My Dad Installed a Privacy Paranoia Starter Pack
My retired IT-support dad took one look at my browser and apparently decided it was an unsecured submarine. His solution was to install a collection of privacy extensions, tracker blockers, script blockers, password managers, and VPNs.
Some are useful. Some overlap. A few are probably unnecessary for ordinary browsing. And installing two VPNs does not make you twice as safe—it mostly makes your computer confused.
This is my non-expert guide to what each extension does, whether I need it, and what I would keep.
The privacy toolbox
| Extension | What it does | Keep, remove, or reconsider? |
|---|---|---|
| Startpage | A private search engine that returns Google-based results without directly creating a personal search profile. Its privacy extension can also show tracker information and block some trackers. | Optional. Useful if you prefer Startpage, but its search function is redundant with DuckDuckGo. |
| NoScript | Blocks JavaScript and other active web content unless a site or domain is trusted. This can reduce attack surface and tracking, but it can also make websites partially or completely break. | Advanced optional. Keep if you are willing to learn it. Otherwise, it may create more frustration than protection. |
| uBlock Origin | A broad content blocker that blocks advertisements, trackers, malicious domains, and some scripts using filter lists. | Keep. This is the most generally useful browser extension on the list. Make sure it is the genuine extension by Raymond Hill. |
| DuckDuckGo | Provides DuckDuckGo search and adds tracker, cookie, link-tracking, and related privacy protections. | Optional. Good if you want DuckDuckGo, but it overlaps with uBlock Origin, Disconnect, and Startpage’s privacy features. |
| Disconnect | Blocks known advertising, analytics, social-media, and fingerprinting trackers and can show what a page is trying to load. | Probably remove or disable. Firefox already uses Disconnect-maintained tracking lists for built-in Enhanced Tracking Protection, and uBlock Origin overlaps with much of its blocking. cite[addons.mozilla][support.mozilla] |
| Decentraleyes | Attempts to replace requests to certain large content-delivery networks with locally stored copies of common web libraries. | Usually remove. It is a specialized and limited tool, and uBlock Origin or modern browser privacy protections may make it unnecessary. It can also cause compatibility problems. cite[chromewebstore.google][privacyinternational] |
| FoxyProxy | Manages proxy profiles and routes browser traffic through a selected proxy server. | Remove if unused. Without a proxy service and configuration, it provides no useful protection. A proxy is also not the same thing as a VPN. |
| CanvasBlocker | Modifies or blocks canvas-based browser fingerprinting, which websites can use to help recognize a browser. | Probably remove initially. Firefox has built-in fingerprinting protections, and extra fingerprinting defenses can make a browser more unusual rather than less identifiable. |
| Port Authority | Blocks attempts by websites to use browser requests to scan local computer or network ports; it also targets certain tracking scripts. | Optional, but niche. It is not a normal ad blocker or antivirus. Keep it only if you understand its alerts and are comfortable allowing sites when something breaks. cite[blog.mozilla][github] |
| Proton Pass | Stores and fills passwords, passkeys, usernames, and possibly two-factor authentication codes, depending on how you use it. | Keep if you are using it. A reputable password manager is more valuable than most of the tracker-blocking duplicates. |
| ProtonVPN | Encrypts traffic between your device and Proton’s VPN servers and hides your normal IP address from websites. | Keep one VPN. Use either ProtonVPN or Private Internet Access, not both at the same time. |
| Private Internet Access | Another VPN service that routes traffic through its own VPN servers. | Choose one. Uninstall or disable it if ProtonVPN is now your VPN. |
The browser store describes uBlock Origin as an advanced content-blocking tool, while DuckDuckGo describes its extension as combining private search with tracker and cookie protections. Those are legitimate features, but they explain why installing both can produce overlapping controls. cite[chromewebstore.google][addons.mozilla]
The biggest redundancies
Startpage versus DuckDuckGo
You do not need both search engines installed as extensions. Pick the one you prefer:
- Choose Startpage if you like Google-style results and want Startpage as your search provider.
- Choose DuckDuckGo if you prefer its search interface and want its additional tracker and link protections.
You can still visit the other search engine manually. The browser does not become meaningfully safer just because both extensions are installed.
uBlock Origin versus Disconnect
These overlap substantially. Firefox’s built-in Enhanced Tracking Protection already blocks many social trackers, cross-site cookies, fingerprinting scripts, cryptominers, and tracking content, using lists supplied in part by Disconnect. cite[support.mozilla]
My practical choice would be:
- Keep Firefox’s Enhanced Tracking Protection set to Strict, if websites you use continue to work.
- Keep uBlock Origin.
- Remove or disable Disconnect unless you specifically value its visual tracker map.
