Privacy-Focused Browser Settings

Why Browser Settings Matter

Your browser's default configuration prioritizes convenience over privacy. By adjusting a few settings, you can significantly reduce your digital footprint without sacrificing usability. Here's a browser-by-browser guide.

Google Chrome

Essential Settings

• Navigate to chrome://settings/privacy and enable “Send a 'Do Not Track' request”
• Under “Cookies and site data,” select “Block third-party cookies”
• Disable “Preload pages for faster browsing” — this pre-resolves DNS and pre-connects to sites you haven't visited
• Under chrome://settings/security, enable “Use secure DNS” and select Cloudflare or Google

Recommended Extensions

• uBlock Origin: Block ads and trackers
• HTTPS Everywhere: Force HTTPS connections
• CanvasBlocker: Randomize canvas fingerprint
• Decentraleyes: Serve CDN resources locally

Mozilla Firefox

Essential Settings

• Enable “Enhanced Tracking Protection” in Strict mode: Settings → Privacy & Security
• Enable DNS-over-HTTPS: Settings → General → Network Settings → Enable DNS over HTTPS
• Disable WebRTC: Navigate to about:config, set media.peerconnection.enabled to false
• Resist fingerprinting: Set privacy.resistFingerprinting to true in about:config

Advanced about:config Tweaks

• privacy.trackingprotection.fingerprinting.enabled = true
• privacy.trackingprotection.cryptomining.enabled = true
• dom.battery.enabled = false
• geo.enabled = false

Apple Safari

Essential Settings

• Safari → Settings → Privacy → Enable “Prevent cross-site tracking”
• Enable “Hide IP address from trackers”
• Disable “Downloads” auto-open to prevent drive-by downloads

Safari has built-in Intelligent Tracking Prevention (ITP) which limits cookie lifetimes and fingerprinting. It also blocks WebRTC by default in many contexts, making it one of the more private mainstream browsers.

Brave Browser

Essential Settings

• Brave Shields → Set to “Aggressive” blocking
• Navigate to brave://settings/privacy → “WebRTC IP Handling Policy” → select “Disable non-proxied UDP”
• Enable “Block fingerprinting” in Shields

Brave adds randomized noise to canvas, WebGL, and audio fingerprints by default, making it one of the strongest anti-fingerprinting browsers without extensions. It also blocks third-party cookies and trackers out of the box.

General Tips (All Browsers)

• Remove unnecessary fonts: Custom fonts increase fingerprint uniqueness
• Keep your browser updated: New versions patch privacy leaks
• Use a VPN: Encrypts traffic and hides your IP from the ISP
• Clear data regularly: Cookies, cache, and storage enable tracking
• Avoid logging into Google/Facebook: Their trackers are omnipresent

Verify Your Settings

After configuring your browser, run PrivKit's Full Privacy Scan to verify that your changes are effective. Check the fingerprint lab, leak tests, and privacy score.