Firefox testing anti-tracking feature with browser fingerprint blocking

Popular web browser Firefox is now testing a new anti-tracking feature that will prevent the sites from being able to fingerprint the browser and track the users, even if they have cleared the cookies. Moreover, the browser will now explicitly block cryptocurrency mining scripts that make an attempt to hijack the computer resources so as to mine digital currency. Both the features will be initially available in the nightly and beta builds of the browser for testing.

Fiingerprinting determines the way the sites and online advertisers are able to track the users based on aggregating numerous little details about the system configuration, ranging from the operating system to the system fonts and even the screen size. Even if the users have turned off the tracking, services can use some small clues to build a unique fingerprint for the users and use it to track them across the sites. AT the same time Firefox is not the only browser to attempt to block such kind of tracking.

During the WWDC 2018, Apple had announced that it is planning to build anti-fingerprint tracking in to its Safari browser. Apart from fingerprint tracking Firefox will also very soon explicitly block cryptomining the scripts with the help of the resources of the computer. A report from a leading daily says that the browser has technically been able to block many of such scripts in late 2017 and was a part of its existing blocks on abusive ad trackers.

Here the change is that the browser is now explicit about blocking such scripts and they will be able to turn blocking off for just the cryptominers if the users select so. The new feature is a big move by Mozilla as it tries to increase the privacy of the user. In 2018, the company had introduced Enhanced Tracking Protection which is a feature that blocks the third party trackers although it is turned off by default.

Photo Credits: PerformanceIN