Your web browser is the vehicle that carries you around the Internet to your desired websites. As such, it knows precisely what sites you have visited, how long you spent browsing them, and what you clicked on (or almost clicked on). Anyone who has access to your web browser can have a window into your income, your political leanings, and even your sexual preferences.
This is why it's so important to only use browsers you know will protect and improve your internet privacy. In this article, we explain how browsers capture so much information and which web browsers in 2019 are best at keeping your browsing history safe from data-hungry tech companies and advertisers
Further reading:Easy steps to improve your internet privacy
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How you are tracked online
Before examining the impact your browser can have on your privacy, you need to understand how your online activity is monitored.
While having a company directly record your browsing history is a risk (see Google Chrome), the more common threats to your privacy come from online advertisers and third-party trackers. Similar to Google, advertisers and trackers want to record as much of your online browsing as possible. The more data they have, the better they can show you ads specifically tailored to you. The two tools they use to follow you around the Internet are device fingerprinting and cookies.
- Device fingerprinting is when a site looks at all the characteristics of your device (the make and model of your device, what browser you are using, what plugins you have installed, what timezone you are in, etc.) until it has enough information to identify and follow it. Your device share this information to optimize the websites you visit. For example, websites want to know if you're using a laptop or a smartphone so that it can select the correct font size and screen resolution. This can be surprisingly accurate. To see if your device has an easily identifiable fingerprint, check out the Electronic Frontier Foundation's Panopticlick.
- Cookies, or HTTP cookies, are tiny data packets that websites or services plant on your browser while you're on a website. These cookies differentiate your browsers from others, like a nametag.
The privacy risks of Chrome
Any discussion of privacy and Web browsers must begin with Google Chrome. It is, by far, the most popular Web browser. Chrome handles over 60 percent of web traffic. This is unfortunate because Google uses Chrome as a window to peer into every action you take online. Unless you modify your Google privacy settings, Chrome records every site you visit so Google can serve you targeted ads.
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Even worse, Chrome does very little to block other advertisers and trackers from monitoring you with cookies or device fingerprinting. A Washington Post article reported Chrome gathers roughly 11,000 trackers in an average week. Do you want 11,000 pairs of eyes on you every time you do an Internet search?
However, you do not need to give away your personal data to access the Internet.
There are Internet browsers that do not record your every action and protect you from trackers. Switching from Chrome to one of the following browsers can drastically reduce the amount of data you are inadvertently sharing as you browse the Internet.
Further reading: Gmail's privacy problem and why it matters
Best secure and privacy-first web browsers:
1. (tie) Brave
The Brave browser was designed to make privacy simple enough for everyone. It is an open source browser built on top of Chromium (an open source version of the Chrome browser), which means it's easy for Chrome users to make the switch.
However, unlike Chrome, Brave does not collect any data about your online activity. Your data remains private and on your device.
Brave also makes blocking trackers easy. Instead of forcing users to decide which plugins and browser extensions they should download, Brave comes fully equipped. It automatically blocks all third-party and advertising cookies, and because HTTPS Everywhere is built-in, it ensures all your connections are securely HTTPS encrypted. Brave also features Fingerprinting Protection in the browser.
The company also has a social mission: to encourage websites not to rely on advertising based on tracking you around the Internet. Brave has introduced a system that allows you to reward creators and sites you visit directly.
Called Brave Rewards, it uses a utility token called a Basic Attention Token and enables you to anonymously reward the websites you visit most. Brave also has opt-in, privacy-preserving Brave Ads, and users who choose to view them earn 70% of the ad revenue, which they can then use to reward their favorite online creators.
Brave is available for desktop, Android, and iOS.
1. (tie) Firefox
The open source Firefox is the third-most-popular browser on the Internet, behind Google's Chrome and Apple's Safari. Developed by Mozilla, the Firefox team has improved the browser's privacy protections in recent years.
They have introduced advanced anti-fingerprinting and Enhanced Tracking Protection features this year, both of which make it much more difficult for third-party trackers to follow you around the Internet.
Unlike Brave, the standard Firefox does not automatically block advertisements. However, there are numerous browser extensions that you can download that will prevent advertisers from getting your information or showing you ads.
