What Is the Best Browser for Privacy and Security?
Here you are going to find a private and secure alternative to Google Chrome. For you we have evaluated browsers on privacy, security and transparency, guided by the three criteria for data-privacy.
Updated, 12/05/2020
Three Central Privacy Criteria
An online service is secure, if the transfer of data and its storage on a server or user device is encrypted. Here different methods are used which differ in its strength. The most secure method is end-to-end encryption. It guarantees that only sender and recipient have access to the digital keys for the data.
An online service is private, if the provider of the service collects no or only minimal data, which are not directly needed its service. This means that no personal data is collected, which could be sold to other companies or used by the provider itself.
An online service is transparent, if it can be guaranteed that it is secure and private. To prove this, the program’s source code can be made publicly available and accessible for everyone to inspect. This practice is called open source and is a central aspect of digital trustworthiness, as it makes the software’s operations transparent.
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Google Chrome1)Privacy Policy: Google |
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Internet Explorer/Edge2)Privacy Policy: Microsoft |
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Safari4)Privacy Policy: Apple |
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Firefox6)Privacy Policy: Mozilla |
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Google Chrome7)Privacy Policy: Google |
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Internet Explorer/Edge8)Privacy Policy: Microsoft |
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Safari10)Privacy Policy: Apple |
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Firefox12)Privacy Policy: Mozilla |
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An online service is secure, if the transfer of data and its storage on a server or user device is encrypted. Here different methods are used which differ in its strength. The most secure method is end-to-end encryption. It guarantees that only sender and recipient have access to the digital keys for the data.
An online service is private, if the provider of the service collects no or only minimal data, which are not directly needed its service. This means that no personal data is collected, which could be sold to other companies or used by the provider itself.
An online service is transparent, if it can be guaranteed that it is secure and private. To prove this, the program’s source code can be made publicly available and accessible for everyone to inspect. This practice is called open source and is a central aspect of digital trustworthiness, as it makes the software’s operations transparent.
= Criteria meet= Criteria partially meet= Criteria not meet
Our Favourite: Mozilla Firefox
Why Is Firefox Our Favourite Private Browser?
Firefox is a browser like Google Chrome that is being developed by the Mozilla Foundation, a nonprofit organisation. Mozilla’s mission is to build a better Internet for all of us. Their focus lies also on privacy and security of its users.
Besides off functions which you expect from a modern browser, Firefox also offers useful tools to protect your privacy in an easy and effective manner.
This makes Firefox a private and practical alternative to Google Chrome.
What Makes Firefox Better Than Google Chrome?
Google Chrome is the most used browser worldwide. A lot of Google services are integrated in Chrome and it collects lots of private data about you.
Google Chrome collects personal data about you
Google makes its money by showing personalised ads to its users. Therefore Google needs lots of information about you. With more data Google can petter predict your behaviour and as a result what ads you would click on.13)What does Google know about me?
As an independently developed and not advertisement financed browser, Firefox does not have the interest to collect data about you.
Google Chrome makes it difficult to protect your privacy
Chrome collects data about you and makes it hard for you to protect your privacy against online trackers and tracking cookies.
Trackers are small elements on websites which follow you around the web to collect data and create statistics about you as well as help personalise ads to your behaviour.
Cookies that are used to track users are not blocked by Chrome by default.14)Goodbye, Chrome: Google’s Web browser has become spy software Though you can block third-party cookies in Chrome’s privacy settings. Tracking elements can’t be blocked by Chrome without additional software.
Firefox offers protection agains these online trackers by default as well as further options to protect your privacy in ways which are not possible with Chrome.
Data collection through Google Chrome
Google Chrome doesn’t only makes it hard for you to protect your privacy against other data-collecting companies, it also collects private data about you.
This happens through search suggestions offered by Chrome, Chrome on mobile devices, whereby it sends your location data to Google, and through the use off Chrome’s synchronisation feature, which lets Google get even more data about you and your browsing behaviour.
Through search suggestions
If you use Google as your default search engine, your search history is being sent to Google to provide you with personalised search suggestions. Also your browsing history can be used for this.15)Google: Google Chrome Privacy Notice This data is therefore sent to Google and can also be used for other purposes. This way, Google can even find out about websites you visited using a different search engine.
All this data is then connected to your Google account, if you are signed into Chrome.
On smartphones and tablets
If you use Google Chrome on your smartphone or tablet computer, Chrome shares your location information with your default search engine, insofar as Chrome has access to your location.16)Goodbye, Chrome: Google’s Web browser has become spy software17)Google: Google Chrome Privacy Notice
It is no surprise that Google is Google Chrome’s default search engine. Supposing that it is not changes, your location data is shared with Google.
