JOIN USVivaldi browser takes on big tech with privacy in focus
Dominant web browsers could be in for a shake-up as a possible giant-killer called Vivaldi, the brainchild of Opera co-founder Jon Stephenson von Tetzchner, positions itself as the next big step in browser customization and online privacy.
The ultra-sleek browser offers more technically adept users the ability to tinker with its interface to create a browser experience suited to their needs, ranging from minimalistic to heavily packed.
Vivaldi’s new update, launched just last week, hones in on something else that has become a hot topic in the online world in recent years — privacy. The new update leaves no stone unturned in ensuring that big tech companies have few ways of prying on much-sought-after user data.
The spanking new version of the app works on all popular operating systems and comes with a baked-in privacy-centric translator from Lingvanex that keeps all typed text out of the hands of Google and other translating apps.
The app also has a host of other privacy features, including a built-in ad and tracker blocker, an option to block annoying cookie banners, an email client that doesn’t let browsers read mails and no support for Google’s Federated Learning of Cohorts (FLoC), a new advertising technology that intends to replace third-party cookies.
Google has been on the radar of many netizens who hold privacy dear as concerns grow about how much data the advertising giant actually harvests from unsuspecting users.
Vivaldi could fill that privacy gap for users with its unique offerings and also comes with some neat features that have not yet been tested on other browsers. It allows multiple pages to be viewed at once, custom shortcut keys, double-decker tabs for those who need them and a functional break mode.
Vivaldi may be the new kid on the block, but its features pack a punch and could inspire other browsers to come up with similar offerings in a privacy-conscious age.