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> You can’t stop data collection from the tech industry altogether, but with a few simple steps you can make a dent in the amount of information that’s being co

> You can’t stop data collection from the tech industry altogether, but with a few simple steps you can make a dent in the amount of information that’s being collected. > Use privacy-protecting browser extensions. You can add extensions to your browser that will do a lot to protect your privacy. One is Disconnect, made by the company that performed our TikTok investigation. The Disconnect extension shows you how websites are trying to track you and blocks a lot of that data collection. Privacy experts often recommend uBlock Origin, as well. > Change your browser’s privacy settings. A lot of browsers have built-in controls you can use to block trackers, including cookies, pixels, and other technologies. Open your browser’s preferences or settings, and you’ll usually find the controls in the privacy section. > Try a more private browser. Google Chrome collects a lot of data on behalf of Google. The Consumer Reports Security Planner recommends Firefox and Brave as more privacy-focused options. Case closed when you use uBlock Origin preferably with Brave or Firefox. As an extra measure I disable JS Unless it's really needed, and surf in a private/incognito session to stop cookies building up.

jszymborski 4y ago
Shame uMatrix is dead, but I use it to allow javascript for the local domain, and disable for third-party domains by default. It allows me to use at least some websites without too much fiddling with the uMatrix settings.
- chaxor 4y ago
  What do you mean umatrix is dead? I'm using it now, and it's IMO hands down *the absolute best extension I have ever used*. uMatrix >> (uBO | noScript | privacy badger | cookie ninja | cookie autodelete | etc) I use all of them along with vimium-ff and midnightlizard, but uMatrix is by far the best idea for managing what is run for better privacy and performance of browsing.
  - jszymborski 4y ago
    I use it daily too and it's on my list of essential plugins, but gorhill archived the repo and development has halted as best as I can tell [0] which leads to complications [1]. [0] https://www.ghacks.net/2020/09/20/umatrix-development-has-ended/ https://www.ghacks.net/2020/09/20/umatrix-development-has-en... [1] https://www.ghacks.net/2021/07/15/umatrix-has-an-unfixed-vulnerability-here-is-a-workaround/ https://www.ghacks.net/2021/07/15/umatrix-has-an-unfixed-vul...
  - kuratkull 4y ago
    AFAIK uMatrix creator made uBlock origin. He hasn't worked on uMatrix for a while now. That's just something for you to look into.
  - d110af5ccf 4y ago
    I am also still using it and haven't run into any issues so far. But it is unmaintained for quite some time now last I checked so I assume that eventually it will just stop working. It's quite nice though. I have it set to disable any and all third party resources by default and from there it's generally fairly easy to permit the necessary things the first time I visit a site. And if it proves to be difficult I generally just decline to use that website at all.
    - stjohnswarts 4y ago
      As long as firefox maintains the API it should work just fine. But the day the don't a lot of people will be unhappy. I always figured some bored javascript wizard would eventually pick it up since gorhill archived it, but I don't think anyone has
      - jjav 4y ago
        I so wish umatrix maintenance was restarted. Hopefully someone capable will. I'd donate money to that effort. While ublock origin is nice, umatrix is so much better.
        aembleton 4y ago