Or, if you primarily browse the Internet on your mobile device, Firefox Focus incorporates automatic ad blocking. (Focus was developed as an ad blocker for Safari, but was then transformed into a minimalistic privacy browser for Android users.)
Firefox is available for desktop, Android, and iOS.
3. Tor browser
As we have discussed elsewhere, Tor is the best option if privacy is your utmost concern. The Tor browser is based on Firefox, but it has been stripped down and specially calibrated to run on the Tor network.
When you use Tor, your traffic is encrypted three times and bounced between three Tor servers before it reaches your desired website. The encryption is handled in such a way that each server only has access to one set of instructions, so no server has access to both your IP address and the website you are visiting.
This setup makes it impossible for Tor to keep any records about your online activity, and every time you close your session, the browser deletes your cookie cache and browsing history. The browser itself is formatted to prevent fingerprinting, and it blocks all kinds of trackers.
Unfortunately, it also blocks a lot of plugins that websites rely on. For example, with its privacy settings fully activated, the Tor browser will block JavaScript. JavaScript can expose user information, but blocking it can make websites unusable. Using Tor can also mean performing endless CAPTCHA verifications when you try to access larger sites. Finally, the Tor browser is slower than other browsers because of the extra encryption.
Download the Tor browser app for desktop and Android, as well as a Tor-approved open source Onion browser for iOS.
4. DuckDuckGo (honorable mention)
Unlike the other browsers mentioned above, DuckDuckGo does not have a standalone desktop browser, which means it is only a solution if you are browsing the Internet on your smartphone or tablet. With the DuckDuckGo browser, your browsing history never leaves your device. Deleting your entire browsing history is as easy as tapping a single button.
It automatically blocks ads, stops third-party trackers, and ensures HTTPS encryption on all sites where that's possible. One feature that does set it apart is the Privacy Grade it gives each site. This makes it easy for you to evaluate how much data each website collects from you, with and without DuckDuckGo's protections, at a single glance.
The DuckDuckGo browser is available for Android and iOS.
You can also use the extension for Chrome and Firefox.
The Web browser you choose can have a dramatic impact on your overall online privacy. By switching to one of the privacy-focused browsers in this article, you can protect your browsing history from the companies and trackers that want to monitor your every digital move.
What's your favorite web browser? Let us know in the comments below on Twitter or Reddit.
Best Regards,
The ProtonMail Team
You can get a free secure email account from ProtonMail here.
We also provide a free VPN service to protect your privacy.
ProtonMail and ProtonVPN are funded by community contributions. If you would like to support our development efforts, you can upgrade to a paid plan or donate. Thank you for your support.
Looking to change your default browser on your Mac?
In this article, I will be sharing the 10 best browsers for Mac OS, that will make your browsing experience much better.
For most Mac users, Safari does the job but it is for away from being the best Mac browser that you can use. There are many options for selecting the best browsers for MAC, some would go with the all-time favorite Google Chrome Browser, while some are fans of Firefox.
But there are some other worthy contenders that you should definitely check out. So, let's get straight into the list for the top browser for MAC OS.
Contents
- Best Browsers For MAC In 2020
Best Browsers For MAC In 2020
Next mac os x. Here are the best browsers for Mac that you can use and get a much more superior browsing experience with all your browsing needs such as shopping, watching media, banking and more.
10. Flock
Flock browser is based on Firefox 3 technology. This browser allows you to do a lot more tasks than just simply browsing web pages. The browser is designed to streamline and emphasize on your interaction with networking sites, RSS and media feed, and blogs.
It has a spate toolbar that is mainly based on social media sites which allows you to quickly share webpages and links with your contacts across multiple networks like Facebook and Twitter.
8. Apple Safari
Apple Safari is the official web browser from Apple which comes pre-installed in Mac. It has a stylish interface and offers a very fast browsing speed. With features like Speed-dial, easy social sharing, iCloud integration to push webpages to your other devices, RSS integration, Mac-like interface, this browser is loved by most of the MAC users.
However, Safari is used on non-Apple products, some of its features may not work as efficiently as when used on Apple products.
