Generally I think about browser extensions the same way I do with most things in computers and especially the privacy space - long on techincal ability, lots of hype, little actual critical evaluation 'does this thing solve a material problem I actually have'?
UBlock? Absolutely does, it's a great ad-blocker and tracker blocker. Livemarks? Great RSS system.
What would you say is the best tradeoff of trustworthy, privacy-enhancing extensions versus a browser with as little people access to it as possible? I don't want ads, I don't want trackers. It has always seemed like an impossible balance to me.
Hey Robert, this mainly boils down to understanding your own configuration including your use case for each browser and browser extension, as well as browser hardening and your threat model.
For example if you're using something like (hardened) Brave, which has Brave Shields included, you ideally wouldn't have to install any other ad-blocker or tracker blocker extensions, as Brave Shields already does a decent job at handling everything (you can also add custom filter lists to brave shields, which would even spare you from installing something like U-block origin).
If you're using something like (hardened) Firefox which has strong tracking and fingerprinting protections but doesn't have any ad-blocking capabilities, then a good ad-blocker like u-block origin is a must, but you shouldn't need something like Privacy Badger because Firefox already implements robust tracking protections. This is why Librewolf for example comes with Ublock bundled in.
Whereas if you're using Chrome, you would need to install a couple more extensions as Chrome doesn't have neither tracker or ad blocking. In my experience anything more than 4 extensions is usually too much.
You should pay attention to what your browsers can do through their settings. Firefox for example has a toggle for HTTPS everywhere inside of it's own settings, making installing the HTTPS everywhere extension useless there.
Also, look for things that you can do without any extensions, you don't need a password manager extension as you can copy and paste passwords from the manager itself.
Ideally you would have different browsers each specifically configured for it's own use case, while having a baseline level for ad and tracking protection in all of them.
Lastly, you should also keep in mind that sometimes the solution doesn't have to involve the browser at all! You can for example block ads through DNS filtering and focus on tracker blocking throughout your browsers.. Compartmentalization as well as a layered approach to this stuff is often key.
Thank you so much for the explainer, lots to consider. Many of these things I am doing in some shape or form, but I think this helps me organise it a bit more consistently. I think I have been doing some things both with the settings and with the extensions here and there.
Generally I think about browser extensions the same way I do with most things in computers and especially the privacy space - long on techincal ability, lots of hype, little actual critical evaluation 'does this thing solve a material problem I actually have'?
UBlock? Absolutely does, it's a great ad-blocker and tracker blocker. Livemarks? Great RSS system.
What would you say is the best tradeoff of trustworthy, privacy-enhancing extensions versus a browser with as little people access to it as possible? I don't want ads, I don't want trackers. It has always seemed like an impossible balance to me.
Hey Robert, this mainly boils down to understanding your own configuration including your use case for each browser and browser extension, as well as browser hardening and your threat model.
For example if you're using something like (hardened) Brave, which has Brave Shields included, you ideally wouldn't have to install any other ad-blocker or tracker blocker extensions, as Brave Shields already does a decent job at handling everything (you can also add custom filter lists to brave shields, which would even spare you from installing something like U-block origin).
If you're using something like (hardened) Firefox which has strong tracking and fingerprinting protections but doesn't have any ad-blocking capabilities, then a good ad-blocker like u-block origin is a must, but you shouldn't need something like Privacy Badger because Firefox already implements robust tracking protections. This is why Librewolf for example comes with Ublock bundled in.
Whereas if you're using Chrome, you would need to install a couple more extensions as Chrome doesn't have neither tracker or ad blocking. In my experience anything more than 4 extensions is usually too much.
You should pay attention to what your browsers can do through their settings. Firefox for example has a toggle for HTTPS everywhere inside of it's own settings, making installing the HTTPS everywhere extension useless there.
Also, look for things that you can do without any extensions, you don't need a password manager extension as you can copy and paste passwords from the manager itself.
Ideally you would have different browsers each specifically configured for it's own use case, while having a baseline level for ad and tracking protection in all of them.
Lastly, you should also keep in mind that sometimes the solution doesn't have to involve the browser at all! You can for example block ads through DNS filtering and focus on tracker blocking throughout your browsers.. Compartmentalization as well as a layered approach to this stuff is often key.
Thank you so much for the explainer, lots to consider. Many of these things I am doing in some shape or form, but I think this helps me organise it a bit more consistently. I think I have been doing some things both with the settings and with the extensions here and there.
Shrek