Browsing protection – adblocking & privacy add-ons

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Split from topic How to choose adblock services?

Anonymous wrote:

regarding “browser adblocking / privacy add-ons”:

My focus is toward defending privacy. Adblocking (tracking) is an overlapping concern, along with “security/malware”.

In terms of effectiveness, add-on(s) which enable a Default Deny (then selectively whitelist) approach are meritworthy.
Conversely, add-ons which employ blacklisting (“Decentraleyes”, etc.) are merely “easy-peasy to use, feelgood” non-ideal substitutes.

I use (yet do not often “recommend”) RequestPolicyContinued firefox addon.
Its comfortable use requires a bit of fiddling / tweaking / setup (as does uBlockOrigin).
I have used AdblockEdge (moreso in conjunction with “Element Hiding Helper” than for its host blocking), and would mention a caveat ~~ same as I mentioned about “bloated hosts file size” ~~ fourfold. Not only does the addon’s blocklist content consume ram (in my usage, after subscribing to multiple lists: twenty-two megabytes), by default it is configured to save-to-disk 4 copies of its datafile (current, plus prior 3 as backups). Further, “all of that” gets re-written each time you edit any of its blocklist rules. In short, it isn’t well-suited to use in a liveboot + toram scenario.

Use of the aforementioned, and similar, browser add-ons still does not achieve comprehensive “protection”.
(might followup to further discuss this point in a separate topic)

So, I create this topic to further discuss what more than such browser add-ons is needed to achieve comprehensive protection. Any idea?

[Anonymous]

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Here’s a “suggested reading” list, places where such things are discussed (and are debated) in great detail:
https://www.wilderssecurity.com/forums/privacy-technology.40/
https://www.wilderssecurity.com/forums/privacy-problems.41/
https://www.wilderssecurity.com/forums/privacy-general.42/
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From my bookmarks, here are a few more specific recommended “destinations”:

Within the context of browser usage, beyond add-ons:

• (learn about and) change many privacy-unfriendly default preference values
https://www.ghacks.net/2017/04/13/ghacks-user-js-goes-github/
https://www.ghacks.net/2017/04/30/firefox-53-ghacks-user-js-changes/
https://www.ghacks.net/2017/06/15/firefox-54-new-preferences-and-ghacks-user-js-changes/
https://www.ghacks.net/2017/08/22/firefox-55-new-preferences-and-ghacks-user-js-changes/
https://www.ghacks.net/2017/10/05/firefox-56-new-preferences-and-ghacks-user-js-changes/
AND MORE https://www.ghacks.net/?s=user.js
topic: Firefox Lockdown

• consider disabling certain “features” like “form auto-fill”
https://www.ghacks.net/2017/12/31/how-web-trackers-exploit-password-managers/
https://www.ghacks.net/2017/07/24/disable-preloading-firefox-autocomplete-urls/
https://www.ghacks.net/2017/12/09/a-solution-to-etag-tracking-in-firefox/

Beyond the context of web browser usage:

• (learn about and) apply selective use of FireJail (or other per-application sandboxing)
https://www.wilderssecurity.com/threads/firejail-linux-sandbox.369309/ *****

• remain AWARE, even regarding “legit” applications, even those installed from official repositories
Escaping from Geolocation awareness in Linux

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