Advice Request Privacy settings in Edge, and when using AdGuard for desktop.

Please provide comments and solutions that are helpful to the author of this topic.

amirr

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Jan 26, 2020
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I use AdGuard Desktop and its browser assistant in Edge.
Is this okay to set the setting below in the Edge, to the basic?
1619528942118.png
 

Kongo

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Feb 25, 2017
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I use AdGuard Desktop and its browser assistant in Edge.
Is this okay to set the setting below in the Edge, to the basic?
View attachment 257482
You can set it to whatever you want, but from my experience setting it to strict doesn't break many sites and because of that doesn't really have any disadvantages. Set it to strict and I'm sure you won't face any problems.

Also check out that post by @Spawn in this thread: Q&A - Evaluate your content blocker with Ad Block Tester

Microsoft Edge V90.0.8 (uBlock Origin) - Normal window
Tracking prevention set to (Strict)
Score of 92%
Not blocked: Pinterest, Yandex, Huawei, Samsung, Apple

InPrivate/No Extensions = 66%

Edit:
Microsoft Edge V90 (no extensions*) - Normal window
Tracking prevention settings:
  • Disabled 14%
  • Basic 14%
  • Balanced 14%
  • Strict 66%
*uBlock Origin disabled/off

Microsoft Edge V90 (no extensions*) - InPrivate window
Tracking prevention settings:
  • Disabled 14%
  • Basic 15%
  • Balanced 15%
  • Strict 66%
*uBlock Origin disabled/off

The Basic blocking is pretty weak and doesn't really prevent much tracking at all...
 

Arequire

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Feb 10, 2017
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It should be fine. Basic only blocks cryptomining and 'malicious' (scripts that appear on both the fingerprinting list and another list) fingerprinting.
As far I'm aware AdGuard doesn't block cryptomining by default, so there shouldn't be any problems there. As for any fingerprinting scripts that appear on both Tracking Prevention and AdGuard's lists, whichever one blocks the network request first should make the request 'invisible' to the other, as if the connection was never made, thus no conflict should occur.
 

silversurfer

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I use AdGuard Desktop and its browser assistant in Edge.
Is this okay to set the setting below in the Edge, to the basic?
View attachment 257482

I'm running also AdGuard Desktop and Edge, I kept default setting, Tracking Prevention: Balanced. No issues between both AG & Edge since a few months (y)
 

rndmblk

Level 3
Nov 18, 2020
94
You can set it to whatever you want, but from my experience setting it to strict doesn't break many sites and because of that doesn't really have any disadvantages. Set it to strict and I'm sure you won't face any problems
Interesting to hear you've found it doesn't break many sites. I always stayed with balanced due to the warning about possible issues.

I see that the tracking exception allows all trackers on the given site. Balanced might still be the best, well, balance for me
 

Gandalf_The_Grey

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I'm a bit worried that site engagement means that tracking prevention on balanced means less and less blocking on sites that you regularly visit.
More on site engagement:
That's why I'm running Edge on strict and whitelist the sites (2 Dutch news sites) where I want to see the embedded social media.
IMO that's the only thing that sometime doesn't work with strict.
I would be great if there was on option to put those sites on balanced but there isn't, it's om or off.

Those whitelisted sites are of course still filtered by uBlock Origin like all sites are.
 

Arequire

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I would be great if there was on option to put those sites on balanced but there isn't, it's om or off.
I've feedback'd this idea of allowing different TP levels for individual sites previously but I don't think it made it on their roadmap.

Ultimately I don't see them ever touching the filtering aspect of Tracking Prevention again beyond its currently implementation. Previous interviews with Edge's program manager made it clear that he is more concerned about the potential damage to the web's economic standing due to ad/tracker blocking than the harms associated with targeted advertising.
 
