B3 | Browser

Here’s everything you need to know about browsers, and how to use them without revealing a lot of personal information.

• 1. What is a browser?

  

  With the help of a browser, you have access to countless websites. All you need is the website address, which you will enter into the browser’s address field. If the internet is a house full of possibilities, the browser is a big living room window you look through to surf, learn, and enjoy all the possibilities of the internet.

  Got it!

• 2. What kind of browsers are there, and which one should I choose?

  The right browser for you depends on your needs and preferences while surfing the web. You can download most browsers from the internet free of charge. While most browsers are very user-friendly, some browsers are considered more secure and provide better data protection, while others work more smoothly. It’s up to you to decide which capabilities are most important to you. Here is a small overview:

  Google Chrome

  • Manufacturer: Google (company)
  • Special feature: most used worldwide

  Advantages

  • works quickly and smoothly
  • secure through regular updates
  • Google Account owners can also use the Chrome browser to access word processing programs, calendars, and their cloud

  Disadvantages

  • Captures browsing data
  • Offers minimal privacy protection

  Mozilla Firefox

  • Company: Mozilla (non-profit organization)
  • Special feature: popular in Germany

  Advantages

  • Data protection and privacy
  • Regular security updates
  • Open source, making it very transparent and trustworthy

  Disadvantages

  • runs comparatively less smoothly

  Microsoft Edge

  • Company: Microsoft (Company)
  • Special feature: Successor to Internet Explorer

  Advantages

  • works quickly and smoothly
  • secure through regular updates
  • convenient, as you can choose from three presets in the privacy settings
  • pre-installed on Windows devices

  Disadvantages

  • Limited privacy, as Microsoft does not disclose what is done with the user data it captures

  Safari

  • Company: Apple (Company)
  • Special feature: pre-installed on Apple devices

  Advantages

  • works quickly and smoothly
  • secure through regular updates
  • Apple promises high data protection and a high degree of privacy

  Disadvantages

  • closed system (in contrast to open source), therefore it is unclear whether data protection promises are kept

  Browsers on mobile devices

  You also use a browser to surf the internet on your smartphone and tablet. Browsers for mobile devices come in the form of an app and work just like on your laptop or computer, even if their appearance may be somewhat different.

  Got it!

• 3. Which settings should I use?

  When you browse the web, your browser remembers the addresses and content of the websites you visit. This makes it easier to find and load websites that you have already visited.

  Over time, however, this stored data can take up several gigabytes of storage space. It is therefore a good idea to clear both your browsing history (i.e. the addresses of the websites you visited), as well as the cache (i.e. the content of the websites) at regular intervals. In that way, your browser will no longer be able to see which websites you visited in the past, and your device will be able to work faster again.

  This is how the deletion works for various browsers:

  Google Chrome

  1. Click on the three-dot menu in the upper right corner of Google Chrome to open Settings.
  2. Look for the “More Tools” function.
  3. When you click on it, you can select “Clear browsing data.” You are also able to clear cache for a specific time period.
  4. Check “Browsing history” and “Cached images and files.” Confirm your choice by clicking on “Delete Files.”

  Mozilla Firefox

  1. Click on the three-dash menu to open the settings.
  2. Under the menu item “Privacy & Security,” continue to the “Cookies and Website Data” section.
  3. There you will find the “Remove Data” section. A window called “Clear Data” will open.
  4. Check the box next to “Cached Web Content/Cache” and then click “Clear.”

  Microsoft Edge

  1. To clear the cache in Microsoft Edge, simply click on the three-dot menu in the top right and select “Settings.”
  2. There you will find the “Privacy, Search and Services” section.
  3. Under “Clear browsing data now,” click on “Select items to delete.”
  4. Select “Browsing History” and “Cached Data and Files.”
  5. Finally, click on “Delete.”
  6. When you close the browser, the data you selected will always be deleted in the future.

  Safari

  1. When you open the Safari browser, click Safari in the menu bar in the upper-left corner.
  2. Below that, you will see the “Settings” section. A new window will open.
  3. Click on “Advanced” and check the box next to “Developer menu.”
  4. The corresponding item should now be visible in the menu bar.
  5. To clear your cache, click on the new item “Developer” and then on “Clear cache memory.”

  Got it!

• 4. Privacy protection with incognito mode

  Whenever you surf the web, you leave traces of your internet activity in the form of data. You can limit the data you leave behind by using incognito mode, which doesn’t cache the websites you visit.

  All browsers now offer an incognito mode (also called “anonymous mode” or “private mode”). You can access this through your browser settings, where you can also clear the cache. For Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, and Microsoft Edge, you can find the settings in the top right of the browser, and in the upper left of the browser window in Safari.

  One advantage is that online vendors are not able to see how often you have researched teaching materials, for instance. Vendors often automatically increase prices as soon as they register recurring interest from a user.

  The disadvantage of incognito mode is that settings you make on certain websites will not be saved. This includes, for example, any passwords you enter, or items you have added to a shopping cart in an online shop.

  On public computers, you should always browse in incognito mode.

  While incognito mode means you will leave fewer data traces on the net, it is not suitable for completely anonymous surfing. You can learn more about how to surf (almost) anonymously on the web in a German article from DiFü-News.

  Got it!