Web tracking entails collecting users’ data on the internet. The process involves tracking technologies such as cookies, web beacons, and browser fingerprints. Websites, advertisers, and data brokers often use tracking data to target users with personalized ads, measure website traffic, and create user profiles.
Tracking your web activity raises significant concerns because it invades your privacy, targets you with personalized ads, and makes you vulnerable to data and privacy breaches and other cyberattacks. Therefore, you must know the extent of tracking on a website and take the necessary steps to protect your privacy.
Some effective ways of preventing web tracking include using anti-tracking software and browser extensions and being conscious of your internet activity. Anti-tracking software and browser extensions are great options for privacy-focused internet usage that doesn’t track your activity or collect personal information.
Understanding why you’re being tracked and the ways of tracking helps you make informed decisions about how to avoid web tracking.
The quick list of our top anti-tracking software
Here is a quick look at some of the best anti-tracking software:
- Virtual Private Network (VPN): A VPN encrypts your internet connection, making your web activity private. Reliable VPNs route your connection across different servers spread worldwide.
- DuckDuckGo extension: DuckDuckGo browser extension blocks web trackers and encrypts your search queries. The extension also provides you with a private search engine and the ability to view who is attempting to track your activity.
- Tor Browser: It is a privacy-focused anti-tracking software that routes your network connection through a wide range of decentralized server networks.
- Avast AntiTrack: This anti-tracking software protects your web activity by hiding your IP address. It also alerts you if any third party attempts to track you, filters spam messages, and deletes browser history.
- Freenet: The program runs on a P2P platform, allowing users to communicate freely in a decentralized network.
- Disconnect: This tool protects you from targeted ads, phishing, malware, and hackers. In addition, the program can disconnect itself once it detects that a website is retaining your private information.
- Norton AntiTrack: This anti-tracking software is great if you’re looking to hide your internet activity. Norton anti-track blocks third parties from accessing your fingerprint and alerts you to block them.
- Brave: Brave is a popular anti-tracking software known for its ability to improve your browsing experience. The tool blocks pop-up ads and spam messages.
- Privacy Badger: The tool is easy to run and doesn’t require much configuration. In addition, it can easily detect trackers and prevent them from collecting personal information.
- Malwarebytes: Malwarebyte anti-tracking software focuses primarily on malware. It scans files and detects infected ones. Malware-infected files are quarantined to prevent them from compromising your security.
- AdGuard: It blocks trackers and gives you more control over your personal information. It is compatible with various devices, including macOS, Android, iOS, and Windows.
- Adblock Plus: Offers ad-blocking services and enhanced tracking disabling for web trackers and advertisers.
- Ghostery: Improves anonymity by ensuring your browsing data is hidden from third parties
- TrackOff: Offers critical security features such as real-time threat detection, biometric safety, and VPN encryption to protect users from web tracking.
- TotalAV Antivirus: The anti-tracking software encrypts your internet usage, thus hiding you from trackers and ISP.
- Privoxy: Provides you with the freedom to manage trackers and cookies and personalize your browsing experience.
- Kamo: It’s capable of auto-cleaning cookies and allows you to safelist specific websites.
- uBlock Origin: An open-source browser extension that blocks web tracking scripts and ads.
- AVG AntiTrack: Automatically blocks tracking attempts on all web pages and alerts you when a website attempts to track your activity.
What is web tracking?
Web tracking is not new, as you have already experienced it using the internet. Specifically, web tracking refers to collecting personal data about an individual’s activity on the internet. This can include information about the websites you visit, browsing history, movies you stream, online games, IP address, the links you click on, and the search terms you use.
Most organizations use the collected data for targeted advertising, marketing, and analytics.
Why you’re being tracked?
Websites track users for a variety of reasons, including:
- Targeted advertising: By collecting data about browsing habits and interests, websites can display more relevant, interest-based ads. It can increase your chances of clicking on the ad and ultimately lead to more sales or conversions for the website.
- Analytics: Organizations can gain insights into improving user experience and making the website more effective by gathering data about how they interact with a website. This can help understand how to design the website, structure the content, and which features are more popular among users.
