Author Archives: J. Hawthorne

Casual Games like Minecraft Have Tons of Cheaters

Online shooters have a long history of issues with cheaters. When gamers start their rants about cheating, they often describe getting swiftly and unfairly shot down in Call of Duty, Fortnite, or Apex Legends.

This may be a surprise to some: Casual games actually have an even bigger problem with cheaters than shooters.

According to a recent study by Surfshark, casual titles are at the top of the list of games with the most interest in cheating methods. Minecraft, Among Us, Roblox, and The Sims 4 all made their top 10.

They created the list by adding the total number of views on YouTube videos that showed people how to cheat for a given game. It’s not the most accurate method, as a game’s ranking is just as dependent on its overall popularity as people’s intention to cheat. Still, the data gives us a good indication of the total population of cheaters in each game.

Cheaters in Minecraft

Created by the Swedish game developer Mojang Studio, Minecraft [Amazon] is a gaming sensation nobody could have predicted. It’s simple in its approach while most other popular video games embrace realistic graphics and complex storylines. In Minecraft, players build their surroundings and learn to survive and possibly thrive in pre-generated worlds.

According to the metrics tracking site Activeplayer.io, Minecraft has over 168 million active players per month. Surfshark found there were 30,560,700 YouTube views associated with cheating in Minecraft. So, if cheaters watched an average of 10 videos that would mean there are roughly 3,056,070 of them.

Minecraft offers astonishing possibilities, and for players who still want more, there are over 100,000 mods available. Mods are fun and harmless in single-player mode, but when mods are used in multiplayer it becomes a source of frustration for other players.

Cheaters in Among Us

Among Us is an online multiplayer social deduction game developed by Innersloth. It’s a murder mystery game in which one to three players are randomly chosen as imposters. Players explore a spaceship named “The Skeld,” the headquarters of the company MIRA, a research base on the planet Polus, or an Airship. You work together with online players to determine who can be trusted, and who can’t.

According to the metrics tracking site Activeplayer.io, Among Us has over 49 million active players per month. Surfshark found there were 15,984,835 YouTube views associated with cheating in Among Us. So, if cheaters watched an average of 10 videos that would mean there are roughly 1,598,484 of them.

There are two main paths Among Us cheaters can take. The first is when players covertly communicate with other players who are actually their friends. Even if the cheater’s character is dead or not on the other player’s team, they share tips about who the impostor is or who it isn’t. The second path is to hack the game. Cheaters use this method to kill everyone instantly, find out who’s an impostor, or allow their character to move insanely fast.

Cheaters in Roblox

Roblox is a game within a game. Its creator system turns everyday people into game creators. Games like Work at a Pizza Place, Hide and Seek Extreme, Pet Simulator X, and Jailbreak put players in novel scenarios they don’t experience in mainstream titles. It is community-focused in terms of competing in challenges as well. In fact, Roblox games can support up to 100 players.

According to the metrics tracking site Activeplayer.io, Roblox has over 201 million active players per month. Surfshark found there were 10,835,172 YouTube views associated with cheating in Roblox. So, if cheaters watched an average of 10 videos that would mean there are roughly 1,083,517 of them.

Roblox cheaters buy or obtain scripts that let them do things in the game that are normally impossible. These exploits allow them to fly around, walk through walls, teleport, shoot through walls, and do other strange actions.

Cheaters in The Sims 4

The Sims 4 [Amazon] is a social simulation game that replicates everyday life and makes even the mundane fun. Players can build and furnish a home for their characters aka “Sims,” dress them and send them out into the world to start their career, hang out in the city, or visit a horse ranch. Completing objectives is optional, with the main focus of the game being on making choices and exploring the interactive environment.

According to its publisher EA, The Sims 4 has over 70 million active players. Surfshark found there were 10,808,200 YouTube views associated with cheating in The Sims 4. So, if cheaters watched an average of 10 videos that would mean there are roughly 1,080,820 of them.

Players can cheat on their significant others in The Sims, but this is about the other kind of cheating! The Sims 4 features built-in cheat codes that allow players to gain money, improve their skills instantly, escape death, and a lot more. As if that wasn’t enough there’s a vast number of fan-made mods available as well.

Conclusion

Shooters and RPGs are top genres when it comes to the number of people who use exploits to cheat. However, the casual genre is king.

