Stage 3: Ripping you off · Browser

Ads, fees, dark patterns, and worse defaults as incentives tilt from pleasing users toward harvesting value.

Safari
3

A fast, private-by-default browser, protected on iPhone by rules that force every rival to run on Safari’s engine.

Browser Tool Since 2003
Google Chrome
3

Dominant Chromium default—fast and compatible, tightly coupled to Google accounts, sync, and the ads ecosystem that funds the web’s biggest funnel.

Browser Tool Since 2008
Microsoft Edge
3

A capable Chromium browser wrapped in Microsoft's funnel: Bing and Copilot defaults, a sponsored news feed, shopping prompts, and nagging to stay.

Browser Tool Since 2015