Do you know how when you copy some links, the URL turns out to be incredibly long? You may recognize the first part of the URL as a normal link, but all that comes next is just a Byzantine collection of letters, numbers, and symbols. For example:
best-gaming-laptops.html? fbclid = IwAR2Xs8sAmwzBis hz3O07aLSkoCJ2yWSFZkt_3YZ1oXEZLotLICO2-D0pII8
This string after the question mark is a set of tracking parameters. Send information about you to sites so they can monitor user behavior. For example, they may want to know where the traffic is coming from, such as via Twitter or a newsletter. It’s a quiet but widespread way to undermine your privacy while you’re online, and Firefox now has built-in protection.
With the upgrade to version 102, Firefox now automatically removes the tracking settings for some URLs, including those shared on Facebook. However, as reported by Bleeping Computer, it is only a handful and, in some quick and light tests, it will not cover all the places you can visit during the normal course of a day.
Choose strict or custom mode to enable this new feature of Firefox.
PCWorld
Still, the feature is useful, even if it’s not complete. (This is a particular benefit for people like me, who take the time to manually delete this tracking information before sharing it with links; it will save time.) To turn it on, go to Settings> Privacy & Security. Under Enhanced Tracking Protection, choose Strict or Custom. To customize, check the Tracking Protection box. Note that Firefox will not remove tracking settings by default when you are in a private browsing window; you must enable it by typing about: config in the address bar, searching for strip, and then activating the privacy.query_stripping file. the enabled.pbmode option to true.
Here, the removal of tracking settings in private browsing windows has been enabled.
PCWorld
If you don’t see these options available, you probably don’t have version 102 yet. You can check this by clicking the burger icon at the top right of a Firefox window, and then navigating to Help> About in Firefox. Opening this window will also trigger a manual check for Firefox updates, which is how I got version 102 for my Firefox installation.
Also included in this browser update is the ability to prevent the download panel from opening each time a new download is started. To learn more about Firefox and its best features, you can read the reasons to switch to Firefox from Chrome; there is even one that currently does not exist anywhere else.