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The FBI now recommends using an ad blocker when searching the web

standard.co.uk

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Re: The FBI now recommends using an ad blocker when searching the web

#261

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Safari is clearly a real web browser, you can use it to browse the web. It is a weird comment, the more straightforward and honest way of putting it would be “alternative browsers.”

Safari is real. People mean Chrome or Firefox on iOS are not real because they are just skins for Safari.

> Since *iOS doesn't allow real browsers* and extensions, Brave has been a sanity-saver for me.

I mean, the comment is pretty straightforward, I don’t really see the need to come to this person’s defense. I agree that the iOS policy is dumb, but deliberately misinterpreting this person to make them correct is silly.

Re: The FBI now recommends using an ad blocker when searching the web

#262

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Do you use a password manager? Do you visit websites for banks or brokerage firms? If so, how do you ensure that none of these plugins and extensions steal your data?

Heh, you got me. A password manager is the ONE plugin I have installed in my profile that I use to access my banks. Simply put, I trust the password manager. Recently, however, I have considered uninstalling that plugin and using only the desktop version of the password manager -- and then copy/pasting username/pw from the password manager to websites. One reason I don't do that, though... is because having the passw…

Use the built-in browser password manager. It is safe and it only auto fills for the correct URL… exactly what you mentioned. You should be able to export from your current PW manager and import into the browser’s. Then turn on browser sync to make sure those passwords are available on all browser instances.

Re: The FBI now recommends using an ad blocker when searching the web

#263
post #233

Earlier quoted context omitted.

For anyone curious as to how I solve the problem right now, I just have two separate Firefox profiles. One has a ton of plugins; I use it to browse the web. The other has no plugins; I use it to visit my bank's website.

How is no plugins different than private browsing, assuming you don't allow plugins in private browsing. Is private browsing too strict?

If I open something in private browsing, that’s a time where I especially want every bit of BS blocked.

Re: The FBI now recommends using an ad blocker when searching the web

#264
> Disconnect, Privacy Badger, ClearURLs

https://github.com/arkenfox/user.js/wiki/4.1-Extensions#-don...

Really these days about the only privacy extension you might need is uBO and possibly CanvasBlocker if you haven't set RFP.

https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/firefox-protection-agai...

Re: The FBI now recommends using an ad blocker when searching the web

#265

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Appreciate the feedback. We'll take it on board for improvements in the future. We recently moved to a paid app model with a 30-day free trial available (from a freemium app model). Understand that this is not as appealing as a free-forever product. We found that we had hundreds of thousands of free users and not enough paid users. After developing the app for many years under this model, we had to make some changes…

How does this compare with just using Brave?

That’s what I’m using now and love it.

Re: The FBI now recommends using an ad blocker when searching the web

#266
post #232

Earlier quoted context omitted.

uBlock Origin URL filter lists don't work the same as ClearURLs. Privacy Badger is an extension by the EFF. It blocks cookies, that's it. The other one I don't know, but you should stop being condescending when teaching people about things you don't know about. Using uBlock Origin only might be a good option for some cases, but it's not a silver bullet. For reference, ClearURLs can bypass redirects, has etags protect…

How does Ghostery compare?

It's also redundant, just use uBlock Origin.

Re: The FBI now recommends using an ad blocker when searching the web

#267
post #3

Any recommendations for a good ad blocker and other precautions to take?

A combination of uBlock Origin + NoScript + Bypass Paywalls Clean + FastForward + ClearURLs as well as a pop-up blocker of your choice, will make your web browsing experience a bit cleaner. Not all of these might available for Chromium, I personally use Firefox for my daily use, with some Chromium browsers as backup. NoScript will break pretty much 50% of the web. It'll take you about a day to whitelist all the sites…

The correct site is https://privacyguides.org

The former team left Privacy Tools and that is now just arbitrary recommendations by one guy who mostly spruiks cryptocurrency bullshit. He also has no experience when it comes to auditing, verifying any of what is recommended, not a sysop, not a programmer either.

If you want to know specifics about that see https://www.privacyguides.org/about/privacytools

Also see https://github.com/arkenfox/user.js/wiki/4.1-Extensions

Re: The FBI now recommends using an ad blocker when searching the web

#268
post #5
post #3

Any recommendations for a good ad blocker and other precautions to take?

I use adnauseam ( https://adnauseam.io/ ), which is built on top of ublock origin, and it works pretty well. The generic nuclear option to hide terrible web design, bypass (some) paywalls, and improve performance 1000x is to disable javascript. ublock and adnauseam both have a button to disable all javascript on a page, which is handy when reading articles on sites filled with garbage.

adnauseam makes your browser easier to fingerprint because it drastically changes the browser's behaviour. Do not recommend.

Re: The FBI now recommends using an ad blocker when searching the web

#269

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Brave browser is literally built to block ads.

Except that it does not block first party ads by default (and also makes money by serving their own first party ads to users).

I don't see any ads. You can turn them off.
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