who can see me?

Out of the box, Mozilla Firefox is one of the more privacy-friendly mainstream browsers, but it's not a "maximum privacy" setup by default. '''Firefox out of the box''' By default, Firefox includes: * Enhanced Tracking Protection (enabled by default), which blocks many cross-site trackers, social media trackers, cryptominers, and fingerprinting scripts. * DNS-over-HTTPS in many regions, helping reduce ISP visibility into DNS lookups. * Total Cookie Protection, which isolates cookies by site to reduce cross-site tracking. * Open-source development and generally less integration with advertising ecosystems than browsers from large ad companies. '''However, Firefox still:''' * Connects to Mozilla services for updates, Safe Browsing, add-on checks, and other browser features. * Allows telemetry collection unless you disable it. * Does not make you anonymous. * Does not fully resist browser fingerprinting by default. '''Easy privacy upgrades''' 1. Install uBlock Origin The single biggest privacy improvement for most people is uBlock Origin '''Benefits:''' * Blocks ads and tracking scripts. * Reduces fingerprinting opportunities. * Speeds up many websites. * Prevents numerous third-party connections. For most users, Firefox + uBlock Origin provides a much larger privacy gain than switching search engines. '''2. Change Firefox tracking protection to "Strict"''' '''In Firefox settings:''' Privacy & Security → Enhanced Tracking Protection → Strict This blocks more trackers and fingerprinting techniques. ''' Potential downside:''' A few websites may break occasionally. '''3. Disable Firefox telemetry ''' In Firefox: Settings → Privacy & Security → Firefox Data Collection and Use Disable: * Technical and interaction data * Personalized extension recommendations * Studies (if present) This reduces data sent to Mozilla. '''4. Use a privacy-focused search engine''' Options include: * DuckDuckGo * Startpage * Kagi (paid) * Brave Search A search engine only affects your searches; it does not stop tracking on websites you visit afterward. '''5. Use a VPN if it solves a specific problem''' ''' Examples:''' * Proton VPN * Mullvad VPN '''A VPN:''' * Hides your IP address from websites. * Prevents your ISP from seeing the content of encrypted traffic. * Helps against public Wi-Fi snooping.'''''' '''A VPN does not:''' * Stop browser fingerprinting. * Stop website tracking if you're logged into accounts. * Make you anonymous. For privacy enthusiasts, Mullvad is often regarded as one of the strongest options because of its minimal-account approach. '''6. Separate identities''' '''A very effective privacy habit:''' ''' Use different Firefox profiles or browser containers for:''' * Personal accounts * Work * Shopping * Banking Firefox Multi-Account Containers helps prevent companies from linking activity across contexts. '''7. Use a private DNS provider''' Examples: Quad9 Cloudflare DNS NextDNS NextDNS is particularly useful because it can block trackers and malware domains at the DNS level. If you want a "high privacy, low hassle" setup A practical setup would be: * Firefox * uBlock Origin * Strict Tracking Protection * DuckDuckGo, Brave Search, Startpage, or Kagi * Proton VPN or Mullvad VPN when desired * Disable Firefox telemetry * Use containers for major services This gets you most of the privacy benefits available to ordinary users without significantly affecting usability.