NoScript versus uBlock Origin
This is the controversial one, and I understand why Dad was adamant. NoScript is more aggressive: it lets you decide which sites may run JavaScript and other active content. That can be powerful protection, but modern websites rely heavily on scripts, so NoScript often requires per-site troubleshooting.
uBlock Origin already blocks many unwanted scripts and tracking domains without requiring the same level of manual approval. A privacy configuration guide describes NoScript as redundant with uBlock Origin for many users. cite[github]
A reasonable compromise is:
- Keep uBlock Origin for everyday browsing.
- Keep NoScript only if Dad—or I—can explain how it is configured and you are willing to learn its per-site permissions.
- If websites constantly fail, disable NoScript temporarily and see whether it is the cause.
NoScript is not inherently bad. It is more like a manual security gate than a “set it and forget it” privacy switch.
The VPN situation
You currently have ProtonVPN and Private Internet Access. You only need one active VPN.
Running two VPN applications or extensions simultaneously can cause:
- Connection failures.
- Slower speeds.
- Incorrect IP or DNS behavior.
- Difficulty figuring out which company is handling your traffic.
- Conflicts between kill switches, routing rules, or VPN protocols.
Since you are already using ProtonVPN, I would disable Private Internet Access first rather than immediately deleting it. Use ProtonVPN for a week, confirm that your normal sites work, and then uninstall PIA if you no longer need it.
Also remember what a VPN does not do: it does not stop websites from recognizing you when you log into your accounts, does not replace a password manager, and does not make phishing links safe. It mainly changes who can observe your network connection and which IP address websites see.
What happened to Mullvad?
Your dad may have been looking for the wrong thing. Mullvad does offer a Mullvad Browser Extension, but it is currently described as a beta extension for Firefox-based browsers, and it is not itself a VPN application. Mullvad says the extension works with Firefox and other Firefox-based browsers, but not Chrome or Chromium-based browsers. cite[mullvad][mullvad]
Mullvad also offers Mullvad Browser, a separate privacy-focused browser developed with the Tor Project. It comes with uBlock Origin and NoScript integrated into its privacy design. cite[mullvad][mullvad]
You should not install Mullvad Browser merely because it sounds more private. It would give you another browser to maintain, and you already have a fairly aggressive privacy setup. If you use it, use it as a separate browser—not alongside a pile of duplicate extensions without understanding which protections are active.
My sensible setup
For a normal privacy-conscious person, I would start here:
- Keep: uBlock Origin.
- Keep: Proton Pass.
- Keep: ProtonVPN, if you want a VPN.
- Choose one: Startpage or DuckDuckGo.
- Disable first: Disconnect, Decentraleyes, CanvasBlocker, and Private Internet Access.
- Keep only if desired: NoScript and Port Authority.
- Remove: FoxyProxy, since you have no proxy service or credentials.
After disabling the extras, browse normally for several days. If nothing important breaks and you do not miss a feature, uninstall them. Disabling first is safer than deleting immediately because you can restore an extension if a particular website depends on it.
I would not add more extensions right now. More extensions do not automatically mean more privacy; they create more code, more permissions, more maintenance, and more chances for conflicts. The best next improvement is probably not another add-on—it is unique passwords in Proton Pass, multi-factor authentication on important accounts, automatic browser updates, and cautious handling of links and downloads.
Addendum: Dad’s “Use Them Only When Needed” Plan
After reviewing Dad’s instructions more carefully, I think I understand the strategy: keep several privacy tools installed, use Private Browsing for sensitive or temporary sessions, allow only selected extensions to operate there, and turn the VPN or search-related tools on and off when a website behaves strangely.
That plan is partly sensible—but one important distinction got lost: Private Browsing is mainly about what your own browser saves locally. It is not an anonymity mode. It does not hide your IP address from websites, your activity from your internet provider, or your identity from websites where you log in. cite[support.mozilla][support.mozilla]
What Private Browsing actually changes
Private Browsing or Incognito Mode generally prevents the browser from retaining ordinary history, cookies, and site data after the private session closes. It is useful when:
- You do not want a shared computer saving your browsing history.
- You want to test a website without using existing cookies.
- You want to separate a temporary login or shopping session from your normal browser profile.
- You want to troubleshoot whether an extension or saved cookie is breaking a site.
It does not protect against:
- The website itself recording activity.
- Your internet provider seeing network connections.
- Malware or keyloggers on the computer.
- A VPN provider seeing that your device connected to its service.
- A website identifying you after you sign in.
- Someone monitoring a work, school, or managed network.
