By now, you probably know that when you are connected to the internet, your information is being monitored by the government, ISPs, large corporations and cyber criminals. Your personal data, your conversations and everything you do online could be tracked by those who want to use your information for their own benefit. Large corporations have made millions with users’ data, with the help of tracking tools and technology designed to keep an eye on people’s browsing behaviors. A while ago, we used to think that only specific people would be targets of surveillance, but today we know that anyone could be monitored. There are massive surveillance programs in place all over the world and governments, as well as major companies are collecting data in a large scale.
One of the most common signs of online monitoring that you probably come across on a daily basis are targeted ads. When you search for something on Google, that information is used to show you ads related to that search. It is scary to see that suddenly you start seeing ads that let you know that your search history is not only yours. Powerful tech companies such as Google and Facebook have made their businesses out of gathering customers’ information. They use smart algorithms to target individual consumers with ads that may interest them. While this may seem convenient, it affects privacy significantly.
The leading online browsers rely on tracking cookies and in most cases, even without noticing it, we accept them. With these cookies, it is possible to create a virtual identity of you. Cookies allow third-parties to keep track of your preferences and know what you like and what you don’t like. This raises serious concerns about privacy and shows how exposed our personal data is. If you like to download torrents, it is very important to keep in mind that your IP address can be used to trace you. This is why in order to keep your information protected, it is important to use a VPN. This tool keeps your real IP address hidden and it also encrypts your online traffic, preventing others from seeing what you do online.
In recent years, there have been scandals showing that even major corporations and organizations, are not managing your data with the security needed. There has been some hope with the release of the GDPR report from the EU, which prompted companies, including leading tech corporations to update their privacy policies, adding more restrictions to prevent these corporations from accessing your information. Although, there is a long way to go before we can say that strong measures have been implemented to keep privacy protected, some steps have been taken in the right direction.
Mozilla Firefox, one of the most popular browsers available, has decided to get rid of third party trackers by implementing measures that aim to protect privacy. By removing these trackers, the performance of the browser is also improved. The load time of the page is cut down by half and in future releases, Firefox will even block cookies and third party storage requests, boosting privacy further. These measures will be in place with the launch of Firefox 65. Apart from the mentioned features that will enhance your privacy, Firefox 65 will also block crypto mining. Although the release data for the new version of Firefox 65 hasn’t been disclosed, internet users are waiting for this solution that has the potential to protect privacy.
It is important to keep in mind that apart from looking for a browser that is designed to boost your protection, you should also consider using a VPN. This is not only a good solution to protect your torrenting activities, but your entire traffic. VPNs encrypt your online data, so others won’t be able to see what you are doing online. Plus, VPNs can also help you to overcome restrictions and censorship. If certain website or app is not available in your country, you can connect to a server in a different location and enjoy a more flexible experience. There are many VPN services available but we recommend high quality solutions like ExpressVPN, NordVPN, IPVanish, VyprVPN and PIA. Using a VPN along with a secure browser, which is what Firefox 65 promises to be, will help you to protect your privacy from the dangers that lurk online.