Video summary

The Best Browsers for Privacy and Ad Blocking

Main summary

Key takeaways

Technology

Overview / Main claims

  • The video argues that Firefox will be the remaining practical platform for strong privacy + ad blocking because:
    • Google is deprecating Manifest V2, and
    • changes to the Chromium engine will ripple across Chromium-based browsers (including many forks).
  • It frames uBlock Origin as the key extension for ad blocking.
  • It suggests privacy-focused setups depend on choosing Firefox-based browsers and applying hardening settings.

Browser recommendations & included features

The speaker highlights several Firefox-based options, emphasizing what they ship with out of the box.

1. Firefox (baseline / problem areas)

  • Ships with default settings that are “not so great for privacy.”
  • Mentions Google as the default search engine.
  • Notes telemetry may depend on how the package is built.
  • Criticizes Pocket-recommended articles as potentially “cringe” and possibly usable for tracking.

2. Mulvad Browser (Firefox fork)

  • Ships with uBlock Origin preinstalled.
  • Also includes a VPN-related extension, but:
    • It doesn’t work unless you subscribe to Mulvad VPN.
    • It requires running Mulvad with WireGuard in the background.
    • Mentions paying anonymously via Monero or cash (by mail) and buying via an onion site.
  • Downsides:
    • Fewer maintainers may include it, so users may need manual installation and updates.
    • The speaker implies it may not be available on BSD systems yet, which is a pain point for OpenBSD/FreeBSD users.

3. LibreWolf (Firefox fork)

  • Ships with uBlock Origin preinstalled.
  • Similar installation caveat: likely requires manual setup/updates due to limited repo support.

Alternative approach: Harden standard Firefox with a user.js

If someone can’t install Mulvad Browser or LibreWolf, the video suggests hardening standard Firefox by replacing the default user.js.

  • The speaker explains that:
    • user.js is a configuration file controlling many privacy-related preferences.
    • Settings can be reviewed via about:config.
    • A preconfigured user.js is faster than manually editing dozens of settings per profile.
    • Using Firefox profiles helps privacy via compartmentalization (different profiles for different activities).

Comparison source mentioned:

  • The user.js used as the baseline comes from the Arken Fox GitHub repo, applied to a fresh Firefox profile with no other changes.

Key technical comparison (fingerprinting / tracking surface)

The video compares Mulvad Browser, LibreWolf, and Arken Fox (user.js baseline) across several settings.

DNS over HTTPS (DoH)

  • Mulvad + Arken Fox: Use DNS over HTTPS by default.
  • LibreWolf: Does not use DNS over HTTPS in the default config.
  • Mulvad: Uses Mulvad’s own DNS servers for DoH.
  • Arken Fox: Uses Cloudflare for DNS over HTTPS.

Search engine

  • Mulvad + LibreWolf: Set default search engine to DuckDuckGo.
  • Arken Fox: Leaves Google as the default.

WebGL & third-party cookies

  • Arken Fox + LibreWolf:
    • WebGL disabled
    • Third-party cookies support enabled
  • Mulvad: The speaker states the opposite—WebGL enabled.

Why WebGL matters (as explained)

  • WebGL can increase browser “attack surface”/privacy risk because it allows websites to interact with the graphics card.
  • It may increase fingerprinting capability, since hardware is often unique.
  • However, disabling it can break sites that depend on 3D rendering.

User-agent / OS spoofing

  • Tests suggest Arken Fox and LibreWolf may spoof the OS in the user-agent.
  • The speaker argues spoofing can be unreliable because sites can still detect the true OS through other methods.
  • The speaker also suggests spoofing might even produce a more unique fingerprint.
  • It’s also noted that spoofing OS versions can mislead users when downloading software.

Conclusion / Best setup (per the speaker)

  • The speaker concludes that a privacy-focused Firefox fork + a good uBlock Origin configuration is currently the best available approach.
  • Ratings:
    • Mulvad Browser slightly better than the other two.

  • Reasons given:

    • Uses Mulvad DNS servers for DoH rather than Cloudflare.
    • Avoids the “weird fingerprint spoofing” observed in the other two.
    • WebGL enabled may reduce the chance of breaking content that relies on WebGL (3D/graphics).

  • Still recommended: further tuning (e.g., changing DNS servers in LibreWolf).

Main speakers / sources

  • Main speaker/source: An unnamed YouTube presenter (no name provided in subtitles).
  • Referenced project source: Arken Fox GitHub (for the user.js used as the comparison baseline).

Original video