How to Stop Browser Tracking by ISPs & Online Services (2025)

ISPs (internet service providers) and online services track your browsing activity by monitoring the websites you visit, the apps you use, and sometimes even your location. They collect this data to build detailed profiles, which are often sold to advertisers or shared with third parties, compromising your privacy without your full consent.

How do I stop browser tracking? Thankfully, there are plenty of methods — you can use VPN tracker blockers, you can switch to a privacy-focused browser, and you can regularly delete your cookies (42.1% of websites use cookies to track you online¹). Don’t let big companies like Google, who earned 237 billion US dollars in ad revenue thanks in part to their data collection efforts in 2023², continue to make a fortune with your private data.

In this guide, I’ll cover all the above methods and more. Read on for everything you need to know.

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10 Ways to Stop Browser Tracking

Most browsers track your activity without consent, so the sites you visit and the searches you make aren’t private. But the good news is that you can take back control of your privacy. By using simple tools and making a few adjustments, you can stop browser tracking on all your devices. Here are 10 effective ways to block trackers and browse the web privately:

1. Change Your IP Address

Changing your IP address prevents browser tracking by online services by making it harder to link your activity to your identity or location. Since your IP is a unique identifier assigned by your ISP, it’s used to track the websites you visit and other online behavior. When you change it, you make it much harder for online services to build a profile based on your activity.

While there are various ways to change your IP address, a VPN is the easiest and most reliable option. Quality services like ExpressVPN change your IP address instantly by routing your connection through a secure server.

ExpressVPN offers a vast network of worldwide servers, giving you plenty of IP options

While altering your IP address already helps a lot, these tools also enhance privacy in other ways:

• Encryption. VPNs encrypt all data transmitted between your device and the internet, making it unreadable to ISPs, hackers, and other third parties. This ensures not just location privacy but also data privacy.
• Prevention of DNS tracking. By routing your DNS queries through their servers, many VPNs block ISPs from logging the websites you visit.
• Avoids geo-restrictions and network-level monitoring. VPNs can bypass geo-restrictions and local network-level tracking, allowing you to access content without your activity being tied to your true identity.

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2. Connect to a Proxy Server

Next to VPNs, proxies are another way to change your IP address and reduce browser tracking. Your traffic is routed through the proxy’s server, which assigns a different IP address to your connection. This can make it harder for websites and ISPs to directly link your activity to your actual IP address, though it doesn't prevent all forms of tracking.

Proxies hide your IP but don’t protect against deep tracking methods, unlike VPNs

Proxies are easy to set up but require a bit of a learning curve — like configuring settings and choosing the right proxy type (HTTP, SOCKS, etc.). It’s important to note that, unlike VPNs, proxies don’t encrypt your data, which means your activity is still exposed to online threats.

Additionally, proxies only work on specific apps or a user’s browser, whereas a VPN will protect all of your internet traffic, providing more comprehensive security. VPNs can also hide your information from spammers and data thieves, making it much harder for malicious actors to intercept or steal your sensitive data.

3. Use the Tor Network

The Tor network boosts your privacy by sending your browser traffic through multiple servers, hiding your real IP address, and making it much harder for ISPs and websites to track your activities. This unique setup offers strong anonymity, though it can slow down your browsing and may not be as convenient as regular browsing.

Getting started is simple — just download and install the Tor Browser. While it looks similar to standard browsers, it’s designed specifically for privacy. It doesn’t save your browsing history or other data between sessions, ensuring a more private and secure experience by default. Remember that Tor only protects your information and blocks your ISP from tracking your activity while you’re using the browser, not while using other apps.

Tor Browser isn't available on iOS

4. Use Private Search Engines

Conventional search engines, such as Google or Bing, are known for extensive data collection practices. They typically track your searches, associate them with user profiles, and utilize this information for various purposes, including targeted advertising.

In contrast, privacy-focused search engines operate on different principles, prioritizing your anonymity. Options like DuckDuckGo and Startpage are designed to minimize data collection and retention. These search engines generally aim to keep user queries private by not storing personal information or search history.

It also blocks third-party trackers on websites, giving you additional protection

5. Only Access HTTPS Websites

HTTPS encrypts the data exchanged between your browser and websites, making it harder for ISPs and trackers to snoop on your activity. It secures the content of your communications, protects sensitive data like passwords or credit card details, and even prevents your ISP from seeing which specific pages you visit on a site. This makes browsing much safer and more private.

However, HTTPS has its limits. While it hides the content of your activity, your ISP can still see which websites you visit at the domain level (e.g., example.com). It also doesn’t hide metadata, such as when you visit a site or how long you stay. Additionally, it doesn’t block tracking mechanisms like cookies, so websites can still collect data about your behavior. Staying mindful of these limitations is key to enhancing your privacy online.

Most browsers warn you when you’re about to enter an unsecured HTTP website

6. Enable "Do Not Track"

The Do Not Track option is a privacy setting available on most major browsers, such as Chrome, Edge, and Firefox. It sends a request to websites, asking them not to collect or track your browsing data.