Firefox explicitly says that Private Browsing does not mask your IP address or make you anonymous. cite[support.mozilla]
Why most extensions “disappear”
Dad’s observation is probably accurate: extensions are often disabled in private windows unless you explicitly authorize them.
In Firefox, each extension has a separate Run in Private Windows setting. Extensions are not enabled there by default, and you must grant permission individually. cite[support.mozilla]
In Chrome, extensions are also not automatically allowed in Incognito. You can enable an extension by opening chrome://extensions, selecting Details, and turning on Allow in Incognito. cite[support.google]
This is a privacy safeguard, not a malfunction. An extension that can read or modify website data in an ordinary window may be able to do similar things in a private window if you grant it access.
Which extensions should run privately?
A cautious setup would be:
| Extension | Allow in Private/Incognito? | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| uBlock Origin | Yes, if you use it | Blocks ads, trackers, and malicious content in the private session. |
| Proton Pass | Yes, if needed | Lets you sign in without manually copying passwords. Only allow it if you trust the computer and the browser profile. |
| NoScript | Optional | It can provide stricter script control, but it may make sites difficult to use. |
| ProtonVPN | Usually not relevant as a browser extension setting | A full-device VPN app generally applies independently of whether the browser window is private. |
| DuckDuckGo | Optional | Useful if you specifically want its search or tracker features, but it overlaps with uBlock Origin. |
| Startpage | Optional | Choose it as a search engine if you prefer it; there is no need to run both Startpage and DuckDuckGo protections. |
| Disconnect | No need | It substantially overlaps with Firefox’s built-in protections and uBlock Origin. |
| Decentraleyes | No need | Specialized, limited, and generally not necessary for ordinary private browsing. |
| CanvasBlocker | Usually no | Extra anti-fingerprinting measures can create compatibility problems and are not essential for most people. |
| Port Authority | Optional | Niche protection against browser-based port scanning; not essential for ordinary browsing. |
| FoxyProxy | No | You have no proxy profile or credentials, so it has nothing useful to route through. |
| Private Internet Access | No, if ProtonVPN is your chosen VPN | Do not run two VPN services together. |
The most sensible “private window” core is therefore uBlock Origin, plus Proton Pass only when you actually need it, with NoScript as an advanced choice.
The VPN advice needs a small correction
Dad is right that switching a VPN off can sometimes help a website load. Some sites block known VPN addresses, impose additional verification, or behave differently when your apparent location changes.
But “use the VPN intermittently for privacy” is not quite the same as “use it only when a website breaks.” A VPN protects the connection only while it is active. If you want your traffic protected on public Wi-Fi, for example, turning the VPN on only after something goes wrong defeats that purpose.
A practical routine would be:
- Use one VPN, such as ProtonVPN.
- Leave it on when using public Wi-Fi or when you specifically want your network traffic routed through the VPN.
- If a trusted site fails, try a different VPN server first.
- If that does not work, temporarily disconnect the VPN for that site.
- Reconnect it afterward if you still want VPN protection.
Do not keep ProtonVPN and Private Internet Access active together. Choose one service and remove or disable the other.
The search-engine advice makes sense
Search engines can be changed whenever a site or search result behaves badly, but installing both Startpage and DuckDuckGo is unnecessary. Pick one as your everyday search engine and use the other as a backup.
A simple arrangement is:
- Everyday search: Startpage or DuckDuckGo.
- Backup: Visit the other manually if results are poor.
- Privacy filtering: Let uBlock Origin handle general content and tracker blocking.
DuckDuckGo’s extension combines private search with tracker and cookie protections, while Startpage is primarily useful as a privacy-oriented search engine. Their search functions overlap, so alternating between them is a preference or troubleshooting choice—not a requirement for security. cite[chromewebstore.google][duckduckgo]
Does this change the original recommendation?
Yes, slightly. Dad’s conditional approach explains why he installed more tools than he expected you to run simultaneously. Still, keeping every extension installed creates complexity and permissions that you may never use.
My revised recommendation is:
- Keep and use: uBlock Origin, Proton Pass, and one VPN.
- Keep if you are willing to learn it: NoScript.
- Choose one: Startpage or DuckDuckGo.
- Use only for a specific reason: Port Authority.
- Disable and test before removing: Disconnect, Decentraleyes, CanvasBlocker, and Private Internet Access.
- Remove: FoxyProxy.
- Do not add: another VPN or another tracker blocker right now.
The key idea is that Private Browsing, a VPN, and privacy extensions solve different problems. Private Browsing limits local browser records; a VPN changes how your network traffic is routed; blockers and NoScript control what webpages can load. Using all three can be reasonable, but none of them is a magic invisibility cloak—and stacking several overlapping extensions may make websites harder to use without providing proportional extra protection.
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