- Personalization: By tracking your internet behavior, websites can personalize the content and features for your liking, making them more useful.
- Business Intelligence: Tracking is a way of gaining insights into market trends, consumer preferences and behavior, and other information that can inform strategic business decisions.
- Security: Some websites use tracking to detect and prevent fraudulent or malicious activity on their site.
- Monitoring: Government and law enforcement agencies may also use tracking to monitor users for potential crime-related activities.
The critical point here is that not all online tracking serves nefarious purposes. However, it is crucial to understand why data is being collected and how trackers use your personal information.
Ways you’re being tracked online
Online tracking can happen through different methods. The way you’re being tracked entirely depends on the tracker’s preferred method. Some standard methods of tracking include:
- Cookies: This is the most common and widely used method of tracking. Cookies are saved on your device when using the internet. Websites use cookies to remember login information, browsing history, your cart on an e-commerce site, and browsing preferences such as language and other web-related information.
- Browser fingerprinting: Websites can track your web activity by collecting data about your browser settings, installed fonts, and other unique device characteristics. Trackers then use this information to create a unique fingerprint of your browser, which can be used for tracking across different websites.
- Web beacons: These are also known as tracking beacons or web bugs. They are small images that are embedded in web pages or emails. Web beacons can track your internet behavior, such as how long you stayed on a specific web page or whether a link was clicked in the email.
- IP addresses: Each internet-enabled device has an identifiable ID known as an IP address that provides information such as your location and internet service provider (ISP). Websites can use an IP address to track your activity on different sites.
- Account tracking: Web trackers monitor your online activity while you’re signed into various online platforms. However, you have to grant permission for tracking to take place.
- Mouse tracking: Under this type of web tracking, trackers use tracking software that records your cursor movements to understand your web activity.
- Cross-device tracking: The method is also known as probabilistic or deterministic tracking. It entails matching your online habits across different devices.
- Click-through rate: This strategy entails measuring the number of times a user clicks on certain content. It’s mostly used in advertising.
- Social media plugins: Many websites include social media plugins, such as Facebook, Likee, or Twitter share buttons. These plugins can track your activity even if you don’t interact with the button.
- Analytics software: Trackers can use software such as Google Analytics, Adobe Analytics, and Piwik to track your internet behavior.
Should I be concerned with website tracking?
Although web-tracking technology has various benefits to businesses, especially their advertising strategies, the practice has its downsides too. With the increasing cases of unethical and unlawful use of personal data by multinational companies, individuals have become more skeptical about their data privacy.
Website tracking can potentially reveal sensitive information about your browsing habits, interests, and location. As a result, some people may be concerned about sharing or selling this information to third parties without their consent.
In addition, some tracking methods, such as third-party trackers, may deliver malicious content or phishing attempts to users.
On the one hand, website tracking can help improve user experience by delivering tailored content. Personalized content entails targeting users’ interests throughout their browsing activity. Some people may find targeted advertising useful, as it can show ads relevant to their interests.
But on the other hand, web tracking can be disastrous, especially if your data falls into the wrong hands. Some websites collect sensitive personal information, including browsing history, cookies, saved bookmarks, login information, and other personal data, with the intent to sell to third parties. At its worse, such data could find itself in the wrong hands leading to a data breach.
19 best anti-tracking software
Various anti-tracking software options are available, each with pros and cons. Here are some of the best anti-tracking software available:
1. Virtual Private Network (VPN)
A VPN can serve as anti-tracking software by establishing a secure, encrypted connection to a server on the internet. This protects you from web tracking by masking your IP address and location, making it more difficult for websites and advertisers to track your web activity.
VPNs can also block malicious websites, phishing attempts, and malware by routing your internet traffic through a secure VPN server. In addition, it can help block tracking scripts and cookies, making your browsing experience more private.
Pros
- Hides your IP address
- Prevents internet throttling
- Encrypts your connection
Cons
- Most reliable VPNs require a subscription
2. DuckDuck Go
DuckDuckGo does not collect IP addresses, search queries, or browsing history. That means your search history cannot help to target you with personalized ads or shared with third parties.
