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Firefox Now Available with Enhanced Tracking Protection by Default

blog.mozilla.org

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Re: Firefox Now Available with Enhanced Tracking Protection by Default

#121

Post by chii »

baroffoos wrote: post #100
zepearl wrote: post #29

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Just for my understanding, any special reason to have 100's of tabs open? Meaning: I basically have a mindset which as a programmer would say: "shall I spend effort trying to optimize my app for users that have 200 tabs open? Naaaa, I don't see a usecase for that to happen."

It happens when you use tabs as bookmarks. The solution is to use bookmarks.

Using tabs as bookmarks is just so much easier that I find I don't use bookmarks anymore.

Perhaps there should be a way to passivate tabs so that they don't take up memory when they are not used for a while.

Re: Firefox Now Available with Enhanced Tracking Protection by Default

#122

Post by chii »

jacquesm wrote: post #60
pcwalton wrote: post #52

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Please don't use old versions, for security reasons.

Sure... See this is the whole problem with upgrades: upgrades are supposed to improve things but more often than not they break things. In this case the fact that stuff would break was quite predictable. The options to continue to support the non-javascript based branch of FF with plug in support with security updates but for some reason the decision was made to totally ignore backwards compatibility and to forcibly…

I understand the rationale behind the move. I'm also affected. But Mozilla made the choice, and I hope it works out well for them.

I had to run waterFox to keep my old plugins working.

Re: Firefox Now Available with Enhanced Tracking Protection by Default

#123

Post by antisemiotic »

zwaps wrote: post #106
The_rationalist wrote: post #67

Please tell me I'm misunderstanding something! By enabling by default the blocking of those third party scripts: https://disconnect.me/trackerprotection/blocked This Wil have three consequences: Many websites will partially break? Which ones? webmaster will lack many data necessary to understand what users do on their platform, where they missclick, what they don't use etc, thus diminishing the ability of webmasters…

Webmasters should have thought of that before littering their website with hundreds of off-site scripts and packaging all data and behavior and sending it off to dozens of tracking companies. "great products". Yeah, websites used to be much, much better before loading every bit of text with a remote javascript. Here's a behavioral data point: Go back to making good websites and stop leaking private data everywhere. T…

>loading every bit of text with a remote javascript.

This update is only about a select list of "bad" domains, though. I don't think most users would want to block literally all third party scripts (Source: I use uMatrix set to do that, and every other site I visit requires a complicated ritual of unblocking layers of scripts, frames, and XHR. Don't even get me started on static sites that display blank without scripts from a dozen CDNs. At least it's a good opportunity to rethink if I really want to go there)

Re: Firefox Now Available with Enhanced Tracking Protection by Default

#124

Post by godelski »

ziddoap wrote: post #2

>For new users who install and download Firefox for the first time, Enhanced Tracking Protection will automatically be set on by default as part of the ‘Standard’ setting in the browser and will block known “third-party tracking cookies” according to the Disconnect list. Despite other issues, which there are some, I'm really happy to see FF not only enable more ways for users to protect themselves - but to be rolling…

My parents are completely tech illiterate. But they are also afraid of this tracking and becoming much more aware of this power. So they ask me to set up their browsers to do so. I don't go full in, but basic stuff. There are still little hiccups but even they are happier to have small hiccups than be tracked. They see it as a fair trade-off. I think this attitude is common non-technical users.

Tldr: I fully support security by default.

Re: Firefox Now Available with Enhanced Tracking Protection by Default

#125

Post by fraudsyndrome »

j-conn wrote: post #93
whizzkid wrote: post #4

It is funny how my browser preferences has changed over last 5 years. 2014 me as a developer had Chrome as number 1 browser for both development and all rest. Firefox once a month just to check cross browser compatibility. And Safari was just installed without me using it. 2019 me uses Safari for everything except development. Excellent power consumption and UX. Firefox for development. And lastly Chrome for all web…

Personal use aside, I've been meaning to try out firefox for development after seeing some of their release announcements here. Any tips for people like me who are accustomed to chrome devtools? Are there some things you can do in firefox that you can't in chrome, and vice versa? I do look forward to the chrome devtools release videos, always learn something new.

I work with both and generally they overlap quite a lot for the basic stuff - for general ones, you probably just have to get used to the colours.

I use firefox for dev and browsing but my job requires me to check out chrome more because it's used the most. One thing I find myself using firefox for is the feature of visualising a flexbox which chrome doesn't have.

Re: Firefox Now Available with Enhanced Tracking Protection by Default

#126

Post by Barrin92 »

Jonanin wrote: post #103

I like these updates just as much as everyone else, but I can't help but think they seem a little bit like biting the hand that feeds you. What will they do when Google decides against renewing their Firefox search contract? Mozilla is highly dependent on the hundreds of million of dollars this contract provides. The politics of this situation are interesting for sure.

given the current antitrust momentum I don't think they'd ever cut Mozilla off in a way that makes them look coercive. If anything the current arrangement is a hedge against bad PR. "if we hate competition and privacy so much, why do you think we're in business with our anti-ad competitor?" etc..

Re: Firefox Now Available with Enhanced Tracking Protection by Default

#127

Post by cortesoft »

xfitm3 wrote: post #107
mraison wrote: post #88

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It’s nice to see a bit of Safari love around here. Some sites occasionally break, but I really like the macOS/iOS integrations. SMS code autofill on desktop Safari (via Mac iPhone communication) is pretty awesome.

Doesn't that defeat the purpose of MFA?

No... the computer is a second factor just as much as a phone. Something you know (password) + something you have (computer) = MFA

Re: Firefox Now Available with Enhanced Tracking Protection by Default

#128

Post by SimeVidas »

mobjack wrote: post #87
hn_throwaway_99 wrote: post #69

It appears this would block pretty much all the major analytics tracking cookies (e.g. Google analytics, mixpanel, etc.) based on the linked Disconnect list, https://disconnect.me/trackerprotection . While I realize that's kind of the point, in my mind there is somewhat of a difference between "the site I'm on is tracking me to figure out how I use their site" vs. "any site I visit is essentially aggregated data beca…

It looks like these changes only affect third party cookies, while most analytics software relies on first party cookies. These changes make it harder for analytics companies to track users across domains, but still allows site owners to analyze their own traffic.

I had to check on my site but yes. Google Analytics cookies (they start with “_g”) are set on the website’s domain.

Re: Firefox Now Available with Enhanced Tracking Protection by Default

#129

Post by cortesoft »

mschuster91 wrote: post #116
chii wrote: post #110

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If they already have your phone, you're already pwned.

>If they already have your phone, you're already pwned. No, that's not what GP means. If the attacker manages to get malware on the Mac, for example by exploiting a browser 0day, then the attacker can simply circumvent the 2FA by making the Mac fetch the 2FA code. The user won't notice it.

Same could be said of the phone, right? A zero day on the phone would circumvent the 2FA.

Really, the SMS part is the actual weak link in the chain. Easier to hijack SMS than own a computer or phone.

Re: Firefox Now Available with Enhanced Tracking Protection by Default

#130

Post by fallenatreus »

whizzkid wrote: post #4

It is funny how my browser preferences has changed over last 5 years. 2014 me as a developer had Chrome as number 1 browser for both development and all rest. Firefox once a month just to check cross browser compatibility. And Safari was just installed without me using it. 2019 me uses Safari for everything except development. Excellent power consumption and UX. Firefox for development. And lastly Chrome for all web…

This looks perfect way to solve the current dilemma of choosing a "daily driver", but isn't it convenient to have stored all of passwords or details in profile in one browser or is there a way to keep everything in sync. I definitely would like to give a try to Safari.
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