I’ve been a Firefox power user since it launched 20 years ago – here’s why it still beats Chrome and Safari

It was my day a fewer weeks ago, and arsenic if that didn’t make maine consciousness aged enough, nan Firefox browser has conscionable turned precisely 20 years aged today. Yes, Firefox type 1.0 launched connected November 9, 2004 – and I've been utilizing it for almost arsenic agelong arsenic it's been alive, picking it up successful nan mid-noughties and loading it onto each machine I’ve utilized successful nan years since.

Over each that time, I’ve stuck pinch Firefox done heavy and bladed (and Chrome's expanding dominance). It’s clear to maine that Firefox has ever done a fewer things acold amended than rivals for illustration Chrome and Safari – things that those web browsers are improbable to ever match.

Right from erstwhile I started utilizing Firefox, what drew maine to it was its beardown stance connected privacy. It’s ever been important to maine that my information stays my ain and is not sold to anyone other for profit. It’s not ever imaginable to extremity that happening, but pinch Firefox, it’s a full batch easier.

That’s because Firefox blocks each sorts of trackers that tin invade your privateness and travel you astir nan web. Cookies are isolated to extremity them building a elaborate image of you, and Firefox limits entree to information that tin beryllium utilized to create a integer “fingerprint” of your browsing habits by little conscientious websites and services.

That’s conscionable scratching nan aboveground of its privacy-protecting features, and I’m still gladsome to person them astatine my disposal whenever I usage nan web.

Chrome’s privateness problem

Take a look astatine Google Chrome and nan opposition is stark. Chrome doesn’t artifact trackers by default, nor does it connection fingerprint blocking. It monitors nan websites you sojourn and uses this information to nonstop you targeted ads. While you tin artifact immoderate of nan topics it identifies, you can’t extremity it uncovering different advertisement topics to stock pinch websites. It’s going to waste your backstage data, whether you want it to aliases not.

While Google has considered implementing pro-privacy features, it’s often backtracked erstwhile it became evident really overmuch that could effect third-party advertisers and information brokers. Just look astatine nan Privacy Sandbox, which Google has watered down significantly, aliases nan measurement Google often uses alleged dark patterns to lure you into sharing arsenic overmuch of your information arsenic possible.

Ultimately, we shouldn’t beryllium amazed astatine Chrome’s behavior. Google runs nan world’s largest advertizing web and has a built-in inducement to break your privateness (and limit what you tin do to extremity it). Google’s privateness efforts will ever beryllium half-hearted arsenic agelong arsenic implementing policies that support your info safe wounded its bottommost line. Money talks, aft all.

Things are different for Firefox because it’s developed by Mozilla, a group that puts privateness astatine nan forefront of its work. Firefox is unfastened source, too, truthful you cognize precisely what you’re getting without having to interest astir hidden nasties making it into your browsing experience. In different words, it’s nan antithesis of Chrome.

Actions speak louder than words, and Mozilla doesn’t conscionable talk nan talk – it follows done connected what it promises, moreover erstwhile its features mightiness wounded its expertise to make money from its users.

In contrast, it’s clear that this is perfectly not nan lawsuit pinch Chrome, and nor will it ever be. I cognize which browser I’d alternatively trust.

Why don’t I conscionable usage Safari?

If privateness is simply a privilege for me, why haven’t I switched to Apple’s Safari browser? There’s an statement for maine doing so: for illustration Mozilla, Apple is well-known for its pro-privacy stances. Safari is mostly faster than Firefox, too, helping it connection nan champion of some Firefox and Chrome.

But there’s a problem: Safari is constricted to Apple’s ain devices. I usage some Windows and macOS successful my day-to-day life, truthful I request thing that will usability connected each instrumentality I own. Safari can’t do that, and fixed really disappointing Safari for Windows was backmost erstwhile it existed, I uncertainty Apple is excessively fussed astir expanding nan browser beyond its ain products.

In contrast, I tin get Firefox connected immoderate of my devices and it will beryllium group up conscionable arsenic I expect it to be, pinch each nan extensions, bookmarks and tabs correct wherever they should be. I tin nonstop a tab from Firefox connected my Windows PC to Firefox connected my Mac aliases connected my iPhone and it’ll get instantly, letting maine prime up wherever I near disconnected immoderate instrumentality I’m using.

It’s that operation of cross-platform compatibility and rock-solid privateness credentials that person maine still utilizing Firefox 20 years later.

Throw successful a immense room of fantabulous extensions and I get everything I request from Mozilla’s browser – there’s nary replacement that rather matches what it tin do. With 20 years successful nan bag, I ideate I’ll still beryllium utilizing Firefox successful different 2 decades’ time.

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