As of September 3, Mozilla has switched Enhanced Tracking Protection (ETP) on its website browser, Firefox as a default for all users. The privacy setting update, which was first launched in June, blocks all third-party tracking as the browser continues to push the anti-tracking initiative, which has been a big talking point throughout 2019.
The change was part of the site’s v69.0 update and according to Mozilla in a blog post, it represents a “milestone” that marks “a major step in our multi-year effort to bring stronger, usable privacy protections to everyone using Firefox”.
“Currently, over 20% of Firefox users have Enhanced Tracking Protection on. With today’s release, we expect to provide protection for 100% of our users by default,” Mozilla said in a statement.
Earlier in the summer, David Camp, senior VP, stated that in response to the growing scandals around data privacy and people feeling vulnerable, it was “unfortunate” that change had to happen in order for tech companies to take notice.
Cookie tracking has been heavily discussed this year, particularly in the wake of the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) recent changes to its guidance around cookies. The technological landscape around handling and protecting personal data has been prompted by digital giants such as Apple and Google also enhancing their privacy settings, further clamping down on cookie tracking whilst creating a safe and user-friendly browsing experience for consumers.
“Ad personalisation as we know it is changing. Marketers, who until now have been able to use third-party cookies to track users for ad profiling, are going to need to start thinking differently. GDPR-safe marketing is the way forward. This means focusing not on the individual, but on the personas in your audience. By understanding what interests them and serving them with relevant content, marketers will be able to drive more meaningful interactions, build loyalty and see an impact for their business,” said Yuval Ben-Itzhak, CEO of Socialbakers.
