Bye Bye Big Tech step 2: browser and search engine
Leaving Big Tech might not always seem easy at first. Where do you begin, and what are actually good alternatives? To help you on your way, we’ve put together a step-by-step guide with alternatives. Here you can find all the steps.
This second step is about your browser. Whether you use Chrome, Firefox, Safari, or Microsoft Edge, your browser processes a lot of information about your preferences, location, and online behavior. That makes your browser a gateway to a wealth of information about you. Unfortunately, plenty of Big Tech companies use that data to give third parties insight into who you are. Google (Chrome), for example, builds a profile of your search behavior and sells it to advertisers so you’ll see personalized ads across the internet.
Closely tied to your choice of browser is your choice of search engine. Whoever controls what people see when they search has a lot of power, especially when 90% of internet users are using the same search engine.
The alternatives in the chart below all protect your privacy and shield you from tracking. Switching browsers won’t cost you anything compared to Big Tech’s options. With search engines, it’s a little different: because the results aren’t personalized, the quality may sometimes be slightly less precise.