Internet privacy is a hot topic, and for good reason. Websites often use trackers to collect data on your browsing habits, sometimes without you even knowing it. Luckily, Safari has a feature called Privacy Report to help you understand and control who’s watching you online. Let’s explore what this report is all about and how you can get it working on your Mac.
what is safari’s privacy report?
The Privacy Report in Safari is basically a tracker traffic cop. It gives you a rundown of the cross-site trackers that Safari has blocked from profiling you as you browse. This report shows you how Safari is working to protect your privacy by stopping these trackers in their tracks. Safari is actively working in the background to protect you from these types of trackers, and the privacy report is your way of seeing what exactly is being stopped. It’s worth noting that Safari is expected to block tracking from platforms like Google Analytics too.
how to check the privacy report
There are a couple of ways to get to the privacy report in Safari, lets explore them.
Method 1: Enable the Privacy Report on the Safari Start Page
This is the most effective way to stay informed about your privacy, as the report will always be on display when you open a new tab.
- Open Safari on your Mac, then find the settings icon at the bottom right of the start page (looks like a toggle or sliders).
- In the menu, click the check box next to “Privacy Report” to switch it on.
Once it’s enabled, the Privacy Report will update on your homepage, showing the stats for the last week. Click on it to see a deeper dive into the data.
The detailed report is broken into the “Websites” and “Trackers” tabs so you can see your data from both angles. The “Websites” tab will show you a list of the sites you’ve visited and how many trackers were blocked on each.
If you switch to the “Trackers” tab you can see each individual cross-site tracker that has been blocked, the companies behind them, and how many different sites those trackers tried to profile you on.
Method 2: Manually Check the Privacy Report
If you don’t want the Privacy Report always showing on your homepage, this is how to access the report when you choose.
- When Safari is open, click “Safari” from the menu bar at the top of your screen.
- In the dropdown menu, select “Privacy Report”.
This will display the Privacy Report in its own window, giving you all the same data about trackers as when it’s on your homepage.
How to manage the privacy report icon in the toolbar
By default, after you update to macOS Big Sur, Safari has a privacy report icon in the toolbar. It’s a great way to quickly see how many trackers are being blocked on your current webpage. If you click the icon, more details pop up, and you can get info specific to the current page by clicking “Trackers on This Webpage”.
If you want to remove it or move it around on the toolbar, here’s how:
- Click “View” on the top menu bar.
- Select “Customize Toolbar” from the dropdown menu.
To get rid of the icon entirely: drag it out of the toolbar and drop it back into the customization menu. When you are done, click “Done” to save your changes.
To move it, drag the Privacy Report icon to wherever you want it on the toolbar. Again, click “Done” to save your changes once you’ve arranged everything to your liking.
