Five top privacy tools compared
If you’re concerned about how marketers may collect your profile online, there’s no shortage of browser-based tools to choose from. Here’s the PrivacyChoice take on some of the most popular ones, excluding our own (so no one can accuse us of self promotion).
One thing to remember: if a company really wants to track you, and they serve ads or other content across lots of websites, they can still do so even if you use all of these tools. But by investing a few minutes in browser-based privacy, you can be assured that your profile is not being collected or used by mainstream marketers.
| Benefit | Time commitment | Coverage | How it works | Drawbacks | Our take |
Maintains a set of opt-out cookies which tell networks not to target you based on what you do across websites. | 30-45 seconds.
Install browser add-on for Firefox. | Not available for IE, Chrome or Safari.
Includes most but not all companies with opt-outs. | Every time you clear cookies, the add-on rewrites the opt-out cookies on your computer. | Not available for IE, Chrome or Safari.
Does not block data collection. | Users like the simplicity and independence of Beef TACO, even if it doesn’t actually block data collection. | |
Blocks tracking across browsing sessions by use of “Flash cookies” (tracking tags that aren’t deleted when you clear your browsing history). | 30-45 seconds.
Install browser add-on for Firefox, and restart browser. | Not available for IE, Chrome or Safari. | Deletes all or specified Flash cookies at the end of each session, with or without a prompt | No one-stop solution; doesn’t manage other ways of tracking. | If you’re up for installing an add-on, you’ll probably find this one worth it, not only to protect from Flash cookie tracking for ads, but also to keep control over your browser history in general. | |
Browser Settings | Blocks or limits tracking through third-party cookies. | 1 to 2 minutes
Each of the major browsers allow you to turn cookies off completely or limit their life to the current browsing session. | All browsers. | Navigate the menus. In most cases, you can change your settings in only a few clicks.
See the interactive guide from the Wall Street Journal. | Navigating browser settings may be difficult for some. | If you’re going to the trouble of downloading an add-on, you might find it’s worth an extra minute just to tweak your browser settings for complete assurance.
For some folks, blocking third-party cookies entirely can be annoying, particularly as sites and services become more intertwined.
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Blocks cookie interactions by third party tracking firms. | 30-45 seconds.
Install browser add-on (Firefox, IE or Chrome), and restart browser (IE and Firefox).
Activate blocking in the user settings. | All browsers. | Blocks access to your cookies to specified tracking companies in Ghostery’s database. | Does not block non-cookie interactions.
| If you’re going to the trouble of installing an add-on, isn’t it worth to install one that actually blocks access, rather than just opts you out?
Ghostery’s parent company is connected with the ad industry, but it doesn’t seem to affect how their software works. | |
Maintains a set of opt-out cookies which tell networks not to target you based on what you do across websites. | 1 minute.
Set preferences at NAI opt-out page. Install browser add-on and restart browser. | NAI members only, which represent the bulk of ad targeting activity | Every time you clear cookies, the add-on rewrites the opt-out cookies on your computer.
Using the NAI opt-out page, you can confirm your opt-out status at any time. | Not available for IE, Chrome or Safari.
Only covers NAI members. Does not block data collection. | You wouldn’t know about this tool from the NAI opt-out page itself (it’s been in beta for over a year), but other than integration with the NAI opt-out page, it’s hard to see the advantage over Beef TACO, which covers more companies. |