Privacy Badger is a new, free browser add-on created by the Electronic Frontier Foundation.  It stops advertisers and other third-party trackers from secretly tracking what pages you visit online.  If an advertiser seems to be tracking you across multiple Web sites without your permission, Privacy Badger automatically blocks that advertiser from loading any more content in your browser.  It is an alternative to other browser add-ons (such as Disconnect, Adblock Plus, Ghostery, etc.) that require custom configuration by the user to block non-consensual trackers.  Privacy Badger seeks to give users maximal control over who does and doesn’t get to know what they do online.

Digital privacy and security are essential skills for academic professionals across all disciplines.  Shielding yourself from unwanted advertisements is convenient, but stopping tracking also means that your metadata is better protected from potential avenues of attack or theft.  Visit Privacy Badger’s Web site to download the extension or find out more about the add-on, how it works, and the EFF’s development plan for it.  Please note that Privacy Badger currently supports only Chrome and Firefox browsers.