The anti-tracking software also blocks third-party tracking cookies by default, which can prevent websites and advertisers from tracking your online activity and gathering sensitive data.
It also provides an encrypted website version to hide your search queries from your internet service provider and other third parties.
Pros
- Encrypts your search queries
- Supports private search
- Blocks various trackers
Cons
- It may slow down your browsing
3. Tor browser
Unlike VPN, the Tor browser is open source, meaning servers do not belong to a central network but are run and operated by other users. The browser comes pre-configured with the Tor network, which routes your network through a series of volunteer-run servers to conceal your IP address and location. This makes it more difficult for websites to track your internet activity.
The Tor Browser includes built-in privacy features, such as blocking third-party cookies and disabling browser plugins that can potentially reveal your identity. Other features such as the NoScript and HTTPS Everywhere browser extensions help block malicious scripts and encrypt your internet connection.
Pros
- Allows network routing to improve privacy
- Supports multiple platforms
- Exceptional protection from censorship and tracking
Cons
- Reduces internet speed when using anti-tracking software
4. Avast AntiTrack
Avast AntiTrack is an additional privacy feature included in some of Avast‘s internet security software, such as Avast Internet Security and Avast Premier. The tool tracks and blocks scripts and cookies, improving the user experience.
Various features such as anti-phishing, ad-blocker, and anti-tracking help to prevent web tracking. These features block unwanted pop-ups and ads, prevent phishing attempts, and block advertisers. It also supports fingerprinting technology and gives users more control over tracking settings.
Pros
- Clears cookies and browsing history
- Conceals your internet purchases to prevent targeted ads
- Supports anti-fingerprinting technology, thus improving anti-tracking capabilities
Cons
- Lacks location hiding features
5. Freenet
Freenet is a decentralized and distributed P2P network that aims to protect users’ freedom of speech and online privacy. This well-known anti-tracking software allows users to share files, access websites, and communicate anonymously without the risk of censorship or surveillance.
This program breaks up files into small chunks and distributes them across the network, making it difficult to track or control data flow. In addition, it uses a peer-to-peer network architecture, so there is no central server or point of control.
The software also includes built-in encryption to protect the privacy of users’ communications and files. It also allows users to access “freesites” websites hosted on the Freenet network that are not accessible via the regular internet.
Pros
- A peer-to-peer platform
- Supports data encryption
- Keeps you anonymous
Cons
- Slow connection speeds
6. Disconnect
Disconnect is a browser extension that improves your online privacy and security by blocking tracking scripts, cookies, and other forms of online tracking. It is available for Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge, and Opera.
Disconnect blocks tracking scripts and cookies from a wide range of websites, advertisers, and data brokers that can collect and share data about the user’s browsing habits. The extension can help protect your privacy by preventing websites and advertisers from tracking your online activity and collecting personal information.
“Visualize” available on this anti-tracking software allows users to see the number of third-party web trackers. This feature can help you understand the extent of tracking on a website and make more informed decisions about which trackers to block. However, the software is not compatible with all browsers.
Pros
- Supports web track blocking in over 2,000+ sites
- Visually attractive user interface
- Improves page loading
Cons
- It has limited compatibility
7. Norton AntiTrack
Norton AntiTrack protects you from web tracking by blocking trackers and other forms of surveillance, such as browser fingerprinting, cookies, and beacons. In addition, it includes a feature called ‘Private Search‘ that enables users to search the web anonymously without leaving any trace of their queries.
Other features in the anti-tracking software include a tracking dashboard, tracker blocking, anti-fingerprint technology, and cookie blocking. In addition, Norton Anti-Track software offers a 60-day cash-back guarantee.
Pros
- Simple and easy to install
- A friendly dashboard
- Fingerprinting tracking
Cons
- It’s not free
8. Brave
Brave is a browser that blocks ads, cookies, and tracking scripts. It includes various security and privacy features such as ‘Shields‘ that are customizable to block specific trackers. The browser blocks third-party cookies by default, making it a useful tool for preventing web trackers and advertisers who target users using cookies.
