What happened to Tracking Protection?

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  • Revision id: 170115
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  • Creator: AliceWyman
  • Comment: linkified Control Center, other edits
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  • Reviewed by: AliceWyman
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Tracking generally refers to content, cookies, or scripts that can collect your browsing data across multiple sites. Firefox provides users with tools to block these online trackers. In the past, this was called Tracking Protection. Starting in Firefox version 63, the functionality of Tracking Protection is included in a new set of features called Content Blocking. Now, you can get the same tracking protection by selecting the setting to block all detected trackers.

Update Firefox to the latest version to use Content Blocking.

Turn Content Blocking on or off

Starting in Firefox 63, content blocking includes settings for trackers and tracking cookies. By default, Firefox blocks trackers only in private windows. You can change your optionspreferences to block trackers all the time. You can also set your optionspreferences to not block any content at all.

  1. Expand the main Firefox menu button The image "fx57menu" does not exist. and select Content Blocking. This takes you to the Content Blocking section in optionspreferences.
  2. To block trackers for all browsing sessions, change the All Detected Trackers option from Only in private windows to Always.
  3. To turn off Content Blocking, deselect the checkbox for All Detected Trackers.
content blocking 63
To learn more about these features, see the Content Blocking article.

Turn Tracking Protection on or off

  1. Click on the Firefox menu button The image "fx57menu" does not exist. to open the menu panel.
  2. Click the switch next to Tracking Protection to turn it on switchonios or off.

Turn Tracking Protection on or off automatically for certain sessions

You can customize Tracking Protection so that it's on all the time, for Private Browsing only or not at all. You may also choose to disable Tracking Protection for a particular site or for all sites.

  1. In the Menu bar at the top of the screen, click Firefox and then select Preferences or Settings, depending on your macOS version.Click the menu button Fx89menuButton and select Settings.
  2. Click Privacy & Security on the left and go to the Tracking Protection section.
    Fx57TrackingProtection-new
  3. Choose between the following options:
    • Always: Keep Tracking Protection on as you browse.
    • Only in private windows: Turns Tracking Protection on only if you're using Private Browsing.
    • Never: Turns off Tracking Protection for all sites.

Turn Tracking Protection on or off in private windows

Tracking Protection is enabled by default when you're in a Private Browsing window. Click the switch next to Tracking Protection on the Private Browsing home page to turn it on or off.

Turn off Tracking Protection for individual sites

  1. The shield icon will appear when Firefox is actively blocking trackers on a page. Click the shield icon to bring up the Control Center.
  2. In the Control Center, click Disable protection for this sessionDisable protection for this siteDisable For This Site.
    Disable tracking protection 42tracking protection off 57Fx62TrackingProtection-Always
  3. Once Tracking Protection is disabled, a shield icon with red strikethrough tracking protection off fxos will appear in your address bar.
To re-enable Tracking Protection, click the shield icon again and click Enable ProtectionEnable For This Site.

Since Private Browsing mode doesn’t keep any information about your browsing session, when you disable Tracking Protection for a site it only lasts for this session. When you start a new Private Browsing session, Tracking Protection will be turned on again for all sites.

Turn off Tracking Protection for all sites

  1. In the Menu bar at the top of the screen, click Firefox and then select Preferences or Settings, depending on your macOS version.Click the menu button Fx89menuButton and select Settings.
  2. Click Privacy on the leftClick Privacy & Security on the left and go to the Tracking Protection section.
  3. Uncheck the box next to Use Tracking Protection in Private WindowsUse Tracking Protection in Private Browsing to block known trackers.
    tp privacy menu 50Fx56Privacy&Security-Tracking
  4. Close the tab to save your changes.

Block lists in Firefox

You can change the block list used to block third-party trackers. By default, Private Browsing with Tracking Protection uses the Disconnect.me basic protection list. You can change this to use the Disconnect.me strict protection list instead.

  • The basic protection list blocks commonly known analytics trackers, social sharing trackers and advertising trackers. However, the basic protection list allows some known content trackers to reduce website breakage.
  • The strict protection list blocks all known trackers, including analytics trackers, social sharing trackers and advertising trackers as well as content trackers. The strict list will break some videos, photo slideshows and some social networks.

Change your block list

  1. In the Menu bar at the top of the screen, click Firefox and then select Preferences or Settings, depending on your macOS version.Click the menu button Fx89menuButton and select Settings.
  2. Click Privacy on the leftClick Privacy & Security on the left and go to the Tracking Protection section.
  3. Click the Change Block List button next to Use Tracking Protection in Private WindowsUse Tracking Protection in Private Browsing to block known trackersUse Tracking Protection to block known trackers and select the block list you want to use.
  4. Click Save Changes.