Developing Privacy Extensions: Is it Advocacy through the Web Browser?

In 2015, Edward Snowden recommended that ordinary citizens use adblocking software and an encryption-oriented privacy extension for their web browser to protect against surveillance. This paper critically explores how the development of browsers can be situated in relation advocacy. Privacy advocates are individuals who act on behalf citizenry speak governments corporations about our data collected processed. While revelations began 2013 Cambridge Analytica scandal broke 2018, extensions remain underexplored literature shares findings from ethnographically informed interviews conducted with thirty developers other knowledgeable experts created twenty-six named extensions. The explored included anti-tracking, hypertext transfer protocol secure (HTTPS), policy password-related functionalities. Although imperfect set tools privacy, we argue production this demonstrates array advocacy strategies. scaffolded upon previous resistance moves surveillance by individuals, while also sometimes intersecting traditional expanded notions collective action digital age.