The Preloading Privacy Issue
Google Chrome aims to make your web browsing experience as fast as possible. One of the ways it achieves this is by using a “Prediction Service.” When you visit a webpage, Chrome analyzes the links on that page and attempts to guess which link you are most likely to click next. It then quietly preloads that next page in the background before you even click anything.
While this makes the internet feel slightly faster, it comes with a major privacy tradeoff. Chrome is actively downloading data from websites you haven’t actually visited yet, potentially downloading cookies and tracking scripts from domains you might never have clicked on. If you are on a metered, expensive internet connection, it also wastes bandwidth. For maximum privacy and data conservation, you should turn this off.
How to Disable the Page Preload Feature
You can turn off network predictions within Chrome’s Performance settings.
- Open Google Chrome.
- Click the Three Vertical Dots (Menu) in the top right corner and select Settings.
- In the left-hand sidebar, click on Performance (In older versions, this was under Privacy and security > Cookies and other site data).
- Scroll down to the Speed section.
- Look for the toggle switch labelled Preload pages (or “Preload pages for faster browsing and searching”).
- Toggle the switch to the Off position.
Chrome will no longer attempt to guess your next move. Websites will only load—and use your bandwidth and accept cookies—when you actively and explicitly click on their links.