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5 easy tools to ensure you don’t get tracked on the web

Published Oct 14th, 2015 5:10PM EDT
Internet Privacy Stop Online Tracking

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Like it or not, your favorite websites and online services all track you in some way, though some have stronger protections in place than others. Some share the data they gather with third parties or use it to target you with better ads. Some use the data for internal purposes only. There are many ways to try to limit what Internet companies can learn about you from your browsing habits, likes, and searches, including the following five quick tricks you can use.

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This list of services provided by Forbes includes actual services you can use when browsing the web, but also tips on how to do your browsing.

For example, the Tor service encrypts web traffic and then anonymizes it. The Tor browser is available for various computer platforms and on Android, though it might lack some of the features you like in your current browser that are also used by those services that track users.

If Tor gives you a boring experience, then you can try limiting the tracking with the help of browser extensions or add-ons.

According to the news site, there are various privacy-guarding services you should consider, including the Privacy Badger, HTTPS Everywhere and Ublock Origin extensions for Chrome and Firefox. On top of that, the Purify ad blocker is available on iOS devices and it offers similar protection on the go.

Privacy Badger blocks only those ads that track you while greenlighting the others. Ublock Origin is a similar program that can be further customized by tech-savvy users, making it a better tool for more experienced Internet users. Purify does the same thing on iOS, removing ads from web pages, and improving load times and reducing data usage. HTTPS Everywhere will try to force all connections to a website via encrypted HTTPS, as long as that website supports HTTPS.

Chris Smith Senior Writer

Chris Smith has been covering consumer electronics ever since the iPhone revolutionized the industry in 2008. When he’s not writing about the most recent tech news for BGR, he brings his entertainment expertise to Marvel’s Cinematic Universe and other blockbuster franchises.

Outside of work, you’ll catch him streaming almost every new movie and TV show release as soon as it's available.