10 Best Privacy Add-Ons For Firefox in 2024

Last updated: January 19, 2024 Reading time: 8 minutes
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In a world where everything is about the internet, we must look into security. All of us use the internet and avails from the assistance of the internet, but what we don’t understand about it is that this internet provides us with necessary details, but there is a black hood behind the screen that is after us.

There is no need for panic as the internet itself has taken the job of our security into its hands. This is why new software is being developed to save us from all the black hoods running behind us to track us down.

There are many add-ons formed by Firefox that guarantees security and remove unwanted ads and pop-ups. They are very efficient in giving protection and privacy for the data. Some of the best add-ons are briefly defined in the given article.

System updates are required from time to time to refresh our data. Firefox has now provided such things as add-ons used for the privacy of our data. They help create a barrier so that our information cannot be tracked.

Best Firefox Privacy Add-ons

Firefox is consistently producing the best privacy add-ons so that we do not face any problems while using it. There are many add-ons for Firefox that increase privacy. Some of the best add-ons are given as under:

  • UMatrix
  • DuckDuckGo Privacy Essentials
  • NoScript Security Suite
  • Facebook Container
  • hacker
  • Tor Button
  • Privacy Badger
  • Cookie Autodelete
  • UBLockOrigin
  • HTTPS everywhere

1. UMatrix

A handy kind of privacy add-on is UMatrix. UMatrix puts you in the full power of where your browser is permitted to connect, what sort of information is allowed to download, and what it is authorized to implement. There is no enforcement by anyone; you are your boss and have full control of everything.

UMatrix is an advanced and modern form of NoScript (another add-on). If you are a beginner user of add-ons, I would not recommend this one. This is because this one requires many adjustments, and when you are new to Firefox add-ons, it could become challenging to use it.

UblockOrigin (another add-on) and UMatrix complement each other nicely. They do their things well enough, even with the same basic idea (be it editing text or blocking stuff). You can visit the website and click on “add to Firefox” to get UMatrix.

2. DuckDuckGo Privacy Essentials

DuckDuckGo, a 10-year-old web privacy add-on, proposes a tracker-free substitute to Firefox and web browsing conveniences that minimalize the number of sites and companies tracking you through the web. It works in a cycle with the applications that most people already use and can be modified to offer better ways of protection. 

It is very much unique because it grades sites based on the settings you give them. For instance, a massive site like Facebook gets a D, even with Privacy Protection enabled. As for the site, chrisshort.net (an IT-related site) receives a B when Privacy Protection is enabled and a C is disabled.

It might not be wrong to call it a ‘gateway drug’ to online privacy. Switching to DuckDuckGo is not too hard, and usually, you do not have to alter any of your browsing routines. Every primary web browser permits you to switch to DuckDuckGo as your default browser, enabling you to customize it when you search in your address bar.

3. NoScript Security Suite

The Firefox privacy add-on named NoScript blocks the scripting of Java and Flash to make the user’s data reserved. NoScript works by maintaining regular and reliable web pages in a whitelist and making this list readily available to the viewer. That means that you will need to construct the whitelist as you go for sites that are not already on it. Note that NoScript is only available for Firefox.

As said before also, NoScript and UMatrix also overlap often, but I would recommend deactivating them first until you have learned enough. This means that they both require experience before usage. They’re both excellent, but they break many websites. So it is better to use the ones that need lesser experience before, but aside from that, this is a great add-on.

Getting NoScript is also very easy. You have to go to Firefox and search for it, and then you can ‘Add to Firefox.’ It also allows you to block all Scripts from any untrusted websites. You can easily switch the extension On or Off from the toolbar pop-up. Besides scripts, you can even stop style sheets, images, objects, and media from untrusted sources.

4. Facebook Container

Facebook Container makes Firefox the browser where you can use Facebook without the fear of tracking. The mechanism works by excluding your Facebook identity into a different container that makes it difficult for Facebook to track your official visit to other websites with third-party cookies. This means Facebook cannot spy on any other activity happening elsewhere in your browser.

By installing this extension, you can delete your Facebook cookies, and it also logs you out of Facebook. The next time you go to your Facebook, it will load in a new blue-colored browser tab (the Container). You can log in and use Facebook easily when in the Facebook Container.