This anti-tracking software also includes an HTTPS protocol to encrypt your internet connection, making it more difficult for websites and advertisers to track your online activity.
Furthermore, the browser stores user information on the user’s hard disk instead of its network servers. This feature adds to the overall browser security and privacy.
Pros
- Protects users from phishing and malware
- Allows network routing to improve anonymity
- Support for cross-site blocking
Cons
- It does not support extensions and add-ons
9. Privacy Badger
This free and open-source browser extension was developed by the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) and aims to block third-party trackers and protect your privacy online. It works by analyzing web pages and blocking web trackers.
The fact that it’s open-source software means the code is available for review by anyone. This makes it more transparent and trustworthy. In addition, the extension is available for Chrome, Firefox, and Safari and can be easily installed from the respective browser’s add-on store.
A key feature of Privacy Badger is that it learns which third-party trackers are tracking you and automatically blocks them, so you don’t have to configure the extension manually. This makes it easy to use and requires minimal setup.
Pros
- It’s open source
- Free of charge and blocks ads on multiple platforms, e.g., YouTube & Facebook
- Easy to use and configure
Cons
- It doesn’t work with all browsers.
10. Malwarebytes
Malwarebytes boasts a robust “Malware Protection” feature that scans your PC for malware, viruses, and other online threats and removes them. This feature can help to protect your computer and personal information from being compromised by malware.
Additionally, “Web Protection” blocks malicious websites and phishing attempts. This feature can also help to protect your privacy by preventing you from visiting malicious websites targeting your sensitive information.
The anti-tracking software can detect and prevent ransomware attacks, adding to your online protection and privacy.
Pros
- Highly effective against ransomware
- Supports ads crushers
- Protects your social media profiles
Cons
- Requires subscription
11. AdGuard
AdGuard includes a feature called “Anti-Tracking,” which blocks tracking scripts, cookies, and other forms of online tracking from websites, advertisers, and data brokers. This feature is extremely useful in preventing websites and advertisers from collecting personal data and tracking your activity.
Another key feature of the anti-tracking software is the ‘anti-phishing,’ which blocks phishing attempts. Further, the ad-blocking capability blocks unwanted ads, banners, and pop-ups to improve your experience and make web pages load faster. It also prevents unwanted advertisers from collecting your private information.
Pros
- Friendly user dashboard
- Supports parent control features
- Improves web browsing and is more comfortable
Cons
- Poor customer support
12. Adblock Plus
Adblock Plus (ABP) is a browser extension that blocks ads and tracking scripts on web pages. It is available for Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge, and Opera. ABP uses a variety of filter lists to block ads and track scripts and allows users to create their own custom filters.
ABP has an ‘Anti-Tracking‘ feature that can be enabled by default; it blocks tracking scripts that collect and share user browsing data. This feature can help to protect your privacy by preventing websites and advertisers from tracking your online activity and collecting personal information.
ABP also has an “Acceptable Ads” feature that allows certain non-intrusive ads to be shown by default; this feature can be turned off if desired. This feature is intended to support website owners that rely on ads to generate revenue while maintaining users’ privacy and blocking unwanted ads.
Pros
- Supports local data sharing
- Includes a blocklist of disabled web trackers
- Deletes cookies for faster web browsing
Cons
- Less focus on trackers
13. Ghostery
Ghostery anti-tracking software protects you from web tracking by blocking cookies and trackers. In addition, the software is open-source, meaning the public can analyze its code to determine its effectiveness.
Ghostery also provides detailed information about web trackers, the company behind them, and the targeted data type, making it more user-friendly.
The anti-tracking software allows you to create custom blocking rules and whitelist specific trackers. In particular, it analyses the trackers that are present on websites. You can also block or unblock web trackers, giving you more control over your tracking settings.
The browser extension is compatible with many browsers, including Opera, Edge, Chrome, Firefox, and Safari.