Cheaters typically can’t do anything to harm players outside the game, but they’re still an annoying menace.

Every popular online game has cheaters so don’t let it dissuade you from enjoying your favourite games. Most game developers work hard to make sure cheaters don’t ruin the experience for everyone.

Why New Cars are a Privacy Nightmare

What do you think about when you picture a young couple in a convertible with big smiles, sunglasses, and the wind blowing through their hair?

Many associate cars with freedom. Cars represent the freedom to go wherever you want, and experience all life has to offer.

The world has changed dramatically since that idea was established. Today’s cars are more like computers on wheels.

Savvy folks are aware of the privacy pitfalls of smartphones, social media, and online games. Far fewer think about the fact that their new car collects data about them, sells that data, and offers limited to no way to opt out of it.

Now for the cringey part: Some car manufacturers are even interested in the sex life of their customers.

How can it be this bad? Here’s a theory:

The Haze of Innovation

People are enthralled with their smart cars.

Companies like Tesla are innovating in a big way in the space, and the uptick in advancement in the industry is a relatively new phenomenon. Thus, certain realities like the lack of online privacy in new cars haven’t quite hit the average customer’s radar.

Smartphones and social media have been around long enough for the blind enthusiasm to dim. Tech companies recognize that giving people greater control of their online privacy is responsible and ultimately good for business.

Car manufacturers can get away with not-so-hot online privacy policies because it’s still the early days. However, history has taught us that eventually, consumers will demand better privacy, and in time, car manufacturers will be forced to rethink their approach.

Rapid Advancement in Auto Tech

Your first car was likely a way to get from point A to point B. My, how times have changed.

From the rise of electric vehicles to the promise of fully autonomous cars, advancement in the auto industry is incredible right now.

Electric car sales are reaching new heights. In the second quarter of 2023, nearly 300,000 EVs (fully electric vehicles) were sold in the U.S. alone.

The computers in Telsa’s vehicles are so powerful that they can run video games. And we’re not talking mobile games with low requirements. Telsa’s CEO Elon Musk demonstrated the capabilities of its Model S Plaid by playing Cyberpunk 2077 [Amazon]. He stated their computer hardware offered “PS5-level performance.”

Unfortunately, growing pains come along with the innovation.

Computer hardware and software this advanced are new things in cars. It’s going to take time to perfect the fine points. To your typical customer, online privacy doesn’t have that wow factor that software features do. And it’s the wow factor that sells cars. Thus, privacy is not a top priority for auto manufacturers yet.

Mozilla’s Study Roasts the Auto Industry for Its Approach to Privacy

A recent study on the state of privacy of car brands pulled no punches. Mozilla went as far as to say new cars are a “privacy nightmare on wheels.”

Every brand, from Ford and Volkswagen to Toyota, failed their privacy test.

Researchers found that sensors, microphones, cameras, connected devices, and phones are being deployed to gather some pretty questionable data about customers.

They put it like this: “(It) can collect deeply personal data such as sexual activity, immigration status, race, facial expressions, weight, health and genetic information, and where you drive.”

Wondering how that information can possibly relate to driving, navigating, and the services you use on the road?

Well, it doesn’t. And that leads us to the next topic: What they actually do with the data.

76% of Car Companies Sell Your Data

Corporations are always looking for new revenue centers that offset the challenges they face. And gathering data about consumers is big business.

Data is a $300 billion-a-year industry. And it employs 3 million people in the U.S.

While some of the data is used for the auto manufacturer’s own research, marketing, or business purposes, Mozilla found that 84% of them sell it or share it. It then gets into the hands of service providers, data brokers, and other businesses.

By digging deep into their terms of service, they also found that 56% can share your information with the government or law enforcement.

Car Brands Are Largely the Same with It Comes to Privacy

Mozilla created a chart that compares car brands for privacy. Companies with a failing grade were given an ‘X’ for the following categories: data use, data control, track record, security, and AI.

Brands largely weren’t that different in their approach to privacy across the board.

The major brands you’ve heard of mostly received four dings out of five. Subaru, BMW, Fiat, Jeep, Chrysler, and Dodge faired a bit better with three dings. And Tesla was the only one to get an ‘X’ in every single category.

California Probes Internet-Connected Cars

The Wild West in data practices for new cars is not going to last.

