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Groups > alt.comp.os.windows-10 > #186591
| From | Marion <marion@facts.com> |
|---|---|
| Newsgroups | alt.comp.os.windows-10, alt.comp.os.windows-11, alt.comp.microsoft.windows |
| Subject | Re: Tutorial: DIY build your own lightweight chromium-based privacy web browser |
| Date | 2025-08-09 19:35 +0000 |
| Organization | BWH Usenet Archive (https://usenet.blueworldhosting.com) |
| Message-ID | <10787ut$2cp8$1@nnrp.usenet.blueworldhosting.com> (permalink) |
| References | (3 earlier) <106cbcb$1bu4$1@nnrp.usenet.blueworldhosting.com> <106e17k$1rbl$1@nnrp.usenet.blueworldhosting.com> <106h9ib$315g$1@nnrp.usenet.blueworldhosting.com> <10716mr$4el$1@nnrp.usenet.blueworldhosting.com> <1076dfi$17in$1@nnrp.usenet.blueworldhosting.com> |
Cross-posted to 3 groups.
On Sat, 9 Aug 2025 02:57:54 -0000 (UTC), Marion wrote : > In the firefox newsgroup s|b suggested we add anti-fingerprinting > extensions to the DIY privacy browser, and he suggested we remove the > HTTPS-Everywhere as having been deprecated, so here's the new list. Yikes! I mistook s|b's suggestion. He was asking if adding these 18 extensions were making our browsing even more unique, to which Andy Burns responded as shown below to which I responded to the both of them. Since it's apropos to Windows, and to the DIY project for both ecosystems (i.e., Chromium & Mozilla), below is the discussion we had earlier today. On Fri, 08 Aug 2025 16:56:49 +0200, s|b wrote : >>>> I already stated this in another posting: what about fingerprinting? On Sat, 9 Aug 2025 01:45:35 -0000 (UTC), Marion wrote : >>> Thanks for that suggestion, where I don't know if there's a single >>> well-known commonly suggested "fingerprinting prevention" extension. On Sat, 09 Aug 2025 12:28:54 +0200, s|b wrote : >> What I actually meant was: aren't you making your browser more and more >> /unique/ by using all those add-ons? I feel like it's only going to make >> your browser more and more unique and recognizable, so it would make >> fingerprinting easier. >> I've read Brave Browser is a good browser for users concerned about >> fingerprinting. And IIRC Tor Browser opens in the same size windows >> every time to remain 'less unique'. On Sat, 9 Aug 2025 11:49:31 +0100, Andy Burns wrote : > Websites can't [directly] tell which add-ons you have installed. > IME it's almost impossible to not show a unique fingerprint ID. > I've tried making changes, such as finding the "most unique" identifiers > and getting my FF to use "less unique" alternatives, such as a popular > Chrome version user-agent, making my language preference and location > USA rather than UK Ah, my mistake. Mea culpa. Duh. I missed the point completely. Sorry. I apologize for not understanding that s|b was suggesting that these anti-privacy extensions could making us even more fingerprint unique. It's a valid concern, especially considering the adversaries we're up against are crafty, data-hungry giants like Google, Amazon, Apple, Microsoft, Meta, Cloudflare, Tiktok/Bytedance, Palantir, Oracle, etc. It's a concern if adding these 18 well-intentioned extension inadvertently make us stand out more, much like a camouflage pattern that's too custom. 1. User-Agent Switcher and Manager : version 0_6_4 2. uBlock Origin : version 1_65_0 3. NoScript : version 13_0_8 4. Cookie AutoDelete : version 3_8_2 5. Font Fingerprint Defender : version 0_1_6 6. WebRTC Control : version 0_3_3 7. Location Guard (V3) : version 3_0_0 8. Referer Control : version 1_35 9. Skip Redirect : version 2_3_6 10. StayInTab : version 1_0 11. ClearURLs : version 1_26_0 12. Decentraleyes : version 3_0_0 13. LocalCDN : version 2_6_79 14. Trace - Online Tracking Protection : version 3_0_6 15. Canvas Blocker - Fingerprint Protect : version 0_2_2 16. Browsec VPN - Free VPN for Chrome : version 3_92_2 17. Privacy Badger : version 2025_5_30 18. CthulhuJs (Anti-Fingerprint) : version 8_0_6 We probably all agree the browser problem to overcome isn't just fingerprinting as it's the ecosystem of surveillance capitalism that thrives on any sliver of uniqueness, much of which starts with an account. Remember the golden rule was never to create an account on the Internet if you don't have to, and never pay for anything if you don't have to. So all they have for fingerprinting is what we give them, much of which is from the browser itself but a lot is from our computers (like time zones and dates and IP addresses and screen sizes, etc.). Herbert Kleebauer long ago wrote a script for me to change my time zone every few minutes, but I noticed some of these extensions do it for me. Likewise I've removed all my special fonts (like Frutiger & RoadGeek), but again, I noticed some of these extensions do that for me also. Similarly I've messed with my browser header, but again, some of these extensions do it for me. I always open up to delete cookies, and again, some of these extensions delete cookies dynamically, while browsing. That said, I think the goal should be strategic opacity. Blending in where it matters, and standing out only when it serves a purpose (like logging into your Google Mail using only 1 browser, used for