When turned on, Do Not Track reduces the chances of your data being used for targeted ads or analytics. However, keep in mind that many websites may still collect data, as the setting is more of a request than a rule.

1. On desktop (Windows and Mac): Go to Settings, click Privacy and security, then Third Party Cookies. Find the Send a "Do Not Track" request with your browsing traffic option and enable the toggle.

Encrypt browser traffic using a VPN for added protection

2. On Android (not available on iPhone and iPad): Go to Settings, tap Privacy and security, and click on the Send a "Do Not Track" request toggle.

Apple has implemented several other privacy-focused features

7. Clean Your Cache and Cookies

Your cache and cookies store information about your online activity, such as login details and site preferences. They can be used to track your behavior across the web.

Clearing them can help stop browser tracking. Beyond privacy, clearing cache and cookies also helps improve browser performance, resolves loading issues, and frees up storage space. However, doing it too often deletes saved logins, and you have to re-enter preferences on frequently visited sites.

Here’s how to clean cache and cookies: This method works on most browsers (like Chrome, Firefox, and Edge) for Windows and Mac. Open History by pressing Ctrl + H or Command + H, and click on Delete browsing data. Check the Cached images and files and click the Delete data button.

You don't have to worry about clearing cache and cookies on privacy-focused browsers

8. Install Anti-Tracking Extensions

A web tracker is typically a script on a website designed to gather data about your behaviors and preferences while browsing the internet. More advanced trackers can go even further, monitoring keystrokes and mouse movements to analyze your interactions in detail within a website.

Anti-tracking browser extensions block trackers from collecting your data while you browse. They stop ads, cookies, and scripts that monitor your activity, giving you a safer and more private browsing experience.

Popular options include Adblock Plus, DuckDuckGo Privacy Essentials, uBlock Origin, Ghostery, and Privacy Badger. Once installed, the extension will automatically block trackers, so you can browse without worrying about who’s watching.

Here’s how to install anti-tracking browser extensions: Open the Chrome Web Store, search for the anti-tracking extension you prefer, and click Add to Chrome.

Choose the anti-tracking extension based on reviews and ratings

9. Manage Site Permissions

Websites often request various permissions when you visit them, such as access to your location, the ability to send notifications, or the use of your camera and microphone. Managing these site permissions is an effective way to control data collection and reduce browser tracking.

To manage site permissions in most modern browsers:

1. Open the website you want to manage.
2. Click on the lock or information icon next to the website's URL in the address bar.
3. Select Site settings or a similar option (the exact wording may vary by browser).
4. Customize the permissions by allowing or blocking specific features.

Privacy-focused browsers like DuckDuckGo often handle permissions differently

It's important to note that while managing permissions can enhance privacy, turning off certain features may affect website functionality. Some sites may not work properly if essential permissions are blocked. Therefore, it's advisable to adjust settings carefully, considering both privacy and usability.

10. Turn Off Ads and Personalized Settings

With global digital advertising spending forecast to hit 694 billion US dollars in 2024³, the amount of ads online and subsequent tracking that comes with it is only increasing. Fortunately, most browsers let you control your ad privacy settings to limit how advertisers track and target you. These settings prevent browsers from storing and sharing data about your browsing habits, helping you reduce tracking and protect your privacy.

By managing these ad preferences, you can opt out of features like interest-based ads or site-suggested topics.

Here’s how to turn off ads on Google Chrome (it’s a similar process on other browsers): Open the settings, click on Privacy and security, and select Ad Privacy. Choose which ad features you’d like to turn on or off.

You can also control ads by managing the in-built privacy settings of your device

What Can Your ISP See?

Your ISP has significant access to your online activity. This ability to track is why many people are increasingly concerned about their online privacy. Here’s a breakdown of what your ISP can and can’t see:

• Websites you visit. ISPs can see the domain names of websites you visit, even when using HTTPS. However, they can’t see specific pages within encrypted sites.
• Search history. If searches are conducted over HTTPS (which most major search engines use by default), ISPs can’t see the specific search queries, only that you visited the search engine.
• Your location. ISPs can determine your general location based on your IP address.
• Downloads and uploads. ISPs can monitor the type of files you download or upload, such as videos, documents, or software, and even the amount of data you transfer.
• Device information. ISPs can identify the devices connected to your network, including smartphones, laptops, and tablets, along with their usage patterns.
• App usage. For mobile devices, ISPs typically can’t see the specific apps you’re using but can identify the servers those apps connect to.
• Online purchases. With the widespread use of HTTPS for e-commerce, ISPs can’t see the details of your purchases — only that you are connected to a shopping website.

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Browser Tracking Examples

Websites are constantly finding ways to monitor your activity, from tracking the pages you visit to collecting data about your device. These methods aren’t always obvious, but they’re happening in the background every time you browse. Let’s explore some common tracking techniques and how you can stop them:

Web Beacons

Web beacons are tiny, invisible images embedded in websites or emails that track your activity. They log when you open an email or visit a webpage, silently building a profile of your online habits.

