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Top Ad Blockers for Online Privacy (2023)

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By Prathamesh Ingle

The most effective ad blockers are now indispensable for everyone using the modern web. Regardless of the sites you frequent, you will need robust security against the countless pop-up adverts, activity trackers, and malvertising that plague the web. The FBI itself advocates for their use.

It’s easy to discover safety now that browser add-ons and specialized ad-blocking programs are available. They’re up there with the top VPN and anti-virus programs as crucial resources. Several ad-blockers are available, so the only questions are which one to use and whether or not the drawbacks are acceptable to you. However, if you feel the benefits outweigh the costs, we’ve compiled a comprehensive list of the most effective ad blockers and privacy enhancement applications. They support every browser and operating system imaginable so that you may surf the web without worry.

AdBlock Plus (ABP)

AdBlock Plus (ABP) has plugins for common browsers like Firefox, Chrome, Safari, Edge, and Opera. With ABP, blocking most advertisements, spyware, and social media links is as easy as loading a preconfigured list of filters and clicking a button. To keep their advertising income positive, savvy users can select additional block lists, implement custom filters, or whitelist their preferred websites. While AdBlock Plus’s “non-intrusive advertising” filtering feature may annoy some users, it can be turned off in the settings menu. The AdBlock Browser for Android provides a Firefox-based browser that blocks incoming advertising, and the AdBlock Plus app for iOS combines with the content blocker system effortlessly and without requiring configuration block advertising on Safari.

AdBlock 

AdBlock is by far the most widely used ad-blocking software worldwide. AdBlock can stop banner advertising, video commercials, and pop-up windows from appearing. Trackers, employed by marketers to keep tabs on your online movements, are also blocked. AdBlock does more than eliminate annoying advertisements; it also increases your online privacy and security. AdBlock does this by obstructing trackers, which advertising uses to follow you as you navigate the web. This can make it harder for them to track your online activities and provide adverts. AdBlock is compatible with Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Microsoft Edge. It’s also compatible with iOS and Android devices. The “Get AdBlock Now” button may be found at GetAdBlock.com, where AdBlock can be downloaded. After that, the AdBlock browser add-on will be recommended to you. The installation of the add-on triggers immediate ad blocking via AdBlock.

Ublock Origin

Ublock Origin is an ad blocker for web browsers that prioritizes lightweight, effective blocking. The plugin ships with preconfigured filter lists for common advertising and malware domains, and you may download more filter lists or read and write your filters using host files. uBlock Origin does more than block adverts; it also prevents tracking. Small pieces of code called “trackers” are often inserted into websites. They collect data about what websites you visit and share it with advertisers. If you use uBlock Origin, you can prevent certain trackers from accessing your data. In short, uBlock Origin can be set up and used with minimal effort. Once it’s set up, all you have to do to allow adverts on specific sites is add them to a “whitelist.” You can tailor uBlock Origin’s ad blocking to exclude only certain formats—for example, video advertising or pop-ups.

Poper Blocker

Poper Blocker (also known as Pop Up Blocker For Chrome) was not created to replace existing adblockers but to work with them. Poper Blocker is an extension for blocking advertisements focusing on pop-ups, pop-unders, overlays, timed pop-ups, and pop-ups appearing as you scroll down a page. When pop-ups are being prevented, you will see a small notification. Poper Blocker may be kept running in the background with minimal impact alongside other adblocker extensions, and it also allows you to examine your blocking statistics.

Stands Fair AdBlocker

Stands Fair AdBlocker is a quick and lightweight ad-blocking plugin for Chrome. The fully functional add-on prevents annoying pop-up adverts and other tracking forms from appearing in your browser. Stand’s Fair AdBlocker allows you to choose which advertisements to block down to the individual element. You can even choose to have Facebook advertisements blocked. The “Fair” in AdBlocker refers to the option to whitelist ad-supported websites you don’t want to deprive of revenue by blocking all advertisements from or allowing only specific types. Compared to other ad blockers, this one doesn’t go all-out to achieve its goal.

