If there was ever a time to prioritize online privacy - it is now. As we do more and more of our daily tasks online, it is increasingly important to ensure your online security as well. Whether that be the pictures on your Cloud, passwords for important accounts, or other personal data, if you’re not taking extra steps to protect your identity online, then you are always at risk. What most people don’t realize is that at any moment, there might be a big corporation or just one single hacker looking at your data, trying to find a way to use it for their own benefit. This is why the first step towards ensuring online safety is choosing a secure online browser.
You might think that all the browsers are made equal, but some of them provide higher levels of protection, while others have absolutely no mechanism aimed at protecting the client and their data. What’s even worse, is that most people browse the internet all day without any protection, thinking that they are protected, when in reality they are risking their privacy on a daily basis.
If you want to keep your privacy on the internet, the best way to go about it is to switch to a safer browser.
Here’s the list of browsers you can try for enhanced online security and privacy.
This Chromium-based browser has an extensive list of privacy features aimed at maximizing your security on the web. The browser blocks third-party cookies by default, purges data at the end of each browsing session, does not support autofill, password storage, or telemetry, which is pretty impressive.
Since it is Chromium-based, it is also compatible with most Chrome extensions, which is extremely convenient if you are thinking of transitioning from Google Chrome to a more secure browser - you can keep your beloved extensions.
But Iridium is still far from perfect. While its offer for security is definitely better than many other more popular browsers, the updates are somewhat rare, and when it comes to security, frequent updates are necessary to protect users from newly emerged online security threats. Apart from the infrequent updates, users may also run into compatibility issues with different plug-ins.
Waterfox is based on Mozilla Firefox code. There are a couple of browsers that use Firefox code, but Waterfox has gotten the most attention so far.
Waterfox does not send any data to Mozilla and guarantees enhanced security and privacy. Not only that but it is also convenient to use since you can add all the Firefox extensions and add-ons to the browser. On top of that, Waterfox also offers better speed than Firefox.
Waterfox wants to provide a balance between security, privacy, and simplicity of use. Another perk of using Waterfox is that it is highly customizable and you can adjust it to your liking.
One of the cons of this browser is that its updates in security happen sporadically. Because the browser is based on Firefox code, it only updates the security system after Mozilla. Sometimes it can even take weeks for them to catch up. But if you don’t infrequent updates, definitely consider looking into Waterfox.
Pale moon in Waterfox’s sister browser and is also a Firefox fork.
While Waterfox has speed and security, Pale moon focuses on customization and simplicity. Its primary purpose is to make browsing the web as personalized and hassle-free as possible. But this does not mean that you can’t incorporate your favorite add-ons or personalize the browser, including its security settings. As a Firefox fork, it is compatible with the add-ons and themes that are currently available for Firefox or were available for Firefox in the past. One of the reasons for Pale Moon’s creation was to incorporate add-ons that were no longer supported by Firefox but were well-liked by its users.
With high customizability and simplicity of use, this can be a great add-on browser. The reason why this may not be the perfect candidate for a primary browser is that you might find yourself running into compatibility issues somewhat often. Plus, the updates are not frequent enough, increasing the security risks.
Opera is one of the more popular open-source browsers that have put privacy as their top priority. The browser has a built-in ad blocker and mostly uses Chromium’s code, meaning that transition from Chrome to Opera can easily be made seamless. Not only does Opera ad-blocker prevent the ads from running, but it also prevents the advertisers and websites from collecting data about users.
When it comes to security, you can customize a lot when using Opera. While the default settings may not be perfect, the browser does allow you to make changes to privacy and security settings to adjust them to your liking. Opera has a built-in VPN, which might sound like a great perk, but can also be a drawback for some, since this specific VPN tracks bandwidth and logs usage. Ideally, your VPN should give you complete privacy, and should not track your data, ever. Opera has a lot of advantages and some disadvantages so if you decide to use it make sure to make necessary adjustments.
Vivaldi is another chromium-based browser you can try for increased security. It was co-founded by the co-creator of Opera, which we just discussed above. Founders of Vivaldi wanted to “fix” some of the mishaps that left a part of the Opera users unhappy.
Vivaldi automatically blocks ads and trackers and allows users to customize the browsing in great detail. The fact that it is Chromium-based means that you will be able to use Chrome extensions in Vivaldi as well.
