Your Browser Knows More Than You Think – Five Privacy Settings to Adjust

Every time you open a browser, you leave a trail of data. Which sites you visit, how long you stay, what you search for, even where you are physically located – all of it can be collected, stored, and sold. A recent PCWorld article titled “Your browser is too nosy. Change these 5 settings now” highlighted exactly how invasive modern browsers have become and what users can do about it.

The piece walks through five specific settings that, when changed, significantly reduce the amount of data your browser shares with third parties. While the article is aimed at privacy-conscious users, the advice is straightforward enough for anyone with a few minutes to spare.

Why This Matters

Not all tracking is malicious – some helps websites function or remember your preferences – but much of it is designed to build a profile of you for advertising or analytics. Over time, that profile can become quite detailed. Browsers have added privacy features in recent years, but many of these settings aren’t turned on by default. You need to enable them yourself.

What You Can Do: Five Changes in Five Minutes

Below are the five settings from the PCWorld guide, adapted for Chrome, Firefox, Edge, and Safari. I’ve tested each one on recent versions of these browsers (as of mid-2026). Some settings may be labeled differently in older versions, but the general location should be similar.

1. Turn Off Third-Party Cookies and Cross-Site Tracking

Cookies are small files websites store on your computer. First-party cookies (from the site you’re on) are mostly harmless. Third-party cookies – placed by advertisers or analytics companies – are the ones used to follow you around the web.

  • Chrome: Settings → Privacy and security → Third-party cookies → Block third-party cookies.
  • Firefox: Settings → Privacy & Security → Enhanced Tracking Protection → Custom and check “Cookies”.
  • Edge: Settings → Cookies and site permissions → Manage and delete cookies and site data → Block third-party cookies.
  • Safari: Preferences → Privacy → Enable “Prevent cross-site tracking”.

Turning this off won’t break most websites. If a site asks you to whitelist it, you can do so temporarily.

2. Enable Global Privacy Control (or Do Not Track)

Global Privacy Control (GPC) is a newer signal that tells websites you do not want your data sold. It’s legally binding in some US states (like California) under privacy laws. Do Not Track (DNT) is an older, less enforced signal, but still worth enabling.

  • Chrome: No built-in GPC toggle yet, but you can install an extension from the Global Privacy Control website. DNT is in Settings → Privacy and security → Cookies and other site data → Send a “Do Not Track” request.
  • Firefox: Settings → Privacy & Security → Enhanced Tracking Protection → check “Tell websites not to sell or share my data” (this sends GPC).
  • Edge: Settings → Privacy, search, and services → Send “Do Not Track” requests. Edge also has a GPC toggle under the same section (look for “Manage your data sharing permissions”).
  • Safari: Not needed – Safari already blocks cross-site tracking by default, which effectively respects GPC signals.

If you see a GPC option, enable it. It’s more enforceable than DNT.

3. Revoke Location Permissions

Many websites request your location even when they don’t need it – for example, to serve targeted ads or show you local content. Your browser often remembers these permissions, so once granted, the site can access your location every time you visit.

  • All major browsers: Go to Settings → Privacy and security → Site permissions → Location. Change the default to Block (or Ask before accessing). Then review the list of sites that have permission and remove any you don’t trust.

If you need location for a map service, you can allow it temporarily when prompted.

4. Block Camera and Microphone Access by Default

Similar to location, most browsers allow sites to request your camera or microphone. Malicious sites can abuse this to spy on you, and even legitimate sites sometimes ask for access unnecessarily.

  • Chrome/Edge: Settings → Privacy and security → Site permissions → Camera and Microphone → set to Block (or Ask but block by default).
  • Firefox: Settings → Privacy & Security → Permissions → Uncheck “Remember permissions for this site” for Camera and Microphone, and set both to Block.
  • Safari: Preferences → Websites → Camera and Microphone → set to Deny for all sites.

You can always override the block on a per-site basis.

5. Set a Privacy-Focused Search Engine as Default

Your default search engine logs your queries unless you use one that doesn’t track you. Google, Bing, and Yahoo all collect search data. Switching to DuckDuckGo, Startpage, or Searx (a self-hosted option) prevents your searches from being linked to your IP address.

  • Chrome/Edge: Settings → Search engine → Manage search engines → Change default to DuckDuckGo (or another privacy engine).
  • Firefox: Settings → Search → Default Search Engine → pick DuckDuckGo.
  • Safari: Preferences → Search → Change search engine to DuckDuckGo.

This is one of the easiest changes and has almost no downside – most privacy-focused engines provide results that are nearly as good as Google’s.

A Quick Reminder

These settings won’t make you completely anonymous online – your ISP still sees your traffic, and websites can still collect some data. But they drastically reduce the amount of information your browser leaks by default. It’s worth reviewing these settings every few months, especially after browser updates, as updates sometimes reset certain permissions.

Sources: PCWorld article “Your browser is too nosy. Change these 5 settings now” (2026); browser settings tested personally on Chrome 128, Firefox 130, Edge 128, and Safari 18.