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Looking for a browser that won't spy on me


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2019 Jun 29, 6:22pm   1,170 views  16 comments

by Patrick   ➕follow (55)   💰tip   ignore  

Of course that excludes all Google products. Google's whole business is to spy on you for money, and tell you it's OK.

I tried Firefox, but I'm getting pretty annoyed that it keeps trying to call home no matter what I do, and pops up an annoying alert telling me it could not update. This cannot be disabled, at least not quickly:

Firefox 63: Never Check for Updates option removed

If you’re a Firefox user, disabled browser updates by selecting ‘Never check for updates’ option in the General section of Preferences, let me tell you the option won’t be available starting Firefox 63, as Mozilla has seen no value in exposing that option to users and the company felt there is a chance for users to enable it and forget later.


I could try to downgrade Firefox I suppose.

Then I tried Epic "The privacy-centric browser". What bullshit! On startup, it immediately tried to connect to several Google sites and then a dozen more sites that all looked kind of sketchy. Epic fail! Deleted.

Now I'm going back to Brave. https://brave.com/ I tried them for a bit, but they were doing something intrusive as well, can't remember what. It will no doubt come back to me when I use it for a while again.

Comments 1 - 16 of 16        Search these comments

1   MisdemeanorRebel   2019 Jun 29, 6:24pm  

Probably something to do with the fact they use Chrome Extensions, I'll bet.
2   Patrick   2019 Jun 29, 6:25pm  

If they do, that is just about the worst idea ever for privacy.
3   Patrick   2019 Jun 29, 6:30pm  

OK, I'm back on Brave. Didn't try to connect to nearly as many sites as Epic did, just back to its update server, which I denied via Little Snitch, and to a few relatively harmless-looking sites like a CDN, which I also denied.
4   Ceffer   2019 Jun 29, 7:11pm  

What's wrong, don't look good in your underwear?
5   MisdemeanorRebel   2019 Jun 29, 10:32pm  

Crazy idea, but, Microsoft Edge?
6   Patrick   2019 Jun 30, 9:53am  

Brave is working ok for me. Never even considered Edge because I assumed it would be Windows-only, but it does seem to work on the Mac. I'll try it if/when Brave pissed me off with some intrusive ad or spying.

APOCALYPSEFUCKisShostikovitch says
We need browsers that tell lies about you and replaces your profile until any time you see an ad you don't even recognize the alphabet.


Something like this plugin?

https://adnauseam.io

Of course Google banned it:

https://adnauseam.io/free-adnauseam.html
7   Patrick   2019 Jun 30, 9:54am  

And hey, some other people have forked Firefox, calling it Waterfox:

https://www.waterfox.net

Nice!

No Telemetry
Waterfox does not collect ANY telemetry, meaning you don't have to worry about any tracking or usage information about what you do inside YOUR browser.

Limited Data Collection
The only thing that Waterfox sends back is your OS and browser version to check for updates.


Shit. NO! NO NO NO!

I don't want my browser to send back ANYTHING without my explicit permission. Not a single bit. Not ever. If I want an update I will fucking ask for one.
8   Tenpoundbass   2019 Jun 30, 10:01am  

I was a Firefox user since when they came out. They jumped the Shark about 3 or 4 years ago for me. They became the worst offenders of them all. There was so much snooping going on, that actually browsing the Internet because impossible. I also believe that they have an army of SJW's making your browsing life hell if they don't approve what you're doing and where you're going on line.

I ditched them and went to Opera and haven't have a performance issue, or suspected someone is watching me since then.
9   Patrick   2019 Jun 30, 10:07am  

Opera is OK and I use it at work. My only complaint is that they FORCE ads on to your "new tab" screen sometimes, and you have to manually delete them if you don't want to see them every time you open a new tab.

Would also be nice if they were not based on Chromium, since Google has a lot of control over that project even if it is open source.

Also, Opera is now owned by the Chinese. That can't be good.

https://www.engadget.com/2016/07/18/opera-browser-sold-to-a-chinese-consortium-for-600-million/
10   Patrick   2019 Jun 30, 10:09am  

It's like the internet is just covered with parasites like lice, and touching anything gets them on you, and then they suck your blood, make you itchy, and spread disease.
11   Jjhjjgg   2019 Jul 5, 10:43pm  

What about email? Lavabit is back up...
13   RWSGFY   2019 Jul 7, 10:00am  

Why not Safari?
14   epitaph   2019 Jul 7, 1:17pm  

Opera for browsing, startpage for searches, If you live in the bay area see if you can use sonic.net for your ISP too. Didn't see that China bought Opera, that is concerning.
15   marcus   2019 Jul 7, 1:41pm  

Resistance is futile.
16   Patrick   2019 Jul 7, 3:11pm  

Hugolas_Madurez says
Why not Safari?


I tried, but Safari pisses me off for some reason. Doesn't work the same as other browsers.

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