If there’s something you must be wary about in the digital world, it is your online privacy. The constantly growing and evolving Internet makes it easy to track your activities and collect your data. From what you’re browsing to what you’re buying, web browsers and websites track everything. Google Chrome, your go-to web browser, is well-known for its tracking capabilities and collects information discreetly in the background. Although it offers several settings for you to allow or disallow tracking, these are not sufficient to protect your online privacy. Even the infamous Incognito Mode does not completely cover your tracks! Thanks to Chrome extensions, you can now have better control of your privacy.
Among a sea of browser extensions available online, we bring you the list of the top 7 Chrome extensions that you can use to enhance online privacy.
7 Chrome Extensions That Promise Better Online Privacy
Here is a list of 7 chrome extensions that can help you change your browsing experience more into something more private and safe.
1. uBlock Origin
Online websites are full of ads. With ads comes tracking and following you throughout your online session. Tracking scripts closely monitor your online activities, collect your log activities, and use the data to streamline and personalize the ads you see. Are you tired of shutting down such ads that you are no longer interested in seeing? uBlock Origin can offer you some respite. One of the top Chrome extensions, uBlock Origin blocks most of the tracking scripts. It also offers you third-party tracking lists that you can switch on or off at your convenience, whitelist websites and services that matter to you, and block the others. As a bonus, uBlog Origin also offers malvertising and malware-blocking features.
2. Blur
Blur is another reliable Chrome extension that protects all your important content, such as passwords, credit card details, email addresses, etc. You can store the passwords and sync the credentials with the browser for quick access. Blur also comes with a tracker-blocking feature that stops website trackers from monitoring your online activities. If you wish to hide some of your sensitive information, such as credit card details, Blur helps you with that, as well.
Blur has two major functions.
- It is a password management extension that helps you create a unique, strong password for all the online accounts you operate. It saves and encrypts your password, boosting your online security and privacy
- It creates a protective layer between you and the services you are signing up for
For instance, if you require an email ID to sign up for some service, Blur offers you a masked address for use. This way, it protects your real email address yet allows you to receive updates/notifications from the service directly to your inbox. This ensures extra protection.
3. Click&Clean
Another amazing privacy tool and one of the best Chrome extensions, Click & Clean keeps your browser free of private and personal data. With a single click, you can wipe off any existing browser data and clean your browser completely. It offers a drop-down menu with numerous options for you to choose from. You can either clear the entire browsing data or manually select the ones that you want to keep and delete the others. One important and handy feature of Click & Clean is that you can access the data other Chrome extensions are using. Another advantage of Click & Clean is you can delete the data that Google Chrome holds even after using the Incognito Mode.
4. HTTPS Everywhere
HTTPS Everywhere is a Chrome extension that automatically reconfigures each website request to HTTPS if the destination site supports the same. This reduces the chances of information getting leaked as you continue browsing the web. HTTPS Everywhere also encrypts your internet connection, ensuring to provide you with a completely safe and private browsing experience.
5. Privacy Badger
Developed by the Electronic Frontier Foundation, Privacy Badger is a tracker and script-blocking Chrome extension that you can use to enhance online privacy. Privacy Badger may not block all ads, but it blocks a few of them from displaying. Privacy Badge’s trackers are color-coded depending on the type of tracker it is. Install this extension on Google Chrome and explore the various features it offers you.
6. Disconnect
Disconnect is another important Chrome extension that blocks trackers and aims to identify and expose the “invisible trackers.” You can browse through its visual guide to check everything tracking you on a website and shut out those that you don’t want.
7. Unshorten.Link
This is one of the most simple yet useful Chrome extensions you will ever come across. As the name suggests, it shows the unshortened version of any shortened link. A shortened link can easily hide a malicious URL, and you can get tricked into clicking on something you shouldn’t. But once you install the Unshorten.link, it reroutes you to its secure page when you click on the shortened link. You can see the actual target URL on that page and decide whether it is useful/safe to click or not.
If you’re tired of targeted ads and constant tracking, try these Chrome extensions for a private and safe browsing experience.