Pros
- Available on a variety of platforms: Chrome, Safari, Firefox, and Edge
- Provides a detailed overview of the trackers it blocks
- An open-source platform
Cons
- Some websites require you to disable the extension
14. TrackOff
TrackOff anti-track software has various features that prevent web tracking. For instance, the anti-tracker feature blocks tracking scripts and cookies from websites and advertisers.
The software has a ‘Virtual Privacy‘ tool that creates a unique and randomized online identity. This makes it harder for advertisers and web trackers to track your activity or collect personal data.
It also has a ‘Web Shield‘ feature that blocks phishing attempts and malicious sites. These features make the TrackOff anti-tracking software a comprehensive tool for anti-tracking and anti-phishing. The capability to show the source of web tracking attempts improves its overall efficiency.
Pros
- Supports major web browsers and encrypted browsing
- Includes support for digital fingerprinting
- Shows the source of the web tracking attempt
Cons
- It might slow down your internet speeds
15. TotalAV Antivirus
TotalAV Antivirus has an anti-tracking feature that protects your privacy by blocking tracking scripts, cookies, and other forms of online tracking. This feature can help to prevent websites and advertisers from tracking your web activity and collecting personal data.
The anti-tracking software also includes a feature called “Web Shield,” which blocks phishing attempts and malicious websites. This feature can help to protect your privacy by preventing you from visiting websites that may track or steal your personal information.
TotalAV Antivirus also includes a feature called ‘Firewall‘ which can help to protect your computer from hackers and other online threats.
Pros
- Protects users from ransomware
- Supports one-click VPN activation
- Has a browser extension
Cons
- Requires subscription for VPN and adblocker
16. Privoxy
A key feature of Privoxy anti-tracking software is that it can be configured to block a wide variety of unwanted content, including ads, tracking scripts, and other unwanted scripts.
Privoxy also allows you to block unwanted content on a per-site basis and provides detailed logging to help you understand what is being blocked.
Overall, Privoxy is a good option for advanced users who want a powerful and customizable web proxy that can block a wide variety of unwanted content. Still, it may not be the best choice for less technical users.
Some options require more technical knowledge to configure and use their advanced features. It may also not block all trackers and ads and has limited compatibility across browsers.
Pros
- Highly configurable
- Support two-fold ad blocking
- Free of charge
Cons
- Limited compatibility
17. Kamo
Kamo from CCleaner also has a “Privacy Cleaner” feature, which allows you to remove personal information from your computer, such as browsing history, search history, and form data. This feature can help to protect your privacy by removing traces of your online activity.
You can also safely list trusted sites you believe cannot compromise your sensitive data. It also adds a private connection that is similar to VPN connections. Since Avast owns this anti-tracking software, the VPN feature is powered by Avast Secureline VPN.
It also offers other features, such as a ‘Slimming System‘ that allows you to disable unnecessary startup programs, thus speeding up your PC.
Pros
- Auto cleans cookies
- Provides a safelist option for trusted websites
- Supports browser fingerprinting
Cons
- It’s not free
18. uBlock Origin
uBlock Origin is a free, open-source browser extension that aims to block ads and track scripts on websites you visit. It boasts a lightweight and efficient design, becoming popular among users who want to block ads and tracking scripts without sacrificing browsing performance.
It uses a variety of filter lists to block ads and track scripts and allows users to create their own custom filters.
A key feature of uBlock Origin is its ability to block ads and track scripts without requiring much setup or configuration. The extension works out of the box, and users can choose to enable or disable certain filter lists as needed.
It is available for Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge, and Opera
Pros
- Free and open-source anti-tracking software
- Allows users to customize UI
- It’s easy on the device’s memory and CPU
Cons
- Limits access to various websites such as YouTube
19. AVG AntiTrack
AVG AntiTrack can run directly on your PC. Once installed, it will automatically block tracking attempts on the websites you visit.
It also alerts you when a website tries to track you. This feature provides more control over your tracking settings, so you can decide which trackers to block and which to allow.
