Getting rid of tracking and data collection in browsers

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We tell you what data about users is collected by sites, what a browser fingerprint is, and what tools will help you maintain your online privacy.

Many websites collect information about users using special tracking technologies — trackers. These are small snippets of the site's program code that are automatically loaded when you open the site. The tracker can collect various information about the user, for example:

• location;
• device type and technical specifications;
• operating system, browser;
• IP address, connection type, VPN usage, and others

The tracker transmits the received information to its owner — the tracker developer. Site owners can use the collected data to estimate how many people and from what regions visit their resource, how much time they spend on the page, and what actions they perform. Most often, you can hear about a common type of tracker — cookies. In addition to them, there are also web beacons, flash cookies, and others.

There are internal trackers in the browser — these are small text files that the browser records data from the sites you visited. Cookies allow sites to "remember" their users, for example, so that they don't have to ask for their username and password every time.

Dmitry Ovchinnikov
Chief Specialist of the Integrated Information Security Systems Department of Gazinformservis

Data is collected not by the web browser, but by websites, through cookies. These files allow you to track movement on the website, collect digital impressions of the user, and dynamically configure the website for a specific user.

When you visit the site, a window may pop up asking you to allow the use of cookies. Sometimes they are needed for technical maintenance of the site. Be careful, they can also be used to track your online activities. If you accept the terms and conditions without reading the privacy policy, then be prepared for the fact that the tracker owner may find out more about you than you would like. To check exactly what information the site collects about you, you can use special services.

Andrey Novikov
iTPROTECT Information Security Engineer

Some sites provide a list of collected data, while others simply position it as collecting information for personalized advertising. Most often, IP addresses, user activity history, personal data when the user registers, location, search and visit history, voice command history, operating system, device information, etc. are collected.

How can I see what information sites collect about you and what is stored in the browser?​

Cookies are stored by the browser, so in order to understand what is being tracked and how, you need to go to the browser's privacy settings.

• For Firefox: Settings → Privacy and Security;
• For Microsoft Edge, these are: Options → Privacy, Search and Services;
• For Chrome, this is: Settings → Privacy and Security.
• For Yandex Browser: Settings → Sites →Advanced Site Settings, Settings → System →Personal Data Settings.

The more information trackers collect about you, the more unique your browser becomes. If you log in to various sites via the browser and enter your data, then as a result, the company whose trackers collect information about you will be able to identify your identity using the browser as a fingerprint. To check the browser fingerprint, you can use various online services, for example, "Am I Unique?" or "Panopticlick".

Information security experts also recommend checking the list of installed extensions and plugins — some of them can monitor your activity on the Internet.

Changing your browser settings​

To completely disable tracking in the browser, you need to carefully review and change several settings. They will depend on the browser's capabilities. For example, you can prevent sites from requesting geolocation data, using a camera and microphone, connecting to devices, and so on.

Andrey Novikov
iTPROTECT Information Security Engineer

Do not forget that in browsers, users often link their account. For example, a Google Account that can contain an email address, phone number, and passwords. Therefore, to protect yourself from tracking this information, do not use a profile with your real name and data, or do not link it.

Sergey Lipov, Director of Information Technology at Edge2, advises you to do the following:

1. Enable the "Do Not Track" feature in the browser. The browser sends a Do Not Track request to both the websites you visit and third-party content providers for those sites. When you receive a Do Not Track request, sites and content providers will know that you prefer your online activities not to be tracked.
2. Disable cookies or configure them to be deleted after each session.
3. Disable JavaScript if possible.
4. Use a VPN or proxy server to hide your location, or use Incognito mode in your browser.

Dmitry Ovchinnikov
Chief Specialist of the Integrated Information Security Systems Department of Gazinformservis

By the way, the popular Chrome browser has the most limited settings in this part. Therefore, it is best to use a web browser that already has ready-made configuration templates. For example, FireFox, Brave, or Microsoft Edge. These web browsers allow you to choose in their settings which cookies to accept and store, and which to immediately discard, preventing tracking of user actions.

We use anonymizers​

Anonymizers include various tools for hiding information about a device, IP address, or user on the network from a remote server. These can be special sites, programs, or browser extensions. They also include a special browser without tracking with support for Tor technology.

Dmitry Ovchinnikov
Chief Specialist of the Integrated Information Security Systems Department of Gazinformservis

It is worth noting that using the Tor browser only protects you from surveillance by websites and targeted advertising. Complete anonymity on the Internet cannot be achieved by such methods. Your provider will still know where and when you connected.

Tor browser, Brave and other special browsers use sophisticated methods to ensure user anonymity. Tor redirects web traffic through different points and prevents websites from identifying where you came from. At the same time, there are also disadvantages to using such browsers — a significant slowdown in Internet speed and blocking access from some sites.

Also, Tor and Linken Sphere are often used by attackers to, for example, bypass anti-fraud systems. Therefore, the use of Tor may attract the attention of intelligence agencies, as this browser is often associated with illegal activities.

Installing special browser extensions​

Browser extensions can manage passwords, block ads, block JavaScript, send a "Do Not Track" request to the site, and evaluate the probability of tracking your data.

For example, the "Privacy Badger" plugin automatically protects your browser's privacy from trackers. You can use it to view all the trackers attached to the page. The extension evaluates the risk of tracking your browser and, if it turns out to be high, automatically blocks the site. The "Ghostery" and "uBlock Origin" plugins have a similar principle of operation, which help filter content and block ads.

Sergey Lipov
Director of Information Technology at Edge2

Using third-party software can be a really effective way to increase the level of security when working on the Internet. For example, a plugin from Kaspersky. The "Prevent data collection" option allows you to restrict access to your data for sites and services that usually collect information about the user.

Conclusions​

Information security experts agree that despite the large number of ways to protect against tracking and data collection, it is impossible to get a 100% guarantee of the protection of all data. However, you can minimize the risks. To do this, use a combination of several security methods:

using browsers without tracking, such as Tor and its analogues;

• VPN;
• regular deletion of cookies and browser history;
• using anti-tracking plugins such as Privacy Badger or uBlock Origin;
• anonymous search engines, such as DuckDuckGo;
• secure operating systems such as Whonix and Tails.

Even if a set of security systems is used, it is important to take other security measures: use complex passwords, two-factor authentication, regularly update the software, and avoid suspicious sites and links.