While their security and customization are definitely good, there are some things to look out for, specifically the way the browser handles your IP address. When you start using Vivaldi, Your IP Address gets a user ID in Vivaldi’s system, and while they claim that they do remove parts of your IP Address, specifically the last octet, to increase anonymity, the system is far from perfect.
We have mentioned a couple of Chromium-based browsers, now it’s time to talk about Chromium itself. When it comes to fully open-source browsers, Chromium is definitely one of the best web browser options out there. It is free and was originally developed by Google. Despite that, the browser does not rely on any of Google’s web services. For a lot of Google Chrome users, Google is the main “culprit” when it comes to privacy issues. With Chromium, you don’t have to worry about third parties accessing your personal data. As a nice added feature, Chromium also blocks all trackers.
As impressive as Chromium is, it is also pretty simple. While the installation process can be a little more time-consuming than other browsers, the results make it worth it.
This is another open-sourced Firefox fork that deserves your attention. Librewold’s primary focus is security and privacy, but we can easily say that simplicity is also one of their top priorities. This is a great browser for anyone who wants to up their privacy on the internet since LibreWolf basically checks all the boxes for privacy-focused browsers. It has no telemetry, blocks all ads, and has a firewall. Default search engines when using LibreWolf are DuckDuckGo, Qwants, and Searx,- all of which are known for prioritizing online security and privacy. If you want to increase your online security, definitely give LibreWolf a try.
It’s finally time to talk about Firefox itself. This is a completely open-source, customizable browser that most people have already heard about. Firefox was developed by Mozilla, a nonprofit organization, and is a much safer alternative to more mainstream browsers.
Mozilla Firefox has scheduled, although somewhat infrequent updates.
Mozilla offers phishing and malware protection, gives a heads-up to users when a website is trying to install add-ons and blocks reported attacks and trackers. What’s even more impressive, is that when using Mozilla, you can also choose to compartmentalize the browser, preventing various platforms from tracking your online activity outside of their website.
When using Mozilla you can be pretty confident that your security and privacy settings are safe but in case you have any specific preferences, as mentioned above the browser is highly customizable, including its security system.
The best browser you can use to ensure maximum security online is Tor. Tor is also based on Firefox browser and follows its updates and bug fixes.
The browser was created back in 2002, with a focus on anonymity. Unlike most of the browsers mentioned in this list, Tor encrypts your traffic by bouncing your activity around a distributed network of relays. This makes it impossible for someone to identify you by looking at your connections. Tor also cleans all cookies after each session by default. The only real flaw Tor has is its speed since the connection has to go through relays in order to be anonymous. But for those concerned with online privacy, this is a small price to pay.
The most popular browsers are oftentimes the least secure. Chances are you, the reader, are using one of those browsers right now. Clearly, there isn’t a perfect, all-in-one solution, all of the browsers have their strong features and drawbacks.
But there are other ways to increase online security that don’t involve switching up your go-to browser. The most fool-proof way to ensure that you are not being tracked is to use VPN. This way you don't even have to switch browsers or get used to the new layout, you can just turn on the VPN and start browsing more securely right away.
While some of these browsers can definitely provide sufficient security, they might not be so easy to set up for regular internet users. Many of them were designed with very experienced users in mind, which is definitely not the majority of people on the internet. VPNs make this whole process much easier.
Whether you decide to switch up your browser or get a VPN, every action that increases your online security is a step in the right direction.
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We are increasingly incorporating the internet into every aspect of living, including personal and work affairs. While we might think that modern technology is not susceptible to exploitation and that our rights are well-defined when it comes to Internet Freedom, the majority of the countries do not meet those standards. Global Internet Freedom has been declining for 11 years straight. This might sound incorrect if we consider how much progress we’ve made over the last decade but the fact is that governments all across the world are trying to impose more and more restrictions on users, meanwhile, our user rights are often ill-defined or nonexistent.
Governments are trying to control all major online platforms and in some cases are even trying to conduct surveillance on businesses or even people who use the internet for personal reasons. This is an alarming statistic and one that more people should be talking about.
As the internet seeps deeper into our daily routines, we might find that it is used as a means of control or censorship, and in some cases, it might also violate our privacy.
The most prominent yearly report, covering the state of Internet Freedom in 70 countries, is the Freedom House’s Freedom of The Net. The organization looks at obstacles to internet access, limits on the content people can consume, and any records of violation of user rights.
Here’s what we can learn about Internet freedom from the top 3 countries on Freedom House’s 2021 Freedom of The Net report.