If you select a non-Facebook link or route to a non-Facebook website in the search bar, these pages will load on the outer side of the container. Clicking Facebook share options on other browser tabs will open them within the Facebook Container. Note that by using these buttons, you pass information to Facebook about the website you shared from.

5. AdHacker

Promoters and editors want to know more about you, so they track your Internet browsing with web bugs, beacons, and cookies hidden in your web pages. This add-on allows you to see who is after you and how they are tracking you. There is a complete description of who they are, what they do, and possible risks to you for any tracker. Hacker shows you which advertisers are tracking you.

It is essential that some extension also deals with the privacy of information from such advertisers who are after people’s sensitive data. Hence extensions like ad hackers are a great start to stop these activities.

Installation of ad hackers is as simple as any other privacy add-on. You have to add it to your Firefox like the others, and then you can easily access it. It also helps deactivate any ads shown to you that can track your data.

6. Tor Button

An add-on that enables or disables the browser’s use of Tor is called the Tor button. It opens a network that supports you to protect against a form of network inspection that intimidates personal liberty and confidentiality. Hence, we can say that it protects against anyone who plans to track our identity on Firefox sites.

 The benefit of having Tor has improved privacy and browser state privacy features that make it more isolated and protected for Tor usage than any other general-purpose proxy switching add-on. Hence, it is more convenient to use the Tor button than any other add-on, which requires many adjustments.

It is also very much easy to download. When you search for it in Firefox, it gives you the site, and on the site, you can easily find the download option. Within minutes the add-on is downloaded, and you are ready to use it for your safety.

7. Privacy Badger

Privacy Badger is among the most famous add-ons. It is an anti-tracker Firefox privacy add-on developed by EFF (Electronic Frontier Foundation). It offers security measures for internet users by blocking snooping that creates search results. First of all, Privacy Badger purifies the scripts that allow the penetrating of privacy, and then it recommends the website implanted to capture the user’s histories.

Privacy Badger is the best option to go for if you do not want any adjustments in your extensions. It only blocks domains if it finds they’re tracking you. But do not block every tracker around.

 This means that if you are a beginner, this is the best choice to use.

UBlockOrigin (another add-on) often overlaps; UBlock origin includes tracker lists, and ad lists block many trackers that privacy badger would also stop. If you permit more security filters on UBlock origin, the privacy badger becomes redundant.

Another commonly used add-on extension is Cookie Autodelete. Self Destructing Cookies inspire this extension. When a tab closes, any cookies not being used are automatically deleted. It prevents tracking by other cookies and adds only the ones you trust. Also, it easily imports and exports your Cookie Whitelist.

As the name suggests, it auto-deletes any cookies from closed tabs. But this extension does not sterilize cookies automatically until you enable “Auto-clean.” It is also an easy use add-on for beginners who do not have any experience in any add-on extensions.

This is also an easy add-on to install or add to your system. You go to the Firefox search bar and search for it. When you find it, you have to go to the option “add to Firefox” to install it. The procedure is the same.

9. UBlockOrigin

The most abundantly used add-on is UBlockOrigin. People often recommend this one the most. The reason is that UBlock Origin is the most helpful privacy add-on supported by Firefox. It is this convenient as it blocks all the ads popping up continuously to track you down.

These ads are insufficient for internet users because ads containing web pages can honorably snip the information of browsers. As mentioned before, UBLockOrigin is very much similar to Privacy Badger. They often overlap because both block the same kind of stuff.

UBlock Origin uses two safety modes. One is element picker mode, and the other is zapper mode to modify the settings of a site page according to the need. This add-on makes Firefox security highly appreciative and does not allow any unsanctioned user to riven the data.

10. HTTPS Everywhere

The HTTPS Everywhere is the most recognized Firefox privacy add-on created by EFF (Electronic Frontier Foundation). The privacy add-on institutes a medium between the server and the web browser, protecting the data from destructive attacks.

The HTTPS tool conceals the data. It also disables the monitoring of ISP and surveillance programs. The HTTPS extension provides three different levels of security:

  1. Server authentication: ensure the user that the server is reliable.
  2. Data privacy: All the content present should be in the form of encryption.
  3. Data integrity means any mediator has no right to modify the data.

Conclusion

So, now that you know how to deal with such tracking, you should be careful and add these add-ons to your Firefox as soon as possible so that you cannot be tracked easily by the trackers.

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