How do the fingerprinter blocking levels work across Firefox's standard/strict/custom Enhanced Tracking Protection in Windows and Android?
I'm having trouble breaking down the specific behavior of fingerprinting protection for the 3 settings levels.
According to the Windows release notes dated 1 October 2023, "Additionally, you can choose whether to block Suspected Fingerprinters in all windows or just in private windows", but also, "To disable Fingerprinting Protection and return to the default settings, simply select "Standard" or "Strict"
In my reading, these two statements conflict. I'm under the impression that "known fingerprinter" blocking is always active, even on standard. Does enabling "Strict" enhanced protection also enable "suspected fingerprinter" blocking, and if so, is it active on all windows or only in private browsing? Does that mean we need to use the "Custom" setting to enable suspected fingerprinting blocking in all windows?
My question is the same for Firefox for Android 131.0, except in the mobile app's case, the release notes contain even less detail - so I could also be off-base there. TBH I am probably missing something obvious, so if anybody can even point me in the right direction I'd be grateful!
Thanks for any insight anybody can provide!
Chris Thomas
All Replies (4)
Hey Chris, In the new versions of Firefox, you can decide if you want to block something Firefox believes to be a fingerprinter in Normal Windows, as well as Private Windows. It looks like in previous versions this was just for Private Windows. Known fingerprinters are always blocked as part of Enhanced Tracking Protection
Thanks for the reply!
That's kinda what it looks like to me too. I'm hoping against hope to find a little more confirmation, but I can't imagine where I'd find it without, I guess, doing a code review? (which I'm just not capable of lol)
It's definitely a feature that some people will appreciate having, so I'm a little surprised the release notes didn't make the change a little more clear. Especially the recent 1 October changelog for the Android build - it was surprisingly vague, just a screenshot and that's basically it.
Well. I will continue keeping an eye out - I do suspect you're mostly right, and maybe I'll run into somebody with some kind of insider insight who can verify :)
Thanks again for the help Khalid
Can you let me know a little more about what you are trying to understand in 131?
Oh literally just the answer to, "Exactly what changes were made to fingerprint protection with Firefox for Android 131.0 — both functionally and in terms of selectable settings?"
It's for a news brief I published, and ended with the caveat of the release notes not making the specific change 100% clear; I'm hoping to give readers the most precise explanation possible of Firefox's anti-fingerprinting efforts and how they evolve
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