How to Use Microsoft Edge's Privacy Tools

Nowadays, when discussions turn to web browsers, privacy is almost always a big part of that discussion. When tech-savvy users pick a web browser, they always take the time to study the privacy features that the browser can offer the user.

More and more browsers are taking this component more seriously, because privacy is important to a lot of people – for instance, the managed IT services London businesses use to cover their technology will always include technical solutions to help manage their company’s private and sensitive data; and the same goes for businesses all around the world, and also individuals.

Microsoft Edge is a browser that is great for professional organisations and individuals – it works especially well in combination with Office 365 and Windows. The browser also has some great capabilities around preserving user’s privacy. There are a number of different ways in which your privacy can be compromised while browsing on the web. Below are some of the ways that Microsoft Edge helps with that.

Tracker Blocking

A tracker is a tool used by various sites on the internet to save information about your web traffic and your browsing history. Trackers are usually used to inform advertising and various other digital marketing strategies – even though it isn’t illegal, it is still undesirable.

With Edge, you can use the built-in tracker blocker, to help filter out trackers on websites, and reduce how much of your browsing data is being captured. Edge’s tracker blocker has 3 levels of sensitivity:

• Balanced – this is the level that is set by default on Edge. Microsoft has a blacklist of trackers that they deem ‘malicious’. With the Balanced level, these malicious trackers are blocked, as well as some additional third-party trackers.

• Basic – as mentioned above, there is a list of trackers that are considered to be actively malicious, and those trackers are always blocked on Microsoft Edge. With the Basic level, these are the only types of trackers that are blocked – all other trackers remain enabled.

• Strict – this is the highest level of protection against trackers that Microsoft Edge offers. It blocks most third-party trackers, on top of the malicious trackers.

As mentioned, the Balanced tracker blocker setting is enabled by default, but you can change that sensitivity if you want. You need to go into the settings to do this.

Start by pressing the three dots in the top-right corner. From the menu, click on Settings.

Next, click on Privacy, search, and services.

Here, you can choose between the three levels of protection.

Cookie Clearing

Cookies are small bits of information relating to your web traffic and your browsing history, which are saved by your browser. There are lots of different benefits to cookies – for instance, they help websites you have visited before load more quickly. They also remember logins, so you can access your accounts quicker; and they can do convenient things like remembering the items in your shopping cart on a website. With all that said, it is possible for a hacker to attain the cookies that your browser has collected from you. This is why most browsers have a clear cookies function, and Microsoft Edge has a few extra features around that principle:

• Start by pressing the three dots in the top-right corner. From the menu, click on Settings.
• Click on Privacy, search, and services.
• Go to Clear browsing data.
• Expand the Choose what to clear every time you close the browser section.
• Toggle-on the option for Cookies and other site data.

This will mean that all cookies are deleted whenever you close the Microsoft Edge app. This will have some effects on your browsing experience, but if you are more concerned about privacy, then it’s a small price to pay.