In the environment of web browsing, cookies and trackers they have become completely unpredictable elements in order to have an optimal experience through the network. Since, by default, they take care of providing the greatest comfort to Internet users, in order to guarantee high productivity around the actions that they execute frequently.
Thus, for example, they avoid having to log in with a username and password every time they want to enter a social network and this, of course, this decreases the time to start the experience. However, in terms of security, third-party trackers and scripts on the Internet, have gained a bad reputation because they can reveal certain data about users and, ultimately, reduce your privacy.
Therefore, advocates of privacy on the Internet, point out that it is recommended block or disable third-party cookies in order to acquire a safer experience when surfing the net. Reason why, here we explain the steps to follow to restrict such elements from scratch And, in addition, we will mention some safe web browsers that you should try.
Why should I block third-party trackers and cookies in my browser?
Although it is true, third-party cookies present in web browsers are defined as a file that is downloaded to the user’s computer hard drive directly from a website and this, naturally, comes from a different domain than the one the person is visiting at the moment. In other words, the trackers or cookies belong to a website that It is not the same one you have entered.
So, for example, you can be inside a web page corresponding to a news site and this, It has a Facebook “Like” button that causes a cookie from said social network to be installed on your computer. Thanks to this, on a regular basis, privacy companies use cookies to track user movements based on your visits to each site where they have been advertised.
For their part, as we mentioned earlier, these elements typical of web browsers have been heavily criticized by professionals who deal with online security. Well, they have the ability to see your browsing history, know your personalized preferences, spy on your movements on the web, know what type of profile you have and, in short, collect information about your browsing habits. Which affects the confidentiality of Internet users when browsing in this environment.
For this reason, it is advised block or restrict third-party trackers and cookies in any online browser. Since, by making this adjustment, you can prevent a “Computer cookie” becomes a powerful spyware that, from any web browser, manage to collect your information and then carry out illegal acts or for malicious purposes.
Learn step by step how to block third party trackers and cookies from scratch
So, to prevent cookies or third-party trackers from being able to perform their tracking functions that endanger your integrity in any way, it is necessary that you choose to block them in the web browser you use, usually. Taking into account that, if you use several browsers, the best will be lock those items on all of them in order to avoid further storage of cookies.
For this reason, below, we will teach you step by step how to carry out said blocking, correctly, through the main web browsers that are used today:
In Google Chrome
It is no secret to anyone that, in terms of privacy, Chrome has been cataloged as one of the web browsers that least respects the confidentiality of users when using your data for advertising purposes. Therefore, to acquire more security and privacy in it, It is useful to restrict cookies.
Here, we show you how to do it:
- To begin, enter the platform Chrome Y click on the upper right corner (on the three vertical dots), to view the options menu.
- After that, select “Settings” and in this window, click on “Privacy & Security” on the left side.
- Then in that section, choose “Website configuration” and with that, they will redirect you to a new section.
- Next, go to the bottom and in the section that says “Content”, you have to click on the option “Cookies and site data”.
- To finish, through the General Settings, you must press the checkbox “Block third-party cookies”. Considering that, in this case, it is not advisable to choose the one that indicates “Block all cookies”.
In Mozilla Firefox
Until now, Mozilla Firefox it is considered the most appropriate browser in terms of user privacy. Since, by default, is equipped to be able to defend the integrity of its clients and thanks to that, by default, it restricts some third-party cookies that can track the movements of the Internet user. However, despite these relevant characteristics, the truth is that this is not enough to acquire a very strong privacy on the platform.
Reason why, it is also considered appropriate to block third-party cookies in Mozilla by carrying out the process that we detail below:
- Initially, enter the browser in question and proceed to open main menu using the three horizontal lines located in the upper right corner.
- Once the menu in question is displayed, you have to select “Options” (if you are using a Windows computer) or “Preferences” (if you use a Linux).
- Now, in the new window that they show you, go to the left side and click on “Privacy and security”.
- Done the above, look for the section that says “Personalized” and when you display said section, choose “All third-party cookies (may cause errors on some websites)” in the option of “Cookies” to indicate that these are blocked.
In Microsoft Edge
If you are a loyal user of the classic Microsoft web browser and, for privacy reasons, you prefer to restrict its cookies to avoid vulnerabilities while browsing the net; the platform also allows you to make this configuration in a simple way.
In this sense, we proceed to explain the steps to take to ensure said block:
- Find the application of this web browser on your computer and proceed to open it.
- Second, go to web browser menu which is in the upper right corner and there, click on the option “Settings”.
- Later, in the indicated window, click on “Site Permissions” which corresponds to an option contained on the left side.
- Then select the first available option that says “Cookies and site data”.
- To finish, you have to activate the “Block third-party cookies” switch and ready.
In Opera
Another widely used web browser, refers to Opera. Which, although it provides an optimal level of security that it offers to ensure private browsing, is also considered a clever platform for trackers and cookies access.
Therefore, it is also pertinent to block these elements to obtain better security and, below, we will show you how:
- Access the web browser in question and, through its main menu, choose the “Settings” option of the application.
- After that, go to the Advanced Settings section and from there, click on “Privacy & Security”.
- Third, you have to click on “Site Settings” to later click on the section “Cookies”.
- To conclude, simply subtract activate the option that indicates “Block third-party cookies” through the corresponding switch. That’s it.
List of the safest browsers to have a more private browsing
Apart from restrict trackers and scripts from third parties in the web browsers that you commonly use, in order to protect your privacy on the network; it is also advised resort to other solutions that inspire greater security when browsing the Internet.
Therefore, in this section of the post, we will mention three options classified as safe browsers that guarantee a more private experience:
Tor Browser
It is a web browser based on Firefox which basically focuses on guarantee the anonymity of its users so that no third party can track your confidential information or personal data while you surf the net. Whereas, it is designed to connect to the network Tor and so, automatically, it sends all the traffic through it so that the client’s IP address is hidden and no one can spy on their activity.
Thus, it stands out for being a solution that provides an optimal anonymous communication channel for acquire the greatest possible navigation security. Additionally, this platform is capable of resisting traffic analysis attacks, accepts applications based on the TCP protocol, is an excellent remote access tool, etc. Inclusive, Tor Browser it is an extremely difficult network to be intercepted by organizations or governments, thanks to the fact that it is a distributed network run by volunteers.
Download Tor Windows
Download Tor MacOS
Brave Browser
It is an open source web browser that is considered an ideal solution for browse the web safely and confidentially. Since, it has the ability to block online trackers in order to reduce the vulnerabilities of the user around the different threats that operate on the network by third parties. That is, guarantees all the benefits that blocking cookies provides.
Added to this, unlike other online browsers such as Google Chrome, Brave Browser is a platform that avoid sharing data with advertisers as much as possible. Among other features, it is distinguished by being a multiplatform software that has an intuitive interface and provides optimal loading speed. Well, since it doesn’t support ad trackers, charges 8 times faster than commonly used browsers.
Download Brave Windows
Download Brave MacOS
Finally, we emphasize this solution that, although it is not a browser as such, it is considered a very useful alternative for improve security and privacy on the Internet. Since, it consists of an extension for the browser that is responsible for preventing advertisers and any third-party trackers can see, secretly, the movements that users make.
In addition, in the event that an Internet user is being spied on by any advertiser from multiple websites without their consent, this tool proceeds to block said advertiser automatically and thus, it prevents its content from loading in the browser in question. Taking into account that, Privacy Badger is available for Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox and Opera, being a totally free utility in any of these services.