Strengthening Your Privacy on Google Chrome OS: A Guide to Blocking Tracking

Google Chrome OS is a lightweight and efficient operating system, best known for its integration with Google’s services. However, it has been frequently criticized for compromising user privacy. For those looking to enhance their online security while using a Chromebook, implementing a custom DNS solution is a crucial step. This article explains how to effectively block Google tracking at the operating system level using NextDNS.

Setting Up Your NextDNS Account: A Step-by-Step Guide

To block Google’s tracking, the first step is to implement DNS over HTTPS by creating a NextDNS account. NextDNS is a robust tool that enables users to manage their online privacy by blocking trackers and providing additional security features like parental controls and ad filtering. Here’s how to get started:

1. Create Your Account: Navigate to the NextDNS official website. Click on the "Sign Up" button and follow the prompts to set up your new account. This account will allow you to customize NextDNS settings as per your privacy requirements.

Configuring NextDNS to Block Google Tracking

Once you’ve registered for a NextDNS account, it’s time to configure the settings to activate tracking protection.

1. Access Privacy Settings: Log into your NextDNS dashboard and click on the "Privacy" tab.
2. Enable Trackers Blocklist: Under “NextDNS Ads & Trackers Blocklist,” find the "Add a Blocklist" button. This will allow you to choose from a variety of available blocklists.
3. Add Necessary Filters: While the default blocklist is activated, you should add additional filters like "EasyPrivacy," "notracking," and "AdGuard Tracking Protection" to strengthen your privacy settings.

Exploring Additional Blocklists

Enabling these filters should greatly enhance your privacy on Chrome OS. However, if you want even more control over your web experience, explore the variety of additional blocklists available within the NextDNS interface.

Pro Tip for Enhanced Privacy

As Google continuously finds ways to limit ad blockers in Chrome, consider adding extra blocklists to maintain your privacy.

Managing Allowlists and Denylists

Allow lists: If you ever find that a website or service you need is being blocked by NextDNS, you can easily add it to your “Allowlist.” Simply log into your account, select “Allowlist,” and input the domain(s) you want to whitelist.

Deny lists: Conversely, if you encounter harmful IPs slipping through the filters, you can manually block them by adding their domains to your “Denylist.”

Setting Up Chrome OS with NextDNS: A Layer of Protection at the OS Level

To ensure that NextDNS works effectively within Chrome OS, follow these steps to enable it in the system settings:

1. Access Chrome OS Settings: Click on the clock in the Chrome OS panel and select the gear icon to open the "Settings".
2. Navigate to Security and Privacy: In the sidebar, choose “Security and Privacy”, followed by scrolling down to the “Use secure DNS” section.
3. Configure Secure DNS: Change the setting to “Custom” in the dropdown menu.

1. Extract the NextDNS URL: Go back to your NextDNS dashboard. In the “Setup” section, locate the “Endpoints” area and copy the URL for DNS-over-HTTPS.
2. Finalize Setup: Return to Chrome OS settings and paste the URL into the “Use secure DNS” field. By doing this, you will have set NextDNS as your default DNS provider, effectively enhancing your privacy on your Chromebook.

Conclusion

By implementing NextDNS, you add a critical layer of privacy and security to your browsing experience on Google Chrome OS. Not only does it help in blocking tracking, but it also gives you the flexibility to customize your web experience based on your needs. With the increasing concerns regarding privacy and data protection, following these steps will ensure that you’re taking proactive measures to safeguard your online presence.

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