Why You Shouldn't Trust Your Browser: Protecting from Data Brokers
Be productive, not vulnerable: A guide to secure multitasking
First of all, thank you for subscribing to this newsletter. Whether you're reading this as an email or through a web browser, I'm glad you're here. Speaking of browsers, have you ever stopped to think about the one you're using right now? Most of us use whatever comes pre-installed on our devices, but have you ever wondered if it's actually the best option for you?
Well, I used to be just like you. I would get a new device and accept the default browser without giving it much thought. But then one day, I decided to experiment. I wanted to find a browser that made me more productive and also kept my data safe. I tried Opera, Safari, Edge, DuckDuckGo, Firefox, Sigma OS, and more. I even used Microsoft Edge for a while because it had a neat feature of vertical tabs and customizable themes.
However, the more I researched, the more I realized the dark side of the online world. The browser you use can actually profile your data and sell it to marketing companies. It's a big business and it's happening right under our noses.
Apple's Senior Vice President of Worldwide Marketing, Greg Joswaik, said, "Data brokers are building profiles on you based on what can be sent to them that you have no idea."
That statement made me question if my browser was selling my data and if I needed to switch to something else.
And that's when I stumbled upon Brave Browser. It works just like Microsoft Edge, but with the added benefit of not selling your user data. I was thrilled! I went home and immediately downloaded Brave on all of my devices - from my work laptop to my iPad. And I haven't looked back since.
One of the hacks I've done with Brave is creating groups of tabs according to my tasks. For example, when I'm working on this newsletter, I have Substack, Notion, ChatGPT, and other research-related websites open, and then group them into one group called "Newsletter". This way, if I need to switch to a different task, I can just collapse the group and open a new one. I still have space for new tabs and my newsletter tabs are not mixed with other tasks. It's a small, but effective way to stay organized and focused.
But let's talk about the search engine. You can use Brave with any search engine, but I've switched to DuckDuckGo. Not only is it private and secure, but they also claim that no search is ever related to any other user, which gives me a safe feeling when I'm browsing the internet. And with Brave's sync code feature, I can chain all of my devices together. So if I mark an article to read later at work, it syncs to all of my other devices seamlessly, saving me time and hassle.
Now, I know what you might be thinking: "This guy has a weird obsession with browsers." But hear me out. We may not care about our data today because we don't see data brokers standing with a gun to our heads, watching what we do. But one day, when they know more about us than we do, that's when we'll be concerned for ourselves and the people around us. And it all starts with having a privacy-focused, productive online experience.
So, what are you waiting for? It's time to say goodbye to boring and insecure browsers and hello to Brave Browser.
Don’t worry, I will keep researching new options out there and the day I find a better option, you all will be the first to know.
Happy browsing and remember next week we will talk about Note taking.
Sounds simple but when was the last time you found the note you were looking for when you were looking for? Takes you a long time huh? Don’t worry, next week we will talk about Note Taking.
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