[Request] Serious browsing privacy concerns + suggestions

[ghost]

I have found (by watching the Logger and tcpdump) that both Firefox and Chromium browsers communicate with Google, Mozilla, Amazon and other hosts upon browser startup (no tabs open) and even after shutdown, although data reporting is completely disabled. See more details.

Considering the privacy implications of this (organization knowing each time you start the browser, periodic pings etc) it seems no browser is completely safe. I think it may be a good idea to have rules which block all these behind-the-scenes spying requests but without affecting the work of extensions. Some ideas how I see this can be accomplished:

• Time based: behind-the-scenes blocked completely with an option to open only for a short time (each hour, or at a fixed time)

• Rules which allow only extensions to be updated through a particular behind-the-scenes request (if that is possible?). Can also be time based (if previous suggestion is possible)

• Rules which allow only uMatrix and uBO rules to update 3rd party lists but block all other behind-the-scenes requests. I think that should make more sense than adding all these manually as rules as the extensions already knows these urls.

• Button to manually open the needed behind-the-scenes requests in order to update extensions and filter lists which automatically closes after that.

• Perhaps also worth considering (yes, I know it is not that simple): @gorhill's fork of Chromium or Firefox - with privacy enhanced, in which all that spying stuff is removed. I read that some browser called Waterfox claims it is FF with all telemetry removed but haven't tested it yet (just info).

I think these may increase the unsolicited telemetry which seems impossible to block through browser settings.

Is any of that possible and worth considering?

[uBlock-user]

@gorhill's fork of Chromium or Firefox - with privacy enhanced, in which all that spying stuff is removed.

Use Chromium custom built from https://chromium.woolyss.com/

[ghost]

Use Chromium custom buit from https://chromium.woolyss.com/

I believe that's what I am using: https://en.opensuse.org/Chromium

Is there any evidence that the version you recommend is better (privacy-wise)?

[uBlock-user]

I believe that's what I am using: https://en.opensuse.org/Chromium

You didn't mention this anywhere, otherwise I wouldn't have suggested. If you're going to be paranoid about privacy, then I suppose you won't be using any Android based phones or iOS based devices either. They do a lot more there than they do on browser. Not to mention, Windows talks to MS too if you ever caught that.