Ghostery 

Ghostery can help you focus on the content while you browse. However, Ghostery’s true worth rests in the privacy safeguards it provides. You can check who is attempting to collect information about you online by using Ghostery to view trackers. You can prevent such tracking with Ghostery as well. If you’re concerned about maintaining your privacy, you can use Ghostery’s Enhanced Anti-Tracking feature. You can get Ghostery without spending a dime, and it will keep you safe online. Premium security begins at just $4.99 monthly, and the $11.99 plan includes a VPN. Ghostery is available for both iOS and Android devices.

Adblocker for YouTube

Ads on YouTube have become increasingly intrusive, prompting developers of ad-blocking add-ons to create even more sophisticated solutions. Whether it’s the pre-roll commercial that loads before your movie or the text and banner advertising that load during it, Adblocker for YouTube is a Chrome extension that promises to block all of YouTube’s advertisements automatically. There is also an AdBlocker for YouTube add-on for Firefox if you want to use something other than Chrome. Same name as a seemingly new creator, but still able to filter out commercials from both videos and websites. This is also compatible with Android smartphones.

Privacy Badger

Privacy Badger is a free and open-source browser extension to safeguard your privacy when surfing the web. It functions by obstructing any tracking attempts made by websites automatically. Privacy Badger is an ad blocker that does not rely on a database of recognized trackers. Instead, it adapts to recognize potential trackers through their actions. This means that Privacy Badger will be effective against even previously unknown trackers. Privacy Badger does more than prevent tracking; it also uses the Global Privacy Control (GPC) signal to prevent your personal information from being sold or shared. If you don’t want websites to share your data with third parties without your permission, you can send them this signal. Using Privacy Badger is a breeze. After installation, it will function exactly like any other web browser. When Privacy Badger detects a tracker, it will immediately shut it down.

AdLock 

AdLock is a complete ad blocker that protects you from pop-ups, flash banners, video advertisements, malware-infected banners, and tracking bugs on the web. It eliminates all advertisements from your web browser, mobile apps, games, and IM client. AdLock is compatible with Mac OS X, Android, iOS, and Windows. The free version filters most advertisements, while the premium version stops trackers and viruses and provides other benefits. AdLock is a powerful ad-blocking software. It filters out commercials from numerous websites, including those used for social networking, news, and video streaming. Apps, games, and IMs are also protected from invasive advertisements.

AdGuard 

AdGuard is a mobile, desktop, and tablet ad blocker that protects you against annoying adverts, tracking software, and malware. It’s a cross-platform app with Mac OS, Windows, Linux, Android, and iOS without cost or restrictions. AdGuard prevents advertisements by preventing requests from reaching ad servers. Ads won’t load and won’t show up on your screen. AdGuard also protects you from tracking technologies. This is for your safety and privacy. When used in conjunction with other security and privacy measures, AdGuard can greatly enhance your online safety and anonymity. It’s accessible from a multitude of devices and has an intuitive interface.

By Prathamesh Ingle

Prathamesh Ingle is a Mechanical Engineer and works as a Data Analyst. He is also an AI practitioner and certified Data Scientist with an interest in applications of AI. He is enthusiastic about exploring new technologies and advancements with their real-life applications

Sourced from Marktechpost

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Can You Delete Yourself From the Internet? Yes – Here’s How

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By Keyede Erinfolami

Your online presence is permanent, right? Is it even possible to delete yourself from the internet?

One of the major tradeoffs for access to the digital world is privacy.

Unfortunately, you can never completely delete yourself from the internet, simply because you’d have to find every photo, video, tweet, mention, comment, shopping order, to name a few, and delete them. However, there are ways to minimize your online footprint, reducing the likelihood of your data being exposed.

In this article, we have outlined a basic roadmap on how to get control of what information about you is available online. If you want delete your online presence, read on.

How To Remove Yourself From the Internet

There are several reasons anyone would want to remove all traces of themselves from the internet permanently. Reasons may likely include:

  • To safeguard your identity and prevent identity theft.
  • Increase your general privacy.
  • You are being bullied or stalked online.
  • Clean your online image as you are up for a political post.
  • Put an end to all those targeted advertisements. Although unlikely, if this is a major reason for deleting yourself from the internet, you’ll be glad to know that there are ways to reduce targeted ads on social media.
  • You are about to do something nefarious.

The list goes on, but before we proceed to the steps, deleting yourself from the internet comes with some drawbacks, like:

  • You will lose access to certain platforms and services, as emails and some personal information are required for access.
  • An absence of a digital presence may be seen as a red flag against you, especially during job interviews.
  • You will become more isolated as non-physical interactions with friends, family, or colleagues will become more difficult.