no other purpose). Privacy isn't just about hiding. It's about choosing when and how to be seen. To that end, I think that's critical to use one browser per account that you actually have to log into something. This is a golden rule also. Part of the problem with privacy is shown with VPN where Google & Apple hate VPN, so they force you to prove who you are when you use VPN. Hence, you really can't have privacy extensions on a browser that logs into anything. This is a critical point I haven't mentioned but it needs stating: A. The browser that logs into things, can't be a privacy browser. B. So the privacy browser is what is used for everything else. I'm sorry I hadn't made this distinction before, as it's just natural to me to (a) not log into anything, but, if I must (b) use a separate browser! Luckily, there are so many web browsers that it's easy pick one and only one browser that is used to log into any given account you must log into. <https://i.postimg.cc/fT2J40RD/windows-cascade-menu.jpg> To Andy's point, I have been testing this DIY privacy-based browser only for a week or two where previously I never used extensions (since I used Epic as my daily driver), but I think, so far, every test shows me as DIFFERENT (which is the point after all). No two tests show me as the same. Hence, I'm not sure if we've achieved our goal of being DIFFERENT every time (even if we're unique!) or not. Does it matter? I don't know. Of course you want to look like everyone else - but that's difficult to do as you've already noted. And Tor, while I use it when I must, is never gonna be the general purpose browser even as it makes you look like everyone else. I'm not sure if this DIY build your own privacy browser project is worth it or not, but I'm still working on it as it has only been a couple of weeks. In summary though, I've modified the "golden rules" to the following... a. Never create an account you don't have to b. Never pay for anything you don't have to c. Use only one browser only for each account you must log into d. Use a DIFFERENT (privacy-based) browser for general browsing This thread is about DIY building that general-purpose privacy browser. Any other ideas?
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Tutorial: DIY build your own lightweight chromium-based privacy web browser Marion <marion@facts.com> - 2025-07-29 02:25 +0000
Re: Tutorial: DIY build your own lightweight chromium-based privacy web browser "Allan Higdon" <allanh@vivaldi.net> - 2025-07-29 08:38 -0500
Re: Tutorial: DIY build your own lightweight chromium-based privacy web browser Marion <marion@facts.com> - 2025-07-29 22:41 +0000
Re: Tutorial: DIY build your own lightweight chromium-based privacy web browser Marion <marion@facts.com> - 2025-07-30 05:42 +0000
Re: Tutorial: DIY build your own lightweight chromium-based privacy web browser Marion <marion@facts.com> - 2025-07-30 21:01 +0000
Re: Tutorial: DIY build your own lightweight chromium-based privacy web browser Marion <marion@facts.com> - 2025-08-01 02:42 +0000
Re: Tutorial: DIY build your own lightweight chromium-based privacy web browser Marion <marion@facts.com> - 2025-08-07 03:31 +0000
Re: Tutorial: DIY build your own lightweight chromium-based privacy web browser Marion <marion@facts.com> - 2025-08-09 02:57 +0000
Re: Tutorial: DIY build your own lightweight chromium-based privacy web browser Marion <marion@facts.com> - 2025-08-09 19:35 +0000
Re: Tutorial: DIY build your own lightweight chromium-based privacy web browser Marion <marion@facts.com> - 2025-08-12 20:13 +0000
Re: Tutorial: DIY build your own lightweight chromium-based privacy web browser Marion <marion@facts.com> - 2025-08-18 00:20 +0000
Re: Tutorial: DIY build your own lightweight chromium-based privacy web browser Marion <marion@facts.com> - 2025-08-18 16:42 +0000
Re: Tutorial: DIY build your own lightweight chromium-based privacy web browser Marion <marion@facts.com> - 2025-08-18 19:10 +0000
Re: Tutorial: DIY build your own lightweight chromium-based privacy web browser Marion <marion@facts.com> - 2025-08-19 11:00 +0000
Re: Tutorial: DIY build your own lightweight chromium-based privacy web browser Marion <marion@facts.com> - 2025-08-19 15:17 +0000
Re: Tutorial: DIY build your own lightweight chromium-based privacy web browser Marion <marion@facts.com> - 2025-08-20 18:27 +0000
Re: Tutorial: DIY build your own lightweight chromium-based privacy web browser Marion <marion@facts.com> - 2025-08-21 04:11 +0000
Re: Tutorial: DIY build your own lightweight chromium-based privacy web browser Marion <marion@facts.com> - 2025-08-22 09:45 +0000
Re: Tutorial: DIY build your own lightweight chromium-based privacy web browser Marion <marion@facts.com> - 2025-08-23 17:14 +0000
Re: Tutorial: DIY build your own lightweight chromium-based privacy web browser Marion <marion@facts.com> - 2025-08-24 14:54 +0000
Re: Tutorial: DIY build your own lightweight chromium-based privacy web browser Marion <marion@facts.com> - 2025-08-29 05:41 +0000
Re: Tutorial: DIY build your own lightweight chromium-based privacy web browser Marion <marion@facts.com> - 2025-09-02 04:06 +0000
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