The latest version of Mozilla’s Firefox web browser will automatically block third-party tracking software for all of its users.
While the feature has been something you could do before, new users had to manually turn on the Enhanced Tracking Protection. Now, all user’s privacy is being protected with the default switch being flipped across the board in version 69.0 of the browser.
It works behind-the-scenes to keep a company from forming a profile of you based on their tracking of your browsing behavior across websites. As Mozilla notes, most of the time companies can do this without your knowledge or consent.
Blocking third party cookies used to track internet users for ad profiling will help to prevent snooping on your online activity and potentially selling it to others.
Mozilla has partnered with Disconnect.me to create a list of cookies that are tracking users and blocks them from doing so.
In a blog post, Firefox claim that while the feature has been made available for people to use, not everyone has been using it:
Currently over 20% of Firefox users have Enhanced Tracking Protection on. With today’s release, we expect to provide protection for 100% of ours users by default,
Mozilla says that version 69.0 marks ‘a major step in our multi-year effort to bring stronger, usable privacy protections to everyone using Firefox’.
Users will be able to see that they’re protected from third-party cookies thanks to a shield icon in the URL bar, showing that the tracker is working.
As well as this, Firefox now automatically blocks cryptomining as a default setting. Cryptojacking is the unauthorised use of someone else’s computer to mine cryptocurrency. The process of the mining can drain the CPU and battery power, having a negative impact on the user experience.
These are further steps to ensure that Firefox user’s privacy is being defended rather than exploited. Not all heroes wear capes, but they do keep cookies away!
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Matt Weston is a lover of electric cars, artificial intelligence and space. From Cornwall, he’s a UCLan graduate that still dreams of being a Formula One driver in the very near future. Previously work includes reporting for regional newspapers and freelance video for the International Business Times.