Privacy Browsers

Unlike Chrome, Internet Explorer and Firefox, the following browsers have been designed with privacy in mind, keeping you safe from online tracking. However you must read the warnings your browser gives you and not just click on OK without reading or downloading and installing software from untrusted sources.

The Internet browser is a line of defence, but there are many others you must take into consideration to keep your privacy online.

Privacy browser for the Internet

Midori Browser: Lightweight open source browser originally developed for Linux but now with a Windows and portable version too. Midori comes with privacy extensions by default without you having to download anything you will be able to disable scripts and third parties cookies. Adblocker can be enabled with a couple of clicks. This is a simple browser that has not been developed by any corporation and will not share data with the cloud.

Iridium: Based on Chromium and backed by the Open Source Business Alliance, this browser stops keywords and metrics from being sent to third parties, like Google, without user approval, you are notified if a tracker tries to retrieve information about you. A public repository of the code shows all changes made and it can be audited.

Dooble: Advanced open source browser for Mac, Windows and Linux/BSD computers. It can be used for file browsing, FTP and chatting or email with other browser users using the InterFace addon and anonymized with a Tor addon also included in the browser. Browsing all takes place in incognito mode by default, history and cookies are erased after closing it.

Epic Browser: Developed with privacy in mind, this browser can anonymize your computer IP activating a built-in proxy with single click and it will delete browsing traces on exit. Other benefits are that WebRTC is disabled, adverts are blocked and you can access georestricted sites faking your IP country location using the browser proxy.

SWare Iron: A Chrome looking browser but with all Google features that Chrome is using to track users disabled, the browser does not have a Chrome client ID, Google updater or URL suggestions. WebRTC is also disabled, this could stop some services, e.g. messenger from working but your real IP is not leaked if you are behind a VPN.

Cliqz: Browser made by a German company, it comes with anti tracking, anti phishing, encryption that force sites to use HTTPS and ad blocker. The browser is TÜV certified, an independent German organisation that guarantees the software is data protection safe, the browser and plugins are all open source. The company claims they store zero user data on their servers and the it is available for Windows, Linux, Mac and mobile devices.

Secure Browser: This browser comes with a security management console from where you can access all privacy settings. Easy to configure, with a slider on and off to activate or deactivate a particular function.  You can find private browsing, ad blocker, private VPN, extension sandbox to run extensions in protected mode, a privacy cleaner that gets rid of all the visited sites and cookies, and much more.

Opera: With a built-in ad-blocker and proxy, that Opera calls VPN although it only tunnels browser traffic and not the whole computer. The proxy service is powered by SurfEasy, a company that belongs to Opera too and it comes with unlimited bandwidth and no need to register, ideal for online privacy in Wifi public access points like Internet cafes.

Comodo: With a choice of Comodo Ice Dragon (Firefox) or Comodo Dragon (Chrome), these browsers are modified versions of the original with enhanced security, like using Comodo DNS in the browser to look up websites and the Site Inspector addon to filter out malware. Crash reports and other small privacy changes are made, with the downside that Comodo had the ‘bright’ idea to integrate social media sharing, a known way to endanger your Internet privacy.

Yandex Browser: Developed by a Russian company of the same name, the Yandex browser strips some of the spyware that Google embeds in Chrome. DNSCrypt, Yandex own DNS servers encrypts all URL requests to stop your ISP from spying on you, DNS queries also detect websites containing malware and warns you before visiting.

Privacy browser for the dark net

Tor Browser: Probably the most popular anonymous Internet browser, as long as you don’t change settings and are not tempted to enable flash or Java with promises of being able to watch secret videos, the Tor browser makes it impossible for anybody to track you down. The only people behind Tor that have been ever been traced, downloaded files and had their computers hacked, if you are careful about that, anonymity is guaranteed.

Privacy browser for iPhone/Android

Brave: I have this mobile browser installed in my smartphone, it blocks all advertising and tracking by default while making it easy to whitelist a site to support it allowing advertisements. If you allow adverts the changes remain until you tell Ghostery otherwise. I have not seen a single unwanted advert since I installed it, very effective.

Tenta: With private browsing by default and a free VPN, this smartphone only browser can be protected using a PIN so that if you lose your device nobody will be able to see what sites you visited or what files you downloaded, bookmarks are kept private and the company indicates that their VPN does not keep any logs. You can configure the browser so that they are visited from a certain VPN location instead of having to always use the same country for all sites. This browser has its own DNS able to access .bit domain names that are not available with regular DNS servers.