Privoxy is a free open-source non-caching web proxy that enhances user privacy by filtering web traffic, blocking ads and trackers, modifying HTTP headers, and controlling content access.

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🚀 Overview

Privoxy is a privacy-enhancing non-caching web proxy that sits between your browser and the internet, intercepting and filtering HTTP/HTTPS traffic to remove ads, trackers, cookies, and other unwanted content while protecting against privacy invasions.

It solves key problems like pervasive web tracking, intrusive advertising, web bugs, and restricted access by providing advanced regex-based filtering, header manipulation, and customizable rules. Originating as a community fork of the Internet Junkbuster proxy around 2001 (after Junkbuster's last free release), Privoxy was built to give users greater control, freedom, and privacy without commercial restrictions. It's maintained by volunteer developers under Software in the Public Interest (SPI).

Privoxy is ideal for stand-alone users, families, or multi-user networks where system-wide filtering is needed. The project emphasizes flexibility, with modular configs and a web interface for easy management.

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✨ Key Features

• Advanced filtering with PCRE regex to block ads, trackers, banners, and web bugs
• HTTPS inspection and HTTP header modification for privacy enhancement and access control
• Tagging system to dynamically apply rules based on client/server headers
• Integrated browser-based configuration and monitoring at http://p.p/ or http://config.privoxy.org/
• Proxy chaining, IPv6 support, keep-alive connections, and intercepting mode for transparent proxying
• Optional: GIF de-animation, click-tracking bypass, customizable block pages, and auto-reload configs

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🛠 Tech Stack

• Core: C language with PCRE (Perl Compatible Regular Expressions)
• Build: Autotools (configure/make)
• No traditional frontend/backend; CGI-based web interface
• No database
• Auth: Configuration-based access controls
• Hosting: Self-hosted as a system daemon/service

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👥 Who Is This For?

This project is useful for:

• Privacy-conscious individuals seeking ad-free, tracker-free browsing
• Sysadmins and network managers filtering traffic for organizations or homes
• Open-source enthusiasts wanting customizable, lightweight proxy solutions

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📸 Screenshots / Demo

• Live demo: http://p.p/ (after installation and configuration)
• GitHub mirror: https://github.com/unisx/privoxy
• Official Git: https://www.privoxy.org/git/privoxy.git
• SourceForge: https://sourceforge.net/projects/ijbswa/

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🔥 Project Status

• 🟢 Actively building

Last updated: 2026-03-24

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❓ FAQ

Is this project free?

Yes — Open Source under GNU GPLv2 or later. (Completely free, no paid tiers.)

Is the source code available?

Yes — git clone https://www.privoxy.org/git/privoxy.git

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Can I contribute?

Yes: Clone the Git repo, subscribe to developer mailing list (privoxy-dev@lists.privoxy.org), submit patches/PRs to mirrors or via email, report bugs on privoxy-users list, or donate/sponsor via the website.

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📬 Contact & Links

• Website: https://www.privoxy.org
• Git: https://www.privoxy.org/developer-manual/git.html
• Mailing lists: https://lists.privoxy.org/pipermail/privoxy-users/
• Download: https://sourceforge.net/projects/ijbswa/files/
• Sponsor: https://www.privoxy.org/sponsor

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