Firefox wants to stop sites tracking you online

Mozilla is set to test new private-browsing features in its Firefox browser that promises to block the ability of websites to record what you do online.

The experimental ‘Private Browsing’ mode (see screenshot right) is being added to the ‘pre- beta’ versions of Firefox, which developers use to test web technology that’s cutting-edge, and therefore may contain serious flaws.

These tend to be fixed before the version is released to the public.

The new privacy mode could be more secure than those offered by Chrome, Internet Explorer and Microsoft’s new browser Edge. Mozilla says that in those browsers, using private mode only works as “local” protection, which means it prevents other people using the same PC from seeing what you do online.

But, Mozilla says, privacy mode should mean blocking “website elements that could be used to record user behaviour across sites” and collect data “without your knowledge”.

Mozilla said on its blog ( www.snipca.com/17665): “Our hypothesis is that when you open a Private Browsing window in Firefox you’re sending a signal that you want more control over your privacy than current private browsing experiences actually provide”.

Mozilla’s move will upset companies that track how people browse the web in order to show them more relevant adverts.

It’s not known when the features may appear in the public versions of Firefox. The latest version, Firefox 40, uses Google’s Safe Browsing service to warn you when you’re about to visit a site containing dodgy downloads (see Protect Your Tech, page 14).