California recently revealed that privacy regulators would probe the data practices of newer cars that are connected to the internet.

The California Privacy Protection Agency was established in 2020 by a ballot initiative that beefed up the California Consumer Privacy Act of 2018.

It’s a start, and this may set a precedent for other states to follow.

Conclusion

The current CEO of Ford Motor Company revealed the following: “We know everyone who breaks the law, we know when you’re doing it. We have GPS in your car, so we know what you’re doing.”

The vast majority of people are law-abiding citizens. Do auto manufacturers really need to have this level of power to probe their customers at will?

Considering the less-than-stellar grades by Mozilla’s report, the auto industry has a thing or two to learn about using technology responsibly. Just because you can do it, doesn’t mean you should.

Once customers become more aware of data privacy in connected cars, manufacturers will be able to out-compete each other by employing better practices. Let’s hope that’s the next step in this technological revolution, rather than the big players moving in lockstep.

Improve Your Privacy on Social Media: Top Mistakes to Avoid

Who isn’t on social media these days? 60% of the global population and 93% of all internet users use social media apps. You may have never imagined your grandma would get decorating ideas before you do on Pinterest, but it’s happened.

It’s given us unparalleled opportunities to stay connected but it’s also made maintaining our online privacy a bit complicated.

We grew up with cautionary tales of how famous people like Michael Jackson, Elvis, and Marilyn Monroe were driven to the edge by the loss of their privacy. Of course, we never thought normal people would face the same challenges on a smaller scale.

Most people who are doing something enterprising or of public interest need to market themselves, whether they’re entrepreneurs, politicians, musicians, or authors. If you want to succeed, it’s part of the game. But that doesn’t mean you can’t keep your private life private.

Here are key privacy mistakes that can be easy to make on social media. Do your best to avoid them and sleep soundly knowing you’ve done your part.

You reveal personally identifiable information

Many mistakenly believe that because they don’t have a high profile on social media, have low income, or have bad credit, identity theft isn’t something to be concerned about. It is!

Today’s bad guys are organized, savvy, and they’ve got incredible tech at their disposal. You might not think it’s a big deal to reveal your email address, your username, or another small piece of information that’s associated with your identity. Remember that criminals can potentially build databases to piece together information over time.

Generally, avoid posting documents issued to you by governments, institutions, or businesses online. Leaking small pieces of personal data such as account numbers, or even your mailing address can come back to haunt you one day and it’s commonly done. In fact, according to a study by Experian, Americans have posted an average of 3.4 pieces of sensitive information online.

You overshare about personal events

Oversharing can mean many things. It can mean getting into an emotionally-charged state and posting about one’s personal drama. It can mean talking poorly about your ex or your former employer and getting into detail about past experiences.

It’s a tougher issue than it might seem because we bond with others by sharing things about ourselves, including our vulnerabilities.

If you post regularly on social media you have to reflect and be honest with yourself. Determine which parts of your life you’re comfortable with being public knowledge and which parts you prefer to keep private. Once the cat’s out of the bag there’s no going back.

Some people are proficient at discovering dirt about people and then spreading gossip. That’s not something you have control of, but don’t make it easy for them by creating a record that can be repurposed as ammunition.

Remember that many are generally unsympathetic to the problems of others. Tell the few you most trust your personal news to get it off your chest and leave it at that.

You reveal your exact location

Geotagging is incredible from a technological perspective. People who are interested in the happenings in an area can tap on the location and see related posts. Thus, it adds to the discoverability of your content.

If overused, geotagging gives people a way to track your activities. More and more it’s being used with precision so that people know which neighbourhood you’re in, right down to the restaurant you’re dining at.

Use geotagging judiciously. You can flex some by letting your followers know you’re visiting New York City without naming the bagel shop.

You post photos of your children publicly

The average parent posts nearly 1,500 pictures of their child online before age five according to a study by Nominet.

Parents are proud of their kids. They’re a huge part of their world, and that’s wonderful. However, sometimes we have to remind ourselves that Instagram isn’t a family photo album.

Ever heard the term “sharenting?” It’s when parents publicize personal information about their child online. People wouldn’t imagine sharing detailed private information about their friends online, but “sharenting” is incredibly common. And it’s usually done without permission by the child.

Many parents don’t think about it, but a photo or video that is funny or cute might not be seen the same in the future. At best, it will be slightly embarrassing to your child. At worst, it could negatively impact their reputation later in life.

