The internet has become a dream for advertisers. A small amount of data added through your browser (called a cookie) can be used to track everything you do and send it back to companies that will target ads directly to you based on your interests and browsing habits. In just over one month, my browser has encountered over 3900 of these trackers. Here are three free browser add-ons that can stop these cookies from tracking you.
1) Blur - I use Blur by Abine to block trackers on all of my computers. Blur will not only block trackers on your computer, but it can also be used to provide disposable email addresses that can keep your email account off of spam lists. If you upgrade to a premium account, you can also take advantage of password management features and credit card and phone number masking. Blur is available for Chrome, Firefox, Opera, Safari, and Internet Explorer and also has iOS and Android apps for mobile devices.
2) Ghostery - Ghostery is a simple solution that can block trackers on sites you visit. Simply visit a site, click on the icon, and you can see the trackers on the site along with an option to shut them off. Go into the options, and you can block tracking by default on all sites or whitelist specific sites. Ghostery is available for Chrome, Safari, Firefox, Opera, and Internet Explorer on computers and also on iOS and Android.
3) Privacy Badger - The Electronic Frontier Foundation has an add-on called Privacy Badger available for Chrome and Firefox. While it does not contain many of the customization options or a mobile version like Blur or Ghostery, it is a simple and effective tool to protect your privacy.
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