Privacy @lemmy.ml fahad @lemmy.world 8mo ago

What are your thoughts on the Arc browser?

As the title suggests. I want community opinions on the Arc browser.

44 comments

You HAVE to make an account and sign on when you first open it. On a privacy focused sub, that should be an instant DQ
- DQ?
  
  Disqualification
  
  Dairy Queen. Their ice cream is kinda ass compared to local stuff.
  
  Disqualification
With chromium being poisoned last year and Mozilla trying to diversify away from Firefox, I’m starting to wonder what browser I should be using in the near future. So I’d really like to hear some opinions on arc browser!

EDIT: Aaand it’s chromium
- Arc is Chromium based. In other words, you're still using Chrome/Chromium.
  
  Firefox and Safari are the only two browsers (seemingly) left on the market with their own rendering engines. (Gecko and WebKit respectively)
  
  So while things are fucking bad at Mozilla, it's important to try to get people to use Firefox so market share will increase enough that Mozilla won't want to diversify away from Firefox. I know that's living on hopes and dreams, but that's better than just rolling over and letting Google take over the modern world-wide web.
  
  You forgot about epiphany! /s
- A Firefox fork is fine. LibreWolf in particular picks up the pieces Mozilla keeps throwing everywhere, and then makes the browser much more private.
  
  LibreWolf does seem to go a bit too far with the hardening. It's fine if you're used to Tor Browser or Mull Browser but as a general recommendation... ehh.
  
  +1
- Use curl like a chad
  
  Lynx is where it's at.
- https://privacytests.org/
  
  PS for all the haters of open source facts : Even librewolf references this site for browser testing.
  
  https://librewolf.net/docs/testing/
  
  An employee of Brave runs that website.
  
  If that doesn't scream conflict of interest, I don't know what does.
- chromium being poisoned last year
  
  Can you please expand on that? I don't use chromium except when I have compat tests to run but still curious.
  
  Here’s a random article on the topic to get you started.
  
  Basically Google is destroying anonymous web browsing by embedding finger printing in chromium. Certain trusted servers will track your identity and report whether or not it trusts you.
  
  It’s actually very similar to how Single Sign On and identity providers work. Except you aren’t choosing to use it with a “login with Facebook” or similar button. It’s forced on you by the browser
Proprietary

Based on Chromium

Requires an account to use

Instant nope from me!
I think Arc is a very interesting browser. I’ve tried using it on and off, but I have read a few blogs/posts that suggest it’s not very privacy forward. One of my biggest pet peeves with it is that it’s built on Chromium, and it requires you to have an account/login. Here’s a great privacy review, my apologies if you’ve seen it already: https://adam.kostarelas.com/blog/arc-browser-privacy-check/

44 comments