Iceland has been on the top of this list for the third year in a row. The country is said to have the best environment for internet freedom. Out of 100 points of internet freedom, Iceland gathered 96. Iceland has virtually no obstacles to access, minimal limits on content, and very infrequent violations of user rights. People of Iceland have a “near-universal connectivity” according to the Freedom House report. This year’s ranking is especially important, because of COVID-19, since the pandemic pointed out so many gaps that still exist within and between states.
In Iceland, the government made the most of its great online resources and infrastructure and launched a voluntary contact tracing app that did not abuse the user’s personal data. While many countries issued similar apps, the majority of them faced severe backlash over incidents of abusing their user’s personal data. Meanwhile, Iceland’s app managed to stay clear of such incidents for the most part.
Iceland has done a great job of respecting the privacy of its people and ensuring that there are minimal loopholes for accessing private data over the internet. This does not mean that Iceland is completely perfect when it comes to handling online safety and security. There are still cases of misinformation and controversy over the issue of privacy. In addition to that, even against the government’s best efforts, Iceland’s COVID-19 app had some flaws and room for exploitation of users’ privacy. On the other hand, the Media and the government institutions which are both highly digitized, have not been at the receiving end of cyberattacks in years. There’s a lot we can learn from the case of Iceland, but sadly not that many countries are willing to change their ways to allow more privacy and easier access to the internet for their people.
The second country on the list, when it comes to Internet Freedom, is Estonia. Estonia has long been known as one of the most digitized countries in the world. This small nation has become one of the leaders in cyber security as well as in incorporating digital aspects into its governing bodies. Estonia scored 94 points out of 100.
According to the report, Estonia has one of the most advanced digital societies. Just like Iceland, the Estonian people enjoy good connectivity, with high rates of access, limited state-imposed restrictions on online content as wells ad well-defined and extensive safeguards for human rights online.
The pandemic only highlighted the well-organized and highly accessible nature of the country’s online environment. People were able to use digital public services that were in place well before the pandemic, while also maintaining its reputation as a leader in digital security.
Estonia takes online privacy very seriously and has done so for many years now. One of the best ways that Estonian people ensure their online safety is by using a VPN. BlufVPN from Estonia provides anonymity to all its users while also offering various payment options to increase its accessibility.
Estonia continues to work to improve its current digital climate, even as one of the top-ranking countries for Internet Freedom. Currently, the Estonian parliament is currently working on improving the Electronic Communications Act, which would require telecommunications companies to disclose their software and equipment unless in cases where it could distort free competition. Estonia is a great example of a country that takes digital security very seriously and continuously works on improving it.
Canada ranked third on the list of countries with the best overall score for Internet Freedom. Canada has few obstacles to access, has very few limits on content, and rare violations of user rights. Overall Canada scored 87 out of 100. Internet Access is affordable and easily accessible for the majority of people, but the country also has some flaws when it comes to internet freedom and privacy. For example, its rural areas are often pushed aside and are underserved. But unlike Estonia and Iceland, the state institutions do have a recent history of cyberattacks, which is also why Canada did not rank higher than third place.
This just goes to show that even the best-ranking countries have trouble checking all the boxes when it comes to internet freedom since there are so many obstacles that need to be dealt with. No country is perfect when it comes to digital access and protection of users’ rights.
According to the assessment published by Freedom House, Canada has always had respect for political rights and civil liberties, but it seems like there might be a trend of increased government surveillance laws and contested privacy rights. This falls in line with the general trend we’ve seen all over the world, with decreased internet freedom and increased control over the content we consume. On the other hand, the Canadian government does not exercise technical or legal control over internet infrastructure with the aim of restricting connectivity. All things considered, Canada is still a great example of a country with high levels of internet freedom.
The Freedom House list of Freedom by The Net countries also showcases the worst countries for Internet freedom. According to the latest results, China is the worst abuser of internet freedom among the 70 countries that were examined within the framework of this report. China has maintained the title for over 7 years now and has by far the worst results when it comes to the violation of user’s rights on the internet. China can be used as a great example of what not to do when it comes to protecting the rights of citizens online. Other countries that have the lowest scores are Iran, Syria, Vietnam, Cuba, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Egypt, Uzbekistan, and Venezuela. All of these countries have recorded obstacles to access, have put extensive limits on content that citizens can consume, and have recorded violations of user rights. The number of countries that have less than favorable results when it comes to Net Freedom is increasing at an alarming rate.
