Norton Private Browser cookie settings

[PurpleOrange]

Issue abstract:

Norton Private Browser’s “Privacy and Security” settings for “Block Third Party Cookies”.

Detailed description:

Just installed Norton Private Browser and figuring out how it works under the “Privacy and Security” setting’s “Third Party Cookies” options; which was set to its default install.

I was shocked to find the browser allowed third party cookies from id5-syncDOTcom listed after clicking “See All Sites and their permissions” at the bottom of the Third Party Cookies options page. I searched “what is id5-syncDOTcom”. It is not a secure site or service. I expected Norton Private Browser to have tight basic controls, so a little bit disappointed.

Questions:

How do I
a) remove that cookie

b) set the Browser’s cookies options to exclude specific undesirable cookies that I find?

Thank-you.

[bjm]

@PurpleOrange

Just installed Norton Private Browser and figuring out how it works under the “Privacy and Security” setting’s “Third Party Cookies” options; which was set to its default install.

I was shocked to find the browser allowed third party cookies from id5-syncDOTcom listed after clicking “See All Sites and their permissions” at the bottom of the Third Party Cookies options page. I searched “what is id5-syncDOTcom”. It is not a secure site or service. I expected Norton Private Browser to have tight basic controls, so a little bit disappointed.

Hello @PurpleOrange

A clean install of Norton Private Browser actually allows third-party cookies in the standard Settings menu by default.

While Norton is marketed as a privacy-first browser that “blocks trackers by default,” it handles this through a dual-layer system that can be confusing:

1. The Settings Layer (Standard Chromium)

In the main menu (Settings > Privacy and Security > Site Settings > Cookies), the default state is often set to “Allow third-party cookies”. This is done to ensure that websites don’t “break” immediately after installation, as many sites rely on these cookies for basic functionality like embedded videos or support chats.

2. The Privacy Guard Layer (Norton’s Protection)

The actual blocking happens in the Security & Privacy Center (the blue shield icon.

• Privacy Guard is enabled by default upon a clean install.
• It operates as a filter on top of your browser settings. Even if the standard settings say “Allow,” the Privacy Guard actively strips out known tracking cookies before they can reach your browser.

Why you might see “Allow” in Settings:

• Compatibility: A total block in the core settings is more likely to cause site errors than Norton’s targeted tracker-blocking list.
• Targeted Blocking: Norton’s default “Balanced” mode specifically targets “ad trackers” rather than every single third-party cookie, which is why the global “Allow” toggle in Settings remains active.

To confirm your protection, you should check the Shield Icon rather than the standard Settings page. If Privacy Guard is set to Balanced or Strict, you are being protected regardless of what the main Settings menu says.

Norton Private Browser blocks third-party cookies and ad trackers by default to prevent cross-site tracking.

Unlike standard browsers, it uses several built-in tools to manage your privacy automatically:

• Privacy Guard: This feature limits tracking cookies by default. You can adjust these settings by clicking the shield icon in the top-right corner to toggle between Basic, Balanced, and Strict blocking modes.
• Cookie Consent Manager: This tool uses AI to automatically handle cookie pop-ups. It tries to select the most privacy-friendly option (like “Deny All”) so you don’t have to manually click through banners.
• Private Mode: Opening a window in Private Mode (similar to Incognito) ensures that any tracking cookies or caches acquired during that specific session are deleted as soon as you close the window.

While it blocks many tracking cookies, Norton notes that some specialized cookies may still be accepted if a website’s consent banner is unrecognized or if strict blocking is not enabled, as certain sites require cookies to function properly.

• Ensure Privacy Guard is toggled ON.
• Set the protection level to Balanced or Strict to ensure third-party tracking cookies are restricted.

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Norton Private Browser - FAQs

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In the AdTech world, ID5 is a major identity provider that offers a privacy-safe, universal identifier to replace third-party cookies and mobile advertising IDs (MAIDs)
ID5 creates a persistent, pseudonymous identifier—the ID5 ID—that allows different platforms in the advertising chain to “speak the same language” when identifying a user.

https://wiki.id5.io/docs/advertiser
The ID5 ID is a shared, neutral identifier that publishers and ad tech platforms can use to recognize users even in environments where 3rd party cookies are not available or blocked. ID5 enables publishers to create and distribute a shared 1st party identifier to the entire ecosystem. Ad tech platforms that connect with ID5 can decrypt the ID5 ID and improve their user recognition capabilities. The ID5 ID is designed to respect users’ privacy choices and publishers preferences throughout the advertising value chain.