The anti-tracking software also comes with a feature called “mask my IP,” which replaces your IP address with a private one. Through IP address masking, websites and advertisers find it difficult to track your online activity. Also, AVG Anti-Track blocks targeted ads and encrypts your internet connection with a VPN feature.
This software seems a comprehensive solution offering anti-tracking and anti-phishing features. Further, it offers you a detailed overview of the trackers it blocks and provides more control over your tracking settings.
Pros
- A simple, user-friendly interface
- Real-time protection against phishing
- It provides a variety of features
Cons
- It’s not free
How to avoid online tracking
There are several tips you can use to prevent websites from tracking your online activity. Here is a more detailed guide on how to prevent website tracking:
- Use a VPN (Virtual Private Network): They help reroute traffic and hide your IP address from web trackers. This makes it difficult for them to track your online activity. You can find the top 10 VPNs in our guide.
- Use a browser extension: Several browser extensions can help block tracking scripts from websites and advertisers. These extensions will automatically block third-party trackers, such as cookies and scripts, that are used to track your browsing activity.
- Block browser cookies: Cookies are small text files stored on your computer by websites. They can be used to track your browsing activity and personalize the ads you see. Blocking cookies will prevent websites from collecting this data and make it harder for websites to track you.
- Use a privacy-focused browser: Tor browser is designed to protect your online activity. It routes your internet connection through multiple layers of encryption, making it difficult for websites to track you.
- Be cautious with your online activity: Be mindful of the information you share on social media and other websites. For instance, you can opt out of target advertising to protect your data. In addition, the less personal information you share, the harder it will be for websites to track you.
- Use two-factor authentication: Many online services now offer two-factor authentication, which adds an extra layer of protection to your data. This makes it more difficult for websites to access your account and track your online activity.
- Disable location services: Many apps and websites use your device’s location services to track your activity. Turning off location services for apps and websites that don’t need it will reduce the amount of tracking.
- Use a different browser for different activities: Some browsers have built-in tracking protection, and some are better suited for certain activities like shopping. Using a specifically designed private browser for your needs can help prevent web tracking.
- Use browser incognito mode: Incognito mode is a feature of most modern browsers that allows you to browse anonymously on your device, such as browsing history and cookies. This can help prevent websites from tracking your internet activity.
- Use an ad-blocker and tracker-blocker: Ad-blockers and tracker blockers block targeted ads on the website and the tracking scripts that come with them. This reduces the amount of data that is collected about your browsing activity.
- Look for HTTPS: Most secure sites use HTTPS as opposed to HTTP. Confirm that the website you’re visiting is secure and uses an HTTPS URL link.
By following the anti-tracking tips shared above, you can reduce the amount of tracking that takes place online, thus protecting your privacy.
Conclusion
Web tracking has become a major concern due to privacy invasion, data breaches, security risks, and lack of transparency among most websites. To prevent web tracking, you can limit the personal information you share on social media and websites and review the privacy settings on your account regularly.
There are also various anti-tracking software and browser extensions that you can use to block tracking scripts and cookies. Ultimately, the best anti-tracking software will depend on your specific needs and preferences. It’s a good idea to try a few different options to see which one works best for you.
FAQs
Yes, it can. Browser extensions block tracking scripts and cookies. However, some browser-fingerprinting techniques do not rely on scripts or cookies and can still be used to track users even if they have tracking-blocking extensions installed.
An ad blocker and an anti-tracker serve different purposes, but they can both be used to help protect you from web tracking. Ad blockers block ads from websites, while anti-trackers block tracking scripts and cookies. However, some ad blockers come with combined features.
Yes. Anti-tracking software can help display indexed pages, a feature that can help track down tracker servers. This feature goes a long way in reducing the chances of phishing attacks. However, you’re better off with anti-phishing software.
Absolutely. Social media platforms collect personal data such as browsing activity, interests, location, what you share, and whom you follow to personalize your content and target ads. This data can create a detailed profile of you, which can then be used to track your online activity across different websites.
You can use various anti-tracking software and browser extensions discussed in this article. In addition, clearing your browser cookies and using incognito mode can also stop tracking on your PC.
