Firefox 72 Will Block Fingerprinters By Default
Companies will no longer be able to track you by building a profile of your device.
Mozilla continues its focus on privacy this year with news that Firefox will soon block Fingerprinters by default, removing another method companies use to track you around the internet.
As BleepingComputer reports, we're currently on Firefox version 70, but when Firefox 72 arrives in Jan 2020, the browser's Enhanced Tracking Protection feature will include Fingerprinters as part of the "Standard" protection, which are turned on by default.
Fingerprinters are a particularly devious method of identifying you on the inernet as they do not require consent. They work by collecting information about the device you're accessing the internet on and attempts to build up a profile of the device, which can then be linked to the individual. In this way, the tracking isn't broken even if you hide your IP address or switch web browsers.
Firefox has actually offered protection against fingerprinters since 2015 (version 41), but this is the first time Mozilla has decided to enable it by default. It's a positive step to better protect users and is another reason to choose Firefox as your browser over other popular alternatives.
If you'd rather not wait and want to enable Fingerprinter tracking protection right now in Firefox, it's easy to achieve. Simply navigate to Firefox's options, click the Privacy & Security section, set Enhanced Tracking Protection to "Custom," and tick the Fingerprinters option. Alternatively, if you're running the latest version of Firefox it's possible to select "Strict" mode on the same options screen, which blocks social media and cross-site trackers, cryptominers, and fingerprinters.
Earlier this year Mozilla comitted to having Firefox block third-party tracking cookies by default and to add a privacy-focused translation feature to its browser. When Firefox 72 arrives early next year, Firefox's privacy credentials will be improved once again.
As BleepingComputer reports, we're currently on Firefox version 70, but when Firefox 72 arrives in Jan 2020, the browser's Enhanced Tracking Protection feature will include Fingerprinters as part of the "Standard" protection, which are turned on by default.
Fingerprinters are a particularly devious method of identifying you on the inernet as they do not require consent. They work by collecting information about the device you're accessing the internet on and attempts to build up a profile of the device, which can then be linked to the individual. In this way, the tracking isn't broken even if you hide your IP address or switch web browsers.
Firefox has actually offered protection against fingerprinters since 2015 (version 41), but this is the first time Mozilla has decided to enable it by default. It's a positive step to better protect users and is another reason to choose Firefox as your browser over other popular alternatives.
If you'd rather not wait and want to enable Fingerprinter tracking protection right now in Firefox, it's easy to achieve. Simply navigate to Firefox's options, click the Privacy & Security section, set Enhanced Tracking Protection to "Custom," and tick the Fingerprinters option. Alternatively, if you're running the latest version of Firefox it's possible to select "Strict" mode on the same options screen, which blocks social media and cross-site trackers, cryptominers, and fingerprinters.
Earlier this year Mozilla comitted to having Firefox block third-party tracking cookies by default and to add a privacy-focused translation feature to its browser. When Firefox 72 arrives early next year, Firefox's privacy credentials will be improved once again.