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Privacy Badger Chrome extension

Privacy Badger watches for trackers that follow you across sites without permission and blocks them automatically, learning as you browse rather than relying on a fixed blocklist. It's best for people who want tracker blocking with minimal setup. The catch: it focuses on tracking specifically, not general ad blocking, so ads without tracking may still appear.

  • PriceFree
  • CategorySecurity & Privacy
  • Works inChrome, Edge, Brave (desktop)
  • ✓Open source
  • ✓Privacy-friendly
  • ✓No account needed

Last checked against the Chrome Web Store listing · Independent, not affiliated with Google

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Pros

  • free, made by the nonprofit Electronic Frontier Foundation
  • learns and adapts to new trackers automatically
  • focused specifically on stopping cross-site tracking
  • lightweight and simple to use with no configuration needed

Cons

  • not designed as a full ad blocker
  • learning-based blocking can take some browsing before it's fully effective
  • some sites may behave differently when trackers they rely on are blocked

Best for

  • blocking hidden trackers automatically without manual configuration
  • users who want a tracker blocker from a nonprofit digital rights group
  • privacy-conscious browsing without heavy setup
  • pairing with an ad blocker for broader coverage

Skip it if

  • users who want a dedicated ad blocker as their primary tool
  • anyone expecting it to block trackers instantly with zero learning period

Key features

  • automatic detection and blocking of hidden trackers
  • learns tracker behavior over time rather than using a static list
  • made and maintained by the EFF
  • simple toggle to disable per-site if a site breaks

What Privacy Badger does

Privacy Badger monitors the third-party scripts and requests that load on the sites you visit, and learns to identify ones that track you across multiple sites without your permission. Once it spots a tracker, it blocks it automatically, without needing you to maintain a blocklist yourself.

Privacy Badger free vs paid

Privacy Badger is free, made by the Electronic Frontier Foundation, a digital rights nonprofit. There's no paid tier in its listing; it's offered as a public tool as part of the EFF's mission to reduce covert tracking online.

Is Privacy Badger safe?

Privacy Badger needs to read the network requests and scripts loading on pages you visit so it can identify tracking behavior and block it. It's made by a well-known nonprofit focused on digital rights, and its blocking logic is based on tracker behavior rather than collecting your browsing data for other purposes.

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Guides featuring Privacy Badger

Privacy Badger: FAQs

Is Privacy Badger free?

Yes, it's completely free, made and maintained by the Electronic Frontier Foundation.

Is Privacy Badger safe to use?

It needs to inspect page scripts and requests to detect trackers, which is how it functions. It's made by a nonprofit focused on digital rights rather than a data-driven company.

How do I use the Privacy Badger extension?

Install it, then browse normally; it automatically learns which trackers to block over time without needing manual setup.

Does Privacy Badger block ads?

Not primarily. It focuses on blocking cross-site trackers rather than acting as a general ad blocker, so some non-tracking ads may still show.

What are Privacy Badger alternatives?

uBlock Origin and other tracker or ad-blocking extensions are common alternatives, with different focuses on ads versus tracking.

Privacy Badger vs uBlock Origin: which is better?

Privacy Badger focuses specifically on learning and blocking trackers, while uBlock Origin is a broader ad and content blocker using filter lists.

Why did a site break after installing Privacy Badger?

Some sites rely on scripts that get flagged as trackers; you can disable Privacy Badger for that specific site if it causes issues.

Does Privacy Badger need time to work well?

Yes, its learning-based approach means blocking can improve the more you browse, rather than working from a fixed list from day one.

Who makes Privacy Badger?

It's made by the Electronic Frontier Foundation, a nonprofit organization focused on digital privacy and rights.

Can I see what Privacy Badger has blocked?

Yes, clicking its icon on any site shows a list of the trackers it has identified and blocked there.