Also this data is added to your Google account, if you are signed into Chrome on your mobile device.
Through active synchronisation
In the case that you use Chrome on several devices (e.g. on your laptop and smartphone), it can be useful to keep your browser’s data in sync between your devices. Chrome offers this function in combination with a Google account.
If the sync feature is on, your browser data such as your browsing history, bookmarks, open tabs, settings and passwords are saved by Google.
Your data is then associated with your Google account and can also be used for other purposes.18)Google: Google Chrome Privacy Notice
Firefox also offers a sync function, to keep your browsing history, bookmarks, tabs and passwords up to date between your devices. Your data is not used for any other purpose than keeping your browsers in sync and it is protected by end-to-end encryption. This means that only you can access your data – not even Mozilla, the organisation developing Firefox.19)Mozilla: How Firefox Sync keeps your data safe even if TLS fails
This makes Firefox not only a secure and private, but also a useful and helpful alternative to Google Chrome.
Google endangers the independent Internet with Chrome
To be able to access websites from different devices and apps, web standards where agreed upon. Chrome has started to distance its website handling from these standards. This leads to some websites not being optimised for universal standards anymore, but for Chrome.20)Chrome is turning into the new Internet Explorer 6
This endangers the decentralised and open structure of the Internet, as it gets harder for competitors to offer products which work for all websites.
Firefox follows the web standards and, as an open source browser, supports a faire competition on the Internet.
This makes Firefox not only good for protecting your privacy but also to keep Internet monopolies at bay.
What Makes Firefox Better Than Brave?
Brave is a browser that protects your privacy. By default you are well protected against online trackers which follow you around.21)It’s Time to Switch to a Privacy Browser
Alongside its private window, Brave also offer a private window configured so that it connects to the Tor Network. This way your web traffic is not readable by your Internet Service Provider and you are pretty anonymous online.
Furthermore Brave is based on Chromium (Chrome’s open source software core developed by Google), its user interface and functions are therefore quite similar to Chrome’s. Your privacy is not affected by this.
Add-ons for Brave are available via Chrome Web Store by Google, thus the same add-ons are available for Brave as for Chrome. Add-ons might not respect your privacy the way Brave does, though.
Because Brave is based on Chromium, its use probably also leads to a further distancing from web standards, which make the web a decentralised and independent place.22)Chromium is eroding the Open Web and it’s our responsibility to stop it Brave also has no control over its software core Chromium developed by Google.
The most interesting feature that Brave offers is, that you can automatically support websites financially through micro payments using a crypto currency which lose revenue through blocked ads. This feature called Brave Rewards calculates on which websites you spend the most time and then distributes a set amount among registered websites such as news websites and YouTube channels.23)Most secure browser for your privacy in 2020
The idea is, that when ads are blocked, websites have to finance themselves through other means. Also Mozilla is working on a similar solution (Firefox Better Web, at the moment only available in the US) to address this problem and to motivate online media to create high quality instead of sensational content.
This makes Brave a good alternative to Chrome, if you can’t work without some features or add-ons only available for Chrome. Otherwise Firefox is the better choice.
Can Firefox Keep up With the Functionalities Google Chrome Offers?
Firefox offers you a modern browser with comparable speed to Google Chrome, without lacking important features.
You can open as many tabs as your computer can handle, create bookmarks, view your browsing history, personalise your homepage and add add-ons to extend your browser’s functionality.
The private window not only deletes browsing data on your computer but also extends anti-tracking measures, so that websites you visit also obtain less information about you.
With a Firefox account you can sync your bookmarks, browsing history, open tabs, settings, add-ons and passwords between devices. You can also set up email alerts for the case that your email addresses show up in data breaches, so that you have time to change potentially stolen passwords in time.
You only have to live without Google reminding you everywhere off their services.
| Functions | Firefox | Chrome |
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Unlimited tabs |
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Bookmarks |
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Browsing history |
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Password vault |
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Add-ons |
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Private window |
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Standard tracking protection |
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Synchronisation |
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Email alerts for data breaches |
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Integrated Google services |
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| Functions | Firefox | Chrome |
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Unlimited tabs |
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Bookmarks |
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Browsing history |
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Password vault |
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Add-ons |
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Private window |
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Standard tracking protection |
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Synchronisation |
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Email alerts for data breaches |
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Integrated Google services |
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This is our change log for the page Browser. Here are all the changes and updates recorded for this page.
This page’s content is not timeless. This is why its content hast to be updated regularly. To make this process transparent, we have set up this change log.
- May 2020: Page created