Steps to Protect Privacy from Google Chrome Tracking
Hi reader,
Did you know that there are some default settings of Google Chrome that should be changed to protect user privacy?
Google Chrome's default settings are still far from ideal because there is still tracking of users. However, the following steps can be taken so that Chrome does not track you too much.
1. Sign out of your Google account.
When you sign in to Chrome, you give Google access to more data than it needs. Google uses a number of features such as syncing your bookmarks and history across devices.
However, if you care about privacy, you should consider signing out of your Google account in Chrome. To do this, click the three-dot menu in the upper right corner of Chrome, and select "Settings".
Select the "Chrome and You" tab on the left. Press the down arrow next to your Google account name, and select "Sign Out".
You can also select the "Sync and Google" service under your Google account and disable "Allow Chrome sign-in". This will allow you to sign in to Google sites without signing in to Chrome.
2. Change the default search engine to DuckDuckGo.
This is to reduce dependence on Google. You can switch to a privacy-friendly search engine called DuckDuckGo. You can change this by opening Chrome settings, clicking “Search engine” and selecting DuckDuckGo from the menu next to the search engine you are using in the address bar.
If DuckDuckGo doesn’t give you the results you need, you can add “!g” in front of your search term (e.g. “!g jokowi”), and it will open the same results in Google. You can use this shortcut to avoid manually switching between the two search engines.
3. Switch to a password manager other than Google Chrome.
Many people still use Google Chrome to store all their passwords. This may be a little safer than using weak passwords or the same password everywhere on the internet.
Instead of using Chrome, you should use a password manager like BitWarden or 1Password, which offer an easy way to import all your saved passwords in the browser.
4. Review Google Chrome’s security settings.
You can change this by going to Chrome settings > Security and privacy > Security and selecting Standard protection. This will keep you safe without sending your browsing data to Google.
On the same settings page, under the Advanced section, you should enable “Always use secure connections.” This will always load the more secure HTTPS version of your favorite websites, and warn you when they don’t support it.
5. Check which websites can access your location, camera, and microphone.
You can quickly review your privacy settings in Chrome to deny permission to your microphone, camera, location, and even notifications. This will improve your privacy while also reducing distractions.
Go to Chrome settings > Security and privacy > Site settings. Under the various “Permissions,” you should review each option and disable access if necessary. For example, under Location, you can select “don’t allow sites to see your location” to reduce annoying pop-ups and to improve your online privacy.
6. Clear your browsing history and site data regularly.
You should probably avoid keeping your browsing history and other website data for too long. You can clear it periodically by going to Chrome settings > Security and privacy > Clear browsing data.
Then select the “Advanced tab” and change the time range to “All time.” You can click “Clear data” to delete everything, or manually uncheck individual categories to delete some data.
You should also go to Chrome settings > Security and privacy > Site settings. Here, you can select “Block third-party cookies,” which will reduce tracking while you’re using Google Chrome. You can also select “Block all cookies,” but that may break some websites. The default option only blocks third-party cookies in incognito mode, which is less than ideal for your privacy.
7. Change autocomplete settings.
Google collects some data about the things you type in Chrome. If you want to reduce this, go to Chrome settings > You and Google > Sync and Google services.
Here, you can turn off options like Autocomplete searches and URLs, Help improve Chrome features and performance, and set up improved spell checking.
8. Use better extensions to protect your privacy.
There are some great extensions that help protect your privacy on the web by making it harder for ad companies to track you across the internet. It’s important to note that you shouldn’t use too many privacy extensions, as many of their features will overlap.
The best combination for most people is to use “uBlock Origin” to block trackers and “NoScript” to make browsing safer by blocking JavaScript from untrusted domains.
9. Switch to a more private browser when you need it.
If you’re looking to reduce tracking, the best long-term move is to switch to a different browser. Firefox hits a certain sweet spot between privacy, performance, and customizability through extensions, but some websites work best on a Chromium-based browser, like Brave.
Enjoy reading if you have any questions, please let us know in the comments below.
Comments
Post a Comment