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Comment by Fiveplus | Hacker News Reader

I'm already using Windows and despite me ticking all privacy checks - I am, as such, trusting MS with my data. Might as well switch over to Edge when I need a chromium-based browser. Threads like these move me in inch closer to that decision. (currently default: Firefox and secondary: Brave)

ps: Edge's reader mode and narrator are top-notch.

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Edge synchronization doesn't do end to end encryption for your browsing history or bookmarks (for this reason alone you're actually better off with Chrome). Windows 10 also has a low entropy advertising ID, that via Edge is passed to Bing Ads for ads personalization.

Firefox does not send your unencrypted browsing data to Microsoft and it does not send Windows 10's advertising ID to Bing Ads.

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You may trust Microsoft enough to run Windows 10, but it does not follow that Microsoft already has that data. And giving even more data to a company that already has plenty on you is always unwise.

If you care about privacy or security for that matter, compartmentalization is key.

I hadn't heard about the lack of E2E on Edge's sync, thanks for highlighting it here.

I can definitely see the reasoning. I suppose I'm still debating whether it's good to have all my personal information with only one company or spread around a bit more.

If I was going to plump for one company, Microsoft might not be the worst choice simply because their business model doesn't revolve around monetizing my personal information.

> Microsoft might not be the worst choice simply because their business model doesn't revolve around monetizing my personal information.

Yet they seem intent on collecting as much data as possible.

At least I know some of it will be used in an attempt to make their product's UI better for the user.

Compared to google which continues to make their UI more hostile to users with each iteration.

I don't know why you would assume that Microsoft uses their ill-gotten user information to make their UX better and Google to make theirs worse. Is it just because Microsoft's products' UX cannot be made any worse?

I know right. I don't get it. I would expect a company like Microsoft that makes most of their money selling to businesses would take privacy and security more seriously.

my understanding is that most of the web reports back to Google anyways:(

I mean, sure, but there's plenty of add-ons and filter lists that would make the web stop doing that.

* when I need a chromium-based browser *

Try ungoogled-chromium:

https://github.com/Eloston/ungoogled-chromium

Put uMatrix, HTTPS everywhere

That either requires you to spend hours building it yourself, or trust random people's builds.

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