In the wake of recent security scandals, internet users have been on high alert and searching for ways to protect themselves from…well, the people who claim to only want to protect them. Browser add-ons that attempt to provide some measure of this much-wanted security are seeing higher-than-average traffic, but how do you which one is right for you?
While I can not shield you from PRISM, Chrome and Firefox users do have several excellent and reliable solutions that offer some measure of online privacy, one of which is aptly named “PrivacyFix”. We have previously looked at solutions such as Ghostery and Abine, but what does this one have to offer?
Get the App
Head over to the site to grab the extension. The add-on promises to work on social networks, search results and even provide data on what you are worth, in real dollars, to places like Google, Facebook and others – and yes, the sites do place a monetary value on each of us. Sadly I am worth only a $1.99 to the social giant – hopefully my wife sees greater value.
What PrivacyFix Tells You
Once the app is installed, a web page or tab opens automatically and begins rattling off information to you. This is where I learned I was sadly undervalued by Facebook. Google, however places a bit more monetization on my life.
Beyond simple money, the service also alerts me that Google is tracking me on 43 percent of the sites I visit. It even lets me know the other potential privacy flaws, such as my social accounts being public (intentional), tracking and other web sites I visit that can cause additional issues.
The more important parts contained within this page is the ability to prevent these things from happening. To the right of each and every bit of information is a button that allows the user to fix the problem.
Accessing Settings
If you want to return to the page that contain all of your information, it is easier to do than you may think. Simply click on the link that is contained within the add-ons area of Chrome (to the right of the toolbar) and click on PrivacyFix. This produces a drop-down toolbar with a number of options contained within it.
Click the three bars at the top right of this to return to the information page and revisit where you are at with all of the various services that are wrestling for your data.
Conclusion
PrivacyFixis one small piece of a much larger puzzle that has unfolded in recent weeks. As I previously stated, this will not protect you from the evils recently unveiled, but can certainly provide a buffer for your online life. Likely, you will need to combine this with other tools to gain some measure of security.
Alan is an avid fan of all things technology, including Microsoft, Android, Google, and more. When not writing about or using gadgets and software, he can be found on the trails hiking or mountain biking.
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