The weekly scrub

Ten minutes, once a week. Your ticks reset whenever you press the button below, so you can reuse the list.

0 done

Clear cookies & site data (time range: All time). Shortcut in Chrome, Edge and Firefox: Ctrl+Shift+Delete (Cmd+Shift+Delete on Mac).
Flush DNS on your computer and in the browser. Commands here.
Audit extensions. Remove anything you don't use: extensions are a common tracking and malware vector.
Redo cookie-based opt-outs (clearing cookies erases them). DAA · NAI
Skim your Google activity and delete anything you don't want feeding ads. My Activity
Run a 30-minute chaff session with a new persona. Open the generator

One-time settings per browser

Chrome

chrome://settings/adPrivacy: switch off Ad topics, Site-suggested ads and Ad measurement.
chrome://settings/cookies: Block third-party cookies.
Settings → Privacy and security → Security → Use secure DNS with a filtering provider.
Turn off Allow Chrome sign-in if you don't need sync. It keeps browsing out of your Google account.

Chrome no longer supports the full uBlock Origin. Use uBlock Origin Lite, or consider switching browsers.

Firefox

Settings → Privacy & Security → Enhanced Tracking Protection → Strict.
Same page: tick Tell websites not to sell or share my data (Global Privacy Control).
Same page: Delete cookies and site data when Firefox is closed, with exceptions for sites you stay logged into.
Install Multi-Account Containers or Facebook Container to wall off logged-in sites.

Safari (Mac, iPhone, iPad)

Settings → Safari (or Safari → Settings → Privacy): Prevent cross-site tracking on.
Hide IP address → From Trackers and Websites.
Advanced → Advanced Tracking and Fingerprinting Protection → All Browsing.
Turn off Privacy-Preserving Ad Measurement if you'd rather not take part at all.

Edge

Settings → Privacy, search, and services → Tracking prevention → Strict.
Same page: turn off Personalize your web experience and Allow Microsoft to save your browsing activity.
Pick Choose what to clear every time you close the browser → Cookies and other site data.

Brave

Shields → Trackers & ads blocking: Aggressive.
Settings → Privacy and security: Block fingerprinting on, and turn off Brave Ads if you don't use Rewards.

Extensions worth installing

Fewer is better. One blocker plus, optionally, one obfuscator. Anti-fingerprinting picks are on the fingerprint page.

uBlock Origin

The gold-standard content blocker. Full version on Firefox; Lite on Chrome.

ublockorigin.com

Privacy Badger

From the EFF. Learns which third parties follow you around and blocks them. Sends Global Privacy Control.

privacybadger.org

AdNauseam

Blocks ads and silently registers clicks on them, poisoning your profile and the ad network's data. Firefox recommended.

adnauseam.io

TrackMeNot

An academic obfuscation project that sends decoy searches in the background, the same idea as our generator.

trackmenot.io

Automate it

Make the browser clean itself every time it closes. These use the browsers' official enterprise policies, which work fine on personal machines.

Firefox: `policies.json`

Create a distribution folder in the Firefox install directory and save this as policies.json. Restart Firefox and check about:policies.

policies.json

{
  "policies": {
    "SanitizeOnShutdown": {
      "Cookies": true,
      "Cache": true,
      "History": false,
      "Sessions": false,
      "SiteSettings": false,
      "Locked": false
    },
    "EnableTrackingProtection": {
      "Value": true,
      "Cryptomining": true,
      "Fingerprinting": true
    }
  }
}

Windows: C:\Program Files\Mozilla Firefox\distribution\policies.json
macOS: /Applications/Firefox.app/Contents/Resources/distribution/policies.json
Linux: /etc/firefox/policies/policies.json

Chrome on Windows: registry policy

Save as adpoison-chrome.reg and double-click to import. Chrome then wipes cookies and cache on exit. Check chrome://policy.

adpoison-chrome.reg

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Policies\Google\Chrome]
"BlockThirdPartyCookies"=dword:00000001
"SyncDisabled"=dword:00000001

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Policies\Google\Chrome\ClearBrowsingDataOnExitList]
"1"="cookies_and_other_site_data"
"2"="cached_images_and_files"

Heads up: Chrome only honors clear-on-exit when sync is disabled, which is why SyncDisabled is included. Your bookmarks stay on this computer but stop syncing. Delete the keys in regedit to undo.

Separate profiles

The simplest trick of all: keep one browser profile (or a whole browser) only for logged-in Google, Meta and Amazon, and do everything else in another. Trackers can't link what they can't see together. For one-off sessions, see throwaway sessions below.

Throwaway sessions

A disposable session starts with no cookies, no logins and no history, and everything is wiped when you close it. Whatever you do in it can't be stitched onto your main ad profile through cookies. It's the idea behind "disposable browser" products, and you can get most of it for free on your own machine.

Pros

Nothing carries over: cookies, site storage, cache and logins are gone when you close it.
Kills retargeting: browse shoes, a diagnosis or a gift without it following you around for weeks.
Keeps big platforms apart: a site you visit in a throwaway session can't tell Meta or Google it was you through their cookies.
Safer for sketchy links: a remote session or a sandbox keeps a bad page or download away from your real system.
Free and quick: the local options are built in or one click away.

Cons

Fingerprint and IP stay the same: a fresh session still looks like your device unless you also blur your fingerprint and use a VPN or Tor.
Logging in undoes it: sign in to Google or Meta and the session is tied to you again.
Leaks at the edges: downloads, bookmarks and some extensions survive. Private windows also share one session until you close every private window.
Remote browsers move the trust: a cloud browser sees everything you type, is slower, and sites often throw CAPTCHAs at data-center IPs.
Doesn't fix the past: it stops new data, but the existing profile needs a reset, broker removal and some poison.

Disposable session options
Option	Runs on	Price	What's thrown away	Good to know
Private / Incognito window	Your device	Free	Cookies, storage and history, when the last private window closes	Built into every browser. Fine for a quick look; doesn't hide your IP or fingerprint.
Firefox Multi-Account Containers	Your device	Free	Nothing by default; each container keeps its own separate cookie jar	Not disposable, but walls sites off from each other in one window. Facebook Container does this automatically for Meta.
Temporary Containers	Your device	Free	A fresh container per tab or site, deleted when closed	The closest thing to a free disposable browser. Not updated since 2021; it still works, but keep an eye on it.
Separate browser profile	Your device	Free	Nothing; it's a permanent second identity	Strongest everyday split: own cookies, extensions and logins. Pair it with clear-on-exit (above) to make it throwaway.
Brave private window with Tor	Your device + Tor network	Free	Everything on close; also hides your IP	One click from Brave's menu. Slower, and some sites block Tor.
Mullvad Browser / Tor Browser	Your device	Free	Everything, every time you quit	Always-private by design, plus a shared fingerprint so you blend in. Tor also hides your IP.
Windows Sandbox	A throwaway Windows on your PC	Free Pro / Enterprise	The whole desktop, including downloads, when you close it	Good for opening suspicious files and links. Turn it on under Optional features. Same IP as your PC.
Remote / cloud browsers (e.g. Browserling)	Someone else's server	Free tier Paid	Everything; nothing touches your device	Best for links you don't trust. Never log in to anything real there. Some well-known names, like SquareX, now sell mainly to businesses.

Which one, when

Shopping or price research: a container or a second profile, never your logged-in one.
Health, money or legal searches: Mullvad Browser or Tor Browser.
A link or file you don't trust: a remote browser or Windows Sandbox.
Google, Meta and Amazon: their own profile or container, always logged in there and nowhere else.