The Mozilla team is extending its third-party tracker blocking functionality for all users.
A feature in Firefox called Enhanced Protection Tracking ensures that beacons and other software can’t track the user across their web surfing footprint.
However, that feature had to be turned on, and new reports in the Verge show that only about 20% of users made the move to institute the enhanced tracking feature.
As of this week, Mozilla Firefox engineers plan to make the enhanced tracking protection the default.
With Firefox version 69, Mozilla just flipped the switch to turn on its Enhanced Tracking Protection for all users, instead of just new users (as it did in June) or making you opt-in if you want to try it (as it did last October),” writes Sean Hollister September 3.
While Mozilla doesn’t create specific lists of black hat trackers like Apple Safari does, having that default protection is going to be valuable to a wide array of users who aren’t savvy enough or attentive enough to turn the feature on by themselves.
The move also represents a deliberate step in the evolution of browser and web technology toward end-user protections.
Businesses of all kinds are looking taking a fresh look at privacy and security policy in the wake of rules like the European GDPR, which has revolutionized how marketers and others handle data.
By shutting out all of those unscrupulous data aggregators on the web, Firefox burnishes its reputation as a user-friendly tool and throws a bone to a general audience that has trouble building awareness of cutting-edge cyber security practices.
Look for more advances in browser protections (and maybe cloud-gate stuff like browser isolation) as security pros try to keep the hackers and spyers and assorted ruffians away from the door.