# GNU IceCat

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GNU IceCat is a web browser that is a fork of Firefox.

## Spyware Level: Not Spyware

GNU IceCat is a fork of Firefox that is more private and secure than Firefox and it contains several privacy-protecting features. IceCat 60 makes no unsolicited connections when you run it. Previous versions had privacy problems, but version 60 doesn't have these problems. You can read about the previous version here: IceCat 59 Review

### IceCat's privacy features

From gnu.org

LibreJS: GNU LibreJS aims to address the JavaScript problem described in Richard Stallman's article The JavaScript Trap.

Https-Everywhere: Extension that encrypts your communications with many major websites, making your browsing more secure.

AboutIceCat: Adds a custom "about:icecat" homepage with links to information about the free software and privacy features in IceCat, and checkboxes to enable and disable the ones more prone to break websites.

Fingerprinting countermeasures: Fingerprinting is a series of techniques allowing to uniquely identify a browser based on specific characteristics of that particular instance (like what fonts are available in that machine). Unlike cookies the user cannot opt-out of being tracked this way, so the browser has to avoid giving away that kind of hints.

As of writing this the information on gnu.org is a little outdated. Read this for the most up to date look at it: GNUzilla — News: IceCat 60.2.0 Pre-release

This article was last edited on 9/18/2018

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