The Browser Privacy Settings Worth Five Minutes of Your Time
A Report by CYS Global Remit Network Admin Support Team
Your web browser is the single most-used piece of software on any device, and its default settings often favour convenience and advertising over your privacy. A few adjustments make a meaningful difference.
Why the Browser Matters So Much
Nearly everything you do online — banking, shopping, reading news, checking email — passes through your web browser. Its default settings determine how much of that activity is tracked, by whom, and for what purpose. Most browsers, including Safari, Microsoft Edge, and others, ship with reasonable baseline protections, but several settings worth checking are not always configured for maximum privacy by default.
Cross-Site Tracking Protection
Advertisers and data brokers commonly track your browsing across multiple, unrelated websites using tracking cookies and similar technologies, building a profile of your interests and habits over time. Modern browsers include settings to limit this:
Safari: Settings → Safari → Advanced → toggle on 'Prevent Cross-Site Tracking' (enabled by default in recent versions, but worth confirming)
Microsoft Edge: Settings → Privacy, search, and services → Tracking prevention → select 'Strict' for the strongest protection
Selecting the strictest tracking prevention setting occasionally causes minor issues with certain websites (such as embedded content not loading correctly) — if you encounter this, most browsers allow per-site exceptions rather than requiring you to lower your overall privacy setting.
Clearing Cookies and Site Data Periodically
Beyond tracking prevention, periodically clearing stored cookies and site data removes accumulated tracking identifiers and reduces the amount of historical browsing data stored on your device. This is particularly worth doing on a shared or public computer after use.
Safari: Settings → Safari → Advanced → Website Data → Remove All Website Data
Microsoft Edge: Settings → Privacy, search, and services → Choose what to clear → select cookies and cached data
A Practical Trade-off
Clearing all cookies also logs you out of most websites and removes saved preferences.
Consider doing this periodically (monthly) rather than constantly, or use your browser's private/incognito mode for sessions where you specifically don't want data retained.
Reviewing Site Permissions
Over time, websites accumulate permissions you may have granted — access to your camera, microphone, location, or notifications — some of which may no longer be necessary or appropriate. Both major browsers allow you to review and revoke these:
Safari: Settings → Websites, then review each permission category (Camera, Microphone, Location, Notifications) across all sites that have requested access
Microsoft Edge: Settings → Cookies and site permissions → review each permission type
Notification permissions in particular tend to accumulate unnecessarily — many people grant a website permission to send notifications once, then find themselves receiving unwanted alerts indefinitely. A periodic review and cleanup is worthwhile.
Search Engine Privacy
Your default search engine sees every search query you make. If search privacy is a priority, most browsers allow changing your default search engine to a privacy-focused alternative, or you can retain your usual search engine but review its own privacy settings and search history controls directly.
A Sensible Baseline
For most users, enabling the strongest built-in tracking prevention, periodically clearing cookies, and reviewing site permissions every few months provides a meaningful privacy improvement without requiring specialised tools or technical expertise. These settings work quietly in the background once configured, requiring no ongoing effort beyond the occasional check-in.
Sources
Apple Support — Manage Cookies and Website Data in Safari: https://support.apple.com/en-us/105082
Microsoft Support — Manage Cookies and Site Permissions in Microsoft Edge: https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-edge/manage-cookies-in-microsoft-edge
Cyber Security Agency of Singapore (CSA) — Safe Online Browsing Practices: https://www.csa.gov.sg/our-programmes/outreach/sg-cyber-safe-programme
Apple — Privacy Features in Safari: https://www.apple.com/safari/
