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Firefox "Total Cookie Protection"
Firefox has rolled out "Total Cookie Protection" starting with v101.0.1.
"Total Cookie Protection works by creating a separate “cookie jar” for each website you visit. Instead of allowing trackers to link up your behavior on multiple sites, they just get to see behavior on individual sites...No other websites can reach into cookie jars that don’t belong to them and find out what the other websites’ cookies know about you..."
Read more at the Mozilla blog here.
I presume this is automatically enabled without having to change settings manually since I don't see any TCP options on Firefox's Tools>Settings>Privacy&Security screen. But you might want to enable "Delete cookies and site data when Firefox is closed" on that screen, if it's not already enabled.
ky331
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June 16th, 2022 16:00
Ron,
This new Firefox feature, allegedly enabled by default on 14 June, is indeed very difficult for many users to pinpoint and confirm
As you noted, we can begin by going to Tools / Settings / Privacy & Security / Enhanced Tracking Protection ; and that's where the confusion begins:
For SOME (but NOT all) users, Firefox had ("by invitation") offered them an option to TEST PILOT the Total Cookie Protection feature. Those who were invited can easily find this OPTION by clicking to expand the STANDARD Enhanced Tracking button:
It is unclear to me how long this will continue to be a "TEST PILOT" program, if it is now truly enabled by default for all.
For those who were NOT invited to TEST PILOT the program, it apparently can be found as already included [with no overall OPT-OUT mechanism] by clicking to expand the STRICT Enhanced Tracking button:
In either case, there is a site-by-site exclusion mechanism available (in case you find out the site you're trying to visit has been "broken" by this feature) by clicking on the shield
at the beginning of the address bar and moving the slider to DISable Enhanced Tracking Protection for that particular site.
RoHe
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June 16th, 2022 17:00
I wasn't invited to the Firefox Test Pilot for TCP, so this is my first close encounter. I presume TCP is the new default setting and can only be "adjusted" by using either the Standard or Strict control setting.
Somewhat similar protections are now offered with the Standard setting, but Cross-site cookies and Tracking Content protection is only offered in Private Windows when using Standard.
So Strict seems to be a better choice, unless it breaks a website(s) but the site(s) can always be added to the Exceptions list, as you mentioned.
I have been using Strict for quite a while, and haven't seen it break any sites I use regularly, including this one. So I haven't needed to make any Exceptions or revert to Standard.
joe53
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June 17th, 2022 00:00
The Test Pilot option showed up in my Firefox 101.0.1, until I selected the Strict Tracking Protection. At which point, no more mention of Test Pilot.
As an aside, I suspect the average user of Firefox will have absolutely no idea how to best configure the Firefox Settings>Privacy & Security options. I include myself.
RoHe
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June 17th, 2022 12:00
That makes 2 of us...
They have been totally unclear about TCP and Test Pilot. Since I enabled "Strict" long before the latest update, that's how 101.0.1 was configured when it was installed.
So I never saw Test Pilot offered as an option. And if I set 101.0.1 back to "Standard" now, Test Pilot isn't offered.
I'll stick with "Strict" and "Delete cookies on exit", and run ccleaner to remove all the MB of stuff FF still leaves behind, even with all those options selected.
ky331
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June 17th, 2022 12:00
Ron,
It's certainly your choice to "Delete cookies and site data when Firefox is closed"... but in so doing, Firefox will [presumably] "forget" the identifying-information on all the sites you use regularly. Personally, I consider it a convenience finding account names (but NOT passwords) when I visit a site regularly... I'll then type-in the PW as needed. [I guess you could manage exceptions on a case-by-case basis.]
Of course, I [only] do so on machines where I'm the sole user... if I ever need to access information on a shared system, I make sure to log-out of any accounts accessed.