Microsoft's new Edge browser has such powerful privacy settings that it's triggering the ad blocker popup on some websites, even when I don't have an ad blocker
If you want basic privacy while you're browsing the web, you'll want to prevent websites from tracking you with little invisible tools, aptly named "trackers," that are built into a website.
The new Edge makes it very easy to stop trackers from, well, tracking you.
The privacy menu is clearly visible on the left under "Profile," and I'm presented with three options: Basic, Balanced, and Strict.
The new Edge's "Strict" privacy setting is blocking ad trackers so well that it's acting like an ad blocker in some cases.
Despite the "Strict" setting on the new Edge, I haven't experienced any extra difficulties or obstacles in the websites and services I normally use. It seems to be doing a good job of keeping trackers and cookies that are useful and blocking those that aren't.
Chrome has similar settings against trackers, but it's not as intuitive as it is in Edge, and it involves more clicks.
Everything I need to prevent trackers is built into Chrome, too, but it's more complicated to get there than it is on Edge, and you don't get a sense of how strict you're being against trackers. Instead, you get individual settings like allowing sites to save and read cookie data, and blocking third-party cookies.
You click Settings, Advanced, Privacy and security, Site settings, then, finally, Cookies and site data.
And Chrome's privacy and tracker settings don't seem to be as potent as Edge's. With all the relevant privacy settings enables in Chrome, an ad was still displayed on this website.
For once, it's Google that can learn from Microsoft, at least when it comes to privacy settings.
Mozilla's Firefox should also get a mention, as it has intuitive and simple privacy settings similar to the new Edge.
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