Some people have invested in Chromebook laptops built around Google’s browser – or just think Chrome is faster than the alternatives. “When we submit a claim online, we are told that the insurance company’s platform only accepts Chrome,” she says. Barbara Karpel of Lauderhill, Florida, writes that her dental office uses software that asks for the Google browser. Apple’s Safari and Brave (which has an ad blocker built in) are also fine choices.īut I understand some people just can’t quit Chrome. I recommend switching to the nonprofit Firefox, which has privacy-focused default settings that automatically block tracking cookies from ad and data companies, including Google itself. For most people, not using a browser made by an advertising company is the simplest way to protect your data from thousands of tracking firms, including Google itself.

The main lesson: If Google is a data vampire, Chrome is its fangs. Is your web browser spying on you? My recent column about the stark privacy differences between Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox generated a lot of conversation – and questions from readers about what you can do to avoid surveillance while you surf.

Why is my husband using duckduckgo