When we post content publicly, we create a record that can be accessed by people with bad intentions and by automated technologies. It opens your child up to risks such as facial recognition tracking, online security threats, and worse.

You accept friend requests from strangers

Bots and people who are pretending to be someone else (aka catfish) are incredibly common on social media.

Platforms like Facebook give you the opportunity to approve or deny friend requests. Not much good can come of adding someone you don’t recognize. Adding them could expose you and your friends to online security threats, scams, surveillance, and misleading information.

You share information about people without their permission

Social media tends to polarize people these days. One camp believes in the power of personal branding. Their careers depend on putting themselves out there online. The other camp is known to launch into rants about how social media is destroying the fabric of society.

There are a million and one reasons someone wouldn’t want you to post a group shot with them in it on social media. It’s best to never make assumptions. Let people know if you plan to post something about them online so they can opt out.

Posting photos or information about people could have ramifications for them you didn’t consider, whether it’s at their job or in their marriage. It might not strike you as fair or reasonable but you don’t want to be blamed for sparking a conflict.

You don’t use audience selection features

Want to share a story about your career journey but don’t want your ex-employer to see it? Some social media content falls into a gray area in terms of privacy decisions. Luckily, there’s a middle ground in-between public and private posts.

Apps like Facebook and Instagram allow you to create lists of people and deliver content to that audience only. Sometimes you can exclude people or a list of people from seeing a post or story as well.

For example, Instagram allows you to make a “Close Friends” list. And on Facebook, you can add people to your list of “Acquaintances.”

You don’t remove bots and fake accounts that follow you

On Platforms like Facebook and LinkedIn housecleaning your list of connections is easy because both sides have to agree to connect out of the gate.

It’s trickier to manage your followers on apps like Instagram and TikTok when you have a public account. It’s an ongoing process.

Every now and again, check your follower list and remove suspicious accounts. With practice, you’ll see patterns and it’ll be easy to spot certain types of fake accounts and scammers. In many cases, it won’t be clear what their objective is. But if there are clues that it isn’t a real person, it’s best to remove them rather than ignore them.

You don’t manage your tagged photos

Social media apps don’t have many restrictions when it comes to who can tag you in photos. In fact, on apps like Instagram spammers will tag you just so you’ll look at their post. And no, the image never has anything to do with you.

When potential employers or potential dates start digging through your profile, tagged photos are the first things they look at.

There are bound to be photos you’re tagged in that don’t send the right message. Take the time to check it every now and again, and remove your tag from the not-so-flattering shots, or the photos that reveal personal information you’re not comfortable with sharing with everyone.

You take questionable online quizzes

Facebook quizzes were huge back in the early days of the platform. People installed apps just to find out which character they are in Friends.

Quizzes seem like a fun and harmless way to share your personality traits with your friends. The problem is that the people who complete them usually don’t know who’s gathering their data and for what purpose.

If you think about it, quizzes are the perfect way for shady developers to extract data from people such as their name, birthdate, and other personal information. It doesn’t seem like much of a threat until you consider it can be pieced together and used for nefarious purposes.

You don’t use privacy settings and features

Every major platform has privacy features, and they usually go way beyond the ability to make your account private.

From hiding Likes on your post to limiting commenting to people you follow, social media apps allow you to use a lot of nuance when it comes to privacy. Experiment so that you’re confident in deploying privacy features when they’re most needed.

One of the key areas to investigate is the permissions the app has to access the data on your phone. Check its level of access to your photos, videos, location data, your mic, etc.

Location, camera, and microphone permissions can be set to “All the time,” “Allow only while using the app,” “Ask every time,” or “Don’t allow” on Android. There are no right or wrong answers here except that it makes sense to have stricter privacy settings on features you rarely use or don’t use.

Blocking access can break functionality in the app. So, test it before deciding how to approach your permission settings.

Conclusion

Let’s be clear, social media has plenty of benefits. Your online privacy is important but so is connecting with other amazing humans.

The key is to remind yourself of these privacy pitfalls before you hit the post button. Sometimes it’s easy to get caught up in the moment and reveal too much.

I hope you leave this article with some takeaways that will make your online journey a bit smoother. Stay safe!