If these are your intentions in the first place or you are comfortable with these drawbacks, then let’s proceed.

The only way to regain control over your privacy is to control what details about yourself are available online.

Remove Your Personal Details From Search Engines and Data Collection Sites

The first place anyone looking for information about you would likely try is a search engine, especially Google. So you should search for your name in not only Google, but also Bing, Yahoo, and any other search engine available in your region.

Remove Outdated Search Results

Assume you want to remove a webpage that contains personal information about you. Like your former employer’s staff page, even months after you’ve left. You contact them to request that they update the page. They do, but when you Google your name, the page still appears in the search results despite your name being nowhere to be found when you click the link. This means that the previous version of the page is still cached on Google’s servers.

What to do? Submit the URL to Google in the hope that it will update its servers, deleting the cached search result and disassociating you from the page. Of course, there’s no guarantee Google will remove the cached information for whatever reason, but it’s worth a shot to remove as much of your presence from the internet as possible.

Delete Your Social Media Accounts

disappear-from-social-networks

Without a doubt, your social media accounts contain a large cache of very personal details. Any stranger can look at your photos, videos, birthdays, and family links just by scrolling through your social page. Delete and deactivate all your social media accounts, and we mean all. Your Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, Reddit, and everything else all have to go. Again, this is a big deal, so make sure you consider the long-term implications of deleting your social media accounts before you do so.

To delete these accounts, navigate to your account settings and look for the option to deactivate, remove, or close your account. Depending on the account, it could be under Security, Privacy, or something similar.

If you’re having trouble with a specific account, try searching “How to delete,” followed by the name of the social media account you want to delete online. You will find guidance on how to delete that specific account. If deleting the account is impossible, change the account information to randomize it completely and switch it to private.

Clear Your Online Shopping and Browser History

Photo of delete button on a computer

Every time you shop online, you leave your financial information on the site and a mailing address, too. These sites, if breached, might reveal a host of personal and sensitive details about its shoppers.

So, just like you did with your social media accounts, all your shopping accounts must either be deleted or deactivated. Your browser history, including passwords, cache, cookies, bookmarks, and payment methods, must be cleared.

Delete Email Accounts and Blog Activity

To truly stay deleted yourself, your email account has to go. This is an important step, as your email contains a lot of personal, financial, and trivial information about you.

Also, blogs, posts, and comments contain personal thoughts and opinions which you might not want out in the open. So all those email accounts, online blogs, and forums you have subscribed to, whether active or not, must be deleted. Run your details through several search engines to find any old accounts you have in case you missed any.

Some of these forums make it difficult to delete past comments, so the best alternative is to go back and trace all and edit each.

By Keyede Erinfolami

Sourced from MUO

 

 

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Winston helps you protect your online privacy

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By .

rotecting your online privacy is becoming a part of everyday life, one system designed to take the hard work out of protecting your home network and family from advertising, intrusive third-party programs, trackers and malware is Winston. The easy to set up plug-n-play hardware filter reclaims your use of the Internet on all connected devices at home, protecting your online privacy from advertisers, governments, hackers and big tech companies.

protect your online privacy

Earlybird pledges are still available for a limited time via the Indiegogo crowdfunding website where more than 4,000 backers have already helped Winston raise over $1,000,000 in funding. If all goes to plan worldwide shipping of Winston online privacy devices is expected to start during December 2019. Watch the video below to learn more about the features of the Winston hardware specifically designed to protect your online privacy.

“Winston’s founder, Richard Stokes, was in the ad-tech industry for over a decade, most recently as the Global Head of Innovation for the media intelligence division of the world’s largest advertising agency. In that role, he saw the industry move to embrace new technologies that track, mine, and sell private information (imagine every song you like, every relationship, every purchase you make, and every secret you have being stored forever in the cloud). That was the beginning of the omnipresent surveillance state. Rich decided this was not a world that he wanted his children to grow up in. It all came down to one question…if he wasn’t the person to do something about it, then who would?”

protect your online privacy

To make an earlybird pledge from $186 jump over to the official crowdfunding campaign page by following the link below.

By .

Sourced from Geeky Gadgets

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