# Web Browsers *A digital life that is more free and secure* *By C4DT & gnugen*
## Table of contents * [Who are we?](#who-are-we) * [Browsers and Engines](#browsers-and-engines) * [Browsers and engines control users](#browsers-and-engines-control-over-users) * [Better protection online](#better-protection-online)
# About us: # gnugen and C4DT

Promoting Digital Trust / Privacy / Security

Promoting free software on the EPFL campus

Free software

Four fundamental freedoms

  • Freedom to run the program as you wish, for any purpose
  • Freedom to study the source code
  • Freedom to share the program
  • Freedom to modify and reshare the modified program

Free Software

But why?

  • Respect the user
  • Accessibility
  • Privacy
  • And more...
# Browsers and Engines

Different browsers...

... different Engines

But what is an engine?

An engine is a software that:

  • Interprets a page’s HTML, CSS, and JavaScript in order to display it
  • Handles navigation through links
  • Manages security between documents
  • Manages extensions

Why talk about engines?

They are at the core of applications:

  • Web applications (e.g., Slack, Discord, Spotify, etc.)
  • Hybrid applications (e.g., mobile apps built with React Native, Ionic, etc.)

A big engine...

... means great power

# Control of Browsers and Engines

1. Controlling what the user can do

A recent example: uBlock Origin vs. Google

1. Controlling what the user can do

Blink's move from Manifest V2 to V3:

  • Stops the extension from blocking many ads and trackers
  • Security: fewer malicious links can be blocked
  • For the user: more ads, more malicious links, less control

    • 2. Controlling the data the engine uses

  • Cookies
  • Browsing Data
  • Personal Data

    • 2. Controlling the data the engine uses

    To place the user in interest groups:

  • Browsing habits, personal data
  • Allows a lot of information about the user to be inferred: profiling
  • Enables more precise targeting of suggested content and ads

    • 2. Controlling the data the engine uses

    But why is this a problem?

  • Violates your privacy
  • Data theft
  • Shared with governments and third-party companies

    • What factors caused and enabled this?

  • Diverging interests: the users' versus the company's
  • A concentration of power: browsers, operating systems, engines, extensions

    • The choice of browser is therefore crucial.

  • For privacy
  • For security
  • To avoid a monopoly or duopoly
  • To control one's browsing experience
    • # Better Protection online

    The first step: the threat model

    What do I most want to avoid?

  • Encountering fraudulent links
  • Being tracked by trackers
  • Having my data harvested

    • Different tools for different goals

  • Open-source: everything happens in the open
  • Independent engine, no Manifest V3
  • Many options for managing cookies and trackers
  • Plenty of customization possibilities

    • Different tools for different goals

  • Based on Firefox
  • Community-driven, not tied to any company
  • Even stronger tracking protection
  • Cookies deleted automatically

    • Different tools for different goals

  • Open-source
  • Blocks ads and trackers
  • And also blocks malicious links

    • Different tools for different goals

  • Open source
  • Blocks ads and trackers
  • Quickly reduces tracking

    • Different tools for different goals

  • Open source
  • Only keep the cookies you need
  • Finetune to keep only the ones you trust and need

    • Thank you for your attention!

    Now: Workshop!