7. Maxthon
Maxthon browser is one of the most used browsers for Mac. You will surely love it as it comes with features that enable easy sharing of documents and files between different devices. It has a simple and minimalistic interface that is very clean and makes the browsing experience simply great.
It comes with the Cloud Push feature that allows you to push the browsed website to an online cloud account or to any friend or contact. There is a full-screen option for you to enjoy an even better web browsing experience at your MAC.
6. Vivaldi
Vivaldi is another great browser that you can use on your Mac. The great thing about Vivaldi is that it lets you customize every aspect of the browser and give it a personal design. You can change theme color, fonts, button placements and much more. The Vivaldi browser comes with a lot of features packed in such as built-in notes, and easy screenshots, and you can even link your notes and the screenshots in a URL and read it in a much more optimized version.
Vivaldi is an extension of Chromium Browser and therefore supports most of the extensions and apps from Chrome, so if you are migrating from Chrome browser, you will not have any issues in making this shift. This browser also allows you to group browser tabs into stacks and then divide them on screen. You can even pin certain tabs to prevent them from accidentally being closed.
Unlike Chrome, Vivaldi does not consume much RAM and runs as fast as Chrome, making it a much less resource-consuming browser. You should surely check this one out.
5. Torch Browser
Torch Browser we based on the same chromium project as Chrome and is considered as the most popular Chromium browser. The browser offers additional functionality such as a social sidebar, torrent support, Torch Music, video download, emoji, etc.
These are some of the great features which make users love this browser for MAC. Torch Browser supports all the chrome extension that its feature endlessly.
4. Brave
Brave is kind of a new browser when compared to the other browsers in the list. It was launched back in 2016, and from then it kept improving its features and getting popular among many users. There is a chance that you might not have heard about Brave until now, but the tech community loves this browser for its security features.
The browser itself is quite impressive with its refreshing user interface, and feature that it comes with. The features that make this browser popular among its users are built-in ad blocker, upgrades to HTTPS, script blocking, and more. It also allows users to blog social media login buttons and is quite faster when compared to other browsers.
The best part about the Brave browser is that it is based on a version of the Chrome browser, and therefore supports most of the extensions and apps as supported by Google chrome. Another important feature that you must know about is the 'distill page', which removes irrelevant elements from the webpage making it load faster and more readable for the users.
3. Opera
With its new, fast and powerful user interfaces Opera it a web browser that comes integration which is the same as the chrome project. The browser loads webpages fast offer powerful rendering features, and the server-side compression technology that loads webpages faster in slow connection is one of the most powerful features of Opera Web Browser.
Alternative Web Browsers For Mac
It allows easy navigation of tabs and windows which makes the user experience more enjoyable and fun. Opera is safe, and its software is secure from malware and other common internet-based.
2. Google Chrome
Google Chrome has one of the most minimal and easy to use friendly interface. Chrome is one of the fastest and among the best browsers for Mac. The uncluttered and simple interface supports thousands of extensions that increase the browser's functionality.
The browser gives users a fast browsing experience, powerful rendering, control options, and a lot more customization settings and options. According to the majority of users, this is undoubtedly the fastest web browser for Mac.
So, give Google Chrome a try in your MAC and check whether you like it or not.
1. Mozilla Firefox
When it comes to best browsers for MAC, the Mozilla Firefox stands at the top of the list. The browser has a great user-friendly interface. The developers behind firefox regularly push out updates for the browsers that fix minor bugs and improves performance.
Free Internet Browsers For Mac
The best part of Mozilla Firefox is that it has ad-blockers that restricts annoying ad's. It has the support of thousands of add-ons that make users' daily tasks easy and also increases its features endlessly.
Firefox also asks the user to choose the information that it can share, thereby making it an ideal browser for privacy. The browser can also store form information along with login credentials for different accounts which enables easy access for the future.
Final Words:
Safest Internet Browser For Pc
So this was our list of best browsers for MAC OS 2020. You can try a few browsers from the above list as per your preference depending on the speed, interface, performance, features, etc. Do try out this browser and let us know which one did you find to be the best web browser for you MAC.
