Browsers
Basilisk Browser privacy rating
Desktop browser built on the Unified XUL Platform (UXP) and Goanna engine, a fork of Mozilla's older code base. Keeps support for NPAPI plugins and XUL extensions.
Summary
Basilisk Browser scores 50 out of 100 (grade D) on the browsers criteria. It meets 4 of 8 criteria: open source, no trackers or telemetry, no ads or data sales and no calls to big-tech services. It does not meet independent audit, blocks trackers by default, fingerprinting protection and timely security updates.
Score 50 out of 100. How scoring works
Criteria
- Yes
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Yes
No trackers or telemetry Weight 3 of 3
Are the website and apps free of third-party trackers, with any analytics anonymous and any telemetry off by default?
No analytics or telemetry are collected. The only default third-party service is IP-based geolocation when a site requests it.
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Yes
No ads or data sales Weight 2 of 3
Is the product funded without advertising, ad targeting or selling user data?
No ads and no data sales. Funded by donations.
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No
Independent audit Weight 2 of 3
Has an independent security or privacy audit been published within the last three years?
No independent audit is published.
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No
Blocks trackers by default Weight 3 of 3
Are third-party trackers blocked by default, without installing extensions?
No built-in tracker blocking. Requires add-ons.
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No
Fingerprinting protection Weight 2 of 3
Does the browser defend against fingerprinting by default?
Not configured to resist fingerprinting out of the box.
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Yes
No calls to big-tech services Weight 2 of 3
Does the browser work without background connections to Google, Microsoft or Apple services?
The listed default third-party services do not include Google, Microsoft or Apple.
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No
Timely security updates Weight 3 of 3
Are security fixes from the upstream engine shipped quickly and automatically?
Releases come roughly monthly on the forked UXP platform, with Mozilla security fixes ported selectively, so fixes can lag weeks.