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netcraft - Site report for https://id5-sync.com

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https://id5-sync.com

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id5-sync.com is a domain used by ID5 https://id5.io/, an identity platform for the digital advertising industry. It is primarily a technical infrastructure used to “sync” or match user identifiers between different advertising platforms.

Core Function and Usage
The domain serves as a backend tool for the following purposes:

• User Recognition: It helps websites (publishers) and advertisers recognize users across different browsers and devices without relying on traditional third-party cookies.
• Universal ID: ID5 generates a unique, pseudonymous ID5 ID. This ID allows advertisers to deliver relevant ads while claiming to respect user privacy preferences.
• Cookie Syncing: The domain hosts “sync pixels” or redirects that enable different ad-tech vendors to link their internal data sets, ensuring they are talking about the same anonymous user when bidding for ad space.

Privacy and Security

• Tracking: Because it collects browsing habits and device details (like IP addresses and user agents) to build an identity profile, privacy tools like Ghostery https://www.ghostery.com/whotracksme/trackers/id5_sync… categorize it as a tracker.
• Not Malware: While some security sites may flag it due to its tracking behavior or if it appears in unexpected redirects, it is generally considered a legitimate, albeit persistent, part of the advertising ecosystem rather than a virus.
• Opt-Out: Users can manage their preferences or opt-out of ID5’s tracking directly at the ID5 Privacy Preference Center https://id5-sync.com/privacy/.

Note: This domain is unrelated to Sync.com, which is a secure cloud storage service.

AI sourced content may make mistakes

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https://id5.io/

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https://id5-sync.com/privacy/

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secure://settings/clearBrowserData

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secure://settings/content/all

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Caveat: Norton Private Browser is not my daily rider

[PurpleOrange]

Thank-you bjm. Very knowledgeable, helpful and really appreciate the thoroughness of the answer. It really clarified ID5 for me.
Which leaves me wondering, if Norton Private Browser isn’t your daily rider, then what is because you certainly have this product figured out.

[bjm]

@PurpleOrange

Thank-you bjm. Very knowledgeable, helpful and really appreciate the thoroughness of the answer. It really clarified ID5 for me.
Which leaves me wondering, if Norton Private Browser isn’t your daily rider, then what is because you certainly have this product figured out.

Hello @PurpleOrange

Changing Norton Private Browser setting from Allow third-party cookies to Block third-party cookies absolutely makes a difference; it acts as a global “kill switch” that takes priority over the Privacy Guard.

While Privacy Guard is a specialized filter, it works in tandem with your manual Settings, but they serve different purposes:

• Manual “Block” Setting: This is a blanket restriction at the browser engine level. It blocks all third-party cookies, even non-tracking ones that might be used for harmless things like keeping you logged in across related sites.
• Privacy Guard: This is a surgical tool. Even if your settings are on “Allow,” Privacy Guard actively scans for and blocks only known tracking scripts and ad cookies based on Norton’s filter lists.

How they interact:

• If you select “Block” in Settings: The browser stops all third-party cookies before they even get to the Privacy Guard. This is the most private state, but it is also the most likely to cause websites to malfunction.
• If you select “Allow” in Settings: You are trusting the Privacy Guard (the blue shield) to be your primary defense. It will allow “safe” third-party cookies while still stripping out the “bad” ones used for cross-site tracking.

Summary of Differences

Feature	If Settings = Allow	If Settings = Block
Privacy Guard	Works normally; filters out known trackers.	Still active, but has less to do since the browser is already blocking everything.
Site Functionality	High; most sites will work as intended.	Lower; some features (like embedded maps or logins) may break.
Protection Level	Balanced: Blocks known bad actors but allows functional cookies.	Maximum: Blocks everything third-party, regardless of intent.

For the best balance, users may leave the main settings on Allow and let Privacy Guard’s “Balanced Blocking” (“Strick Blocking”) mode handle the tracking protection.

AI sourced content may make mistakes

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What are third-party cookies and how do they work?

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Norton Private Browser is based on Chromium, the same open-source project that serves as the foundation for Google Chrome.
Caveat: my preference with browsers based on Chromium is Block third-party cookies.
Caveat: Norton Private Browser is not my daily rider