Best web browsers for security and privacy

A few alternative browser options for those looking to protect themselves against analytics, tracking, surveillance, and even censorship.

• Mozilla Firefox
• Iridium
• Ungoogled Chrome
• Tor Browser

Mozilla Firefox

Firefox is one of the fastest browsers around, while also offering great security and privacy. The interface is slightly more old fashioned than some competitors but nothing drastic. Firefox is among the fastest browsers. It offers a lot of great features

out of the box, as well as a solid library of add-ons and extensive customisation options. It also comes with strong privacy protection and, because Mozilla is a nonprofit organisation, it has little incentive to collect and sell your data.

Some additional steps to take to secure Firefox:

• Switch to Strict/full enhanced tracking protection
• Enable a Master Password to ensure protect stored passwords
• Install DuckDuckGo Security essentials
• Install Facebook Container to prevent Facebook tracking

Get Mozilla Firefox

Iridium

Iridium has based on the open source Chromium project just like Google Chrome, however Iridium has modified Chromium to enhance security and privacy of users. Iridium is designed to be fast in every way. It starts very fast, loads and also renders very complex web sites really fast. It also works with many of the usual Google Chrome extensions.

Get Iridium Browser

Ungoogled Chromium

Ungoogled Chromium is a Chromium browser without Google integration. It removes every bit of Google integration from Chrome to enhance privacy and transparency. Ungoogled Chrome is still in the early days of development so everything isn’t as neatly packaged as Firefox or Iridium above.

Get Ungoogled Chrome

Tor Browser

If you are looking maximum security Tor Browser is the way to go. Unlike the other browsers listed which, for the most part, simply block unwanted attention from trackers and third parties snooping in on your browsing Tor takes a different approach.

Tor Browser is Firefox bundled with the Tor Network and some additional security features. Technology that bounces internet users’ and websites’ traffic through “relays” run by thousands of volunteers around the world, making it extremely hard for anyone to identify the source of the information or the location of the user.

Get Tor Browser