A new plugin for Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox browsers provides internet users with an all-in-one solution to privacy and tracking settings.

Privacyfix, developed by Privacychoice, primarily informs users about Facebook and Google accounts settings to better protect their online privacy.

Tracking for dollars

After clicking on a website, users are provided with a percentage of websites Facebook is tracking them through, and a dollar amount that Facebook makes off their browsing habits per year.

The plugin reads a users’ browsing history and connects to Facebook and Google through the browser to provide the information and change the correct settings to reduce both of these amounts.

Jason Beatty, the lead developer at Privacyfix, entered a Reddit conversation to dispel any fears that Privacyfix itself was invasive.

“Privacyfix sends nothing from your browser to our server, we designed it specifically to avoid this.

“The metrics for the math come from Trefis.com, who do an excellent job of breaking down the monetisation of our interactions with Facebook, Google, etc,” he explained.

Privacy is the name of the game

For a number of internet users, keeping up to date with privacy settings is not so much an afterthought, as a time-sensitive burden.

In Privacychoice’s official blog post announcing Privacyfix, company founder Jim Brock explained how the plugin continues to assist users as they visit other websites, through what they call the ‘Privacy Healthbar’.

“Too much orange means you need to proceed with caution, particularly when it comes to providing your personal data or connecting your Facebook profile.”

Starting blocks

Privacyfix will eventually include support for Twitter and LinkedIn privacy controls, and a mobile app is planned.

To learn more or download the plugin, visit the Privacyfix website.

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