The increased importance of digital spaces in our lives means that more people are going to want to control them. As highlighted above, we’ve seen this exact dynamic unfold in front of our eyes with Internet Freedom declining each year, even as countries like Iceland and Estonia try their best to maintain some privacy and security for the users. It looks like citizens are going to have to put more and more effort into ensuring their own safety online, including the use of VPNs and constantly adjusting their privacy settings. While this might seem like a daunting task, it looks like people in countries where digital privacy is not a top priority will not have that many options.
People around the world might feel like they have increasingly more access to the internet, but in reality, their overall internet freedom is declining at a rapid pace, even in the developed countries. While there are many efforts to reverse this trend, some of them coming from governments themselves, it seems like people will have to take matters into their own hands, if they want to retain at least some digital privacy and security. One of the best ways to ensure that this happens is to increase awareness around this topic, in order to get more people to rethink their online privacy and user rights.
"}}}],"title":"What is the Internet Freedom?","description":"The Internet is an essential part of our daily lives. Read about it's freedom.","title_image":{"dimensions":{"width":1280,"height":720},"url":"https://images.prismic.io/nitrovpn/afb2d7dc-72f8-43f3-8861-2e918dc9f96d_What+is+the+Internet+Freedom%3F.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&rect=0%2C0%2C1280%2C720&w=1280&h=720","alt":"What is the Internet Freedom?","copyright":null,"localFile":{"relativePath":".cache/caches/gatsby-source-prismic/939ab05b3a8eff539526f287a7018871/afb2d7dc-72f8-43f3-8861-2e918dc9f96d_What+is+the+Internet+Freedom%3F.png","absolutePath":"/opt/build/repo/.cache/caches/gatsby-source-prismic/939ab05b3a8eff539526f287a7018871/afb2d7dc-72f8-43f3-8861-2e918dc9f96d_What+is+the+Internet+Freedom%3F.png","childImageSharp":{"fluid":{"base64":"data:image/png;base64,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","aspectRatio":1.7741935483870968,"src":"/static/424d25c2cf4a78115a5328b2dcb95c99/ca314/afb2d7dc-72f8-43f3-8861-2e918dc9f96d_What%2Bis%2Bthe%2BInternet%2BFreedom%253F.png","srcSet":"/static/424d25c2cf4a78115a5328b2dcb95c99/7157a/afb2d7dc-72f8-43f3-8861-2e918dc9f96d_What%2Bis%2Bthe%2BInternet%2BFreedom%253F.png 275w,\n/static/424d25c2cf4a78115a5328b2dcb95c99/a6873/afb2d7dc-72f8-43f3-8861-2e918dc9f96d_What%2Bis%2Bthe%2BInternet%2BFreedom%253F.png 551w,\n/static/424d25c2cf4a78115a5328b2dcb95c99/ca314/afb2d7dc-72f8-43f3-8861-2e918dc9f96d_What%2Bis%2Bthe%2BInternet%2BFreedom%253F.png 1101w,\n/static/424d25c2cf4a78115a5328b2dcb95c99/43d88/afb2d7dc-72f8-43f3-8861-2e918dc9f96d_What%2Bis%2Bthe%2BInternet%2BFreedom%253F.png 1280w","sizes":"(max-width: 1101px) 100vw, 1101px"}}}},"title_image_copyright":{"html":""},"meta_description":"One of the best ways to ensure that this happens is to increase awareness, in order to get more people to rethink their online privacy and user rights. ","meta_title":"What is the Internet Freedom? | Read our article in the BlufVPN Blog","author":{"slug":"blufvpn","document":{"data":{"name":"BlufVPN","about":"This is description of author. :)","avatar":{"dimensions":{"width":256,"height":256},"url":"https://nitrovpn.cdn.prismic.io/nitrovpn/06c6e26b-0e3b-47db-b3db-a67912238e33_Group+1634.svg","alt":null,"localFile":{"relativePath":".cache/caches/gatsby-source-prismic/2c7cc74105a777e4de56e1a22537c2f3/06c6e26b-0e3b-47db-b3db-a67912238e33_Group+1634.svg","absolutePath":"/opt/build/repo/.cache/caches/gatsby-source-prismic/2c7cc74105a777e4de56e1a22537c2f3/06c6e26b-0e3b-47db-b3db-a67912238e33_Group+1634.svg","childImageSharp":null}}}}},"category":{"slug":"security","document":{"data":{"name":"Security"}}}},"uid":"what-is-the-internet-freedom","type":"blog_post","last_publication_date":"2021-10-06T10:48:47+0000","first_publication_date":"2021-10-06T10:48:47+0000","lang":"en-us"},{"data":{"body":[{"__typename":"PrismicBlogPostBodyText","id":"6c4591f1-ef5e-5ae8-8892-32213203ba99","primary":{"text":{"html":"The main purpose of a VPN is to prevent the ISPs (Internet service provider), any website or entity, from keeping track of websites the user visits. VPNs are also supposed to prevent anyone from seeing how you spend your time online. If you are interested in the topic of online privacy, you have probably heard about the fact that websites along with your ISP keep records of all connections made from your IP Address. Every time you visit a web page, your ISP as well as the website make a note of that connection and the log is created. The log records your IP Address, the time of your visit to the website, and the duration of your connection. This means that when you are browsing without a VPN, your online activity is pretty much exposed to at least two other parties.
