According to Windows Report | Error-free Tech Life, a new report by iGaming software provider Digitain analyzed 13 popular browsers and found major privacy flaws. The analysis gave OpenAI’s new ChatGPT Atlas browser a near-maximum Privacy Risk Score of 99 out of 100, failing every state partitioning test and scoring just 1 for anti-fingerprinting and 0 for tracker blocking. Google Chrome ranked as the second-worst browser with a risk score of 76, also scoring zero for blocking trackers. Microsoft Edge, Vivaldi, and Opera followed closely behind with limited data collection protections. In contrast, Brave and Mullvad browsers offered the best privacy protections by successfully blocking trackers and minimizing fingerprinting.
The AI browser privacy problem
Here’s the thing about these new AI-powered browsers like ChatGPT Atlas: they’re built on a fundamental conflict. AI systems, by their very nature, are data-hungry. They need vast datasets to function and to learn. So when you build a browser around an AI, you’re essentially creating a tool that has a vested interest in gathering information. Digitain’s digital marketing lead, Paruyr Harutyunyan, hit the nail on the head warning that AI features don’t automatically mean safer browsing. In fact, it seems like the opposite is true. The report suggests that for all their futuristic convenience, these browsers are trading away core privacy protections. They’re failing at basic stuff like partitioning, which lets websites track you across sessions. That’s pretty bad.
chrome-and-edge-the-tracking-status-quo”>Chrome and Edge: the tracking status quo
Now, the fact that Chrome and Edge scored so poorly? That shouldn’t be a huge surprise, but it’s still disappointing. These are the default browsers for most people. Google and Microsoft are advertising giants. Their business models are fundamentally built on understanding user behavior to serve targeted ads. So a browser from Google scoring zero on tracker blocking? That’s not a bug; it’s a feature. It’s baked into the product’s DNA. The report shows they made some moderate improvements in preventing browser identification, but that’s like putting a small bandage on a gaping wound. The core data collection engine is still running wide open. If you’re using Chrome or Edge, you are the product being sold to advertisers. It’s that simple.
Where privacy actually lives
So where should you go if you care about this stuff? The report clearly points to browsers like Brave and Mullvad. These are tools built from the ground up with a “privacy-first” philosophy. They aggressively block trackers and use techniques to make your browser fingerprint look like everyone else’s, which makes you harder to single out and follow across the web. It’s a completely different approach. They’re not trying to build an AI profile on you; they’re trying to make you invisible to the trackers. The takeaway is pretty stark: the smartest upgrade for privacy right now isn’t the flashy new AI assistant. It’s switching to a browser whose primary goal is to protect you, not profile you. You can read the full analysis from the source at Digitain.