6 Reasons to Skip Signing Up on a New Social Media App

In the earlier days of social media, it was simple. People created an account on Facebook first to connect with their old college buddies. Then, perhaps they got LinkedIn or Twitter. And in many cases, that was it!

Today it seems like there’s a new social media app popping up every month. And when they do keep showing up in your feed oh boy do most of them get overhyped.

If it’s a casual platform it’s where all the cool kids are at. If it can benefit your career, thought leaders want you to believe if you’re not investing in it, you’re falling behind.

The social media craze isn’t going away anytime soon. Knowing when to pass on a new app can put you ahead of the pack.

1. The Time Sink

Just as the number of social media apps has increased, the hours we spend on them have too.

From 2012 to today the time people spent on social media has been steadily trending upwards. The stats get downright alarming when we look at young age groups. In fact, a study by Real Research found that over 38% of teens use social media for over 8 hours a day.

Do you wish you watched more TV as a kid? Of course not, right? It makes you wonder how we’ll view our social media use today in the future. Eventually, social media and heavy smartphone usage will be dethroned by the next big thing. And at that point, we’re bound to gain more clarity about how much value social media brought to our lives in comparison with the time we spent on it.

Social media is a powerful tool with plenty of benefits. But no activity is so important that it should consume our lives.

2. Privacy Concerns

When people think about online privacy, they often think about how their personal data is gathered, how their data is used, and privacy policies.

It encompasses so much more than that.

On many new social media platforms, anyone can follow you and not all of them have the best intentions. There’s so much personal information that can potentially be leaked by the content you post itself.

Employers use social media to screen candidates. Posting photos of children is something that needs to be carefully considered for their safety. One slip-up can give away your location, or reveal parts of your life not everyone should be trusted to know. The list of privacy concerns is quite endless.

New social media apps haven’t been around long enough to put robust privacy options in place. If it allows you to make your account private that greatly impacts the number of people you can reach. Ultimately, it’s a blunt instrument.

Mature platforms allow you to manage privacy on a more granular level. For example, Facebook allows you to create lists and exclude groups of coworkers or acquaintances from seeing certain content. Advanced privacy features like this aren’t available on new apps and likely will never be available.

Some new social media sites track your web traffic, mine data from your profile and private messages, or share your data with third parties. Review the app’s privacy policy and trust your gut when it comes to whether you trust the company with your data or not.

3. Flash in the Pan or Here to Stay?

Getting in early is a big part of success. Influencers, celebrities, and authors that have built massive followings on apps like Instagram, TikTok, and X (formerly Twitter) have proven it time and time again.

As time passes it tends to get harder to make your mark on a platform as it gets more saturated with creators. The best time to dive in is when many users are still spectators. More people that consume but don’t make content means more attention for those who do create.

So, why would you ever wait on the sidelines?

The truth is we easily forget all the social media apps that had a brief moment in the sun and then lost the interest of most of its users and failed to get new ones.

Maybe you remember when it was common to hear about Clubhouse, BeReal, and Mastodon. Going further back, you might recall when Google+ shut down, or when Myspace lost its appeal and transformed into a glitter and spam-filled abandoned amusement park.

Social media apps that remain popular for several years or decades are actually the exception, not the rule.

4. Is This Mic On?

When it comes to your potential audience, it pays to look beyond the hype and study the numbers.

Established platforms like Instagram have been adding active users for many years. Thus, even new apps that had an incredibly successful launch have nowhere near the audience as older social media sites do.

Of the people that have created an account, most are not fully invested in the new platform. Like you, they’re testing the waters and determining if it’s worth it to stick around. If the app gained a user base quickly it can lose it just as fast.

Let’s study a bit of social media history, shall we?

Meta launched Threads in July 2023 to compete with Twitter. It got up to 100 million users in less than a week which looked incredibly promising. However, by the end of July over 50% of its users had already left.

With so many established alternatives, it’s challenging for new apps to retain their user base.

5. Barebones, Isn’t It?

No social media app is launched with a full set of advanced features. The options you considered to be basic on mature platforms simply aren’t present on new apps.

It takes years for apps to hit their stride when it comes to their features and identity. Just think about how much Instagram has changed over the years. It started as a basic photo-sharing app. Over time, Instagram added Stories, improved video capabilities, and Reels to stay competitive with other apps.

