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Privacy Badger

A tracker blocker from the EFF that learns which third parties track you as you browse.

Reviewed by Xplorekit's independent developer · Last checked · How we choose

Add to Chrome Free · Open source · Chrome Web Store

Why it's a strong pick

Privacy Badger is published by the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF), a nonprofit. It is free and open source under GPL v3 or later, and it needs no filter lists to set up. It learns from what it sees as you browse. The trade-off: it blocks little at first, and it is not a full ad blocker.

What it does

Privacy Badger looks for tracking behaviour: third-party cookies, HTML5 local-storage "supercookies" and canvas fingerprinting. According to the EFF, once a third party is seen tracking you on three sites, Privacy Badger blocks it. The learning stays in your browser, and the EFF says it never sees any of your personal information.

Key features

  • Learns as you browse. It builds its own picture of which third parties track you, rather than relying on a fixed list.
  • Looks for known tracking methods. Third-party cookies, local-storage supercookies and canvas fingerprinting.
  • Sends opt-out signals. It sends Global Privacy Control and Do Not Track, and learns to block trackers that ignore them.
  • Google link protection. An EFF post from 2023 says newer versions stop Google rewriting the links you click.
  • Free and open source. GPL v3 or later, with the code on GitHub.
  • Regular releases. The latest repo release we saw is 2026.9.15, dated 15 September 2026.

Who it's for

Privacy Badger suits people who want tracker blocking without managing filter lists, and who are happy to let it learn over time. It does not replace an ad blocker. If you want ads gone, pair it with one, such as uBlock Origin Lite or AdGuard AdBlocker. It also does not hide your IP address, so it complements a VPN rather than replacing one.

How does Privacy Badger decide what to block?

It watches third parties as you browse. The EFF says that when a third party is seen tracking you on three different sites, Privacy Badger starts blocking it. It looks for third-party cookies, local-storage supercookies and canvas fingerprinting. Because it learns this way, it blocks little when you first install it.

Is Privacy Badger an ad blocker?

No. The EFF says it does not block ads unless they track you, and calls it more of a privacy tool than a strict ad blocker. You may still see plenty of ads, especially at first. For ads, compare the picks in our Adblock Plus alternatives guide.

Does Privacy Badger work with Manifest V3?

We can only say what the sources show. Release notes for version 2026.2.20 say Chromium blocking was improved and mention "limitations in Manifest V3 Chromium" that sometimes failed to block domains. The manifest in the project's repository is still Manifest V2, so we cannot say how the store build is packaged. Our Manifest V3 guide explains the wider change.

What permissions does Privacy Badger ask for?

Check the install prompt before you add it. The repository manifest lists access to all sites plus alarms, cookies, privacy, scripting, storage, tabs, webNavigation and webRequest, and the EFF says it needs access to all sites to detect and block trackers. The store build may differ from the repository, so the prompt is the source to trust.

FAQ

Is Privacy Badger free? Yes. It is free and open source under GPL v3 or later.

Does it send signals to sites? Yes. It sends Global Privacy Control and Do Not Track, according to the EFF.

What else can I use? See Ghostery and DuckDuckGo Search & Tracker Protection.

Good to know

Privacy Badger learns slowly. After a fresh install it blocks little, then improves as you browse. It is not a full ad blocker, so pair it with one if you want ads gone.

Other vpn & privacy tools to compare

Privacy Badger is one of 12 picks in our VPN & Privacy Tools guide, which compares them side by side and explains how to choose. The other picks:

  • ExpressVPN: A browser extension with two modes: a browser-only proxy, or a remote for the ExpressVPN desktop app. It needs a subscription.
  • NordVPN: A proxy extension that routes your browser traffic through NordVPN. It needs a NordVPN subscription.
  • Proton VPN: A browser VPN extension from Proton AG, the company behind Proton Mail. It has a free plan and covers browser traffic only.
  • Surfshark VPN: A lightweight Surfshark extension that protects browser traffic and adds ad, tracker and breach-alert tools. The 7-day trial needs payment details first.
  • Ghostery: An open-source tracker and ad blocker that also removes cookie pop-ups and shows tracker info for each site.
  • DuckDuckGo Search & Tracker Protection: Tracker blocking and HTTPS upgrades from DuckDuckGo. It also makes DuckDuckGo your default search engine.
  • I Still Don't Care About Cookies: An open-source community fork that removes cookie banners on most sites. It hides or accepts them. It does not reject them.
  • ZeroOmega: Open-source proxy switcher for proxies you supply. Not a VPN: it provides no servers.
  • FoxyProxy: Open-source proxy switcher with per-site rules for proxies you supply. Not a VPN: it provides no servers.
  • JShelter: Browser privacy hardening: limits what sites can read from your browser APIs and helps against fingerprinting. Not a VPN and does not hide your IP address. Open source.
  • NoScript: An open-source script blocker that stops JavaScript, embedded objects and media until you allow a site.

Collection: Best Chrome extensions for privacy

This is a third-party extension, not built or maintained by Xplorekit. We link to the official Chrome Web Store listing — install and permissions are entirely between you and the extension's own publisher.