Firefox’s “Total Cookie Protection” feature that prevents cross-site tracking is now available worldwide and will be the new default.
Total Cookie Protection made the jump from Mac and PC systems to Android devices earlier this year when it was added to the Firefox Focus mobile app. Though the option’s availability had been limited to certain regions, Firefox now says it’s rolling these protections out to all users around the world.
In essence, the feature sequesters different cookies into their own areas to prevent them from accessing other information. So, while a cookie from one website will be able to keep an eye on your browsing while you’re on that specific site, it won’t be able to track you once you move to another. In addition, separating different sites’ cookies prevents them from sharing information with each other.
It’s an approach that Mozilla says “strikes a balance” between letting websites continue to collect analytics data while also preventing websites and third-party cookies from getting too invasive. By making Total Cookie Protection the new default, it hopes to provide users who may not be aware of the risks, or don’t know what to do about them, an added layer of privacy and protection.
All Firefox users are able to take advantage of Total Cookie Protection as soon as they update their browser to version 101.0.1, which should be applied automatically by quitting and reopening. Once updated, it will be on by default. You can find the option in your Preferences under Browser Privacy and Enhanced Tracking Protection, shown as “Standard.”
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