Ghostery

Leading privacy-focused browser extension with millions of active users

Ghostery is a privacy technology company that develops browser extensions and privacy tools designed to block advertisements, prevent online tracking, and give users transparency and control over their digital footprint. Originally founded in 2009, Ghostery's flagship product is a browser extension that identifies and blocks trackers, cookies, and other data collection technologies used by advertisers and analytics companies. The company has evolved from a simple ad-blocking tool to a comprehensive privacy platform that includes features like anti-tracking, ad-blocking, and privacy search capabilities. Ghostery operates in the privacy and ad-blocking segment of the AdTech ecosystem, positioning itself as a consumer-facing privacy advocate. The company was acquired by Cliqz (owned by Hubert Burda Media) in 2017, and later became part of Ghostery GmbH. In 2021, Ghostery was spun out and became independent again. The company generates revenue through a freemium model, offering basic privacy protection for free while charging for premium features. Ghostery has millions of users worldwide and competes in the growing privacy-tech market alongside other ad-blocking and privacy tools. Ghostery's position in AdTech is unique as it operates counter to traditional advertising technology companies—rather than enabling ad delivery and tracking, it blocks them. This makes it significant as both a consumer privacy tool and a challenge to the conventional AdTech industry's data collection practices.