QQ Browser: Here's what you need to know
Check all the available information before installing the QQ Browser
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Key notes
- When it comes to web browsers, people usually use several major ones.
- QQ Browser is a lesser-known browser, especially in the western market.
- Today, we’ll check it out and see what it can do and if you should use it.
There are all sorts of browsers on the market, and while Chrome and Firefox dominate the western market, QQ Browser has gained massive popularity in China.
So, what is the QQ Browser, how does it work, and what features does it have? So, today we’re going to try to answer all these questions.
Is QQ spyware?
It is known that Tencent has been caught spying on users’ web browsing history with QQ Messenger.
Yes, you heard correctly, QQ Messenger, a popular Chinese instant messaging app by Tencent, was caught scraping web browser history with their desktop client.
So, you can say it is spyware if you want to put it like that. However, facts speak for themselves, and many have stopped using the QQ browser immediately.
What is QQ Browser, and should I use it?
1. What is QQ Browser?
QQ Browser was first released in November 2000 by Tencent and was called Tencent Explorer. What makes this browser unique is the fact that it uses two engines, WebKit and Trident.
QQ Browser is available on all major platforms, including macOS, iOS, Android, Windows, and Linux.
The browser is available for download from the official website, but you might have minor difficulties navigating it since it is in Chinese.
2. Is QQ Browser safe?
According to users, both Windows and Android versions of QQ Browser seem to transmit your data to the QQ without encryption or by using weak encryption.
The Android version sends the user’s IMEI, IMSI, nearby Wi-Fi access points, visited URLs, Android ID, and search queries.
The Windows version sends the list of visited websites, hard drive serial number, MAC address, and machine hostname to QQ servers.
In addition, the software updating process has vulnerabilities on Android and Windows versions that can be exploited easily.
3. What are good QQ Browser alternatives?
QQ Browser has privacy issues, and if you want a good alternative, we recommend Opera One.
The browser is available on all desktop and mobile platforms and allows you to sync your data across platforms easily.
As for privacy, tracking protection will block tracking scripts and cookies and make your web pages load faster. Opera One also has a free VPN with unlimited bandwidth for an extra layer of privacy
In addition, there’s a built-in ad blocker, so you won’t have to deal with ads anymore.
Opera One comes with a built-in AI and a modular AI-ready design for other AI technologies intergration. The browser is based on Chromium, and it should work with Chrome extensions without problems.
Overall, Opera One is a great browser that protects your privacy, so consider it.
Opera One
If you’re sick of data leaks and want to go to the opposite end of the spectrum, then Opera One is your most secure option.Can I trust QQ?
To answer this, we’re going to say that the popular QQ web browser has significant security flaws that could leak personal user data.
This can include web and search history and other personal data you might want to hold on to. Again, it’s your decision, but we’d recommend you choose another browser.
There are different browser versions, so you can get a QQ Browser for PC if you are a Windows user.
People that rely on mobile devices can find QQ Browser for Android, and other versions of QQ Browser mobile, so keep that in mind.
QQ Browser offers decent features, but you might want to consider using a different web browser due to various privacy concerns.
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