Using a privacy-focused web browser is a must if you want to protect your data online. Privacy-focused browsers make it much harder for websites to obtain information about you. They block trackers and other creepy things such as the Facebook pixel, and many of them block ads too. A good privacy-focused web browser will also block third-party storage and, whenever possible, upgrade all websites to https connections. By using personaldata.info to test browsers with their default settings, we found that Brave performed the best. Firefox is also a good option, but it will require some extensions to make it perform as well as Brave.
Most people use Google when searching the web. Google provides excellent, relevant results that are exactly what you were looking for. However, have you ever felt that the results are very personal? That is because they are. Google uses data about users to personalise results. They also use your data to show you ads for products that you are more likely to buy. This is why it is highly recommended that you use a privacy-focused search engine. If you like Google results but also like your privacy, then you should definitely check out Startpage. Startpage works by taking your query and returning Google results without all of the trackers and personalization. If you don't want Google results, DuckDuckGo and Brave Search are two great search engines that don't use Google results.
Hackers can use your browser's autofill to steal your private information. such as your email address, address, passwords, credit card info, and more. While autofill may be exploited to give out private data, it does not mean that companies are using it to track you. All well-known, legit websites will not use autofill to steal information as it is illegal. Therefore, it is safe to use on most websites. However, you should not use autofill on suspicious websites, as it may be a phishing attack to steal your private information. Click here to test what information your autofill might leak.