Why Privacy Folks Are Wary of JavaScript (and Why It's Slowing Down the Web)

JavaScript powers most of the modern web. From interactive menus to entire web apps, it has become the default tool developers reach for. But among privacy advocates and performance-minded users, JavaScript carries a heavy reputation — and not without reason.

1. JavaScript as a Privacy Risk

JavaScript is frequently used for tracking, fingerprinting, and advertising scripts. Even if a site itself isn't malicious, third-party scripts can harvest device details, monitor clicks, and build detailed user profiles without consent.

2. Performance Costs on Users

JavaScript doesn't just impact privacy — it impacts performance. Many modern sites load megabytes of JavaScript before a single line of meaningful content appears. This puts unnecessary strain on users' CPUs and GPUs, draining laptops, heating phones, and making older hardware struggle.

3. Leaving Older Machines Behind

In the 2000s, even modest PCs could browse most of the web. Today, users with older laptops or budget phones often find that sites are unusable because of bloated JavaScript and poorly optimized code. This isn't about progress — it's about lazy development practices and reliance on frameworks that add layers of overhead.

4. The Privacy-Performance Intersection

For privacy-minded users, JavaScript represents a double burden: it both exposes data and burns resources. Disabling it entirely (as in browsers like LibreWolf) often makes the web cleaner, faster, and safer.

Conclusion

JavaScript itself isn't "evil" — but its misuse by advertisers, trackers, and developers chasing convenience has created a web that is heavier and less private than ever. Lean, accessible HTML + CSS sites prove that you can deliver content securely and efficiently, without punishing users for wanting privacy or using older devices.

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