Making sure that there are no logs leading to your IP Address is one of the main selling points for VPNs, So how exactly can VPNs help you avoid logs?
If you have read the definition above, you might think that the logs are relatively harmless and can’t do much in terms of intruding on your privacy. In reality, they are marketers’ favorite way to gather information about you and use it to market various products. Logs can also be used to determine some of our browsing habits, especially if you don't keep track of your browser cookies. You can also easily determine the location of the IP address through logs, which could create a whole new set of problems.
To put it shortly, as long as the websites or your ISP keep logs on you, your online identity is not private. ISPs or websites can sell that valuable information to a third party, putting your privacy and online safety at risk. The problem is that a lot of people do not know how easy it is for third parties to access your personal information and then use it without your permission, be that to advertise their products or find out personal information about you.
One way to resolve this issue is through using a VPN (Virtual Private Network) but are the VPNs enough to make sure you’re safe out there?
Firstly, let's define the term VPN in further detail. Virtual Private Networks connect the user to one of its servers, disguising the client’s IP address. When a website you’re visiting or your ISP tries to see your IP address, they will only see the VPN server, meaning that you can remain anonymous and retain your privacy when browsing.
While browsing without a VPN, your ISP sees exactly which services you are accessing, when you are using a VPN, your ISP only sees that you have connected to VPN and nothing more. Although, some people are skeptical about the many claims that VPN providers make regarding their services regarding anonymity and their no-logs policy. Skeptics might argue that some of those VPN companies might actually disclose the logs to third parties, which is something that has definitely happened before. This is why it’s crucial to do your research and read reviews before you decide on which VPN to use. While it might seem like any VPN is better than none, when you take a closer look at the log issue, it's evident that there is much more that we as consumers need to think about.
One way to know for sure, whether or not a specific company can be trusted with logs, is to take a closer look at their log policy. BlufVPN has a strict no-log policy, meaning that they do not keep logs in their system. Even if the third party was to approach the company, they would have nothing to offer or say, since they also don't know what the client is doing online. In a perfect world, all VPNs would adopt the same approach, but in reality, a lot of these companies are more than willing to sell the data and betray their clients.
Now you may be thinking, how can a VPN not keep any records on the websites that their clients visit? And you would have a point. VPNs do need to keep records, but they don’t have to be nearly as intrusive as the regular logs. Instead, they can keep track of the essential information without compromising the anonymity of their users.
Some VPNs distinguish between a connection log and an activity log. The connection log only concerns the connections that the private server made, meaning that your IP address will not be a part of that log. The activity log keeps track of when the client connected with the VPN server and for how long. Depending on the VPN provider, some will keep both kinds of logs, while others will only keep the connection log. Even if a VPN keeps track of both, your identity will still remain anonymous. But even with this information in mind, it's important to choose a VPN that will keep you anonymous no matter the circumstances, so choose carefully!
The importance of having a VPN is becoming more and more apparent, with so many public cases of data breaches and cases of non-consensual third-party involvements in online spaces.
But as we highlighted above, not all VPNs are created equal. Some might sell you a facade of privacy but they might be more than willing to hand over your personal information to third parties. While having a VPN is a smart choice for anyone who uses the internet, it’s crucial that you choose a VPN that can be trusted, the one that will not keep logs or sell your private data to a third party without your consent. BlufVPN is transparent about its no-log policies, has rock-solid encryption, and will always hide your location. Even if someone tries to pinpoint where you are browsing from, they will only be able to locate the VPN IP address, the same address used by thousands of other BlufVPN users.
Only trust VPNs that are transparent about their log policies and are not interested in selling your data to advertisers.
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