If you use Firefox, you can take advantage of a feature called Enhanced Tracking Protection. We’re going to explore what Enhanced Tracking Protection in Firefox is, how it protects you, and how to customize it.
What Is Firefox’s Enhanced Tracking Protection?
Enhanced Tracking Protection is a Firefox feature that blocks tracking scripts from identifying and taking advantage of you.
These trackers and scripts can be blocked:
Social media trackers: Designed to track your online browsing habits to help social networks improve their ad targeting. Cross-site tracking cookies: Cookies that monitor your movement across multiple sites. Fingerprinters: Collects browser and computer settings (like your extensions, network connection, and operating system) to build a profile about you. Cryptominers: Malware that drains your computer’s power to mine cryptocurrency. Tracking content: External content that contains tracking code, like adverts, comments, and videos.
How to Enable and Adjust Enhanced Tracking Protection
Enhanced Tracking Protection has different strength levels. By default, the feature is enabled and is set to the Standard setting. This is balanced for protection and performance because it won’t break any pages.
If desired, you can change the protection level to make it more lenient or stricter.
To see and alter your Enhanced Tracking Protection settings:
Click the shield icon in the address bar. Click Protection Settings. Choose Standard, Strict, or Custom. If the latter, choose which trackers and scripts to block. Click Manage Exceptions to see which websites you have turned protection off. To enable protection for a currently excluded website, select it from the list and click Remove Website.
Be aware that using the Strict setting may cause some sites to not display or function correctly. This is because trackers are often hidden in elements like login fields, forms, and payments, which are often required to use a site to its full extent.
That said, you can temporarily disable protection for a site if it breaks, which we’ll cover later.
How to See What Enhanced Tracking Protection Is Blocking
It’s simple to see what Enhanced Tracking Protection has blocked and allowed for each website. Just click the shield icon in the address bar.
You can click each item on the list to see what specifically has been allowed and blocked for each category. Things are usually allowed because the scripts are needed for the site to run properly.
Some trackers will be listed beneath None Detected. This means that Firefox looked for these trackers and scripts, but found no trace of them on the site.
How to Disable Enhanced Tracking Protection for a Site
Ideally, you shouldn’t need to disable Enhanced Tracking Protection for any site. However, there might be the occasional instance when you need to, usually if the site isn’t functioning correctly. This is more likely to happen if you’re using the Strict blocking plan.
To disable Enhanced Tracking Protection for a site:
Click the shield icon in the address bar. Next to Enhanced Tracking Protection is ON for this site, click the switch. The page will reload, and the protection will be disabled on the site until you turn it back on.
Use Firefox to Help Stay Secure Online
Thanks to Enhanced Tracking Protection, Firefox helps you stay secure online. You should use this alongside some of the browser’s other features, like Private Browsing and the Do Not Track signal, to protect yourself even more.
