The last time browser privacy was discussed on Icrewplay was in September 2022, although only the Android side of the matter was discussed.
This article aims to have a complete more general picture of the various browsers circulating on the net, regardless of what the operating system is (although it will be specified on which platform a particular browser will work).
Simplifying, there are basically two “families” of browsers: those based on Chromium (from Google) and those based on other technologies, mainly Firefox technology (from Mozilla).
Chromium-based browser privacy
Since many users mainly use Google Chrome as their browser (certainly not a privacy browser), priority will be given to those of the “Chromium” family.
Although many browsers of this “merry family”, often (with some exceptions) are not exactly light, they are usually better suited to multimedia content.
Good browsers
Born from the mind of the American programmer Brandon Eich and two other colleagues, the browser Well done, is certainly the most famous of the privacy browsers; such application is available literally for all platforms.
Eich is, among other things, co-founder of Mozilla and creator of the Javascript programming language.
Brave Browser, in addition to mounting an AdBlocker, also owns the ability to connect to TOR networks via a built-in VPN.
Bromite
Less popular than the “lion”, Bromite is another privacy browser based on Chromium (Open Source code from which Google Chrome also derives).
This browser has the peculiarity of being able to work even on relatively old Android devices, being compatible from Android 6.0 and up in the ARM version.
Bromite is however available exclusively for Android systems.
Chromium
Chromium even if it is the basis of some privacy browsers, compared to the derivative (Chrome) it “behaves” slightly better on privacy, as well as being lighter on Desktop.
It is completely Open Source and modifiable (if you are a programmer, of course).
Available on all platforms (mobile and desktop).
Kiwi Browser Next
Although Kiwi Browser Next isn’t exactly the top privacy browser, it still has the ability to add many addons that can help.
Kiwi Browser is available only on Android systems.
Vivaldi Browser
Although compared to the cousins mentioned earlier Vivaldi Browser is only partially Open Source, it is certainly a better Chromium alternative than many others. This privacy browser is available on all platforms except iOS.
Other privacy browsers not based on Chromium
After seeing Chromium-based browsers, let’s now see those that are based on other types of technology (Mozilla and more)
PrivacyBrowser
Well this curious browser is called exactly like that; is available only on the alternative F-Droid store and only on Android systems, it aims to have as little data as possible “filter” when browsing.
Duck Duck Go Browser
Although DuckDuckGo is a search engine, has created an application for mobile systems (Android and iOS), with the promise of privacy, a “promise”, because unfortunately the platform in question has been at the center of a scandal in which the company, through mobile applications not blocks Microsoft cookies, therefore a sort of “broken promises”, to understand each other.
Among other things, although this browser, which claims to be a “privacy browser” (unfortunately somewhat wrongly), is not based on Chromium, it uses the System Webview to view sites and does not view them “on its own”.
Tor Browser
Here we are at “high” levels, it’s just the Privacy Browser par excellencedeveloped with Mozilla technology it connects to the internet via private TOR networks, I don’t think it needs any introduction.
Firefox Focus
This privacy browser is, similarly to the first in the “non-chromium” list, made to filter as little data as possible, mainly on Android and iOS systems (designed for mobile), once closed it eliminates connection traces (cookies, metadata, etc. ).
As mentioned Firefox Focus is available for Android and iOS (only mobile platforms therefore).
Mozilla Firefox browser
I think that in this case too there is very little to say, MozillaFirefox initially born as a sort of “rival” of the now “retired” Internet Exploer, it is a pillar of many communities (especially Linux, but not only) and perhaps it is the privacy browser (without VPN) par excellence.
Mozilla Firefox is notoriously usable on every platform.
Mul Browser
Available via F-Droidit can be considered an “alternative” version of Mozilla Firefox, but exclusively “voted” to the Android world, always based on Mozilla technology.
Onion Browser
Available exclusively for iOS, Onion Browser is a Tor-based privacy browser, available only for Apple devices.
System Webview, what is it?
Since it was mentioned in the section dedicated to DuckDuckGo, surely you have wondered at least once what this curious function called Android System WebviewBut what exactly is it for?
According to ilsoftware.it, Android System Webview, which would be nothing more than a “mini Chrome”. Basically applications like DuckDuckGo open sites “on their own”, but use this external service, “pretending” to open the web page for them.
Be very careful even in applications that promise to safeguard privacy, because if a mobile browser (on Android) uses this function, it is as if it were actually using an alternative version of Google Chrome, with all the relevant tracking (advertising and otherwise). ) that follow.
Basically it is as if you used any Linux distribution and opened a virtual machine of an Android system (of the common ones, not considering the derivatives such as LineageOS) and you connected with the account with all the consequences of the case.
The AdBlocker problem on Chromium-based browsers
In September 2020 Google basically stated war on AdBlockersso much so that on Google Chrome some ad blockers will stop working; what is less known is that this can also affect (more or less directly) other Chromium-based browsers, including Opera, Brave, etc.
Nowadays, blocking an ad isn’t just a way to get rid of a nuisance: unfortunately very often advertisements are insidious and blocking them means saving your device from viruses, malware and ransomware.
Work: deserves a special mention
Although Opera is a Chromium-based browser and not exactly a “privacy browser”, it still deserves to be mentioned for a particular reason: recently Opera has made it possible to take advantage of a built-in paid VPN.
Paid VPNs are known to be (generally, at least) more secure than free ones. If you already have a paid VPN like ProtonVPN for example, you can evaluate the paid VPN from opera to have some sort of anonymity in Matryoshka; however, this only applies if you have something very particular to do, mind you.
Orient yourself with the right privacy browser in the chaos of the network
As you see it is not absolutely easy to understand which browser is right for you: it doesn’t matter if desktop or mobile; just in case remember that sites like privacytools.io and others can be of great help in finding the browser application that best suits your needs.
Moreover, it is impossible to name them all and surely if you did some online research you would discover some good and perhaps unknown ones.
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