Giving up features doesn’t seem like a big deal until you experience it. It usually feels like going backward. You may find that you’re not willing to accept a lesser user experience just to jump on the latest bandwagon.

6. Technical Woes

If there’s one constant with technology, it’s that not everything works as it should all the time.

New social media sites haven’t been rigorously tested by users. So, there are bound to be issues the developers missed. Its early users become the app’s beta testers and arguably its guinea pigs.

Spammers can scammers are always looking for new opportunities. And there are fewer tools at a new app’s disposal to curtail undesirable behaviour. Dealing with bad actors inevitably leads to situations in which legitimate users face frustrating hurdles.

Apps are incredibly complex and challenging to manage. Thus, solving tech issues is like a game of whack-a-mole. And the newer the app, the more moles tend to pop up.

Conclusion

Feel like you’re missing out because you’re not using one of the latest social media apps? Don’t sweat it because you’re dodging the headaches as well.

Sometimes watching and waiting is the wise move. The perfect time to invest in a new app typically isn’t when it first becomes available. It’s good to get in early, but best to skip the days when the app hasn’t made its long-term potential clear.

The Best Web Browsers for Privacy

Ever noticed an ad for a product you just talked about appear while you were browsing the internet?

Once ads for the same thing follow you around the web, you start to wonder what caused it. And you wonder if tech companies know more about you than you’re comfortable with.

Often the easiest way to boost your online privacy is simply to switch your browser. Today there are privacy-focused browsers that don’t require tweaks or extensions to block trackers.

Mainstream browsers are a mixed bag. Some have adapted well to people’s growing concerns about being tracked online. Understandably it’s challenging for big companies to make changes that might hurt their bottom line, even if it’s in the short term. Apple’s Safari and Mozilla Firefox are two examples of well-known browsers that have managed to put the privacy needs of their users first.

Now that we’ve covered the primer, let’s dive in! Here are the best browsers available today for people that value online privacy.

Brave

If Brave isn’t one of the first browsers that come to mind for the best online privacy features it should be.

Mozilla Firefox has been around for quite a while and most have heard of it or used it. Well, guess what? There’s a connection here. Brendan Eich is the CEO of Brave, and he was also one of the co-founders of Mozilla.

By default, Brave blocks display ads and trackers. The concept behind it is unique as its purpose isn’t to eliminate all ads. Rather, it displays its own native ads that look like browser notifications and it rewards its users with Basic Attention Token. And yes, BAT is a token built on Ethereum with real value. Suddenly, ads aren’t a nuisance because internet users are compensated for their attention.

If you rarely want to see ads or don’t want to see ads at all regardless of the rewards, there are settings for all of that.

Brave is a great everyday browser for people that value privacy, but you can’t use it for everything. Some websites are set up to require certain data and important functions might refuse to work with Brave. In this situation, it’s best to launch a mainstream browser like Chrome or Safari for the sake of convenience.

Tor Browser

Many online privacy aficionados haven’t tried Tor Browser yet, but they’re probably used Tor at some point in their journey. Tor, which is short for “The Onion Router,” is free software that enhances privacy and hides your online activity from prying eyes.

Tor Browser takes the unique privacy technology established in Tor and builds it into a web browser. It sends web data through a multistep encrypted route that includes at least three nodes.

The downside of Tor has always been speed. It’s the price you pay for its thorough approach to anonymous browsing. Thus, Tor Browser is a good choice for tasks with privacy of utmost concern, but it’s not going to replace your go-to browser.

VPNs also encrypt your data like Tor. So, if you’re looking for a good balance between anonymity and browsing speed a VPN is the best option. Check out LetMeBy’s reviews of the top 3 VPNs.

DuckDuckGo Browser

DuckDuckGo is a privacy-focused search engine that doesn’t collect or share private information about its users. Other search engines have tried to find their niche and have faded over the years, but DuckDuckGo is stronger than ever because it promises a benefit people actually care about.

Its latest offering is its web browser. Its looks and most of its basic functions will look familiar to users of Chrome and Edge. And it’s based on the same idea as the DuckDuckGo search engine. The browser blocks trackers and ads that follow you around the web.

People that visit YouTube frequently will appreciate its unique video feature called Duck Player. It opens YouTube videos in a view free from distractions such as recommendations.

It removes ad targeting and tracking, but it doesn’t remove YouTube ads altogether. Rather, the ads won’t be based on your activity and browsing history.

