Firefox's new anti-fingerprinting protections cut user tracking by 70%

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Mozilla looks to add extra protection for users

Viersen, Germany - June 9. 2021: Closeup of mobile phone screen with logo icon of mozilla firefox browser on computer keyboard (focus on left upper part of logo). Editorial Use Only
(Image credit: Shutterstock / Ralf Liebhold)
  • Mozilla Firefox is making it harder for sites to track 'fingerprints'
  • Digital info such as your hardware specs are collected by websites
  • This info can then track user activity even in private browsing

When using a web browser, it's typical for websites to ask for your permission to use tracking cookies to gather data on your browsing habits, usually with the option to opt-out.

However, ‘fingerprints’ are much harder to block than cookies, and websites can track your activity using your device’s hardware specifications, time-zone, and other information provided to improve site performance and functionality.

If these details are assembled into a profile, they can track your browsing habits even in private browsing mode - but Mozilla Firefox is now introducing fingerprinting defenses it says can cut unique identifiable users by around 70%.

Burning off fingerprints

The new protections have been introduced as part of Firefox’s Enhanced Tracking Protection service in Firefox 145.

The protection is currently only available in the browsers Private Browsing and Enhanced Tracking Protection (ETP) Strict modes, but testing in these environments will soon see the protection expanded to regular browsing in the future.

Many websites run invasive scripts that gather information on your browser and device that can be used for tracking, and the scripts will often even run if you reject cookies.

These scripts will hoover up metrics such as browser version, operating system, screen resolution and color settings, system language, fonts, time zone, GPU rendering behavior, CPU cores, touchscreen capabilities, and your device memory.

Enhanced Tracking Protection already offers an array of anti-fingerprinting measures. “Since 2021, Firefox has been incrementally advancing fingerprinting protections, covering the most pervasive fingerprinting techniques,” Mozilla stated. “These include things like how your graphics card draws images, which fonts your computer has, and even tiny differences in how it performs math.”

In order to hamper other fingerprinting techniques, Mozilla has introduced new mechanisms such as adding random noise to background images when they are read back by the site, forcing the use of standard OS fonts (apart from language fonts), and obfuscating touch support, screen resolution, and number of processor cores.

A chart displaying the reduction in unique user identification using fingerprinting scripts through Mozilla Firefox's enhanced protections.

(Image credit: Mozilla)

These new protections can reduce the number of uniquely fingerprinted users to just 20%, down from over 60% of users that can be fingerprinted without any protections. Unfortunately, it's unlikely that any browser would be able to drop that number to 0%, as many websites rely on fingerprintable information for key website features and functionality.

Via BleepingComputer

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Benedict Collins
Benedict Collins
Senior Writer, Security

Benedict has been with TechRadar Pro for over two years, and has specialized in writing about cybersecurity, threat intelligence, and B2B security solutions. His coverage explores the critical areas of national security, including state-sponsored threat actors, APT groups, critical infrastructure, and social engineering.

Benedict holds an MA (Distinction) in Security, Intelligence, and Diplomacy from the Centre for Security and Intelligence Studies at the University of Buckingham, providing him with a strong academic foundation for his reporting on geopolitics, threat intelligence, and cyber-warfare.

Prior to his postgraduate studies, Benedict earned a BA in Politics with Journalism, providing him with the skills to translate complex political and security issues into comprehensible copy.

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