The simple solution to stopping web beacons is to use privacy-focused browser extensions. You can also turn off automatic image loading in your browser settings to limit their reach.

Server Logs

Every request your browser makes gets recorded in server logs, which can capture details like your IP address, the pages you visit, and even the referral site. Websites use these logs to analyze visitor behavior, often at the cost of your privacy.

Using a VPN or a proxy can hide your actual IP address, making it harder for websites to track you through server logs. Additionally, regularly clearing your browsing history and cookies can help minimize the data available to them.

Browser User Agent

A browser's user agent string is a small piece of information sent to websites that tells them about your browser, operating system, and device type. This allows sites to customize content, like adjusting layouts for mobile or desktop users. However, it can also be used to track you across the web by combining this data with other identifiers.

To protect your privacy, you can use a user agent switcher extension, which randomizes or disguises this information, making it harder to track you. Additionally, keeping your browser updated ensures it includes the latest privacy features, which can limit the amount of data shared with websites.

Browser Fingerprinting

Browser fingerprinting combines data like your screen resolution, installed plugins, and system settings to create a unique profile of your device. This method allows websites to identify you even without cookies.

You can counter fingerprinting by using privacy-focused browsers, which include anti-fingerprinting features. Installing extensions that block fingerprinting scripts and turning off unnecessary browser features can further reduce your exposure.

Pros and Cons of Browser Tracking

You might be surprised, but browser tracking isn’t all bad — it has its pros, too. While it poses risks to your privacy, it can also enhance your online experience. Understanding both sides can help you make informed decisions about your digital footprint.

Pros of Browser Tracking:

• Personalized user experience. Websites can remember your preferences, like language settings and login details, offering a tailored and convenient browsing experience.
• Relevant advertising. Companies can analyze your browsing habits to serve ads that align with your interests, introducing you to useful products or services.
• Improved website functionality. Tracking helps website owners understand user behavior, optimize site performance, and enhance content relevance for better user satisfaction.

Cons of Browser Tracking:

• Privacy invasion. Extensive tracking collects sensitive personal data, often without explicit consent, affecting your privacy.
• Data vulnerability. Information can be breached or sold, exposing you to potential misuse.
• Intrusive ads. Continuous tracking can result in excessive targeted ads, which many users find intrusive and annoying.
• Lack of transparency. Users are often unaware of how much data is collected and how it’s used.
• Potential for discrimination. Targeted data can sometimes lead to discriminatory pricing or content delivery.

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FAQs on Browser Tracking

Can someone see your browsing history on another device?

No, someone on the same network can’t directly view your browsing history on another device. However, the WiFi owner or network administrator can access router logs, which may show websites visited, time spent on sites, and connection timestamps. A VPN can encrypt your activity, preventing such monitoring.

Besides, if someone has physical access to your device, they can view its stored browsing history. Similarly, shared accounts, like a synced Google account, can make history visible across devices. Remote monitoring tools or spyware may also transmit your history to another device.

How long does your ISP keep your browsing history?

The duration varies by location and ISP policies. In Canada, for example, ISPs are required to keep certain customer information for at least 6 months under PIPEDA. In the UK, ISPs store your data for 12 months, and in the EU, for at least 6 months but no longer than 2 years. Some ISPs may retain data for up to 2 years. Using a VPN or other privacy tools can make it harder for ISPs to track and store your browsing history.

Who can see your deleted search and browsing history?

Your ISP can still access your browsing history, even after you delete it from your device. This is because ISPs store this information on their servers. Law enforcement may also be able to recover deleted search history using forensic tools. Encrypting your internet traffic with a VPN can reduce this risk, though it won’t eliminate it completely.

Can ISP track your incognito browsing history?

Yes, incognito mode only stops your browser from saving history locally. ISPs can still track the websites you visit. Combining private search engines with a VPN can help prevent this kind of tracking.

Can my ISP block websites?

Yes, ISPs can block websites for legal, security, or policy reasons using methods like firewalls, DNS filtering, or IP blocking. A VPN can bypass these restrictions by rerouting traffic through a different server.

Can I be tracked when using a VPN?

VPNs greatly reduce tracking by encrypting your traffic and masking your IP address, but tracking isn’t entirely impossible. For the best protection, choose a reputable VPN with strong encryption and a no-logs policy and combine it with the other methods of browser tracking prevention found on this list.

Can I use a free VPN to stop ISP tracking?

Possibly, but it’s not recommended. Free VPNs often lack robust privacy features and may collect and sell your data. It’s a better alternative to use premium VPNs with money-back guarantees, which are more reliable for stopping ISP tracking.

Conclusion

Protecting your privacy online is more important than ever, and the methods I’ve described in this article can help you take control of your digital footprint. By being proactive and mindful of your online activities, you can reduce browser tracking and keep your personal information more secure. Taking these steps empowers you to navigate the internet with greater confidence and peace of mind.

References:

1. https://w3techs.com/technologies/details/ce-cookies
2. https://www.statista.com/statistics/266249/advertising-revenue-of-google/
3. https://www.statista.com/topics/7666/internet-advertising-worldwide/