With the huge news surrounding Facebook’s data-sharing snafu, online privacy protection has come to the forefront of everyone’s attention. According to Pew Research Center, many Americans desire to protect their online privacy but they are unaware of the tools they could use. That is why I am happy to partner with Ghostery to share how families can proactively protect their data from unknown third parties while browsing the web.
How To Get Online Privacy Protection With Ghostery
These days almost every website uses trackers. They are often built in to apps and widgets and plugins and website platforms. These trackers are used to collect and send data. Research shows that data trackers from Google and Facebook are especially prevalent on many websites. Your browsing history and patterns are part of your online privacy and if you are trying to find out how to protect your online privacy, I have finally found a helpful tool that I can share with you that does just that. Ghostery allows users to protect their online privacy, giving users control of what data third-party trackers can see.
Ghostery is a popular, free browser extension and mobile browser that makes surfing the internet cleaner, and faster, and safer. It is a dramatic game-change in the web browsing experience for everyday consumers – like moms – allowing them to easily block third-party trackers. This not only protects online privacy but also speeds up the website load time of many sites! This is an awesome way to proactively protect the online privacy of your family.
Ghostery Browser Extension
You can Download the free Ghostery Chrome Extension at ghostery.com/
If you prefer to learn more first, I will share with you in depth information as well as answer your questions on how Ghostery works and how to download it.
You can take control of your Internet browsing experience with Ghostery and it is so simple and easy to use. You just download the free browser extension and it automatically optimizes page performance as you browse and uses enhanced anti-tracking to anonymize your data and protect your privacy. This means you get a cleaner, faster, and safer browsing experience.
You can visit Ghostery.com and click on “Learn More” (see image above) to take a tour but it basically walks you through how most websites use tools and technologies called “trackers” to provide engaging, interconnected user experiences. These trackers are snippets of code that send and receive information about you to companies.
Block These Types of Tracker
Advertising Trackers
The ads that follow you around are provided by trackers that deliver targeted advertising based on your previous browsing behavior while others will target you with ads related to the site that you are visiting.
Social Media Trackers
These trackers help websites integrate your social networks to so you can connect with friends and share your favorite content. You will often see these as little social media icons.
Site Analytics Trackers
These trackers help companies track site metrics and user behavior behind the scenes to improve and optimize their sites. This data includes information about what pages were visited, what links were clicked, what terms were searched for, and more.
Better Browsing Experience
Ghostery gives you a better browsing experience by uncovering the trackers on each website and empowering you to control the ones you don’t want for a cleaner, faster, and safer browsing experience.
How Ghostery Works:
- Ghostery is super simple to install, just a few clicks and you are done. (You don’t need a tech genius!)
- Ghostery is super simple to customize, or you can also use the default settings.
- Once you install Ghostery, you don’t have to do anything.
- It anonymizes your data to protect your privacy.
- Smart Blocking automatically optimizes page performance as you browse (blocks pop ups, blocks ads that slow down page load significantly)
- It has a detailed tracker dashboard so you can click it to get further information, to block more options with choices like “block on all sites” or “restrict on this site”, or to select “Trust site” if you don’t want to block anything. I rarely use this option because the default settings work for me 99% of the time. But it is nice to have options.
Try Ghostery For Yourself- It is Free!
Here is how to protect your online privacy and get the Ghostery Browser extension for your computer.
1. Go to ghostery.com/
2. Click “Install Ghostery” Button
3. A little window will open up that asks you if you want to add the extension. When I added the extension, I could see that it had almost 3 million happy users! Just click the “Add extension” button.
After you click “Add extension” you will see the screen above that lets you choose the easy default settings or you can customize it further. Then it will say “You are ready,” and you will be all done.
It will work quietly in your browser bar to block obtrusive ads and anonymize your data and you won’t have to worry with it again unless you’d like to open the dashboard on sites you visit and see details by clicking on the little ghost browser extension. Yup. Online Privacy Protection is that easy!
You may also like this little video showing you how Ghostery works:
If you want to get the Ghostery Privacy Browser for your phone as well, go to ghostery.com and click on the Android or iOS option.
It is optional to sign in or create an account. You only need to create an account if you want to have the ability to sync your Ghostery extension settings across browsers and devices.
Bottom line, I had no idea online privacy protection was possible or could be so easy until I found Ghostery. I hope it helps you protect your online privacy and that of your family. Let me know if you have questions! @familyfocusblog @Ghostery
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