What happened to Tracking Protection?

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The privacy benefits of Tracking Protection are now part of content blocking. When you see the shield in your address bar, content blocking is on. Currently, content blocking protects against certain types of trackers. Firefox is adding more privacy features to content blocking over future releases.

To learn more about tracking protection and content blocking, see the Content blocking article.

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. This feature was called Tracking Protection in the past. 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 and for the latest security and stability updates.

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.

Click 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.

Fx63menuContentBlockingFx65ContentBlocking
  1. To block trackers for all browsing sessions, change the All Detected Trackers option from Only in private windows to Always.
  2. To turn off Content Blocking, deselect the checkbox for All Detected Trackers.
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

By default, Firefox blocks trackers only in Private Browsing windows. You can customize Tracking Protection so that it's on all the time, only in private windows or not at all.

  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 a Private Browsing window.
    • Never: Turns off Tracking Protection for all sites.

Turn Tracking Protection on or off in private windows

Tracking Protection is turned on by default in Private Browsing windows.

PrivateBrowsingWithTrackingProtectionON

Click the switch next to Tracking Protection on the Private Browsing home page to turn it off or back on. (If you don't see a Tracking Protection switch, it means that you've customized your Firefox Settings to always keep Tracking Protection on.)

Turn off Tracking Protection for individual sites

You may also choose to disable Tracking Protection for particular websites.

  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 site in a normal browsing window or Disable protection for this session in a Private Browsing windowDisable For This Site in a normal browsing window or Disable For This Session in a Private Browsing window.
    tracking 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.

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