What is the primary purpose of privacy-enhancing tools (PETs)?

• A. Protect against surveillance, masking identities or making it impossible for watchers to determine the source of our searches and web page requests
• B. Improve system performance
• C. Encrypt all data at rest
• D. Replace authentication with biometrics

Answer: (A)

Privacy-enhancing tools are built to protect what people do online by reducing the information others can collect about them and by breaking the link between actions and who is performing them. Their main goal is to shield users from surveillance and to mask identities or the sources of their web requests, so observers can’t easily determine who is making a search or visiting a page. This helps maintain control over personal data and reduces profiling or tracking.

This focus is different from other security practices. Improving system performance isn’t what PETs aim for, and encryption-at-rest is about protecting data stored on devices rather than limiting who can observe online activity. Replacing authentication with biometrics changes how login works, not how privacy is preserved during online activity. PETs include tools like private browsing, anti-tracking features, and networks that anonymize traffic, all aimed at preserving privacy rather than altering performance or authentication methods.