Firefox

Mozilla is a not-for-profit Foundation that aims to put people before profit and fight for an internet that’s accessible and open to everyone. Although that may sound idealistic Mozilla has proven over the years that it can make software just as good as big corporations.

These days nearly everyone uses Chrome or Safari. Back in 2009, Firefox was at its peak with over 32% browser market share. Many stuck with Firefox for years but once they switched to Chrome, they never looked back.

We can speculate about all the reasons Firefox lost popularity over the years. One thing is certain. Google preinstalls Chrome on its Chromebooks. Apple preinstalls Safari on its devices. And Microsoft preinstalls Edge in its operating system. People always needed to make the conscious decision to download Firefox, and with so many good options most stopped bothering.

It’s time to give Firefox another look.

Firefox has privacy features mainstream browsers don’t have such as automatic DNS over HTTPS and cookie blocking.

Blocking everything that tracks you doesn’t always lead to a good user experience. Firefox’s Enhanced Tracking Protection allows you to block or allow certain types of cookies and content.

Network settings are integrated right into Firefox, which allows you to use a proxy with it without affecting other apps. Other browsers such as Chrome and Safari approach this differently. To use a proxy or VPN you have to apply it system-wide.

Safari

Apple disrupted the tech world when it first released App Tracking Transparency in iOS. For the first time ever, Apple users could easily opt out of being tracked. And given the choice, most people did.

Although it’s less talked about, you can also prevent cross-site tracking in Safari on Mac OS. You merely go to Safari’s privacy settings, select “Prevent cross-site tracking” and you’re done.

Most popular browsers have a private browsing mode. Safari has an edge over many because it uses DuckDuckGo by default. With it enabled, beyond your browser not remembering the sites you visited, the search engine itself won’t collect data based on your searches.

Another handy feature in Safari that encourages good habits is its password generator. It suggests strong passwords, saving you time and confirming that your passwords are keeping up with current standards.

Safari’s Intelligent Tracking Prevention limits the amount of your data that’s sent to Apple and third parties. This means that long-term cookies are only stored on your device for sites you use regularly.

Chrome with Privacy Extensions

If you prefer to deploy online privacy features a la carte, don’t mind tweaking settings, and enjoy Google’s ecosystem, this could be the right option for you.

Google Chrome is by far the most widely used browser and that means it’s one of the best when it comes to customizing its features with extensions. Simply put, Chrome isn’t a privacy-first browser out of the box, but you can make it into one.

Want to block trackers? Add an extension such as Privacy Badger or Ghostery. Don’t want to see ads? Install Adblock Plus or uBlock Origin.

There’s a slight catch. Extensions can break, lose their support, or lose their effectiveness as technology progresses.

One of the biggest pluses is that you can experiment and find the extensions you like the most. You’re not married to built-in features that may not offer the approach to privacy you want.

Why Companies Want Your Data

Data is a huge industry, and it’s a growing one. The global big data market was estimated to be worth $162.6 billion in 2021. It’s forecasted to reach $273.4 billion by 2026.

The concept is simple. You more businesses know about consumers’ likes, dislikes, interests, careers, hobbies, and a multitude of other things, the more they can sell.

Many people don’t think marketing works on them. But the evidence says otherwise. Clicks on targeted ads can be as much as 670% higher. Additionally, 80% of users actually reported to prefer tailored ads. People notice what interests them, and data makes it possible to serve people both the content and ads most likely to be relevant to their interests.

The Tug of War Between the Wants of Advertisers and of Users

Some of the biggest tech companies are in a challenging spot. If users aren’t happy their business is in jeopardy. And if advertisers aren’t happy it’s in trouble too.

Apple’s move to allow users to easily control if they wanted to see targeted ads or not was part of a big shift in the industry.

It’s become standard practice to collect data about users and also to give them tools to manage their data on different platforms. In other words, if you want better privacy you typically have to drill down into the settings to make it happen.

Conclusion

As more become aware of the importance of online privacy, more are taking another look at the web browser they use every day.

For too long popular browsers have been synonymous with good. And while the most used browsers are excellent, they’re usually not the top choices in terms of privacy.

Any browser’s privacy can be leveled up significantly by enabling a VPN. If you take the time to choose a browser with robust privacy features as well those ads that follow people around will be far behind you.