tl;dr ☑️
- Download Brave Browser🔗
- Difficulty: Easy 🟢
- Protects: Web 🟡
- Cost: Free 🤑
Why Bother? 🤷
For many people, the web browser is the way they search, learn and interact with the world. It’s also filled with advertising.
Every website you visit, button you click and YouTube video you watch, generates metadata. This data is combined into a personal profile used to serve you extremely targeted advertisements. These distracting ads follow you around the web and manipulate you into spending money. Changing your browser can help you
Setup & Config ⚙️
- Go to Brave Website🔗 on your desktop or mobile device. (For best results use on all your devices).
- Follow the prompts to download and install Brave.
- You’re done! Just open Brave and use it as your every-day web browser.
Additional Setup
Limit Brave Ads
Ironically, Brave Browser is ad supported, however Brave claims to use privacy protecting advertisements🔗. Follow the below instruction to limit brave ads from displaying.
Disable New Tab Background Ads
- Go to Brave Settings
- Select “New Tab Page”
- Desktop: Select “Customize the background…”
- Deselect “Show Sponsored Images”
- Mobile: Deselect “Show Sponsored Images”
- Desktop: Select “Customize the background…”
Additional Hardening Steps
The folks at PrivacyGuides🔗 have excellent guides on browser hardening for additional privacy and security.
Other Alternatives 💡
- Not interested in Brave? The folks at PrivacyGuides🔗 have very well researched browser alternatives.
- Want to keep your same browser? A PrivacyGuides suggested browser extension🔗, can achieve similar results as a standalone browser.
What’s Next ⏭️
- DNS🔗: You’ll set up a custom DNS to block ads and trackers on your mobile phone and smart devices.
- (Optional) VPN🔗: You’ll get a VPN to hide your location and internet traffic from advertisers.
- Continue learning about Online Privacy🔗: You’ve got this! Time to take your online privacy to the next level!