Security and privacy features in a number of web browsers have improved since the last time we checked a year ago. Since most browser developers claim that their browser is secure and protects your private data from tracking, the valuable insight in our browser security follow-up is that now we can observe which browsers really have improved their security and privacy features, and which ones continue their tracking and data collection practices.
A year ago, in February 2022, we analyzed the results from Privacytests.org browser comparison, and concluded that Brave and Firefox were the safest choices. Chrome, Edge, Opera, and Vivaldi didn’t protect users’ private data so well. Chrome is a Google product and Edge a Microsoft product, and both giant corporations make loads of revenue from ads.
What has happened during one year in web browser development?
The trend is clear: browser vendors have split into two categories. A few browser developers do their best to provide users a safe online experience, whereas others do their best to track users.
Privacy and security focused browsers:
Brave and Librewolf are the safest browsers in 2023 according to the comparison made by Privacytests.org. Runner-ups Firefox and Apple Safari are doing good work with privacy as well. All these four browsers have all the features internet users normally need, so if you value your privacy, drop other browsers and move to these products.
Browsers that collect private data and track users:
Microsoft Edge, Google Chrome, and Opera may have plenty of features, but protecting users from tracking and data collection are not among those features.
Tor is a special browser intended for extreme privacy. As the tests indicate, it is very private, but the product is not typically used for daily tasks, but for specific tasks.
A power tip for people who want to take the extra step to protect themselves is a method called task specific browsers (also known as browser compartmentalization). The principle is to dedicate a browser for accessing sensitive data, and another browser for internet surfing.
What about mobile browsers?
In 2023 comparison, the mobile version of the Brave browser is the number one product for privacy minded phone owners. Runner-up browsers are Bromite, Focus and Mull.
I have been trying out Qwant browser on my phone, and the software works really well. The tracking discovery tool by EFF (coveryourtracks.eff.org) rates Qwant as a privacy focused browser, so it would be interesting to see it in the same comparison chart with other products.
In desktop product category, Brave, Librewolf, Firefox and Safari browsers are on a right path with their product development. They are providing security and privacy features for users.
Mobile browser development is hectic at the moment. New products that look promising have been launched to iOS and Android phones, but they still have to win the trust of users. As a secure and private product, Brave has a strong lead in mobile browsers in 2023.