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bjm_

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May 17, 2015
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Hope not off Topic.
Where do Edge Tracking Prevention - "Disconnect’s tracking protection lists"... reside - local or cloud?
Does Edge query local "Disconnect lists" ...updated n' stored locally or cloud Disconnect lists?
Thanks
 

Arequire

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Where do Edge Tracking Prevention - "Disconnect’s tracking protection lists"... reside - local or cloud?
Locally. You can find them here:
Component-based updates - The lists that are downloaded from the "Trust Protection Lists" component

Windows: %LOCALAPPDATA%\Microsoft\Edge <OptionalChannelName>\User Data\Trust Protection Lists

macOS: ~/Library/Application Support/Microsoft Edge <OptionalChannelName>/Trust Protection Lists
Installation directory - The lists that are bundled with the Microsoft Edge Installer. If you selected a different installation directory, your exact paths may be different.

Windows: %PROGRAMFILES(x86)%\Microsoft\ Edge <OptionalChannelName>\Application<Version>\Trust Protection Lists

macOS: /Applications/Microsoft Edge.app/Contents/Frameworks/Microsoft Edge Framework.framework/Libraries/Trust Protection Lists

Does Edge query local "Disconnect lists" ...updated n' stored locally or cloud Disconnect lists?
It queries the locally stored list. It's periodically downloaded to the device as the list is updated.
 

bjm_

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My AppData's empty too. Couldn't tell you why. If I knew how to get ahold of someone from Microsoft I'd ask but... 🤷‍♂️
Maybe, Lists only reside with Program Files (x86)\Microsoft\ Edge\Application<Version>\Trust Protection Lists. I'll monitor AppData Trust Protection Lists folder. Wonder, how to call Lists update.
Thanks
png_10217.png
 
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Kongo

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I've been using Strict without any issues.
Why install Adguard for desktop? Bloat... Edge "Strict" + uBlock Origin, everything you need. You can also add Malwarebytes Browser Guard.
You can’t call Adguard Windows bloat tbh. There are so many useful things included that are worth using. It’s blocking ads and trackers in many applications, has a DNS-client, let’s you tweak the privacy of your browsers, has integrated WoT without the need of installing their extension and a lot more. AdGuard Windows is probably the only software that I’m nearly 100% satisfied with. Did you ever try it? :unsure:
 

Templarware

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Mar 13, 2021
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There's just no need to use Adguard outside the browser, bloat if you ask me. I prefer installing more extensions, like WoT, than having an extra program running in the background. Its DNS clients is one of the slowest, at least where I live, it stays at the bottom of the benchmark. Anyway, DNS is a router level thing, imo.
 

Kongo

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There's just no need to use Adguard outside the browser, bloat if you ask me. I prefer installing more extensions, like WoT, than having an extra program running in the background. Its DNS clients is one of the slowest, at least where I live, it stays at the bottom of the benchmark. Anyway, DNS is a router level thing, imo.
I personally don't have those problems that you are facing, so I'm happy with it. Also, I think that you also know that more extensions lead to a bigger attack surface, slow down browsing speed and also are counterproductive for your browsing fingerprint. But to each his own. (y)
 

Ink

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If you want to use Basic, use it, but why have a third-party app like Adguard?

Edge's Tracking prevention is done at the point of which you access the Web.

I recommend Strict, or at least Balanced.
  1. Basic - The least restrictive level of tracking prevention that is designed for users who enjoy personalized advertisements and who do not mind being tracked on the web. Basic only protects users against malicious trackers such as fingerprinters and cryptominers.
  2. Balanced (Default) - The default level of tracking prevention that is designed for users who want to see less creepy advertisements that follow them around the web while they browse. Balanced aims to block trackers from sites that users never engage with while minimizing the risk of compatibility issues on the web.
  3. Strict - The most restrictive level of tracking prevention that is designed for users who are okay trading website compatibility for maximum privacy.

The tracking prevention feature in Microsoft Edge is made up of three main components that work together to determine whether a specific resource from a website should be classified as a tracker and blocked. The components are as follows:
  1. Classification - The way Microsoft Edge determines whether a URL belongs to a tracker.
  2. Enforcement - The actions taken to protect Microsoft Edge users from URLs classified as trackers.
  3. Mitigations - The mechanisms provided to ensure user-specified favorite sites still work, while offering strong default protection.
Each of the components are explored and explained in detail on this page.
Continue reading:
 

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