"I tested 5 "Private" browsers_ Only One Didn’t Spy"...from youtube channel https://www.youtube.com/@Hardwaredetails

[Condobloke]

Set aside 30 minutes, uninterrupted.
beer or coffee are optional


from : https://www.youtube.com/@Hardwaredetail

 

[MikeRocor]

Set aside 30 minutes, uninterrupted.
beer or coffee are optional


from : https://www.youtube.com/@Hardwaredetail

Well! Don't I feel sheepish!? I run firefox, though certainly not with the default config, and I have a convenient system set up to wipe it back to a known clean (such as it is!) state in between sessions.

I also have LibreWolf installed, with pretty much exactly the same tweaks and add-ons including my system for wiping the browser back to a known clean state in between sessions.

But I never actually realized just -how- bad firefox is nor how much better LibreWolf is in regard to privacy. I've been using firefox as my primary browser and using LibreWolf mainly when I want to open a second window in a completely different browser. I'm thinking its about time to reverse those two roles, but forst I'll want to review the privacy setting and add-ons in I've installed in LibreWolf and then fire up WireShark to see just what these browsers do under the configurations I have set up.

Thanks so much for posting the link to this video. And BTW, it plays decently well with the speed set to 1.75x.

 

[Condobloke]

I'll want to review the privacy setting and add-ons in I've installed in LibreWolf and then fire up WireShark to see just what these browsers do under the configurations I have set up.

I would be most interested to know of your findings etc etc

I, too, am running Librewolf.

My 'Enhanced Tracking Protection' is set to Strict

Enable DNS over HTTPS using: Max protection using mullvad (no filtering) as the provider

 

[PuppyHome]

That was a good way to start the day. Apart from the droning AI voice obviously.

This video also shows that me sticking with FF and configure it the way I do isn't that bad at all.
Opera really surprised me in a bad way.

 

[f33dm3bits]

Set aside 30 minutes, uninterrupted.

Can you give a short recap or just tell in your post whichweb-browser doesn't spy on you because I'm not watching a 30min video of someone who I've never heard of before.

 

[f33dm3bits]

Can you give a short recap or just tell in your post whichweb-browser doesn't spy on you because I'm not watching a 30min video of someone who I've never heard of before.

I skipped through it, seems it's Librewolf.

 

[PuppyHome]

Basically:

Librewolf is best but can break sites.
AVOID Opera
AVOID DuckDuckGo
Config FF and you're good.
Config Brave and you're good.

In a nutshell.

 

[piorunz]

Librewolf user here as well.
I use it with firejail (strong sandboxing) and multiple profiles.
For example, Youtube and Google account with their cookies are kept separate. Another profile for eBay, online banking, and one for LAN access (other profiles cannot access anything on LAN).

 

[MikeRocor]

I would be most interested to know of your findings etc etc

I'm no expert with wireshark but here's what I did:

• Closed down thunderbird and my periodic network check.
• Made sure neither firefox nor librewolf were set to check for updates (/etc/firefox/policies/policies.json and /etc/librewolf/policies/policies.json) and set both of their home pages to "about:blank"
• Started wireshark and set it to capture eth0 traffic - no filters of any kind, just everything
• Ran firefox for one minute, then closed it
• Restarted wireshark
• Ran librewolf for one minute, then closed it

Firefox produced a few hundred lines of network traffic log. I haven't analyzed that log at length (and I may or may not ever do so).

Librewolf produced... NOTHING. I checked it again to make sure I hadn't made a mistake. Nothing.

I didn't have the patience just now to wait fifteen minutes for each of them, but the quick results look like a win for LibreWolf.

 

[PuppyHome]

Just downloaded Librewolf Appimage from anylinux and running it on EasyOS 7.3.4 Excalibur.

Let's see what the fuss is all about.

 

[beanburrito]

Is Tor Browser included in this? Or is this just for clearnet?

 

[piorunz]

I'm no expert with wireshark but here's what I did:

• Closed down thunderbird and my periodic network check.
• Made sure neither firefox nor librewolf were set to check for updates (/etc/firefox/policies/policies.json and /etc/librewolf/policies/policies.json) and set both of their home pages to "about:blank"
• Started wireshark and set it to capture eth0 traffic - no filters of any kind, just everything
• Ran firefox for one minute, then closed it
• Restarted wireshark
• Ran librewolf for one minute, then closed it

Firefox produced a few hundred lines of network traffic log. I haven't analyzed that log at length (and I may or may not ever do so).

Librewolf produced... NOTHING. I checked it again to make sure I hadn't made a mistake. Nothing.

I didn't have the patience just now to wait fifteen minutes for each of them, but the quick results look like a win for LibreWolf.

Have you sorted through the traffic?
Firefox by default enables:

• Mozzilla account and Firefox syncing
• Mozilla Relay service
• Google Safebrowsing / Phishing Protection lists
• Mozilla telemetry

A lot of initial traffic is not a surprise. Nothing malicious here.

