Privacy extensions?

[mafinokc]

I just had to reinstall my Windows 10 OS because of frequent crashes, which means I also just reinstalled the latest build of Vivaldi. I've decided to start all over with modifying or adding to the browser. There is such a wide choice of privacy/security extensions for Chromium-based browsers that I am at a loss. We are already running a full IObit suite of products, including Advanced System Care and Malware Fighter with Bitdefender. We also are running HitmanPro Alert. IObit has a browser add-on for "safe browsing," which I am still undecided about installing, and I also tend to favor the Startpage or DuckDuckGo privacy add-ons. Finally, we use ExpressVPN. With all that in mind, I'm soliciting advice about 1) which Vivaldi settings should be changed, and to what, for better privacy; and 2) what is the minimum privacy extensions that I need to add to the browser in order to perform privacy functions that Vivaldi can't do by itself? Thank you!

[Catweazle]

@mafinokc , here some good ones:

uBlock Origin (if you don't use the Vivaldi blocker)

WhatCampaign (swap out Google Analytics parameters with invalid data)

Trace (can protect against:

• Canvas Fingerprint Spoofing
• Audio Fingerprinting Protection
• WebGL Fingerprinting Protection
• JS Crypto Currency Mining Domain Blocking
• WebRTC IP Leakage Protection
• WebRTC Device Enumeration Protection
• Client Rects Protection
• User-Agent Spoofing
• Network Information API Spoofing
• Browser Plugin Fingerprinting Protection
• Hardware Fingerprinting Protection
• Beacon/'Ping' Request Blocking
• Blocks Malicious Top Level Domains
• Hyperlink Auditing Prevention
• HTTP Referrer Headers Controls
• Google Header Tracking Controls
• E-Tag Tracking Mitigation
• Screen Resolution Spoofing
• Battery API Spoofing
• Removal of specific Tracking Cookies
• Removal of URL Tracking Parameters)

SiteBleacher (remove automatically cookies, local storages, IndexedDBs, service workers, cache storages, filesystems and webSQLs from the sites you visit, except from the whitelisted)

I don't care about cookies (removes annoyung cookie warnings on (most) sites)

DuckDuckGo Privacy Essentials (several protections from hidden trackers, apart shows in the icon the reliability of a page, from A to D, green to red)

I think that with these you are already well armored

VPN better Desktop versions. Proton VPN is fine

[Pathduck]

It's easy to go overboard on privacy extensions, but users should be aware that all extensions carry the risk of breaking web sites in ways that can be difficult to troubleshoot for novice users.

I would stick with minimizing the number of extensions used. I would also be very careful about installing too many third-party programs on the system, as these can also cause issues that will be hard to diagnose. Running multiple anti-malware/privacy and VPN programs requires a knowledgeable user that knows how to diagnose and fix their own problems.

I would stay away from the IObit/DDG/Startpage extensions - Mostly Useless

The most important things are:

• Set third-party cookies to Block All. But note that this will break some web sites, so users have to know how to override this when it occurs.
• Disable all Google Services (Phishing/Malware/DNS/Autofill) as these will send data to Google servers when in use.
• Use a good ad-blocker. Vivaldi blockers works for most cases, if you want more fine-grained control, use uBlock Origin.

I also recommend Cookie Autodelete to remove cookies from sites not explicitly whitelisted. Basically does the same thing as Site Bleacher. Not so much for privacy, more for keeping your system clutter-free. No need to save cookies from sites you care nothing about.

[Catweazle]

@Pathduck , agree and I will add some more things regarding extensions from the Chrome Store.

@mafinokc

• Check first if any of Vivaldi's own functions can cover the need, before installing an extension that does.

• Avoid extensions that do not have references to the author or official page
  

• Read user reviews and the TOS and PP of the extension. Also ask other users in this forum, if you are not sure.

• Preferably use OpenSource extensions, they usually cause less problems.

• Disable extensions with specific functions that are not needed permanently, activating them if necessary, to save memory.

• Avoid extensions that only point to a web page and add these better to the bookmarks or the web panel

The extensions I have mentioned above meet these points and I have experienced no problems with them in the years that I have used them.

But in general I agree with @Pathduck, to limit the number of extensions to the minimum that is useful to you