To addon or not to addon in Tor Browser - that's the question.

7 respostas [Última entrada]
GrevenGull
Desconectado
Joined: 12/18/2017

There seem to be split in opinions on this matter. Does anyone here want to share their thoughts on this?

Is it a security/privacy/anonymity risk or improvement to use addons in Tor Browser (and in before someone comes "hurr durr that depends on the addons and privacy is not the same as security hurr durr"; I mean addons that usually improve these type of things and not come default with Tor Browser, like LibreJS, uBlock Origin, etc. And yeah I ask for all the aforementioned, so if one addon improve security, but decreases privacy, please do share opinions on this.)

Thank you

GNUser
Desconectado
Joined: 07/17/2013

You would do well to, as I have done myself in the past, spend some time reading Tor documentation, hanging around the IRC tor channel, maybe watch a few video presentations by Roger Dingledine and Jake on Invidious....

As for your question, anything that makes your browser behave differently, more "uniquely", will make you easier to fingerprint. The idea of the Tor Browser, the idea behind the security slider, is to make all users look the same online. If you really must, or just want to experiment, have two instances of Tor Browser, one with default settings and one with experimental stuff.

GrevenGull
Desconectado
Joined: 12/18/2017

Indeed.

So long story short; in case you have a very specific "goal" it's usually best to not install any addons in Tor Browser?

GrevenGull
Desconectado
Joined: 12/18/2017

>So long story short; in case you have a very specific "goal" it's usually best to not install any addons in Tor Browser?

Edit typo: ...*unless* you have a very specific...

GNUser
Desconectado
Joined: 07/17/2013

By the way, LibreJS is useless if you have the security slider set to Highest, because scripts are disabled by NoScript in that case... Just saying.

GrevenGull
Desconectado
Joined: 12/18/2017

Haha, good point, but in the least safe option then.

andyprough
Desconectado
Joined: 02/12/2015

>and in before someone comes "hurr durr that depends on the addons and privacy is not the same as security hurr durr"

"hurr durr" is my new favorite security pass-phrase.

Unless you are living in a country where you are likely to be killed by the govt for your public online statements, seems to me that the risk of fingerprinting is far less than the risk of allowing tracker cookies to follow you around the web. So I'd personally go with Ublock origin.

However, if you live in a country where you're likely to be dragged out of bed in the middle of the night and shot in the head for online quoting of James Madison or the Apostle Paul or Gautama Buddha, then I'd be very worried about the risks associated with fingerprinting.

GrevenGull
Desconectado
Joined: 12/18/2017

> than the risk of allowing tracker cookies to follow you around the web. So I'd personally go with Ublock origin.

Could you elaborate on this part? :)