Tag Archives: Firefox

Firefox Rolls Out Total Cookie Protections By Default To All Users

Firefox,

Firefox announced that it is rolling out Total Cookie Protection by default to all Firefox users worldwide, making Firefox the most private and secure major browser available across Windows, Mac and Linux.

According to Firefox, Total Cookie Protection is Firefox’s strongest privacy protection to date, confining cookies to the site where they were created, thus preventing tracking companies from using these cookies to track your browsing from site to site.

Total Cookie Protection works by creating a separate “cookie jar” for each website you visit. Instead of allowing trackers to link up your behavior on multiple sites, they just get to see the behavior on individual sites. Any time a website, or third-party-content embedded in a website deposits a cookie in your browser, that cookie is confined to the cookie jar assigned only to that website.

No other websites can reach into cookie jars that don’t belong to them and find out what the other websites’ cookies know about you – giving you freedom from invasive ads and reducing the amount of information companies gather about you.

Firefox says that this approach strikes the balance between eliminating the worst privacy properties of third-party-cookies – in particular the ability to track you – and allowing those cookies to fulfill their less invasive use cases (e.g. to provide accurate analytics). With Total Cookie Protection in Firefox, people can enjoy better privacy and have the great privacy experience they’ve come to know and expect.

Engadget reported that Mozilla launched the Total Cookie Protection feature in 2021 and previously enabled it by default only when users switch on Firefox’s privacy mode. Now, all Firefox users on desktop can enjoy the benefits it brings without having to toggle anything on.

According to Engadget, Microsoft’s Edge also has tools to block tracking cookies, but users have to manually switch to “Strict” mode to be able to prevent most cookies from tracking them across websites. DuckDuckGo’s browser has a focus on privacy, but its search agreement with Microsoft prevents it from blocking certain trackers.

Apple has instructions for Safari users who want to prevent cross-site tracking in Safari on Mac. There are simple directions for how do that. There is also an option to block all cookies. However, Safari warns that that some websites may not work if you enable Safari to block all cookies.

Overall, I’m happy with Safari. I’m going to start using Firefox when I look at social media sites because I think it will do a better job of preventing tracking and blocking cookies. If you use Safari’s “block all cookies” function – it makes websites unusable.

Latest Version of Firefox Lets You Track the Trackers

Firefox,

The Mozilla Blog posted detailed information about all the ways the Firefox browser brings privacy protections front and center and lets you track the trackers.

In September of 2019, Mozilla announced that Firefox will block third-party tracking, cookies, and cryptomining. They released Enhanced Tracking Protection that would be turned on by default for all Firefox users worldwide as part of the “Standard” setting in the Firefox browser.

But now with growing threats to your privacy, it’s clear that you need more visibility into how you’re being tracked online so you can better combat it. That’s why today we’re introducing a new feature that offers you a free report outlining the number of third-party and social media trackers blocked automatically by the Firefox browser with Enhanced Tracking Protection.

The Firefox Privacy Protections report includes:

See how many times Enhanced Tracking Protection blocks an attempt to tag you with cookies. Part of the Enhanced Tracking Protection prevents third-party trackers from building a profile of you based on your online activity. Now, you’ll see the number of cross-site and social media trackers, fingerprinters, and cryptominers blocked on your behalf.

Keep up to date on data breaches with Firefox Mozilla. Now, you can view at a glance a summary of the number of unsafe passwords that have been used in a breach, so that you can take action to change those passwords.

Manage your passwords and synced devices with Firefox Lockwise. Now, you can get a brief look at the number of passwords you have safely stored with Firefox Lockwise. They also added a button where you can click to view your logins and update. You’ll also have the ability to quickly view and manage how many devices you are syncing and sharing your passwords with.

I’ve been using the Firefox browser since Mozilla added the protections in September. I like that it prevents someone else from using my computer for cryptomining. I’m also happy that Firefox blocks tracking, prevents cookies, and stops websites from collecting my data.

Firefox will Block Third-Party Tracking Cookies and Cryptomining

Firefox,

Mozilla announced that Firefox 69 on desktop and Android will, by default, empower all users by blocking third-party tracking cookies and cryptominers. Mozilla calls this a major step in their multi-year effort to bring stronger, usable, privacy protections to everyone using Firefox.

For today’s release, Enhanced Tracking Protection will automatically be turned on by default for all users worldwide as part of the ‘Standard’ setting in the Firefox browser and will block known “third-party tracking cookies” according to the Disconnect list.

Mozilla notes that they first enabled this default feature for new users in June of 2019. Mozilla also points out that over 20% of Firefox users have Enhanced Tracking Protection on. With this new release, they expect to provide protection for 100% of their users by default.

Enhanced Tracking Protection, Mozilla explains, works behind-the-scenes to keep a company from forming a profile of you based on their tracking of your browsing behavior across websites – often without your consent or knowledge. Those profiles and information may be sold for purposes that you never knew or intended.

