It's a Wild West Out There!

Make no mistake, the Internet is still in it's infancy. It's like a Wild West out there where anything goes, and the poor user has little ability to protect themselves without first really understanding what the risks are. Nowhere is this more evident in how Facebook automatically and instantly collects, indexes and analyses all your Posts, Likes, Comments and Messages. Let alone taking ownership of your Personal Information, Photos and Data too! It's the reason ALL your posts and photos should ALWAYS be set for "Friends Only"!

Whilst I am certain that legislation will eventually put a halt to this current "Grand Theft" of ones privacy, it may be years in the making. So for now users really need to educate themselves and limit the capabilities that the likes of Facebook have. There is no 100%, but one certainly can severely limit their ability to gather and collate all of this detail that they without any hesitation will sell to the highest bidder. In the Internet age where everything appears free, in reality YOU are the product.....it really is that simple as advertisers are basically paying for access to everything Facebook already knows about you.  That's my 2 cents..... but here are some simple, free and easy things you can do about it.

Stop using Internet Explorer/Edge, Google Chrome etc. as your default Browser: Move to a truly independent, secure and configurable browser like FIREFOX where you have more control, using Add-Ons (and wherever possible use the Firefox Private Window) to maintain privacy and security.

Stop using Search Engines like Google and Bing who use the search capabilities to do nothing more than sell product and advertising.  These search engines actually do not even provide superior search anyway.... they are specifically programmed to provide quick access to the search results that benefits the search provider. No more and no less. Move to duckduckgo.com.   Its secure, and totally protects your privacy as it never collects nor stores any of your detail EVER! The best part...and this is the key factor, is that their search engine algorithms really do provide better and more specific results as they don't mislead you by forcing you to see the "advertised" or "paid for" searches first.  www.duckduckgo.com

OK -  Let's get into the detail:

•   You can download Firefox here: www.mozilla.org

•   In the Firefox Tools menu, go to OPTIONS

•   Then go to SEARCH: Change the Default Search Engine as well as the One-Click Search engine to DuckDuckGo

•   Then go to PRIVACY & SECURITY: 

•   Un-tick the save password option in "FORMS & PASSWORDS". You don't want a browser to keep  this kind of detail at all. Ever!

•   In HISTORY: Change to "Custom Settings". Un-tick everything except CLEAR HISTORY when Firefox closes.

•   In COOKIES & SITE DATA, change "Keep Until" to be "Until Firefox is closed". Also,  "Accept Third Party Cookies..." must be set to NEVER

•   In TRACKING PROTECTION, set to ALWAYS.

•   A Website should never need to know where your location is, if they insist, rather use the PERMISSIONS setting and under LOCATION you can enter the specific URL of the website and Block it. You can then continue to use those websites without them constantly trying to ask you to give them access to your location detail. 

•  Under the same PERMISSIONS setting you can also block POP-UP windows too, but you may need to use the exception list for sites that you wish to allow for that functionality.

•  Also under PERMISSIONS tick the option to "Warn you when Websites try to install Add-Ons"

•  In FIREFOX DATA COLLECTION & USE: Un-tick all options.  You don't need them to have access to all this detail.

•  In SECURITY: Tick ALL options.

•  In CERTIFICATES: Tick "Ask you Every Time" as well as the "Query OCSP..." option.

You have now completed the secure configuration of your browser itself.
Now for some of the important ADD-ONS that give you the added layer of security and privacy. 

•  Go to TOOLS / ADD-ONS / EXTENSIONS

•  Search for, and consider your options for the following: Add-Ons:

•  ADBLOCK PLUS: Its the world's most popular Add Blocker

•  uBlock Origin - Crucial: Easiest method of avoiding dangerous and suspect web sites  

•  FACEBOOK CONTAINER: Will prevent Facebook from tracking you.

The following optional Add-Ons are also well worth considering but will require more effort and often the installation of the actual program itself (all of these are also free).

• IBM SECURITY RAPPORT: If you Bank Online or access any Financial Services, this will prevent a re-direct or Phishing attempt - www.trusteer.com/support/rapport-installation-links

•  LASTPASS Password Manager - A Must have : To security manage and maintain your passwords. www.LastPass.com  

• NOSCRIPT: For the tech savvy this Add-On is the best protection against JavaScript, Flash and other Plug-Ins that are not in your web exception list. It prevents exploitation of security vulnerabilities (known and even unknown!) but is sometimes a bit annoying to use for the uninitiated!

And now the final bit of advice: PLEASE stop clicking on Facebook "Likes". In fact go and "Un-Like ALL of them. It may take hours.....but you may well get your privacy back (They keep records of each and every one of them to analyze using AI). Also, do you really need to post daily....telling everyone where you are, where you eat and where you live and travel to. It does not take much common sense to realize that  you are only harming yourself!!

* Update: As of October 2019 the German Federal Office for Information Security (BSI) have advised that Firefox is the most secure mainstream web browser and has recommended Firefox for government agencies and private sector companies.
https://www.bsi.bund.de/SharedDocs/Downloads/DE/BSI/Mindeststandards/Mindeststandard_Sichere_Web-Browser_V2_0.pdf