 

[MikeRocor]

Have you sorted through the traffic?
Firefox by default enables:

• Mozzilla account and Firefox syncing
• Mozilla Relay service
• Google Safebrowsing / Phishing Protection lists
• Mozilla telemetry

A lot of initial traffic is not a surprise. Nothing malicious here.

TBH, it's been a while since I set up my "clean" firefox profile so I'm a little rusty on the details but I would have turned off any kind of syncing/relaying/updating and telemetry that could be turned off. My initial goal has always been to have it do nothing (as opposed to "nothing malicious") until I tell it otherwise... much like librewolf is actually doing. I haven't used wireshark on it before, so this was an eye opener.

Sadly, I thought I was saving the wireshark log in a text format similar to what was displayed on screen but instead it's in some binary format that is quite useless to me so I'll have to rerun that session - and that's not on my to-do-list for tonight.

Further to LibreWolf - I did try it with a few different web pages - those I deemed most likely to be up to no good. Reddit and facebook worked ok. Some browser based games were ok but a few had problems. One had no sound. Another handled mouse actions incorrectly - didn't track mouse movement unless the left button was held down. Trying to play Red Storm Rising on classicreload.com (which uses Dosbox in the browser and uses keyboard input only), it didn't recognize the shift key. So LibreWolf might not be the browser for every situation - testing recommended for anything important.

 

[piorunz]

TBH, it's been a while since I set up my "clean" firefox profile so I'm a little rusty on the details but I would have turned off any kind of syncing/relaying/updating and telemetry that could be turned off. My initial goal has always been to have it do nothing (as opposed to "nothing malicious") until I tell it otherwise... much like librewolf is actually doing. I haven't used wireshark on it before, so this was an eye opener.

Sadly, I though I was saving the wireshark log in a text format similar to what was displayed on screen but instead it's in some binary format that is quite useless to me so I'll have to re run that session - and that's not on my to-do-list for tonight.

Further to LibreWolf - I did try it with a few different web pages - those I deemed most likely to be up to no good. Reddit and facebook worked ok. Some browser based games were ok but a few had problems. One had no sound. Another handled mouse actions incorrectly - didn't track mouse movement unless the left button was held down. Trying to play Red Storm Rising on classicreload.com (which uses Dosbox in the browser and uses keyboard input only), it didn't recognize the shift key. So LibreWolf might not be the browser for every situation - testing recommended for anything important.

It's an eye-opener if you haven't done it before, yes.
Any website may generate a similar reaction, if you realize how many websites does it query, pull scripts from, etc.
However, as you said, Librewolf fixes chatty behaviour of Firefox, and that's exactly what I am using as my main browser, too.

 

[PuppyHome]

Gotta be honest here.

Seems like Librewolf has come a long way since last time I used it. So far every site loads well, YT runs without ads and loads faster that FF (in my experience).
LW is faster than my configured FF.

I wish I had something to nag about but I don't. Nothing but positive feedback on my end.

 

[craigevil]

Firefox works for me. Between my Firefox user.js and NextDNS all the phone home Firefox normally does is blocked.

 

[Smilax]

I'm still running Brave Origin since its introduction a couple of weeks ago, made it my primary quickly after a short test drive. I'm running the nightly build, and get an update most days.

I know it's probably considered old school and maybe even lame, but does anyone else here run a Pi-hole? It records these browser requests in an easy to read format, and is a deciding factor as to why I still prefer Brave, and now Origin.

 

[PuppyHome]

Firefox works for me. Between my Firefox user.js and NextDNS all the phone home Firefox normally does is blocked.

I share your sentiments as I'm somewhat the same. Still Librewolf does the same at the phoning home level out of the box.
But if you are like me and like an add free internet page (apart for a few one I support and want them to have the add revenue) there is no need to install addons to do that. Addons sometimes also phone home and those calls are NOT blocked by DNS.

Combine these factors with a decent hosts file (I keep saying that everyone should have one) and the connections are rock solid.

 

[Condobloke]

Combine these factors with a decent hosts file

What do you regard as being a decent hosts file ? Is this something to incorporate into uBlock Origin ?

 

[KGIII]

What do you regard as being a decent hosts file ? Is this something to incorporate into uBlock Origin ?

While awaiting a response, and something others can benefit from, there's this fairly recent thread:

A

Thread 'I built a free, open-source content blocker for Linux . Help me improve it more'

Mar 19, 2026

Hey everyone,

I built Haram Blocker — a desktop app that blocks adult, gambling, dating,
and alcohol/drug websites system-wide on Linux by editing /etc/hosts.

Unlike browser extensions, it works across ALL browsers at once.

Features:

• 250+ domains blocked out of the box
• Password-protected
• Toggle categories on/off individually
• Add your own custom sites
• Import domain lists from CSV files or a URL

It's open source and available on AUR:
yay -S haram-blocker

GitHub: https://github.com/adnanisagoodboy/haram-blocker

Would love feedback, suggestions, or...

• adnanisagoodboy
• content blocker help
• Replies: 32
• Forum: General Linux Topics

In that thread, the hosts file is discussed at great length. Some alternative methods are also discussed.