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Over the weekend, I put together some notes on browser hygiene. That's jargon for keeping work and school separate from your personal life. It's also good privacy practice. The details are here: https://www.funnymonkey.com/2020/browser-hygiene-for-better-privacy---think-of-it-like
The short version: use Firefox, create a school/work profile, and install uBlock Origin. It takes under 5 minutes, and it protects you from ad tracking and from someone else who uses your computer from accessing your stuff.
But after I wrote it, I was curious about how to quantify whether or not it made a difference.
So, being a curious and nosy sort, I ran some tests.
So, being a curious and nosy sort, I ran some tests.
The tests were simple - 4 different browser setups, visiting 4 sites, and observing how many third party sites were called while visiting the four sites.
The browsers:
Chrome, using default settings
Firefox, with the defaults adjusted to let more trackers through
Firefox, tuned for privacy
Firefox, tuned for privacy, with uBlock Origin enabled.
Chrome, using default settings
Firefox, with the defaults adjusted to let more trackers through
Firefox, tuned for privacy
Firefox, tuned for privacy, with uBlock Origin enabled.
Chrome with the default settings let through the most third party calls while visiting the four sites: 192
Firefox, set to be more permissive, actually did better, with 157 calls while visiting four sites.
Firefox, set to be more permissive, actually did better, with 157 calls while visiting four sites.
Tuned Firefox did better than I expected: 42 domains called while visiting 4 different sites.
And, not surprisingly, the addition of uBlock Origin was better still, with only 22 calls.
And, not surprisingly, the addition of uBlock Origin was better still, with only 22 calls.
A couple takeaways:
1. Browser hygiene works! Do it!
2. Firefox is doing a decent job.
3. Firefox and uBlock Origin is better!
The details are here, and they include the raw data from the tests: https://www.funnymonkey.com/2020/making-sure-things-work
1. Browser hygiene works! Do it!
2. Firefox is doing a decent job.
3. Firefox and uBlock Origin is better!
The details are here, and they include the raw data from the tests: https://www.funnymonkey.com/2020/making-sure-things-work
