{"id":82478,"date":"2025-11-10T06:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-11-10T14:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.mozilla.org\/?p=82478"},"modified":"2025-12-19T09:39:32","modified_gmt":"2025-12-19T17:39:32","slug":"fingerprinting-protections","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.mozilla.org\/en\/firefox\/fingerprinting-protections\/","title":{"rendered":"Firefox expands fingerprint protections: advancing towards a more private web"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With Firefox 145, we\u2019re rolling out major privacy upgrades that take on browser fingerprinting \u2014 a pervasive and hidden tracking technique that lets websites identify you even when cookies are blocked or you\u2019re in private browsing. These protections build on Mozilla\u2019s long-term goal of building a healthier, transparent and privacy-preserving web ecosystem.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fingerprinting builds a secret digital ID of you by collecting subtle details of your setup \u2014 ranging from your time zone to your operating system settings \u2014 that together create a \u201cfingerprint\u201d identifiable across websites and across browser sessions. Having a unique fingerprint means fingerprinters can continuously identify you invisibly, allowing bad actors to track you without your knowledge or consent. Online fingerprinting is able to track you for months, even when you use any browser\u2019s private browsing mode.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Protecting people\u2019s privacy has always been core to Firefox. Since 2020<\/a>, Firefox\u2019s built-in Enhanced Tracking Protection<\/a> (ETP) has blocked known trackers and other invasive practices, while features like Total Cookie Protection<\/a> and now expanded fingerprinting defenses demonstrate a broader goal: prioritizing your online freedom through innovative privacy-by-design. Since 2021, Firefox has been incrementally enhancing anti-fingerprinting protections targeting the most common pieces of information collected for suspected fingerprinting uses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today, we are excited to announce the completion of the second phase of defenses against fingerprinters that linger across all your browsing but aren\u2019t in the known tracker lists. With these fingerprinting protections, the amount of Firefox users trackable by fingerprinters is reduced by half.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How we built stronger defenses<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Drawing from a global analysis of how real people\u2019s browsers can be fingerprinted, Mozilla has developed new, unique and powerful defenses against real-world fingerprinting techniques. Firefox is the first browser with this level of insight into fingerprinting and the most effective deployed defenses to reduce it. Like Total Cookie Protection<\/a>, one of our most innovative privacy features, these new defenses are debuting in Private Browsing Mode and ETP Strict mode initially, while we work to enable them by default.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

How Firefox protects you<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

These fingerprinting protections work on multiple layers, building on Firefox\u2019s already robust privacy features. For example, Firefox has long blocked known tracking and fingerprinting scripts as part of its Enhanced Tracking Protection<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Beyond blocking trackers, Firefox also limits the information it makes available to websites \u2014 a privacy-by-design approach \u2014 that preemptively shrinks your fingerprint. Browsers provide a way for websites to ask for information that enables legitimate website features, e.g. your graphics hardware information, which allows sites to optimize games for your computer.  But trackers can also ask for that information, for no other reason than to help build a fingerprint of your browser and track you across the web.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since 2021, Firefox has been incrementally advancing fingerprinting protections, covering the most pervasive fingerprinting techniques. These include things like how your graphics card draws images, which fonts your computer has, and even tiny differences in how it performs math. The first phase plugged the biggest and most-common leaks of fingerprinting information.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Recent Firefox releases have tackled the next-largest leaks of user information used by online fingerprinters. This ranges from strengthening the font protections to preventing websites from getting to know your hardware details like the number of cores your processor has, the number of simultaneous fingers your touchscreen supports, and the dimensions of your dock or taskbar. The full list of detailed protections is available in our documentation<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Our research shows these improvements cut the percentage of users seen as unique by almost half<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Firefox\u2019s new protections are a balance of disrupting fingerprinters while maintaining web usability. More aggressive fingerprinting blocking might sound better, but is guaranteed to break legitimate website features. For instance, calendar, scheduling, and conferencing tools legitimately need your real time zone. Firefox\u2019s approach is to target the most leaky fingerprinting vectors (the tricks and scripts used by trackers) while preserving functionality many sites need to work normally. The end result is a set of layered defenses that significantly reduce tracking without downgrading your browsing experience. More details are available about both the specific behaviors<\/a> and how to recognize a problem<\/a> on a site and disable protections<\/a> for that site alone, so you always stay in control. The goal: strong privacy protections that don\u2019t get in your way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What\u2019s next for your privacy<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

If you open a Private Browsing window or use ETP Strict mode, Firefox is already working behind the scenes to make you harder to track. The latest phase of Firefox\u2019s fingerprinting protections marks an important milestone in our mission to deliver: smart privacy protections that work automatically \u2014 no further extensions or configurations needed. As we head into the future, Firefox remains committed to fighting for your privacy, so you get to enjoy the web on your terms. Upgrade to the latest Firefox and take back control of your privacy<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n

\n \"\" <\/div>\n
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Take Firefox with you<\/h3> Download Firefox Mobile<\/span> <\/div>\n<\/a>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

With Firefox 145, we\u2019re rolling out major privacy upgrades that take on browser fingerprinting \u2014 a pervasive and hidden tracking technique that lets websites identify you even when cookies are blocked or you\u2019re in private browsing. These protections build on Mozilla\u2019s long-term goal of building a healthier, transparent and privacy-preserving web ecosystem. 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