How can you tell when Enhanced Tracking Protection is working? It is working when you visit a site and see a shield icon in the address bar.

In addition, Firefox 69 will protect users from cryptominers, who attempt to access the CPU of other people’s computers in order to generate cryptocurrency for themselves. The option to block cryptominers is included in the ‘Standard Mode’ of the Content Blocking preferences in Firefox 69.

I love when companies make an effort to protect the privacy of their users. It is a rare thing in today’s world, were so many websites and corporations feel that they are entitled to harvest as much data as they can grab. It is also good that Mozilla’s Firefox 69 will block cryptominers. It is wrong (and incredibly selfish) to sneakily access someone else’s computer for the purpose of cryptomining.

YEZZ Introduces Firefox OS Devices at CES

Firefox, smartphone,

YEZZ Firefox OS DevicesYEZZ introduces two new devices that feature Firefox OS with 3.5” and 4” displays at CES. Both models feature well-rounded lines and crisp colors with Mozilla’s mobile operating system, Firefox OS.

YEZZ now offers Firefox OS running web-based apps. These web apps provide access to device functions formally available only to native apps, such as camera functions. Mozilla has allied with 18 (and counting) partners for their operating system including the giant Telefonica with YEZZ as one of their recent global suppliers. YEZZ with Firefox OS will address the global need for affordable smartphones, opening the gates of the mobile web to those previously denied access due to the inaccessible pricing of smartphones.

Visit YEZZ and check out their new Firefox OS Devices at South Hall Stand 31 247 at CES.

Firefox 18 beta launches, faster JavaScript and Retina support

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Mozilla may be suffering a bit lately thanks to the growth of the Chrome web browser, but they are still a popular choice for many computer users. They have also begun updating the browser at a much faster pace in order to keep pace with the competition. Those frequent updates don’t always result in cool new features, but the release today of the version 18 beta does bring some welcome new features.

Whenever a company updates their software I always tend to go first to the changelog so I can find out exactly what I am looking for. In this case I was surprised to find a couple of nice updates.

The first was a major inprovement to JavaScript by implementing the much anticipated IonMonkey engine. This should improve the display of web apps, games, and other JavaScript-heavy sites and services. The second was new support for Apple’s Retina displays. Beyond these two important changes, there are several other things that are notable.

Changelog

  • CHANGED: Performance improvements around tab switching.
  • DEVELOPER: CSS3 Flexbox implemented.
  • DEVELOPER: Support for new DOM property window.devicePixelRatio.
  • DEVELOPER: Support for @supports added.
  • DEVELOPER: Improvement in startup time through smart handling of signed extension certificates.
  • HTML5: Support for W3C touch events impemented, taking the place of MozTouch events.
  • FIXED: Disable insecure content loading on HTTPS pages (62178).
  • FIXED: Improved responsiveness for users on proxies (769764).

If you are already using the beta version of Firefox then you should receive this update automatically. If not, then head over to the Mozilla Beta Channel to make the switch. The final version will be released in January.

Mozilla Pushes 16.01 Update for Firefox

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Yesterday Mozilla took the unprecedented step of pulling down a version of Firefox and warning those who had already installed it to stop using the browser.  The move came after a rather bad security flaw was found in the software that would allow a malicious site to potentially be able to determine which websites users had visited and obtain access to the URL or URL parameters.

The company quickly pushed a fix for the Android version of the web browser, but took until today to issue a similar patch for the Windows version of Firefox.  Mozilla has now made Firefox version 16.01 available for download and those who have the browser installed should receive an automatic update upon the next launch.

While it was perhaps a bit of an embarrassing escapade, the company did work fast to fix the issue.  The flaw was less of an actual security threat and more of a privacy concern, but it was an issue that still needed to be addressed quickly.  You can head over to Mozilla to grab the update if you didn’t receive it automatically.

Firefox OS Launching on ZTE Handsets Soon

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Mozilla has been hard at work on a Firefox operating system that will power mobile devices, mostly of the lower-end variety.  The OS has been rumored to be launching first in Brazil in early 2013.  Now, hardware maker ZTE is rumored to be the first to get devices on the market, and they are expected very soon.

ZTE has several Android phones on the market currently, and the move to partner with Mozilla came as a bit of a surprise.  “We are trying to increase our efforts in coming up with our own operating system, while introducing products based on Android,” said ZTE spokesman David Dai Shu.”It’s all part of our wider plans to create a better balance of products using various operating systems. We won’t just rely on Android or Windows.”

With Android and iOS leading the market, and Windows Phone slowly making up ground, it will be extremely tough for Mozilla get any foothold, especially given that they are several months away from launch.  However, their attempt to aim at the low end of the market, potentially picking up those who currently use feature phones, may find a niche.