Firefox is continuing its fight against Facebook and Google’s online ad tracking empire. The browser, owned by Mozilla, will now block third-party tracking cookies by default. This Enhanced Tracking Protection will be automatically turned on for all global users as part of the standard-setting. The improved privacy features have been trialed on new users since June 2019, and currently, cover 20% of users. Now, this will increase to 100% of people using Firefox.
Users will be able to see all of the third-party cookies that are being blocked and adjust this if they wish to give specific companies the carte blanche. Firefox has long tried to make privacy its USP – while Google has forged ahead to a 70% market share of web browser usage on a desktop. Firefox has a 10% share of browser usage. This most recent update shifts the service more firmly at odds to the likes of Google and Facebook, who rely on cookies as part of their ad serving business models.
When asked about the impact on publishers, a Mozilla spokesperson said it researched with media organizations before it decided to introduce the change. “While acknowledging that there’s a negative revenue impact, publishers view this as a short term issue while online advertising catches up to the new reality,” the spokesperson said. “In response to anti-tracking technology, many publishers even told us they are already developing alternatives to profile-based targeted advertising. Essentially, they view privacy as being in their long-term strategic business interests.”