        What improvements do you think should be made to it?
  - b1ue64 4y ago
    The github repository is archived, last update was June 20, 2021 https://github.com/gorhill/uMatrix https://github.com/gorhill/uMatrix
- rascul 4y ago
  Ublock origin advanced mode with some other setting I can't remember can get you filtering similar to (but not quite as advanced as) umatrix. Edit: After setting advanced mode, hit ctrl twice in the popup to get the green/gray/red filtering. https://github.com/gorhill/uBlock/wiki/Dynamic-filtering:-quick-guide#allow-rules https://github.com/gorhill/uBlock/wiki/Dynamic-filtering:-qu...
- aendruk 4y ago
  The documentation of uBlock Origin is worth reading.
andrepd 4y ago
> surf in a private/incognito session to stop cookies building up. Rather than do this, you should install Cookie Autodelete. It simply clears all cookies when a site is closed, while incognito only clears when all incognito windows are closed.
jacooper 4y ago
You dont need UBlock with Brave, brave Shields do what UBlock does while being faster(rust) and integrated in the browser.
- dbg3386 4y ago
  This is mostly true however Brave Shields do not support the $removeparam operator so it is unable to remove url based tracking. You still need uBO or the ClearURLs extension to do that. https://github.com/brave/adblock-rust/issues/166 https://github.com/brave/adblock-rust/issues/166)
  - jacooper 4y ago
    Brave already removes tracking parameters from URLs https://brave.com/privacy-updates/5-grab-bag/ https://brave.com/privacy-updates/5-grab-bag/
WirelessGigabit 4y ago
With iOS you’re SOL. No extensions. And they allow in-app browsers. I wish it would be banned.
- Nextgrid 4y ago
  AdGuard on iOS works in Safari and all in-app browsers that use Safari View Controllers (unfortunately a lot of malicious apps such as social networks don't use it for this exact reason). It's not a perfect replacement for UBO as the underlying filtering API isn't as powerful but it does a good enough job most of the time. It still uses the same filter lists as UBO (though again it's not able to make all rules work, due to API limitations).
  - bpye 4y ago
    I'm not familiar enough with iOS, does Apple still allow apps to use a different web view that the filters do not apply to? If so is there any reason they shouldn't require Safari View Controllers for App Store submission?
    - Nextgrid 4y ago
      > does Apple still allow apps to use a different web view that the filters do not apply to The web views the filters don't apply to have different use-cases such as customizing/hiding the browser UI elements, injecting Javascript, etc. There are legitimate reasons to use it in some cases (in case you need to display server-side-rendered content as if it was native). Of course, Apple could decide on a case-by-case basis and reject usages of the legacy web view when the new implementation is appropriate, but they won't just like they don't do anything for apps that lie on the "privacy nutrition labels" about the data they collect or various other breaches of the App Store guidelines.
- null_object 4y ago
  > With iOS you’re SOL. No extensions I’m reading this using iCab Mobile on iOS, which is a browser apparently no-one on HN has ever heard of, as I need to mention it every time this tired old and inaccurate assertion is trotted-out again. This browser allows you to define your own blocking lists, including filters for every conceivable combination of JS, CSS, cross-site, cookie-based and URL tracking. So which part do you want to ban exactly? [0] https://apps.apple.com/us/app/icab-mobile-web-browser/id308111628 https://apps.apple.com/us/app/icab-mobile-web-browser/id3081...

