Be careful with this very popular internet browser: its business model is based on the collection, analysis and monetization of your data, down to the smallest details of your online activity. As for the technical parameters that claim to protect your digital life, they are not always what they seem…
If, on the surface, a web browser is nothing more than a gateway to the Internet, in reality it is software capable of remembering and analyzing what you are looking for, what you like, what you buy and even where you are. Some use it to guarantee your security, others to take advantage of it. This is the case of a very familiar interface.
Indeed, experts have been sounding the alarm for years: “everything you do online is potential data”recalls Bob Gourley, cybersecurity consultant. “Search searches, links visited, browsing time, all of this can be recorded, analyzed and linked to a single profile.” This profile is your digital double, created from an impressive set of invisible signals. And the worst thing is that this collection never stops, even when you think you have activated a mode supposed to protect your anonymity via the famous “private browsing” mode. This mode simply prevents history from being saved on your device, but does not prevent your activity from being tracked.
An incalculable amount of data then accumulates. IP address, favorites, search queries, saved addresses, approximate location, logins, passwords, device information… the list goes on, and each item adds a piece to the puzzle of your digital identity. So with enough fragments, the company behind that browser can tell if you’re looking for a job, planning a trip, or visiting health-related sites. And all of this serves a specific purpose: targeted advertising. A perfectly legal mechanism, but morally questionable. So, in this context, the incriminated browser nevertheless remains the most popular in the world. Its success is based on a simple equation: apparent free, speed, universal compatibility. His name? Google Chrome.
You will have understood, according to Bob Gourley, it is better to avoid going through this portal if you wish to remain anonymous. He recommends using Firefox, a classic supported by an independent foundation. It would offer good protection by default against tracking and would, according to the specialist, allow it to go further thanks to a wide range of extensions. This is not the most radical solution, but it would be enough to maintain a good balance between comfort and safety.
