Back in the early days of the internet, web pages were static, meaning they they contained text and images that displayed on the screen + but didn't change or interact with the user. Of course, only so much that is interesting can happen with static content. + Several different technologies were developed to facilitate dynamic web pages. JavaScript was one of these technologies.
+ +JavaScript is a programming language. Many web servers host programs written in JavaScript, which are sent to devices as part of the web page. + The device runs the JavaScript on its local processor and follows the commands of the program, which can animate images on the website, + popup a menu, and do many other useful things.
+ +Of course, the concept of running arbitrary programs from a website is potentially dangerous. So there are limitations placed on JavaScript + to keep it from doing things like installing viruses on the device. However, it turns out that these limitations are overly broad. + Below is a screenshot from webkay, which is a website that demonstrates the type of information that + JavaScript can produce about a device. Browser Leaks is another good resource.
+ +
For privacy purposes, the ideal would be to browse the internet with JavaScript disabled. However, there are some websites that legitimately require
+ JavaScript to accomplish their purposes and others that don't work correctly without JavaScript even though they could be programmed to do so.
+ Privacy Browser addresses this by making it easy to toggle JavaScript on and off. Tapping the privacy shield will toggle it between blue
+ 
or yellow 
(both of which indicate
+ that JavaScript is disabled) and red 
(JavaScript enabled) and and reload the website.
+ Looking at the different information webkay can collect with JavaScript enabled and disabled is informative.
Browsing the internet with JavaScript disabled, and only enabling it if needed, goes a long way to protecting user privacy. In addition, JavaScript + is used to load much of the annoying advertisements and extra cruft that comes along with most modern websites. With it disabled, websites will + load faster, consume less network traffic, and only contain less annoying advertisements, instead of those that do things like cover up the text of the + entire web page.
+ + \ No newline at end of file