jszymborski 4y ago

Shame uMatrix is dead, but I use it to allow javascript for the local domain, and disable for third-party domains by default. It allows me to use at least some websites without too much fiddling with the uMatrix settings.

chaxor 4y ago
What do you mean umatrix is dead? I'm using it now, and it's IMO hands down *the absolute best extension I have ever used*. uMatrix >> (uBO | noScript | privacy badger | cookie ninja | cookie autodelete | etc) I use all of them along with vimium-ff and midnightlizard, but uMatrix is by far the best idea for managing what is run for better privacy and performance of browsing.
- jszymborski 4y ago
  I use it daily too and it's on my list of essential plugins, but gorhill archived the repo and development has halted as best as I can tell [0] which leads to complications [1]. [0] https://www.ghacks.net/2020/09/20/umatrix-development-has-ended/ https://www.ghacks.net/2020/09/20/umatrix-development-has-en... [1] https://www.ghacks.net/2021/07/15/umatrix-has-an-unfixed-vulnerability-here-is-a-workaround/ https://www.ghacks.net/2021/07/15/umatrix-has-an-unfixed-vul...
- kuratkull 4y ago
  AFAIK uMatrix creator made uBlock origin. He hasn't worked on uMatrix for a while now. That's just something for you to look into.
- d110af5ccf 4y ago
  I am also still using it and haven't run into any issues so far. But it is unmaintained for quite some time now last I checked so I assume that eventually it will just stop working. It's quite nice though. I have it set to disable any and all third party resources by default and from there it's generally fairly easy to permit the necessary things the first time I visit a site. And if it proves to be difficult I generally just decline to use that website at all.
  - stjohnswarts 4y ago
    As long as firefox maintains the API it should work just fine. But the day the don't a lot of people will be unhappy. I always figured some bored javascript wizard would eventually pick it up since gorhill archived it, but I don't think anyone has
    - jjav 4y ago
      I so wish umatrix maintenance was restarted. Hopefully someone capable will. I'd donate money to that effort. While ublock origin is nice, umatrix is so much better.
      - aembleton 4y ago
        What improvements do you think should be made to it?
- b1ue64 4y ago
  The github repository is archived, last update was June 20, 2021 https://github.com/gorhill/uMatrix https://github.com/gorhill/uMatrix
rascul 4y ago
Ublock origin advanced mode with some other setting I can't remember can get you filtering similar to (but not quite as advanced as) umatrix. Edit: After setting advanced mode, hit ctrl twice in the popup to get the green/gray/red filtering. https://github.com/gorhill/uBlock/wiki/Dynamic-filtering:-quick-guide#allow-rules https://github.com/gorhill/uBlock/wiki/Dynamic-filtering:-qu...
aendruk 4y ago
The documentation of uBlock Origin is worth reading.

andrepd 4y ago

> surf in a private/incognito session to stop cookies building up. Rather than do this, you should install Cookie Autodelete. It simply clears all cookies when a site is closed, while incognito only clears when all incognito windows are closed.

jacooper 4y ago

You dont need UBlock with Brave, brave Shields do what UBlock does while being faster(rust) and integrated in the browser.

dbg3386 4y ago
This is mostly true however Brave Shields do not support the $removeparam operator so it is unable to remove url based tracking. You still need uBO or the ClearURLs extension to do that. https://github.com/brave/adblock-rust/issues/166 https://github.com/brave/adblock-rust/issues/166)
- jacooper 4y ago
  Brave already removes tracking parameters from URLs https://brave.com/privacy-updates/5-grab-bag/ https://brave.com/privacy-updates/5-grab-bag/

WirelessGigabit 4y ago

With iOS you’re SOL. No extensions. And they allow in-app browsers. I wish it would be banned.

Nextgrid 4y ago
AdGuard on iOS works in Safari and all in-app browsers that use Safari View Controllers (unfortunately a lot of malicious apps such as social networks don't use it for this exact reason). It's not a perfect replacement for UBO as the underlying filtering API isn't as powerful but it does a good enough job most of the time. It still uses the same filter lists as UBO (though again it's not able to make all rules work, due to API limitations).
- bpye 4y ago
  I'm not familiar enough with iOS, does Apple still allow apps to use a different web view that the filters do not apply to? If so is there any reason they shouldn't require Safari View Controllers for App Store submission?
  - Nextgrid 4y ago
    > does Apple still allow apps to use a different web view that the filters do not apply to The web views the filters don't apply to have different use-cases such as customizing/hiding the browser UI elements, injecting Javascript, etc. There are legitimate reasons to use it in some cases (in case you need to display server-side-rendered content as if it was native). Of course, Apple could decide on a case-by-case basis and reject usages of the legacy web view when the new implementation is appropriate, but they won't just like they don't do anything for apps that lie on the "privacy nutrition labels" about the data they collect or various other breaches of the App Store guidelines.
null_object 4y ago
> With iOS you’re SOL. No extensions I’m reading this using iCab Mobile on iOS, which is a browser apparently no-one on HN has ever heard of, as I need to mention it every time this tired old and inaccurate assertion is trotted-out again. This browser allows you to define your own blocking lists, including filters for every conceivable combination of JS, CSS, cross-site, cookie-based and URL tracking. So which part do you want to ban exactly? [0] https://apps.apple.com/us/app/icab-mobile-web-browser/id308111628 https://apps.apple.com/us/app/icab-mobile-web-browser/id3081...