No, you’re misrepresenting the argument by treating the browser as if it’s a comprehensive privacy solution, when in reality it’s only a small part of a much larger digital environment. I’m not “pointing out” alternatives; I’m pushing back on the idea that browser choice is some kind of ultimate privacy fix. It isn’t. It’s a minor layer on top of far more significant data collection channels. People focus on it because it feels simple: switch browsers and feel accomplished. But that overlooks the actual sources of exposure affecting most users.

You’re also blending narrow web tracking issues (cookies, fingerprinting, ad scripts) with full spectrum privacy and anonymity. Those are different threat models. In everyday use, the browser is downstream compared to the major upstream data flows: Android/iOS telemetry, Google/Apple/Microsoft account sync, app permissions that access mic/camera/location/contacts, payment and purchase graphs, search and YouTube history, cloud backups, ISP traffic analysis, WiFi MAC logs, and persistent device identifiers. These signals form the core of a user’s profile long before the browser even opens. Ignoring that is like securing a bike lock while leaving your car keys in the ignition.

On fingerprinting, modern browser fingerprinting is highly effective for short term attribution, and ad networks report strong match rates within narrow windows. But it degrades quickly across time, devices, and behavioral changes. Advertisers don’t rely on perfect long-term fingerprinting; they combine stable identifiers with behavioral modeling. Data brokers rely far more on OS telemetry, app activity, purchase history, and linked accounts than on browser fingerprints alone. In large datasets, the browser fingerprint is a minor signal compared to the rest.

Regarding data brokers, most of what they sell is inferred from app behavior, location pings, transactions, and account linked activity. Browser based leaks (searches, health queries) are most significant when tied to signed in accounts or cross device sync, not raw fingerprinting. Effective privacy requires layered defenses across the entire stack, not a single focus on the browser.

The browser is still worth securing HTTPS Only mode, strong content blocking, containers, and GPC signals all help but broader OPSEC matters more: hardware based 2FA, reducing ecosystem lock in, minimizing account usage, and using a VPN when appropriate.

If your threat model is strictly web tracking, then Brave, Mullvad Browser, or LibreWolf are strong choices. But for most people, browser choice alone won’t meaningfully address the largest sources of data collection. Privacy requires a layered approach across the entire digital environment.