Privacy is a major concern for everyone who uses the Internet. Since Internet is a shared medium, there are a lot of ways the privacy of a person can be unfold. Whether you are browsing or using an Internet service, almost every website and service operating in the sphere of Internet tracks your movements and other data related to you. The data can range from your browsing habits to your personal information like email address, location etc.
Most of the websites on the Internet have tracking software installed on the web pages. Although the information sent to the website owner can be harmless and may help better serve your needs, it is not always the case. If you are also concerned about your privacy over the Internet, here are a few tools and services which can help you in preventing the websites and services from tracking you online. You will become completely anonymous while browsing the Internet.
Do Not Track Plus
Do Not Track Plus is my favorite tool which I am currently using for my online privacy. Since I use Firefox as my primary browser, I have installed “Do Not Track Plus” as a Firefox Add-on. It is also compatible with Google Chrome and Internet Explorer. Do Not Track Plus can prevent tracking of social buttons, ad networks and other tracking companies. The thing I like about Do Not Track Plus is that it shows the information about tracking website in a pop-up when its toolbar button is clicked. Do Not Track Plus protects your online privacy from more than 600 trackers. The tracker database is updated regularly to combat new emerging trackers.
Download Do Not Track Plus for Firefox
Ghostery
Ghostery is another useful tool which can do the same job as Do Not Track Plus. Ghostery is compatible with Firefox, Google Chrome, Safari, Opera and Internet Explorer. It also supports mobile version (iOS). When a website is opened, Ghostery will list down all the trackers on the web page on the upper right corner of the browsing window. Ghostery gives you more control over which site to block and which one to allow. You can block the trackers you want and leave others as it is.
Download Ghostery (You can download Ghostery for each browser separately)
Adblock Plus
Adblock Plus is by far the most popular tool for blocking ads. Since most of the trackers are advertisements on the webpages, Adblock Plus can be handy in fighting online privacy issues. Adblock Plus supports Firefox and Google Chrome. Adblock Plus, rather than blocking the tracking of any service, blocks all the advertisements on the webpage. This can be beneficial if you are not interested in the advertisements. This can help improve browsing speed as most of the Javascript and advertisements are blocked.
NoScript
Most of the tracking is done through Javascript. If you disable Javascript in your browser, most of the privacy issues can be solved but the problem is that it is not always possible to disable Javascript and use all the functionality of the website. NoScript is a Firefox add-on which can prove very beneficial in this regard. NoScript does one thing and does it very well. It prevents Javascript and Flash based contents from running on a webpage without your permission. If you are extra cautious about your privacy, NoScript can be the tool of your choice.
I hope these tools will make your life easier and will help you fight against hidden leakage of privacy. Which tools are you currently using for protecting your privacy?
Image credit: alancleaver_2000
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Good list. I’ve been a big fan of DNTP (your #1). It’s my main add-on I use for this for now.
Seems to work really well so far.
To add to this list, you dont achive “complete” privacy if you don’t remove the FLASH cookies (aka LSO cookies) stored in your computer, besides the normal ones. There are many of these, and they do track you.
This can be done with the “Better Privacy” add-on. Comatible with firefox, idk about other browsers.
All modern browsers have an option of do not track which can be enabled to block these cookies but the problem is that most of websites will not work without cookies. This is where these nifty add-ons come into play which let us selectively enable or disable cookies on individual sites.
Usman if you replied to my post and talk about LSO cookies, the browser’s DNT has nothing to do with them.
All ‘Do Not Track’ does is adding a header that, in simple words, tells the site that I WOULDN’T LIKE to be tracked. In fact the site still has absolute control over it and can bypass it. It doesn’t limit tracking, it just ‘informs’ the site that I don’t want them tracking my ass. I don’t need to say that most ad sites and trackers will ignore it. No point activating it.
The LSO are cookies who get in your PC when flash objects come into play. Nothing to do with DNT.
Thanks a lot for the clarification Xxx. For everyone else, LSO means Local Shared Objects. Everything else has been explained by Xxx.