For Windows, Mac and GNU/Linux

It is not possible to completely remove telemetry from firefox by changing preferences, because telemetry is built-in or hardcoded in the binary installer and executables provided by Mozilla. The ONLY way around is recompiling the source code after removing or altering some parts. This is the main reason why Icecat exists.


GNUzilla is the GNU version of the Mozilla suite, and GNU IceCat is the GNU version of the Firefox browser. Its main advantage is an ethical one: it is entirely free software. While the Firefox source code from the Mozilla project is free software, they distribute and recommend nonfree software as plug-ins and addons.*

We’ve seen that with massive data sets collected through online surveillance, governments and corporations can use their knowledge about us to manipulate public opinion. Highly targeted campaigns using this data, especially those using fake news or hate speech, have driven nations towards decisions that affect global society. The campaign for the Brexit referendum in the UK, Trump's election campaign in the U.S., and Bolsonaro’s election campaigns in Brazil all explicitly used these tactics.**

These are unofficial builds of GNU Icecat. While I made people at GNU well aware of this site and they are OK with it, at same time they cannot endorse it because they cannot verify the source.

*https://www.gnu.org/software/gnuzilla/
**https://blog.torproject.org/tor-in-2023/

Icecat respects the Users

No spyware

The source code of Gnu Icecat is always available to everyone.

No Phone-home

Icecat does not Phone-Home nor contact third parties services.

No Mass-surveillance

It's best for everyone. We fight mass surveillance from companies and governments.


Bundled Extensions

Icecat comes with some preinstalled extensions, in order to protect your privacy and reduce bigdata access to your habits, loving preferences, political views, religion etc.

Here are some examples of Bundled Extensions

Redirects Twitter, YouTube, Instagram and more to privacy friendly alternatives.

Privacy Redirect

Redirects Twitter, YouTube, Instagram and more to privacy friendly alternatives.

Prevent your browser from connecting to third-parties.

Third-party Blocker

Prevents your browser from connecting to third-parties.

Fix CSS related bugs on browsers that don't run non-free Javascript.

Reveal Hidden HTML

Fixes CSS related bugs on browsers that don't run non-free Javascript.

Detects and blocks nonfree nontrivial JavaScript while allowing its execution on pages containing code that is either trivial and/or free.

LibreJS

Detects and blocks nonfree and potentially dangerous JavaScript.

Malicious websites can uniquely identify you through fingerprinting and use other tactics for tracking your activity. JShelter aims to improve the privacy and security of your web browsing.

JShelter

Avoids Fingerprinting, spoofs browser info.

Search Engines


Icecat comes with Duckduckgo.com html version as default search engine. However I invite you to look for and configure SearX or LibreX, now LibreY.

Icecat does NOT replace Tor Browser

Icecat is not a replacement for TorBrowser. If you need to be completely anonymous, then TorBrowser is your best option. Never use a regular browser over Tor/Onion Network as it may very well make things worse. There are though some cases where you configure Icecat with an external tor box like: Here And remember: Disable Javascript whenever possible. LibreJS is just great for that.

News:

:Coming soon .

Comments:

Anonymous at Wed Jul 2 2025:
Why ...

Icecat Browser for ( Mac OS )( Windows 64bit ) ...

Still version 115.23.1 ...
Chip at Wed Jul 2 2025:
Because I feel uncomfortable using either systems.
Consider that I do this on my free time and at my expenses...
Also modern Linux distributions like Debian or Arch have improved a lot in the last few years and they have nothing less (probably more) than windos o mapple. So I invite you to give it a try... maybe on your old laptop. Just watch this if you have time.
John Titor at Thu Jul 3 2025:
Not sure if this is a /me/ issue, but ever since Icecat upgraded to 128esr I've encountered some bugs. None of the options on the "Privacy and Security" tab work, as in trying to click on them does nothing. The Icecat specific settings are not affected by this, but the visual selection of options does not necessarily match the actual state of a settings. I.e. the "Disable Javascript" box might be on, but JS will still be loaded. I'm on Artix Linux, package installed from the AUR.
Chip at Thu Jul 3 2025:
I see. I can confirm having the same or at least some of the settings are not responsive. Both builds on AUR and on this site depend on https://git.savannah.gnu.org/cgit/gnuzilla.git/tree/makeicecat
I saw that there is a new version 128.12 I will try to build that and if the problem is not solved i will ask for help on the official mailing list: https://lists.gnu.org/archive/html/gnuzilla-dev/. Thank you for reporting.
Charlieplate at Fri Jul 4 2025:
Ողջույն, ես ուզում էի իմանալ ձեր գինը.
Chippy at Fri Jul 4 2025:
Hey, my bill is nothing fancy, just a vpn on Hetzner, thank you for your interest.
at Sun Jul 20 2025:
Digirookie at Wed Jul 9 2025:
Hello!

Is this Icecat browser different from the GNUzilla IceCat found here - https://www.gnu.org/software/gnuzilla/

There is a note on here that GNU/ IceCat have not endorsed this build because they cannot verify the source. But you have published your source code right here for anyone to access it, so what does it mean that they cannot verify the source? Do you mean that they have not taken it upon themselves to audit the source code officially?

Also, if GNU has not verified the code, then is there anyone else who have independently verified your build and can endorse it?

Thank you for your work and dedication!
Chippy at Wed Jul 9 2025:
These builds are made with source code at https://www.gnu.org/software/gnuzilla/. Nothing is changed from that code. The problem was about being 100% honest and try not to look like GNU while I'm not a GNU employee. I've been working on Icecat together with GNU and on one occasion we've been talking about me distributing binaries: https://lists.gnu.org/archive/html/gnuzilla-dev/2023-10/msg00013.html. I think it's fair, though on the other hand GNU does not distribute binaries, so I'm trying to fill that gap with this project. I wish some third party could audit the binaries I distribute with this website, if not else, just to have someone else saying that Icecat does what it says on the tin.
Chippy

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