Goodbye to Do Not Track: Firefox Removes Privacy Setting in Latest Version
Pour one out for privacy. Mozilla has officially removed the “Do Not Track” setting in Firefox, starting with version 135. The decision comes after Mozilla acknowledged that the setting no longer effectively protects user privacy and, in some cases, can even reduce it.
The “Do Not Track” feature was introduced in 2011, a product of a 2009 prototype that aimed to give users more control over their data. The feature was intended to stop websites from tracking your online activities, but, over the years, it has become largely ignored by websites and advertisers. According to Mozilla, many sites simply didn’t respect the privacy request, and with increasing pushback from the ad industry, the feature has become ineffective.
Mozilla is now encouraging users to switch to a more robust privacy measure: the Global Privacy Control. This new option is accessible via Firefox’s “Tell websites not to sell or share my data” setting. While it’s unfortunate that “Do Not Track” is being phased out, the new setting might provide a better alternative for users looking to protect their privacy.
