Stop Your Browser from Spying on You: 5 Privacy Settings to Change Now
If you use a web browser without adjusting its privacy settings, you’re handing over more data than you probably realize. Every site you visit, every search you type, and even your physical location can be collected and sold to advertisers—sometimes without your explicit consent.
The good news is that you don’t need to be a tech expert to limit this. Most popular browsers let you curb tracking with a few clicks. Here’s what’s happening behind the scenes and how to turn off the most intrusive features in Chrome, Firefox, Edge, and Safari.
What’s happening and why it matters
Modern browsers are designed to make the web convenient, but that convenience often comes at the cost of privacy. Third-party cookies, location requests, background sync, and ad personalization settings all feed data to marketing companies and data brokers. Recent privacy scandals and growing awareness of online tracking have pushed more people to look for controls—but many default settings remain permissive.
You don’t have to accept those defaults. Below are five changes that will significantly reduce how much your browser shares about you.
1. Disable third-party cookies and cross-site trackers
Third-party cookies are the main tool advertisers use to follow you across different websites. Even though some browsers (like Safari and Firefox) now block them by default, Chrome and Edge still allow them unless you change the setting.
Chrome:
Go to Settings → Privacy and security → Third-party cookies. Select Block third-party cookies (or “Block third-party cookies in Incognito” if you still want some functionality).
Firefox:
Open Settings → Privacy & Security. Under Enhanced Tracking Protection, choose Strict or Custom and enable cookies for cross-site trackers.
Edge:
Settings → Cookies and site permissions → Manage and delete cookies and site data. Turn on Block third-party cookies.
Safari (macOS):
Safari → Preferences → Privacy. Check Prevent cross-site tracking. Safari already blocks most third-party cookies by default, but this ensures the feature is active.
2. Turn off location tracking
Many websites ask for your location to show local results or maps, but they don’t always need it. Your browser can share your precise coordinates even when you’re not on a mapping site.
Chrome:
Settings → Privacy and security → Site Settings → Location. Select Don’t allow sites to see your location.
Firefox:
Settings → Privacy & Security → Permissions → Location. Click Settings and choose Block new requests asking to access your location.
Edge:
Settings → Cookies and site permissions → Location. Toggle Ask before accessing to Off, or set it to Block.
Safari:
Safari → Preferences → Websites → Location. Change the setting for “When visiting other websites” to Deny.
3. Disable ad personalization
Your browser helps advertisers build a profile of your interests so they can show you targeted ads. Turning this off doesn’t stop ads altogether, but it stops the browser from sharing your browsing history for ad purposes.
Chrome:
In Chrome, ad personalization is tied to your Google account. Go to myadcenter.google.com and turn off Ad personalization.
Firefox:
Firefox doesn’t have a separate ad personalization setting; it relies on Enhanced Tracking Protection to block tracking scripts. Just make sure it’s set to Strict or at least Standard.
Edge:
Settings → Privacy, search, and services → Personalization & advertising. Turn off Let sites show me personalized ads.
Safari:
Safari doesn’t use Google’s ad system, but you can reduce tracking by enabling Privacy Preserving Ad Measurement (it’s on by default in recent versions) and using Hide IP address in Safari → Preferences → Privacy.
4. Block background sync and notifications
Some websites keep running scripts or sending notifications even after you close the tab. This can drain battery and signal activity to third parties.
Chrome:
Settings → Privacy and security → Site Settings → Background sync. Toggle it to Blocked.
Firefox:
Firefox doesn’t have a single “background sync” toggle, but you can disable notifications site-by-site. Go to Settings → Privacy & Security → Permissions → Notifications. Click Settings and choose Block new requests.
Edge:
Settings → Cookies and site permissions → Background synchronization. Turn it off.
Safari:
Safari doesn’t allow background sync by default, but you can prevent sites from sending notifications through Safari → Preferences → Websites → Notifications. Set to Deny.
5. Enable Do Not Track and use private browsing
Do Not Track is a signal you send to websites asking them not to track you. It’s not legally binding, but many responsible sites honor it. Private browsing (Incognito, Private Window, InPrivate) avoids storing history and cookies after the session, but it doesn’t make you anonymous.
Chrome:
Settings → Privacy and security → Cookies and other site data. Turn on Send a “Do Not Track” request with your browsing traffic. Use Incognito (Ctrl+Shift+N) for private sessions.
Firefox:
Settings → Privacy & Security → Do Not Track. Toggle Send websites a “Do Not Track” signal. Private Browsing is available from the menu.
Edge:
Settings → Privacy, search, and services → Do Not Track. Turn it on. InPrivate windows can be opened via the menu or Ctrl+Shift+N.
Safari:
Safari’s Intelligent Tracking Prevention already works similarly. For private browsing, use Safari → Private Window. You can also enable Ask websites not to track me in Safari → Preferences → Privacy.
Bonus: privacy browser extensions
If you want extra protection, consider installing a reputable content blocker like uBlock Origin (Chrome, Firefox, Edge) or AdGuard. These block many tracking scripts and ads at the network level, not just through browser settings.
Keep checking
Browser updates sometimes reset privacy settings or introduce new tracking methods. Make it a habit to review these five controls every few months. They take two minutes to adjust and give you far more control over your data than you’d get by leaving everything at default.
Sources:
- PCWorld. “Your browser is too nosy. Change these 5 settings now.” June 2026.
- Browser documentation from Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Microsoft Edge, and Apple Safari.