email server, but this is a security nightmare - protonmail is probably better.
- Use networks that are not yours. The VPN will keep you safe in a public network, and prevent your false identity from being linked at home.
Even with all that, one slip, and your facade is shattered accidentally connect to your wifi and access your privacy services at home without a VPN? BOOM your ISP has now linked your private facade to your home address
If you want to learn more about privacy check put the Internet Privacy Guy Rob Braxman on YouTube.
If you don’t want to be tracked don’t browse the internet. You can make it difficult for someone to track you but not impossible. The real question is what are you doing that you are afraid of being caught doing? In a pinch you just buy pre-pay burner phones with cash from store somewhere away from where you live and throw it away every month when you replace it with a new one from another city somewhere else. Now I assume you are wearing a disguise when you buy the phones and make sure to park a few blocks away from the store and walk to it in a random non-straight way… Now you’ve gotten as much privacy and eliminated your being tracked as much as you can hope for… but again why? Not sure what the point is. You could also just buy a cheap laptop from a thrift store and connect to random hotspots at fast food places… that would do a little for your privacy… but as soon as you start logging into site it all goes to hell in a hand basket.
Netscape browser. Lol
Many years ago I heard there is some program that continuously goes to some random sites in order to stop people from tracking you would that still work now?
If you want super secure and private option I would suggest an entire operating system not just a browser. If you are looking for a quick install for a private and secure browser, you have probably already heard, but tor is a great option.
there is none. nevertheless i highly recommend using the Qwant engine search.I have Used it now for more than 2 years on Chromebook, windows PC, Thinkpad etc using edge, chrome etc. it is a very effective, search engine to protect your privacy. You can also use the Qwant VIP privacy extension in chrome/edge/firefox. I simply love it.
This question doesn’t mean anything. What does secure mean to you?
Tor over VPN with Tor browser is pretty foolproof
Most browsers can be set up to be private, the question is what services are you willing to sacrifice for privacy. Probably the best easy set up privacy wise is Firefox, with cookies/trackers disabled and a VPN but this will seriously compromise functionality on most sites.
Edge and Chrome have similar options but are made by organisations signed to Upstream, which means they might collect data on you if you’re identified as a security threat, as well as the fact both companies are very keen to collect your data so might try and make it tougher to stop them.
Onion routing is overkill unless you’re seriously paranoid though I would advise an encrypted messaging app (probably not WhatsApp), a good vpn with a no log policy (located outside the 9 eyes) and a good password manager. Try to keep track of the data companies keep on you and if you can’t use a service.
Nothing is perfect but I’m pretty sure Tor gets pretty close
There are multiple ways to track a given browser. And no browser is completely immune.
But you can take some tips from how the browser bundled with Tor greatly limits tracking.
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use a stripped down browser with no plug ins or add ons except a plug in that allows you to override the information the browser sends to the server. (E.g. Firefox tells the server it is Firefox version what ever, what fonts and plugins it supports and what resolution it is using. By changing the user agent data, you can make Firefox lie and pretend to be Internet Explorer or Edge) This doesn’t prevent server side tracking completely, but makes it far less useful and reliable. You are basically “disappearing into the crowd”
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never use the browser in full screen mode.
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disable scripts
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use a VPN or dark net intermediary.
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for additional protection, run the browser from a live CD or thumbdrive or within a virtual machine. This sandboxes the process from the rest of your system, making it extremely difficult bordering on impossible for a compromised browser from reading or writing data on the machine.
TOR 'the onion browser works very well as long as you use it on ‘Tails’ OS as long as you leave it stock and change nothing. It also gives you access the the ‘Dark Web’
Check it out